Style - visual elements

Just as every written text has a particular style, so do visual texts and film. Where word choice, point of view, structure and language features affect the style of written texts, lighting, sound, scene/frame composition and editing affect the style of a visual text or a film.

Visual texts and film

As with written texts, the composer of a visual text or film has a 'voice'. When you look at a visual text or a film text you need to ask yourself, 'Through whose eyes am I viewing this text?'

Consider Text one and Text two.

The style of these two images is clearly different. How can we describe the styles of these individual images?

Let's begin by thinking about the purpose of each text. The purpose of a postcard is for travellers to inform friends and families about where they are and what they are doing. The style of each of these postcards is going to affect the way that the senders of the postcards communicate how they are enjoying their trip. Think about the message that Image One and Image Two communicate before moving on.

The style of Text One is far less formal than the style of Text Two. Let's analyse Text One to understand the composer's reasons for developing the style of this image. Remember that we will analyse this text using the reading path. The first image that is presented is in the top left- hand corner of the text, the superimposed koala. This is a kitschy, iconic image. This image sets the tone of the text. This is not a serious text, the sender is in Australia for fun.

The next image that the viewer is presented with is the landscape shot of Sydney and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The bright colours and the beautiful, clear sky further emphasise the sender's happiness, the fun that they are having and, potentially, how relaxed they are feeling. The reading path then ends at the bottom of the text. Notice the font. What tone is this font? How does it change the tone of the text?

The style of Text Two is far simpler. The use of black and white immediately focuses the viewer's attention on the fact that this is an historical document. The simple font and the use of the date further emphasise this point. Note the impact that style can have, especially considering that the two texts are exactly the same photographs.

It is always important when studying a visual text to first analyse how the text has been composed (using reading paths for this), then decide upon the effect that the different elements of this composition will have on the viewer. Then decide on how this effect suits the purpose and intended audience. In other words:

How has the text been composed?
Why has it been composed in this fashion?

Have a go with some guided answers. Remember that there is no wrong answer - but you need to be able to support your answer extremely comprehensively.

Use the answers to Text three in the following text as a model for an appropriate process to analyse a text

What is the salient feature?

The salient feature (the first image that catches your eye) is the written text, the title. This is because it is bold and in yellow and stands out on the otherwise gloomy background.

The 'dripping' of the text implies a mood of horror as it symbolises blood dripping.

Reading path

The viewer's eyes are then naturally drawn to the right, and the yellow of the flame, in combination with the yellow of the title, is a cue for the reader to follow that vector.

Already there is a building sense of horror and violence.

The viewer has now been directed to the phrase at the top of the text via the mummy's eyes. The subject of the text confirms what the viewer has been feeling.
Having read the text, the viewer is now positioned to look at the head of the mummy. The direction that the mummy is looking takes the viewer's eyes to the edge of the flame

The colour yellow has already been associated with violence. Thus, the colour of the mummy's eyes is given a heightened sense of evil.

From the mummy's eyes, the mummy's body is a vector that draws the viewer's eyes downwards.

In doing this, the composer of this text has also made the viewer study the mummy in more detail. It is not insignificant that the mummy is presented as stationary or, at the very least, slowly and deliberately moving.

The position, look and colour of the mummy are in stark contrast with the terrified-looking woman in the bottom right-hand corner.

The woman is at the feet of the mummy. This implies dominance over her. The audience is positioned to feel empathy for this woman. The composer has made her stand out because her life-like colours are in stark contrast with the gloomy tone that has been set throughout the rest of the text. She is pretty. Notice that her pale-coloured dress hangs offer her, further emphasising her vulnerability in this scenario.

The viewer's eyesight is then drawn to follow the woman's eyesight. She is looking back at the title. The viewer's path has come full circle. Having read this so far, the visual text encourages the viewer to explore the text more and follow other vectors.
The men in the bottom left-hand corner provide clues as to the rest of the story - they are the brave men who will try to defend the woman for whom we all feel empathy.

In a brief sense, the viewer has been told a story. We can imagine a viewer's thoughts as they view this text as being: