Visual Literacy - Comm 105 American University @vislit105 - Tumblr Blog

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Visual Review Movie Poster

I chose to analyze Iron Man’s movie poster for my last visual review, one of my favorite films. Every movie poster is different as that it is created by different editors and designers as that they are all trying to portray a slightly different message.

In this movie poster, the focus is on the main characters: Iron Man as the largest and up on the top(the most important), Robert Downey Jr. Right below(appearing to be slightly less important but still much higher than everyone else), then Terrance Howard, Jeff bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow all significantly lower then Robert Downey Jr. and Iron Man. Size shows importance. This poster does a great job of this. The expression on all of their faces shows extreme focus, none are smiling. Although they may be facing different directions, all are looking to the same end point, you. The font of the movie title, Iron Man, is outlined in a bright color. Yet it works perfectly. It correlates with Iron Man’s yellow and red “suit of armor”. In the background of the top half, the colors are lighter and warmer, while the colors are darker and less warm on the bottom. Again, emphasizing importance and emotion. Lastly, the two actors who are on the “good side”, Terrance Howard and Robert Downey Jr., although different importance’s, are both placed on Iron Man’s arms portraying that they are there to help. While the other two evil characters are not. Stressing importance on who is who and what roles will be played. Another part that I see important is that Jeff Bridges, the evil character, is almost obsolete in the poster. He is wearing all black, and all you can see is his face. While everyone else is in blue suites or a blue dress.

By: Jaime Gottlieb

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Visual Review Music Video

For this visual review I chose to analyze Kid Cudi’s music video, Day ’N’ Nite . This music video was produced in 2009, and is what I believe as Kid Cudi’s big hit that got him to pursue a road of fame. This music video starts out with a completely black background with a solid white figure drawing walking closer getting larger faster and faster, a still hold shot on a moving man. This goes on for 14 seconds.

Then, immediately, the man walking becomes real life, singing “Day ‘N’ Nite”.

This focus truly makes the viewer focused on the man in the picture. What will happen next? The next few scenes follow his daily life in his own mind. Real and fake, attempting to locate reality. First he is walking down the street with a still hold shot, then the camera is focused on a grocery store frozen food and drink section, panning right across all the foods. First drinks, then foods, then desserts. The next scene is him walking closer towards Jesus in a church for a few seconds. Then back to reality - back on the street walking. Trying to figure out what life is and what life is not.

Immediately after the man, Kid Cudi, as a still shot walking alone just like how it did in the opening, now has colors on road he is walking on, starting to figure out purpose yet still wandering

He reverts back to the grocery store, where a continuum of near and far shots are taken, and back on the street panning left and right while he walks. Kid Cudi then starts with a saying “seeing the dreams of a life he made”. He looks at everyday people, colorizes them on how they could be different, and outlines how every day (and night) choices affect your. Even something as simple as a haircut.

Outlining a barber, a police officer, and more. Every day decisions lead to changes in life. I am enraptured by the complexity of thought of this song, and music video. I have listened to it over 100 times, yet analyzing a piece of art allows you to extrapolate a different perspective.

The same guy, who was walking on the street earlier, now has a suit and gets off clean after a police search. The next few scenes are all still shots, panning left, or panning right. They could do better on this with a greater variety of shot types. What I do appreciate is the visual representations and transformations of videos and real life to cartoons and mixes in between. My favorite was an over the shot shoulder of Kid Cudi entering a building where their is pool being played. It is much larger than this.

All of these shots are with 2 mere seconds. Complexity and extreme thought provocation. It shifts to still portrait shot of an Asian woman where he is singing “the lonely nights, they fade away…” with the pool balls surrounding her. I believe the pool balls represent thought.

Overall, this is a great music video. Not the typical music video, but one that prevokes thought through the usage of transformations of reality and real life pictures to cartoons. The mind can be freed.

By: Jaime Gottlieb

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrDfSZ_6f4U

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Visual Review Commercial, OxiClean!

I chose to analyze a commercial with the actor Billy Mays. Mays was a American television direct response advertisement salesman who is better known for the OxiClean commercials! We can remove any stain! In this specific commercial, Mays is extremely enticing, which he portrays in all of his film roles. His goal is to show you(and ultimately sell you) OxiClean, and show you the powers it unleashes – making the tough stains disappear without fading or bleeding colors. OxiClean, which Mays ultimately sells the buyer on, is a product that can remove any stain! Mays convinces you, via his enthusiasm, that the product is life changing.

