Visual Language

visual language

narration:

garments

styling

model

lighting

location

audio/music

themes 

VISUAL COMPONENTARY:

-tone

-line

-shape

-space

-colour

-movement

-rhythm

to understand and execute the control of visual componentry we use

CONTRAST AND AFFINITY

CONTRAST - the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association 

AFFINITY- how close these elements are together

(images)

A simple rule:

contrast - increases visual intensity

affinity- decreases visual intensity

story structure:

-combination of contrast and affinity

-balancing the highs (intense parts) and lows (least intense)

-to give you some rhythmic pattern

^this can help with your communication and language 

rules can be broken

2.Space

There are 4 basic types of space

1.deep space

2.flat space

3.limited space

4.ambiguous space

Deep space provides illusions of 3d in a 2d medium

predominately done with depth cubes and horizon lines

foreground, mid ground and background are all important elements that are played with in deep space. (foreground elements are larger than the background)

Flat space emphasis on 2d on a 2d medium

there are no horizon lines, no depth queues, everything is compressed 

Limited space, combination of deep and flat space

shooting through one plane to the other 

Ambiguous space

Very powerful tool, use in short bursts

Creates momentary confusion and discomfort for the audience 

(reflections can disorientate your viewer and are often used when creating ambiguous space)

how can we control space

-vanishing points increase depth, more vanishing points create more depth

-lighter objects appear closer, darker objects appear further away

-warmer objects appear closer, cooler further away

3.Line

Linear motif

Think of your image reduced to simple lines and shapes

Lines and intensity

Surface divisions can control story structure and visual intensity

horizontal least intense

vertical more intense

diagonal most intense 

4.Shape

circle least intense

square more intense

triangle most intense 

5.Colour

additive - red/green/blue

subtractive- cyan/magenta/yellow

3 basic components of colour:

hue (what the basic eye can see)

brightness - the addition of white and black to get different colours

saturation- purity of the hue

Consider colour schemes for your film

e.g. the matrix film

split complimentary colour - film traffic e.g

teal and orange - stardust, spy kids, night as the museum, the bourne identity

6.Movement

3 types of movement:

-object

-camera

-point of attention

1.object movement

affinity of movement 

————>

————>

contrast of movement

—————>

<—————

2.camera movement

static shot-locked off=least intense (e.g. hunger steve mcqueen)

dolly/slider/jib/steady camera = more intense (e.g. river island video)

frenetic or handheld = most intense 

3.point of attention

where is the audience looking: (determined by 3 things)

movement 

brightness 

focus

7.Rhythm

fragmented action vs continuous action 

licence free music