APPROPRIATION

* using something from one context
* putting it into another image to create a new meaning from the original visual text

BACKGROUND

* the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground
* either contextualised or non-contextualised
* contextualised is one which provides a place, time or setting for the audience
* non-contextualised is one which can be saturated colour and provides less contextual information for viewers or responders

BALANCE

* a psychological sense of equilibrium
* places the parts of a visual in an aesthetically pleasing arrangement
* formal when both sides are symmetrical in terms of arrangement
* informal when sides are not exactly symmetrical, but the resulting image is still balanced
* Informal is more dynamic than formal and normally keeps the learner's attention focused on the visual message
* three main types: horizontal, vertical, radial

COLOUR

* the property or aspect of something that involves hue, lightness, and saturation
* the part of light that is reflected by the object we see
* wheel is created when the primary and secondary colours are placed in a circle

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

* colours directly across from each other on the colour wheel
* these colours used together provide extreme contrast
* when these colours are used together the resulting image is difficult to look at for any length of time

PRIMARY COLOURS

* these colours are red, yellow and blue
* cannot be made by mixing colours

SECONDARY COLOURS

* these colours can be mixed from primary colours eg red + yellow = orange, blue + yellow = green

RED

*is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love
* brings text and images to the foreground an accent colour to stimulate people to make quick decisions
* often used to evoke erotic feelings

ORANGE

* represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation
* has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design

YELLOW

* associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy
* is seen before other colours when placed against black
* men usually perceive this colour as a very lighthearted, 'childish' colour, so it is not recommended to use when selling prestigious, expensive products to men

GREEN

* the colour of nature symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility
* has strong emotional correspondence with safety
* dark shades of this colour are also commonly associated with money

BLUE

* often associated with depth and stability
* symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven
* strongly associated with tranquillity and calmness
* is linked to consciousness and intellect
* use this colour to suggest precision when promoting high-tech products
* is a masculine colour; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males

PURPLE

* combines the stability of blue and the energy of red
* associated with royalty
* symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition
* conveys wealth and extravagance associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic

BLACK

* is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery
* a mysterious colour associated with fear and the unknown
* usually has a negative connotation
* denotes strength and authority

CONTEXT

* cultural, historical, situational and personal circumstances in which a text is composed and responded to
* All people do not "see" the same thing when looking at a visual image
* Perception differs from individual to individual due to a variety of personal, socio-economical, and cultural differences
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FRAGMENTATION

* the process of breaking up an image into sometimes disparate segments
*a strategy used to disrupt the narrative as well as juxtaposition, and flashbacks (flash-forwards, flash-betweens) * graphic novelsuse this to break the narrative into many panels with the audience filling in the blanks (closure)

FRAMING

* provides composition of a scene within a visual field
* the boundaries of an image that limit how much we see of the scene it depicts
* What's included and excluded in an individual shot
* Invites the viewer to fill in the blanks
* Highlights or emphasises the important elements in an image

GAZE

* the way subjects in visual texts engage their audience
* demand - simulates direct contact
* offer - this is more open to interpretation and suggests ambiguous and multiple meanings

ILLUMINATION

* the use of shading and light within a text
* a lighting effect is used to convey a particular meaning
* lighting is a code eg shadows may suggest that something is being concealed about a character
* bright lights might suggest a sense of hope or, when directed at a particular section of an image, they may highlight something significant, giving a dramatic feel to the image
* softer light may create a romantic feel

INTERTEXTUALITY

* the ways texts interrelate with each other
* the viewer knows enough about the how genre works to know what to expect
* information from past texts is influencing our understanding of the text we are watching
* refers to the prior experiences the reader brings to the reading from previous texts

LINES

* the track of a point in motion
* these can direct attention to a specific location in a visual image
* vertical - can stop eye movement and also equate to power and strength
* horizontal- symbolize rest and relaxation
* diagonal - dynamic and action-oriented

MODALITY

* levels of realism within a text
* High suggests the image looks 'real' while low suggests more conceptual or abstract images
* the degree of "credibility" manifest in a visual text
* use of colour, texture, light and shade in a photograph gives makes it an example of high, "truthfulness" or "credibility" may be ascribed to it

