Automatically staged video conversations

A first device, comprising:

• a camera configured to capture video;
• a communications interface configured to communicate with a second device;
• a display configured to display video received from the second device;
• operating logic configured to perform actions comprising:
• obtaining first video;
• determining presence of a first user within a distance from the first device;
• sending an obscured version of the first video to the second device based at least in part on the presence of the first user;
• receiving an indication from the first user at the first device to transmit unobscured video to the second device;
• and
• obtaining second video and sending the second video to the second device.

A method, comprising:

• determining, by a first device, a common communications period, the common communication period comprising a contemporaneous period of time between a first communications period of the first device and a second communications period of a second device;
• determining that a current time is within the common communications period;
• capturing sensor data at the first device, wherein the sensor data includes first video;
• analyzing the sensor data to detect a presence of a first user, the presence indicating that the first user is in proximity to the first device;
• based at least in part on the presence of the first user, providing an indication of the presence of the first user to a second device;
• receiving an indication from the first user to transmit video to the second device;
• and
• based at least in part on receiving the indication from the first user, causing at least a portion of the first video to be displayed at the second device.