1. Visual Literacy Terminology

2. Participant
Who and what is represented

3. Gaze
Demand – when the participant looks directly at the viewer, demanding a response. Can be engaging or confronting
Offer – occurs when the participant looks away from the viewer, and is more impersonal

4. Offer
Demand
Offer
Demand
Demand

5. Salience
The part of an image that first attracts the viewer’s attention is most salient
The most notable feature in the text
This could be due to size or colour

7. Centrality
The placing of the central figure/object to focus attention

9. Social Distance
The distance between the participant and the viewer, representing a type of relationship
Close= intimate relationship
Medium= social relationship
Long/far= public relationship

10. Close/Intimate
Long/Public
Medium/Social
Medium/Social
Long/Public
Close/Intimate

11. Power Relations (Angle)
The angle of an image positions the viewer as:
Having superior knowledge or power (taken from above)
Having inferior knowledge or power (taken from below)
Having equal standing with the participant (taken at eye-level)

12. Eye-Level
Slight Low angle
Eye-Level
Slight High angle
High Angle
Low angle

13. Framing
The border enclosing the main part of the text

14. Rough, black frame-
Symbol of hate, evil
spreading into their
lives
Framing – sparkling
love heart-
pretentious,
conceited
Framing around the
image- looks like a
photo

15. Vectors Lines that direct the viewer’s gaze through a visual text.
This can be a solid line, or the gaze of the participant directing the viewer’s attention.

17. Composition Foreground=objects/participants at the front of the image
Middleground= objects/participants in the middle of the image
Background= objects/participants at the back of the image

18. B F B F M F M B B F M F

19. Information Value
Where something is placed within a text to convey certain value
In Western Society we read from left to right and top to bottom
Left to right layout= given/new
Top to bottom layout=ideal/real
Centre to margin layout= important/peripheral

20. Given/New
Left side signifies the Given – known or familiar information
Right side signifies the New – innovative or newly introduced visual information

21. Given
New
Given
New
Given
New
Left=who he is-known
Right=Who he will
become-new
Left=Who he is-known
Right=Who he will
become-new
Left=who the
participant is-known
Right=the people
she will become like-
new

22. Ideal/Real
Top signifies the Ideal – the optimal, something to be strived for
Bottom signifies the Real – the facts, reality, the “fine print”

23. Ideal
Top= the life to strive for
Bottom= the life they have,
who they really are
Real
Ideal
Top= what the participants
strive for
Bottom= the reality
Real

24. Important/Peripheral
Centre signifies the Important
Margin signifies the Peripheral- less emphasis/importance

25. Important
Peripheral

26. Symbols/Motifs Symbol- used to represent an idea/concept
Motif- a repeated idea/theme/symbol

28. Colour
Different colours give different messages which are often symbolic, or create certain moods
E.G. white=purity, red=passion, death, yellow=joy, pink=feminine, romantic, etc.

29. Orange=warmth,
Strength of
Personality
Yellow=happiness
Sepia=past/old
Pink=feminine,
sensuous
Red=danger, death,
Passion
White= purity,
innocence, mystical
Black=death, rebellion
Purple=intelligence
Blue=power

30. Rule of thirds
The rule of thirds states than an image is most pleasing when its subjects or regions are composed along imaginary lines which divide the image into thirds — both vertically and horizontally

32. Creating a VISUAL IMAGE (including a DVD cover)
It is important to use these visual techniques to help convey a message to the audience. Think about what you want the image to say and then think about how you would set up the image.
Consider the following; What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?

33. What characters are important
What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?

34. What characters are important
What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?

35. What characters are important
What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?

36. What characters are important
What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?

37. What characters are important
What characters are important? What is their relationship with each other? What is the mood of the film? How will we show this?