Here is a video that I shot after reading your book. Most woodworking videos are painfully boring, but I and another woodworker are trying to change that.

Can you give me any more tips?

— Brian

I have to admit it did not take much imagination for me to picture a boring video about woodworking. But Brian's done a great job of making his pretty cool. Fun action shots, nicely framed, well edited. This video is probably fascinating for anyone more likely to pick up a lathe than I am. Which is pretty much everyone.

But for those who come to this site for video tips, let's talk "eyelines." Eyeline is on-set jargon that refers to where the on-camera subject is looking.

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Why eyelines matter

We care about eyelines because where an actor looks on screen give us information about what's going on in the scene, and how the characters are relating to their reality and to us. More specifically:

•Eyelines need to look good. Do you want to look up someone's nose during an interview? Me either, but if an interviewer is standing behind a low-slung camera, the subject will be looking up, and you'll see nostrils.

•In narrative video, eyelines need to look real. Next time you watch a film or TV, look at the back-and-forth shots that show two people talking. With a single-camera show, those shots involved moving a camera and lights to get each actor's side of the conversation. If you don't pay attention to eyelines, it will look like they're talking past each other, or to someone who isn't there.

•Eyelines affect emotional impact. If we're looking straight at someone's face, it feels different than when we see them in profile. If an actor appears to be looking intensely at another actor, it feels different than if they're intentionally looking away.

•Eyelines affect the set. This famous Christian Bale Rant happened because someone walked through his eyeline– i.e. where he was looking– while he was acting a scene. That can break an actor's concentration. 

Improving this video

Getting back to Brian: As I watched, I was wondering if he was about to lose a finger because his eyeline suggests he is blind. Why else would he always be fixedly staring into the distance while talking to us? Turns out he's not blind, as his master woodworking proves. But in some of the interview shots it's hard to be sure. Fixing his eyeline will take care of that.

For a more intimate interview look next time, Brian, try seating the interviewer right next to the camera, with her eyes at lens level. Then when you look at her, you'll be looking almost right at us.

That's a pretty safe (and conventional) interview eyeline, but of course you can play with placement and find something artier. Check your eyeline with a still or by playing back your video. Make sure you like the message your look sends.

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