CHAPTER 1 The Visual Components

The Cast of Visual Characters

Everywhere we go, we’re confronted by pictures. We look at still pictures in books, magazines, and at museums. We watch moving pictures at the movies, on television, at concerts, and in theatres; we play video games and surf the Internet. We look at a lot of pictures—big, little, moving, still, color, or black and white—but they are all pictures.

This book is about learning how to understand and control these pictures.

Every picture is comprised of a story, visuals, and, sometimes, sounds. Used together, these three elements communicate the meaning of the picture to the viewer. If the picture is an advertisement, the viewer may be persuaded to purchase a product. If the picture is ...

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