Examples of Effective/Ineffective Visuals

Effective visuals: Are complex and multi-faceted Communicate a message Utilize rhetorical strategies (logos, ethos, pathos) Are visually interesting, controversial, thought-provoking, appealing, etc. Utilize a “tag line” Briefly review these points, but stress these are only some of the things that make a movie poster effective. Some, all, or none of these may be present, as may other visual elements.

Fail to communicate anything but the superficial Ineffective visuals: Fail to communicate anything but the superficial Do not provoke analysis or discussion In contrast to the previous slide, an ineffective visual may catch the eye but may not have enough information to provide a deeper, more substantial analysis. Examples follow.

Are the following posters ineffective or effective?

Ask students what they would say the poster is trying to communicate to the viewer and if it can do that effectively if we, as the viewer, have no context as to what the movie is about. I would argue that this poster is ineffective. Why? There is no tagline that helps contextualize what the poster is trying to convey which leaves the reader guessing about what the film might be about. The woman has a passive, possibly unhappy expression, but beyond that there doesn’t seem to be many elements working to further inspire pathos and nothing working on the ethos and logos level. This poster, while striking and stylistically beautiful, does not meet our requirements of an effective visual.

Ask students what they would say the poster is trying to communicate to the viewer and if it can do that effectively if we, as the viewer, have no context as to what the movie is about. I would argue that this poster is effective. Why? There is a tagline that lets the reader know that the movie not only takes place in America, but has something to do with urban America and perhaps the creation of the nation. This is underlined by the flag behind the the text that seems to be both tattered, as if damaged during a battle, and in the shape of the city skyline. We can connect those ideas to the title of the movie, Gangs of New York, which is shown in a gritty, old-fashioned looking font that lets the reader know that the film takes place in the past, likely during a specific point in history. The skyline is recognizable as New York City, and the mention of “the streets” from the tagline must be somehow associated with gangs. At the top third of the image, there are three faces--two of them facing one way, another facing the opposite way. We can assume that those people are in opposition to one another and might be part of the “gang” aspect that the title and tagline suggest.

Ask students what they would say the poster is trying to communicate to the viewer and if it can do that effectively if we, as the viewer, have no context as to what the movie is about. While this poster looks stark at first, there are a number of elements that can be identified upon further inspection. The stark contrast of black and white seen in most of the poster are reminiscent of good and evil, implying that struggle is a major theme of the film. This is contrasted by the grey font used for the names of the actors, meaning the plot and the characters may not be as clear-cut as the viewer initially thinks. The red in the tag line “we will not walk in fear of one another” and the red background in the lower third of the image are suggestive of blood and conflict. Because the American flag can be seen in shades of red, the viewer immediately assumes the movie deals with war and violence. The man in the image seems to be emerging from shadows, again touching in the idea of good and evil, possibly indicating that he is trustworthy because he is moving into the light.

Ask students what they would say the poster is trying to communicate to the viewer and if it can do that effectively if we, as the viewer, have no context as to what the movie is about. Like the Memoirs of a Geisha poster, this image is visually striking, but does not provide much information for an analysis. The blue coloring may indicate sadness, which could be reinforced by the expression on the man’s face. However, there is little else to draw in the audience and may not provide enough for a full analysis.