The Art of Visual Storytelling

About the non-verbal communication of a story through basic visual components

•Your Cast of Visual Characters/Components

•The Principle of Contrast and Affinity

•Each Visual Component in Detail

•Creative Task

Which senses do you use most during a dance performance?

Visual Components

• space

• line & shape

• tone

• color

•movement

• rhythm

With special thanks to: space, line, shape, tone, color, movement and rhythm.

The Principle of Contrast and Affinity

The greater the contrast in a visual component, the more the visual intensity or dynamic increases. The greater the affinity in a visual component, the more the visual intensity or dynamic decreases.

The Principle of Contrast and Affinity

Contrast: Greater Visual Intensity

Affinity: Less Visual Intensity

Contrast: Greater Visual IntensityAffinity: Less Visual Intensity

1. Space

deep space

flat space

Deep space is more dramatic then flat space.

ambiguous space

recognizable space

Ambiguous space creates more tension and confusion than recognizable space.

open space

closed space

Closed space can create a sense of entrapment. Open space can generate extreme emotional and muscular response from audiences.

2. Line/Shape

Any picture can be reduced to simple lines. This is called a linear motif. A picture’s linear motif can be any combination of circular, straight, vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines.

Linear Motif

Diagonal lines are the most dynamic/intense lines.

Vertical lines are less dynamic/intense.

Horizontal lines are the least dynamic/intense.

Straight lines are often associated with these characteristics: direct, aggressive, bland, honest, industrial, ordered, strong, unnatural, adult, rigid.

Curved lines are often associated with these characteristics: indirect, passive, pertaining to nature, childlike, romantic, soft, organic, safe, flexible.

The circle is the most benign of the basic shapes. It has no direction or intrinsic visual dynamic. Circular shapes seem cute and friendly.

Basic Shapes

Square shapes seem to possess a visual stability and solidity.

The triangle is the most dynamic of the three shapes because it contains diagonal lines. It points into a particular direction and has an intrinsic dynamic.

Anything on stage (e.g. lights, costumes, performers) can be manipulated through controlling all visual components (e.g. shapes).

3. Tone

Tone refers to the brightness of objects.

The brightest area will usually attract a viewer’s attention first.

The more tonal contrast the greater visual intensity.

4. Color

Colors often have emotional characteristics associated with them.These can easily lead to stereotypes and hider creative freedom.

Audiences can be primed with colors and meanings for each color. Every time the color appears on stage it can create a preset emotional reaction.

Colors can be assigned to two different dramatic worlds (or ideas): blues and greens are used to show the abusive world of a trapped housewife (or the idea of imprisonment) whereas reds, yellows and oranges are assigned to her world of adultery (or the idea of freedom).

Main characters/groups can be primed with colors: Victims wear red or appear in red light, criminals wear yellow or appear in yellow light etc.

A color can be representative for an idea: Red represents conflict.

Using similar colors throughout a scene or an entire performance creates affinity and less visual intensity.Using contrasting color schemes will increase the visual intensity.

5. Movement

Movement is first: The audience’s attraction will always be drawn to a moving object.Brightness is second: If there is no movement, the viewer’s point of attention will be drawn to the brightest area on stage.

Direction: an object/subject can make horizontal (least dynamic), vertical and diagonal (most dynamic) moves.Quality: the movement of an object/subject can be straight (direct, aggressive, unnatural, etc.) or curved (indirect, passive, organic etc.).Scale: a movement can be big (more intense) or small (less intense).Speed: a high rate of speeds is usually more intense and dynamic than a low rate of speed.

Four ways to categorize movement

The order of visual components that will attract the audience’s attention and guid their eye movement is as follows:

1. Movement.

2. The brightest object.

3. The most saturated color.

4. The performers’ eyes.

5. The object with the most visual component contrast.

6. Rhythm

Every rhythm is made up of three subcomponents: alternation, repetition and

tempo.

Alternation of sound and silence, of movement and stillness, of light and dark etc.Repetition of alternation: only sound-silence-sound-silence-sound can produce a rhythm.Tempo is the rate of alternation and repetition (speed). Long intervals of time create a slow tempo and short intervals create a fast tempo.

Almost any meaning can be associated with rhythm:

A faster rhythm may communicate happiness, excitement, or comedic intent.

A slower rhythm may suggest calm, sadness, or tragedy.

A regular rhythm has a predictable pattern and usually communicates affinity or a lack of intensity.

An irregular rhythm usually increases rhythmic contrast and produces greater visual intensity or dynamic.

Creative Task:

1. Form two groups.

2. Group A creates a short dance sequence of great visual intensity (e.g. a climax scene).Group B creates a short dance sequence of small visual intensity (e.g. a resolution scene)

3. Present your material and explain how you have manipulated certain visual components in order to achieve your intensity.