The visual story

This week I finish read The visual story. The book overall has ten chapters. I have read chapter 3 space. So I talk about the rest of chapter in the book.

Chapter 4 line and shape

The line appear in the color contrast and tone, the line appear or disappear must be depend on the contrast. No matter the line in the white or black background,  the line only appear in the color contrast and tone. Such as a black square in a white background, people can see it. On the contrary, the black square in a black background, people cannot notice it. The same principle appear in the 3D viewpoint. In addition, object appear the different positions in a frame, audience will subconscious connect the objects to make line. Track also can makes line, regardless of actual or virtual line. Many picture can be reduced a simple line via color contrast and tone. A simple way we can check the main lines in the picture, just via squint to observe the picture that is a easy way to recognize the lines. To evaluate the lighting can be controlled line existence. When an object movement, it will leave the line or track. Different track will give audiences different visual intensive.

Chapter 5 Tone

Tone is the brightness of objects. Firstly, you need to find the subject, you need to show the audience what the audience to look. Secondly, check the lightning method is to take a white and black photo. Finally, tone can emphasize the important objects or hide the objects that depend on how you want to design the tone non-coincidence.

Chapter 6 Color

Sunlight made by different color. Color system is composed of  two system: additive and subtractive system. The additive system involves the mixing of colored. The subtractive system is used in the mixing of painting and dye. Additionally, the basic components of colors is hard to define each color. Someone like to use some poetry name such as: 'King's ransom', 'liberty' and 'romance', which tell about more emotion the color rather than a description of color itself. People often use color swatches. If swatches are not available, there are three terms that can describe any color: hue, brightness and saturation. Hue is position of the color wheel: red, orange, green, blue, yellow, cyan, purple, magenta. There are only eight hue, pink, brown are not hue. Brightness is addition of white and black to the hue. Brightness is the position of the gray scale. Saturation refer to the purity of the hue. For example, the fully saturated means the hue is extremely vivid. In fact, when we shoot a film, we can use color palette to control the color. Filter is used in film of different style. Such as 'comformist' use lots of filter in the film, there are cool tone filter. To control the color in the film that is the film consistent style.

Rhythm and movement

Rhythm and movement easily confuse  in sometimes. A faster movement could be not have a fast rhythm. A movement can be fast or slow, it is different rhythm. Finding the rhythm in movement, some specific movement can create visual rhythm. Secondly, the rhythmic beat will increase intensive, the movement of the object gets larger in the frame. Sometimes, we need follow the sound's rhythm to confirm visual rhythm. Moreover, decide how much editing will be involved in a scene, this will influence your amount of fragmentation.

Chapter9 Story and visual structure

A story has three basic part: exposition, conflict and resolution. Exposition of a story need to state fact needed in the story, e.g. location, time, main characters, character relation, plot and so on. However, sometime exposition could not appear in the beginning of the film. The director will use flashback or montage， putting exposition set in the middle of the film. Then,  conflict and climax of story. As the story develops, the conflict will increase.The conflict could be external or internal. Internal conflict usually include emotion struggle. External conflict usually include physical situation. Such as fighting or crashing. The resolution for finish the story. And the audience need to time to experience the whole story. Simultaneously,  visual structure also has visual exposition, visual visual conflict and visual resolution. Firstly, the visual exposition need to show the basic visual component will be used to support the story. In addition, visual exposition can set up visual component for space, emotion and line and shape. Secondly, the visual conflict need to follow the principle of the contrast and affinity to build intensive. To be specific, the greater contrast in the visual component, the more visual intensive or dynamic increase. The greater affinity in the visual component, the visual intensive or dynamic decrease. Thirdly, the visual resolution can use the principle the contrast and affinity, to increase the visual component affinity. The visual intensive will decrease, thereby a story will be finished. 

Overall, visual story is a really good book. I learn many visual components. This week I use lots time to finish read the book. Each part is important in a film that is depend on what style of film do you want to make.I will compare the different space aspect in six genres of documentaries next week. And  How can  I set up a visual structure of documentary in my work. I will talk it later.

References:

Block, B,A. (2008) The visual story : creating the visual structure of film, TV and digital media, 2nd edn., Oxford: Focal.