jarwadi within textmode

log whatever comes up in mind

Delivering Messages with Pictures

Like words and sentences, pictures or sequence of pictures are a good medium for story telling purpose. Picture has everything that word doesn't. Picture has it own legibility to deliver what news to public, even bring the authentic evidences into court room. Sometimes we need to enhance our shared "What Happening" with pictures. In certain compositon or sequence, pictures can be directed to deliver messages into audiences.

In delivering messages or news, a single picture which is good composited is often strong enough, even for certain reason we need more in appropriate strip arrangement. Usually, a collection of pictures in a such order telling a certain story is called album or photo gallery. If we use word and sentence as an analogy, I think every picture and composition element in the picture are represent a word that will only make a right sense if correctly composed into a good sentence comply with commonly used gramatical rules. Practically, picture has it own grammar.

The following is the basic of story telling with video footage. I think we can grab some basic understanding or at least the big picture on how to build a strong story or delivering whatever information we want to. Of course telling with pictures in a bunch way different with video.

Given the same shots, an editor can suggest many different scenarios. Consider just these two shots.   

gun

  • a man glancing up in surprise
  • another man pulling a gun and firing toward the camera

In this order it appears that the first man was shot. However, if you reverse the order of these two scenes, the first man is watching a shooting.

Let's look at what we can do with just three shots.

1. people jumping from a car
2. the car on fire
3. an explosion

1-2-3 -  In the 1-2-3 sequence shown the shots suggest that people are jumping from a car seconds before it catches fire and explodes.

3-2-1 - A 3-2-1 order suggests that there is an explosion and then the car bursts into flames; and, as a result, the people have to jump out.

2-3-1 - In a 2-3-1 sequence people jump from the car after a fire causes an explosion.

2-1-3 - If the sequence is changed to 2-1-3, it appears that as a result of a fire passengers jump out of the car just in time to escape a devastating explosion.

Three shots; four very different meanings!

When hundreds of scenes and takes of scenes are available to an editor, which is normally the case in dramatic productions, the editor has tremendous control over the basic continuity and message of the production.