Visual techniques Flashcards
Where have objects and characters been placed in the shot? What is in the foreground, middle ground and background and why have they been placed there?
Position
How much any section of an image draws the viewer’s eyes - always deliberate and usually created through contrast, colour, framing and layout.
Salience
Symbolic of different emotions, moods, etc. and are used to evoke corresponding responses in audiences.
Colour/hue
What an image is made up of – where things are placed, how it is framed, the colour and lighting used, etc. This generally refers to the image as a whole.
Composition
Facial expressions, body language and gestures used to show character’s attitudes, moods or personality. Often focussed on overall body movement and positioning.
Body language
The camera shots and angles used in images/films to create different audience reactions and emotions. E.g. close-up, extreme close-up, mid shots, aerial shots, etc.
Framing
Where a character looks, which then directs viewer’s eyes. A ‘demand’ gaze involves direct eye contact between a character and the viewer, an ‘offer’ has the character look at something within the image, drawing the viewer’s eyes there too. Can also be used to express emotion/intent.
Gaze
How a shot is lit or not lit. This includes natural lighting (the sun, open windows, etc.) and man-made lighting (lamps, torches, etc.) as well as feature lighting such as coloured lights, spotlights, moving lights, etc. Has a major impact on the mood and atmosphere of an image (low light is seedy, harsh light is unnerving, soft light is intimate, etc.).
Lighting
The use of one image/object to represent an idea or concept that is more complex than it is. Religious, pop culture and animal are all very common.
Symbolism
The lines or paths viewer’s eyes follow when looking at an image - deliberately created to lead the eyes to a focal point or important feature.
Vectors