MOVEMENT

* occurs when objects seem to be moving in a visual image
* comes from the kinds of shapes, forms, lines, and curves that are used
* diagonal lines tend to create the illusion of this
* changes in direction, or change in the darkness or lightness of an image can also create a sense of motion

PERSPECTIVE

* the view an individual or group has of the world
* the way in which objects appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes, or their dimensions and the position of the eye relative to the objects
* technique used to give an illusion of three-dimensional nature on a two-dimensional surface, mostly by giving the illusion of depth

PERSPECTIVE

* one's aspect or view related to a subject or thing
* the way objects appear to the eye in terms of their relative positions and distances
* the angle or level from which the viewer views the image

PERSPECTIVE

* can be achieved through the use of relative sizes of objects, overlapping objects and blurring or sharpening objects
* subjective images are those in which everything is arranged for the viewers, positioning them to adopt a particular stance with an image. Such images tend to the naturalistic, as opposed to the symbolic

PERSPECTIVE

* vertical angle defines the nature of the power relations between the viewer and the image
* a high angle - that is viewed from above - the interactive participants (both the composer of the image and the viewer) are in a position of power
* a low angle gives the represented participants - as they are seen from below - power in relation to the interactive participants
* angle is straight on - at eye-level - there is no power difference involved and the point of view is one of equality

PERSPECTIVE

* If the participants in an image are depicted on the horizontal angle from the front, facing the camera squarely, then a connection is established between the represented participants and the viewer. Such a representation invites the involvement of the reader with the image
* an oblique angle (i.e. the angle is not straight on) the reader is being positioned to adopt a detached point of view, contemplative point of view
* a bird's-eye view (aerial view and aerial viewpoint) is a view of an object from above, as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps
* a worm's-eye view is a view of an object from below, as though the observer were a worm. It can also mean perceiving something from a humble position
* adds realism to a visual image
* can be used to draw the audience into a visual

POINT

* the first and simplest element of visual design
* the focus of a visual, highlighting or drawing attention to important information
* Several of these in combination may represent a more complicated object or idea
* direct the learner's attention

REPRESENTATION

* the expression of ideas by a composer/author to a viewer/responder/audience
* a creation that is a visual or tangible rendering of someone or something

RULE OF THIRDS

* a compositional rule of thumb (more a guideline than a rule)
* how to position your subject in the picture
* that an image can be divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines
* four points formed by the intersections of these lines can be used to align features/focal points
* that aligning a photograph with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would
* the intersection of two lines, sometimes called a power point

CLOSE SHOTS

Type of shots good for conveying details, emotion, reactions, expressions

EXTREME CLOSE-UP

A shot in which a small object or part of an object fills the entire frame, usually cropped

CLOSE-UP

A shot in which the subject fills most of the frame with little space around it

BUST SHOT

A shot in which the main subject is fills much of the frame, but more of the surroundings are shown. As in a head and shoulders or portrait type shot of a person

MEDIUM SHOTS

Type of shots good for establishing figures and body language, human size actiondefinition

CLOSE MEDIUM SHOT

A shot with the subject near to the camera and clearly visible, but most likely partially cropped

MEDIUM SHOT

A shot which shows the subject and its surroundings equally well. Usually full figures.

LONG MEDIUM SHOT

A shot where meaningful information and details are still clearly visible, but the subject of the frame occupies less of the space than the surroundings

LONG SHOTS

Types of shots good for setting locale, showing location of objects, showing an area, showing big action

LONG SHOT

A shot at such a distance that few details and little meaningful information about the object of the frame can be readily seen

DISTANT LONG SHOT

A shot where the object can still be clearly seen, but no meaningful information about the object is discernible at all

EXTREME LONG SHOT

A shot that is so distant that the main object is a dot or is not visible at all.

ESTABLISHING SHOT

A shot that shows enough of the surroundings to establish the locale adequate to the telling of the story

COLOUR

* less contrast is achieved by using every other colour on the colour wheel, such as blue, red, and yellow
* either "warm" or "cool"
* can also be symbolic - can be influenced by culture
* primary examples are red, yellow and blue