Member-only story
One-way Ticket to Fadeout Town
In television or motion pictures, a fade-out is a gradual decrease in visibility at the end of a sequence. Think of your typical fade-to-black, as the credits start rolling up the screen at the end of a movie, or as a transition between different scenes in a television show. In broadcasting, we’ll talk about gradual decreases in sound, dialogues, or the like, usually ending in complete inaudibility.
Fade-outs typically announce the end of something. In the context of inclusive communication, fade-outs announce the end of our audience members’ interest in us and our content. Ouch.
When we address our audience from the platform, the front of the room or Zoom, we’re never fully in control of when or how someone will tune us out. But it happens a lot more than we care to admit. While we can’t do much about the “when” and the “how”, we always, always, have full control over the “why”. What we do control is whether we consciously prevent fade-outs from happening.
These dramatic situations can be prevented by being mindful of a series of considerations to actively work towards the inclusion of all of our audience members. When we pay attention to these types of details, we can help everyone stay connected with us and our message. And it’s a very powerful thing indeed.
