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I've realized from ppl asking me in DM about photosensitive TWs (I love you for the effort, ty!) that I haven't made a Thread To Rule Them All, so I'll attempt that now. This is based on my own triggers & community convos, but ofc I'm not the ultimate authority.
Time for class!
Time for class!
First, it's important to note that when I say "flashy" it's shorthand for all triggering visual effects, because it's too long a list to write out every time. I'll detail them more here. I will not link directly to examples because I don't want triggery vids on my account.
Lights: A general guideline is if there's more than one flash of light closer together than you can say "one", it's flashy. Ofc strobe lights are especially terrible. The more of the screen it takes up, the stronger the color contrast, and the longer it goes on, the worse it is.
Rapid cuts, like the kind of quickly switching images you see in those "stop the gif to see what your result is" things, have a similar effect to a strobe. Again, saying "one" is a decent measure for if they're too fast. The more dramatic the light change, the worse it is.
Glitch, where the images blur/overlap like a 3D glasses effect, there's a flickering bar across the screen, there are overlaid moving colors, there's zigzag like static, etc., is also really bad. You see this a lot in transition videos, FMVs, and the BY & Z1L ad vids.
Zooms and slides, where the picture moves across the screen or the camera moves quickly, are usually less of a seizure/migraine risk but can still trigger vertigo/motion sickness in some people (myself included). Shaky cam, like a running or earthquake effect, is bad too.
I have some visual examples of triggering effects in this thread. I used a slider in an editor to show them so that they're slow enough to not be triggering, but they may help illustrate what I'm talking about. https://twitter.com/GuardianEmrys/status/1307135234513698817
How to warn: Put "TW:" or "Warning:" and list the problematic effects. Timestamps or scene descriptions are extra helpful.
TW: Strobe 0:10-0:17
TW: Glitch starts when BY appears, ends after the crash
I personally prefer the latter, but choose which works best for that vid.
TW: Strobe 0:10-0:17
TW: Glitch starts when BY appears, ends after the crash
I personally prefer the latter, but choose which works best for that vid.
The goal is to provide the info ppl need to avoid triggers. The more detail the better, because then ppl won't skip vids they could've watched with more info. But even a simple "TW: Flashing" will keep ppl from being blindsided. A heads up can make all the difference for us!
If you notice a vid / gif is flashy but the OP hasn't put a warning on it (unfortunately still very common in this fandom), please QRT and add a warning instead of just RTing. This will both protect the ppl who see it and hopefully signal to the OP that they should start warning!
This QRT'd post goes into more detail on why it's important to warn for the trigger, not the medical condition. Describing the effect lets the reader determine their personal risk level and how to approach it, and takes the diagnostic burden off of you! https://twitter.com/GuardianEmrys/status/1341484677983551488
Alternatives for creators:
Are you a vidder/giffer who wants to reduce triggering effects in your vids so that more people can watch them safely? Awesome, thank you so much!
I'll go into some tips for that now. You can also watch my vids for examples of trigger-free vidding.
Are you a vidder/giffer who wants to reduce triggering effects in your vids so that more people can watch them safely? Awesome, thank you so much!
I'll go into some tips for that now. You can also watch my vids for examples of trigger-free vidding.
Firstly, don't add the triggering effects I detailed above. But if you feel you must, you could save a pre-effects version and post that along with the effects version, so that people can choose which to watch. But one thing some vids need is transitions. https://twitter.com/GuardianEmrys/status/1311510357886803968
The least-triggering option is to not add light. You can see in my vids I use a dark fade, which just seems like blinking to sensitive eyes/brains. The BY thread above is a safer light option.
And in some cases you can move/cover the camera instead. Ex: https://twitter.com/micimicelle/status/1354251298783207425
And in some cases you can move/cover the camera instead. Ex: https://twitter.com/micimicelle/status/1354251298783207425
If you have questions that weren't covered in this thread, feel free to ask! Ty so much for being mindful!
& If you'd like to learn more about visual effects in media and how they can trigger various health conditions, this is a great overall article. https://twitter.com/CanIPlayThat/status/1336644759448936452
& If you'd like to learn more about visual effects in media and how they can trigger various health conditions, this is a great overall article. https://twitter.com/CanIPlayThat/status/1336644759448936452
