Eye Contact is an AI-powered video effect that digitally rotates your eyeballs to make it appear that you're looking directly into the camera. So if you're reading a script that's just off camera, looking at a teleprompter, or getting distracted by your cat making a TikTok in the kitchen, Eye Contact will keep your eyes locked on your viewer, making your video feel personal and engaging. Applying Eye Contact in Descript is simple, and in this article, we'll walk you through using the effect.
How to apply Eye Contact to a video
- Ensure your video is correctly oriented before importing it. If the video is sideways upon import, the Eye Contact feature won’t work.
- Additionally, make sure you are connected to the internet, as the effect processing happens in the cloud.
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Upload or record your video — You can learn more about both in our Importing and transcribing files and Recording in Descript guides.
- Select your video — You can do this from your Canvas, Timeline, or from the layer list in the sidebar.
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Apply Eye Contact to your video — With your video selected, select Layer and then Effects + in the right sidebar. Look for "Eye Contact" and click to enable it. Please note: this is where you'll need an internet connection.
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Wait for processing — Once you add Eye Contact to a video, the application will begin processing your video. Descript is basically creating a new video file; the length of this process will vary based on your video's duration and your internet connection.
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Enabling or disabling the effect — If you want to turn Eye Contact on or off during specific moments in your video, just create a scene and turn the effect on or off from the sidebar. If you remove the effect, you can add it to the same video without reprocessing.
Tips and Best Practices for Eye Contact on Video
Processing time:
As with all great things, Eye Contact needs time.
Single-person focus:
Our AI has an eye for detail, but it's also specific—it can't yet work on a video with more than one subject. So, for now, it's all about you! Ensure that there is only one person in the video, and their eyes are clearly visible on camera.
Best on video where the face is large:
For optimal results, the face should be prominently framed in the video, rather than small or distant.
It only works on video with eye contact:
This may be obvious, but if you’re turned entirely another way or looking at a script to the side of you, it probably won’t do anything at all. It works best when you’re reading a script close to the camera. Avoid quick movements in the video for the best application of Eye Contact.
Smart avoidance of non-eye contact:
Eye Contact will smartly avoid forcing eye contact when your head or eyes move far enough away from the camera that you might no longer be addressing it. As a result, it works best with reading off screens or teleprompters still placed close to your camera.
Lighting and angles:
Try to avoid backlighting; studio lighting works best. Also, avoid extreme angles between the face and the camera—a straight-on view works best to prevent distortion.
Minimize reflection on glasses:
To achieve the best results, reduce reflections on glasses to ensure the eyes are visible and can be adjusted by the AI.
Eye Contact application will fail in situations where the full face and eyes are not visible in the file. If you are attempting to apply eye contact to a file that has areas where the eyes/face aren’t visible, we recommend cutting the video into separate files and applying eye contact to the individual files that have eyes/face visible.