what lets me get the most words across faster: subtitles or narration?

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oxband

Well-known member
I'm making a doc and I need to have a little intro. I want it to be as short as possible. what let's me have the most words in the fewest amount of time: narration or subtitles? Thoughts?

thanks!
 
i think the average person can read faster than they can listen. im thinking of video games where you have cutscenes where characters talk and the subtitles of their dialogue are also written out. if given the option i will always blaze through just reading, and listen as little as possible. so i vote subtitles, purely talking about speed.
 
Some people read faster than others, some people don't hear so well, so if you want to reach everybody, use both.
 
Good narration will probably sink in more than subtitles, unless you really need the speed go with narration?
 
oxband said:
I'm making a doc and I need to have a little intro. I want it to be as short as possible. what let's me have the most words in the fewest amount of time: narration or subtitles? Thoughts?
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I don't know enough about what you are doing to make a suggestion. However, I can offer an observation. Remember that you did ask for our thoughts...

Years ago I rented a documentary that started out with screens of text that it expected me to read. I turned it off and sent it back after 30 seconds or so. And this from a guy who reads way more books than he watches video. I like to read. But videos make absolutely lousy books. If a director can't use video for what it's good for (show me, rather than tell me) then I've got better things to do.
 
Given that you say you are only using the text for the "short intro" then I think you can get away with the text...but I would not recommend that you use both...use the text, or use narration...but not both. Its like a powerpoint presentation...where the presenter reads the slides to their audience. Most of the audience has already read the slides and then allows they mind to drift while the presenter reads...

But you should take Bruce Watson's comment to heart...if you find that you start inserting more text into the doc, then you risk losing your audience...video is a visual medium....if people have to focus on reading, they can't watch the background at the same time...so narration fills the ears....video fills the eyes, and the brain puts them together to understand your story....if you lean too much on the eyes, then they will shut...shutting you out.
 
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