Thumbnail Close Reading- Maggie Caudle
Friends: Best Moments of Season 1
For my YouTube thumbnail, I chose this video that appeared on my feed from TBS about the best moments from season 1 of “Friends”. This video is posted about a year ago. Initially I found it very eye-catching, especially as a fan of the show, although it is clearly intended to catch the attention of anyone who may be interested, even if they haven’t seen the show before. This video seems to be a highlight reel of good scenes from season 1 that viewers may enjoy binge watching at home.
Rachel Green, one of the main characters, is the subject of the thumbnail, and by using a still where she takes up most of the frame, the audience’s eyes are drawn to her. Knowing what I know about “Friends”, I know Rachel is a popular character, and this was probably taken into account when deciding which still to use. They also chose a large, bold font and bright colors such as yellow and white to stand out. The lines, especially on the font, are hard, which makes it very eye-catching. Although this isn’t a particularly bright scene, the large font and Rachel’s outfit brighten it up. It seems there isn’t much depth in this picture as there is one clear focal point.
I personally read the font before my eyes go to the image, and I think that is the intention. If viewers can immediately read about the subject of the video, they are likely to immediately click, rather than having to analyze an image first. The text makes the image seem very straightforward. The image clearly tells part of a story that viewers may want to know more about– Rachel looks happy, she is wearing a wedding dress, but we don’t know the full context of the scene, so it will likely lead audiences to want to know more. Having seen this show, I know this scene is from the pilot, but a lot of questions are left unanswered, and even if I was familiar with this scene, I may want to watch the others that they included.
Overall, this thumbnail got my attention quickly and could definitely catch the eye of current and potential viewers. I think TBS did a great job.