• Using the Zoom option "Hide non-video participants" (found by clicking on the ... blue box in the upper right hand corner of someone who has their video turned off) allows you to curate who is seen on screen.

  • With this option selected, when you turn a camera off that actor effectively "exits" the screen.

  • When entering (turning your camera back on), you appear last in the array to any other viewer. However, you will always appear second on the top to yourself. For this reason, it is very helpful to have a predetermined order of clicking in and out so that all actors are on the same page and the audience sees something consistent.

  • Actors can keep their cameras on, but cover their physical webcam to make an array of black boxes. This keeps the layout and size of the squares in tact, and allows for playing with the spatial composition.

    • Consider having the entire screen "blacked out" with the exception of one or two actors.

• Changing actor's names to reflect a character or "." to reflect ambiguity allows for consistent recognition of faces.

• If your actor has access to a wireless mouse, they can use this to "enter" or "exit" farther distances while still having control of their camera.

• Having an actor exit their square, but keeping their camera on so the audience is still engaged with their empty space.

  • Alternatively, using translucent fabrics or various glassware as a filter over the camera is an exciting way to emphasize absence.

• Direct eye contact at close facial proximity to camera: looking directly at the webcam (as opposed to at yourself, or others on Zoom).

  • Can achieve a sense of hyper-direct address to the audience, or incredibly direct communication to another actor.

• Indirect eye contact at more distant facial proximity: looking forward towards the screen but not directly at the webcam.

  • Can achieve a softer sense communication with others on screen or softer address to the audience.

Simple, large movements

• It's useful to think in terms of slicing up the frame. For the most part, zoom reads as two-dimensional, so partitioning the frame with gestures is a clear, articulate way to express moments.

• It is also useful to speak with actors about movement in terms of duration and weight.

Movement to and from camera is difficult to parse unless tied to speech

• Zoom does not pick up depth past three-ish feet, so unless someone in the distance of the frame is the center of attention they will disappear into the background.

  • This feature can also serve to our advantage as a way to balance compositions.

Zoom does illustrative compositions very well

• This is almost a live graphic novels. Use the boxes to your advantage, look for balance (or not).

• Make it look pretty/juicy/ugly/scrumptious.

Break conventions of video-conferencing

• It is incredibly satisfying to watch people expand upon our perception of how Zoom "has" to work. Anything that is not sitting, stagnant, torso up is immediately visually interesting.

• Consider how your actors can establish a non-traditional relationship to their camera (do they appear standing above the camera, below, sideways, etc).

• Consider how you can manipulate the lighting an actor has available in their space (total darkness with laptop brightness turned up, single direct down light, etc.)