Visual rhetoric/ visual literacy are terms that have popped up whilst researching the image system. The article, Visual Rhetoric/ Visual Literacy explores the ways in which you can approach film as a visual medium. It demonstrates that just by being an active viewer rather than a passive viewer of film can help you in understanding how the images and sounds within a narrative convey meaning, ‘not just through the characters’ actions but also through framing, camera movement (reframing),editing, optical effects, lens choice and sound.’ These are elements that can be forgotten about when the focus of the audience is to find the plot of the film.

Visual rhetoric and visual literacy is ‘how/why visual images communication meaning’ (Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy). Visual rhetoric looks into how visual images communicate instead of dialogue or verbal messages communicate. Visual literacy is about the process of reading an image and how we respond to it.

Some of the visual strategies employed by a film to create a particular effect are:

THE IMAGE:

-mise-­en-­scène and framing

and what effect does this have?

MOVEMENT:

-the pacing-quick or slow

-how does the camera move

-how long are the shots

and what effect does this have?

These are all aspects that I will need to consider when producing my scene. If I am to consider the visual rhetoric of my work I will be able to more effectively communicate through visuals rather than through dialogue.

Visual Rhetoric/ Visual Literacy: Writing about film. Writing Studio, Duke University, Available from: <https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/film.pdf>. [3 May 2015].