The commercial begins with a still shot for the first two seconds of the Oxiclean logo with the word “It’s” above the logo, and “amazing” below the OxiClean logo, while Mays says in the background “it’s amazing!”. So much emphasis, power, and thought – all within the first two seconds.

It then shifts to him in a kitchen of a still mid shot of him panning in to the right walking, eventually being centered with the OxiClean products in the middle of the table. Almost immediately after he says three words, it shifts to an extreme close up of the products that were originally in the middle of the table, the glass bowl. While the emphasis is on the bowl, he drops the formula into the bowl and the oxygen rises up, “the power of oxygen! It makes tough stains disappear with fading or bleaching the colors! Getting rid of the stain and the odor!”. The commercial then shifts back to Mays, at the counter, but now at a different angle. Now, it has focused on a mid wide shot of Billy now with pants on the table, and the different cleaning materials spread out on each side, placing primary emphasis on the jeans, secondary emphasis on the cleaning products to the left and the right of the jeans, and another primary emphasis on the speaker centered directly behind the jeans. He then shifts to a regular shot of him with a baby’s shirt. Two seconds later, he shifts to a close up shot of a pair of a baby’s shirt, with writing in the corner saying “Safe for baby items”. This, indirectly (subconsciously and consciously) gives the viewer a different look on the safety of the product.

I believe the main targeted consumer is people who stay at home who most likely have kids, so adapting to this market even further is essential. Mays is covering all bases. He then shifts to a rabbit plush toy, and does the same thing, this time, he says “the things that you love”.

Analyzing this further, the rabbit is white, and the stain is red, while he says, “the things that you love”. This, subconsciously, gives the viewer a thought that you are protecting your children. Nothing is more important than that. After the rabbit, the frame moves to a shift down shifting directly into him in the laundry room, adding in a scoop of OxiClean. It the shifts back to the orginal shot, of him in the kitchen, and him saying “Don’t just clean it, OxiClean it!” Throughout the entire commercial, the OXICLEAN logo is palced directly in the bottom left of the screen. Great commercial, very enticing.

Link: Analyzing this further, the rabbit is white, and the stain is red, while he says, “the things that you love”. This, subconsciously, gives the viewer a thought that you are protecting your children. Nothing is more important than that. After the rabbit, the frame moves to a shift down shifting directly into him in the laundry room, adding in a scoop of OxiClean. It the shifts back to the orginal shot, of him in the kitchen, and him saying “Don’t just clean it, OxiClean it!” Throughout the entire commercial, the OXICLEAN logo is palced directly in the bottom left of the screen. Great commercial, very enticing.

By: Jaime Gottlieb

#vislitbrannon #vislit105 #visualreview #oxiclean

These movie posters are for the fictional movie “Big Brother.” The thriller is about the largest technology and data collection company in the world, which begins using user data to clone the entire population for personal economic gain and societal power. The main character uncovers the plan, leading to a suspense-filled race to shut down the super power before it’s too late - for him and the rest of the population.

-Joey Metts

#VisualLiteracy VisLitBrannon MoviePosters FinalProject

Macro Final Photo Essay (Part 2 / 2) My final photo project revolves around taking macro shots of the industrial aspects of life. We rarely take time to look at the finite details of the objects that surround us and my objective was to explore those details. Through my photos we see that there is much more to a keyhole or a thumbtack than meets the eye. I was able to take these macro shots and obtain the disposition I wanted using a macro lens and the photo editing app Afterlight. Through my usage of the macro lens I was able to blur certain parts of the image and bend the light to create an peculiar composition that cannot be obtained through other lens. Patricio Barnuevo

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Macro Final Photo Essay (Part 1 / 2)

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|Behind the Can| 2/2

I wanted to tell a visual story of what the process graffiti artists go through to put their art up. I used my brother as a subject, since he is a graffiti artist based out of DC. We start off trying to find the right spots, cutting wired fences, and hopping over branches. He then checks around to see that everything looks clear and smokes a cigarette. Afterwards, he takes all his cans and paint out and proceeds to paint. When he’s finally done we leave as quickly as we came. I wanted to show the almost behind the scenes of graffiti artists. -Dastan

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|Behind the Can|

1/2

Coffee shop photo essay (2/2) PART 2

For my final project I decided to do a photo story on coffee shops throughout DC. These picture. These 20 pictures are spread across 6 different coffee shops. The cultures of coffee shops are unique in the sense that they each differ, yet they all try to create a vibe where you can relax have coffee and study. Thats why color and lighting are huge in this particular photoessay as it factors greatly in to each shot. For this project, I used my iPhone6 with the help of a couple of lenses to provide variety within these shots.

