The Visual Narrative

Visual Narrative -

"if your pictures aren't good enough your not close enough"

Robert Cappa 

"if your images aren't good enough your not reading enough"

Todd Papageorge

  

The Importance of context 

" you must reflect upon the intentions of your photographs from the perspective of your intentions for your photographs"

I need to remember theses questions when doing my narrative 

• WHO ?
• WHAT?
• WHERE?
• WHEN?
• HOW?
• WHY?

• Clarify your intent 
• Examine 
• List 
• Cross reference 
• consider 
• What is happening ?
• What is the picture of ?
• What is the relevance of the frame?
• what is being depicted within the frame ?
• what is being shown ?

Visual narrative film tropes and Language

Narrative task -

we were given 144 images of random subject matter which we had to use to create a narrative here is example of what our group came up with:

the images go from top left across to the left image on the second row and so on to

the bottom image .

the images above were all separate images that no significance to each other however however we created the story of a women finding out about her husbands affair. The story tasks a dark turn when the wife of the cheating husband stalks the other women to find out why she is being cheated on. finally she decides to follow her husband and the story ends. our story was perceived to be a bit too complicated to understand from the images as we had to explain a bit too much of what was going on. this is something to consider when starting my own narrative.

Film tropes

XLS- Extreme long shot 

• Also Known as very wide angle shot 
• Traditionally used in exterior shooting 
• This shot encompasses a large field of view therefore shows large amount of the environment in the space.
• Often used as a establishing shot at the beginning of a a motion picture to set the scene

VLS- Very long shot 

• Also in the wide shot family 
• May be used in exterior or interior shooting when enough width and height exist within the studio or location.
• Environment within the space is still very important as it fills much of the screen, but the human figure is more visible and clothing details are shown 
• May be used as an establishing shot where movement of character brings the figure closer to the camera.

LS- Long shot

• Also known as a full body shot
• Can be used both interior and exterior shooting 
• a large human figure takes the main focus from the environment 

MLS-Medium long shot 

• the shot usually frames the human figure usually cutting them off above the knee.However this depends on styling.
• May be used in interior and exterior
• human figure is prominent in the shot the viewer can see facial expressions , clothing and gender in detail. 

MS-Medium shot 

• Also known as a waist shot as the frame cuts of at waist height 
• interior or exterior shot 
• human figure is most prominent in the shot eyes and small details are visible 

MCU- Medium close up 

• Also know as a two button shot due to the tight framing only showing the chest area up or the first two button of the shirt up. Definitely elbows cut off 
• Exterior and interior shot 
• Facial features are clear too see as well as emotion.
• The main focus is the human figure and their emotion so the background is insignificant.

CU-Close up

• Also know as a head shot as the head is the prominent focus of the shot 
• It is very intimate shot as the full face os on show so even subtle emotions are see by the viewer
• Use both interior and exterior

BCU-Big close up 

• The face occupies the frame as much as possible but still shows the key features like eyes and mouth.
•  Interior or exterior 
• An intimate shot as the face is the primary focus as even a slight movement is seen.

ECU-Extreme close up

• This shot frames one aspect of the face for example eyes , mouth or nose
• Due to the fact that the shot is of only one particular feature the viewers is unaware of the background or where the human figure is 
• interior or exterior shot 

Tilt-  Using a camera on a tripod, the camera moves up or down to follow the action. 

Zoom: Use of the camera lens to move closely towards the subject.  

Fade - A transition from a shot to black where the image gradually becomes darker is a Fade Out; or from black where the image gradually becomes brighter is a Fade In.  

Point of view shot - the point of view shot shows exactly what the character is seeing so the viewers watch the shot feel like the are watching the scene through the eyes of the character .

Dolly - Traditionally, any wheeled device used to move a motion picture camera around a film set either while while recording or in between takes. A dolly may be three or four wheeled; rides on the floor or roll with special wheels along straight or 

curved tracks; have a telescoping or booming arm that lifts and lowers the camera. 

Pan- short for panorama, the horizontal movement, from left to right or right to left .In panning the camera follows the subject for example walking at the same height of the subject so the shot looks continuous ans smooth. Also the background is  then blurred out due to the shallow depth of field.

Handheld- in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base.The effect is shaky and documentary look.

Narrative Codes 

Hermeneutic code -refers to plot elements of a story that are not explained. They exist as enigmas that the reader wishes to be resolved. A detective story, for example, is a narrative that operates primarily by the hermeneutic code. A crime is exposed or postulated and the rest of the narrative is devoted to answering questions raised by the initial event.

Proairetic code- refers to plot events that imply further narrative action. For example, a story character confronts an adversary and the reader wonders what the resolution of this action will be. Suspense is created by action rather than by a reader's wish to have mysteries explained.

Narrative Arc 

Tzvetan Todorov's Theory of narrative 

• a state of equilibrium at the outset 
• a disruption of the equilibrium by some action
• a recognition that there has been a disruption
• an attempt to repair the disruption 
•  a  reinstatement of the equilibrium