The journey (pics 1,2,3) starts off at Filter Coffeehouse near Dupont Circle where I tried to use my camera to focus on the orange that was unique to this particular coffeeshop. Next I went to M E Swing’s (pics 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) near the White House. Swing’s was my favorite place because I caught it during rush hour traffic in the morning and the place was buzzing. The shots I took here include close ups, high angle, and over the shoulder. I also used the fisheye lens here on numerous occasions. Then I went to Chinatown Coffee Co (pics 13,14) where I took the second close up of the latte (this was my least favorite place). Then I went on over to NE DC where I visited Sidamos and Ebenezers (15,16,18,19,20), both within a quarter mile of each other. Despite their location, these two places differ completely and I tried to capture the external facade to prove it. Shots here include low and wide angle shots to focus on size and depth of field. Pic 17 was taken at Cafe Philips near M E Swings. Once all these pictures were taken, I used the apps Afterlight and PS Express to add a thing filter layer which helps create a mood that I felt was dedicated to each coffee shop. I also used the fisheye lens on some of my photos to be able to compact a lot of visual data into one frame.

*In terms of the picture numbering system I used above, picture 1 is the first picture on part one, and picture 20 is the last picture on this post.

Mark Verwaay

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Coffeeshop photo essay (1/2) PART 1 Check part 2 for comments Mark Verwaay

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Hoakalei Dawson Photo Project-FINAL (2/2)

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Gratitude. Every moment we are given we should embrace and be grateful for it. The things we are given are temporary just like the lives we are given. I am grateful for everything, everyone, and every moment I've been given. So for this project I wanted to shine the light on one of the greatest blessings and friends that I have ever met. Kristyna Lindovska comes across as a strong, beautiful, and independent woman which many find intimidating. If you get to know Kristyna you'll see there is much more to her than meets the eye. In this project I hope to convey just a glimpse of the real Kristyna through her favorite things, her everyday activities, and her at different times of day. I varied my shots from close-ups, over the shoulder, high-angle, etc. The lighting and skin tones in these photos were hard to keep consistent so I chose to use a black and white theme that went through the entire project. -Hoakalei Dawson Photo Project-FINAL (1/2)

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For my final project I decided to take a series of shots while walking along what used to be the C&O railroad. I thought this was a cool idea because this path was created in the 80’s and goes all the way from WDC to Pittsburgh, without crossing a road. It combines both nature and man-made structures, complete serenity. I used a variety of lenses on my iPhone 6: the fisheye lens, wide angle, 10x macro lens, along with the original iPhone 6 lens.

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carojordan10

Final Project: Photo Essay (2/2)

Farmers, Fishers, Artists

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carojordan10

Final Project: Photo Essay (½)

Farmers, Fishers, Artists

When you step into a grocery store to buy your weekly’s fruits and vegetables, you enter the store, you look around the different selections, read the small tag of where around the world they are from and then make sure there are no imperfections and finally place it in your cart. Most of the time when people go grocery shopping the only encounter they make is probably with the person you ask questions when you cannot find something, or the cashier. Nowadays with self-checkout, grocery shopping is a burden that is often difficult to enjoy, in my opinion.

In a big urban cities like Washington D.C., there are instances in which people want to get away and feel calm. Places like small open-air markets have become recreational spaces where couples, young people, families, farmers, fishermen, and even craftspeople interact with one another. In places like Eastern Market and the Warf (fish market) they exchange something beyond money and goods. Even in gloomy days, like the one I decided to go shoot for this project, colors and people’s kind smiles were well highlighted. Moreover, in both places I realized all my 5 senses were engaged with my surroundings. Through the following pictures, I hope to convey the same.

Tools Used: Photoshop Express

By: Carolina Jordan

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Venezuela

These activist posters demonstrate the struggle in Venezuela and how the people are suffering. Citizens have no freedom and there country is not providing for them. I was born in Caracas, Venezuela and most of my family still lives there today, struggling everyday to survive through the chaos and lack of political and economic structure.

“There is no freedom”

“Venezuela today is not mine/ It is not the one I know”

Corina Velazco

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Visual Literacy - Comm 105 American University