AESTHETICS IN VISUAL MEDIA

Renald Sanrelus

Matt Couto

Wayne Clark

Tatyara Shead

Char-Asia Johnson

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER:

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING

Once More With Feeling

Mathew Couto

SIGHT SOUND AND MOTION

SPACE

ASPECT RATIOAspect ratio is an image projection attribute that describes the proportional relationship between

the width of an image and its height.

2 types: Standard 4x3 and High definition 16x9.

Standard 4x3 ratio most used. (screen of video)

Advantage of 4x3: width and height are balanced.

Appropriate for CU and ECU. Does not leave screen space on the sides.

Relates to the video as it is displayed in a 4x3 screen.

PILLAR-BOXING

The pillar box effect occurs in widescreen video displays when black bars are placed on the sides of

the image.

Becomes necessary when film or video not originally designed for widescreen is shown on a

widescreen display.

Fitting a full-sized 4x3 image in center of a wider screen (16x9), covering the top and bottom portions

of the frame within the picture space.

The Leftover empty sides are shown, known as side bars or dead zones, resembling pillars, hence the

name.

FRAMING USED: CLOSE UP AND

DIALOGUE PARTNERS:

Close Up: A photograph or a film or television shot in which the subject is tightly framed and shown at a relatively

large scale.

Close Up: in a 4x3 ratio, a person can be framed without crowding the frame or leaving unused screen space,

whereas in a 16x9 ratio, there is a lot of unused space on the sides.

Extreme Close Up: the 4x3 ratio can also manage an ECU without leaving unused space at the sides, as opposed to

the HDTV frame(i.e. close up of character’s face.)

Framing Two Dialogue Partners: Filming two characters facing each other is rather simple in a HD screen. It gives

the appearance of comfortable distance between the two individuals. On a standard screen, however, the two subjects

appear to be closer to each other, leaving minimal breathing room.

VECTORS

Definition: In media aesthetics, a vector is an element with magnitude and a direction. Think of it like a

line. The length would be the magnitude and the direction would be its orientation, or which way it’s

pointing, similar to a compass needle.

2 types used in the video: Continuous and Converging vectors.

Continuous vectors are when two or more vectors point in the same direction. In this case, when you

see two or more people facing a specific direction, their gaze constitutes a continuous vector.

Converging vectors, on the other hand, point or move towards each other. For example, a conversation

between two individuals on screen.

SIGHTS, SOUND AND MOTION:

TIME/MOTION

Wayne Clark

TIME AND MOTION

“Systematic observation, analysis, and measurement of the separate steps in the

performance of a specific job for the purpose of establishing a standard time for each

performance, improving procedures, and increasing productivity” – Webster Dictionary

Frequently assumed to be interchangeable

Frederick Winslow Taylor

CONNECTION TO VIDEO

Each step was perfectly correlated

Seems to take place in the night time

Smooth

Steps

Certain points of the song required a certain move

Special effects make it more entertaining

Not a lot of time passes

SIGHTS, SOUND AND MOTION:

LIGHTING AND COLOR

Tatyana Snead

Color is measured in hue, value (or brightness), and intensity.

In the first 25 seconds of the clip, the demon is wearing an all red suit, and the background is all

black.

The black gives the audience a dark, dramatic feel. Black is associated with power, death, evil, and

mystery.

The bright red creates a distinct contrast.

COLOR

Red also represents the devil. It is the color of fire and blood,

so it is associated with energy, rage, anger, danger, and

strength.

(side note* it also represents love, passion, power, and war,

but these are not relevant to this particular clip in my

opinion.)

At 26 seconds, the demon's suit changes color.

Color change is another effect used to capture the audiences'

attention

LIGHTING

As you may notice, there is little lighting in the clip.

You can see the characters, but only because there is a spotlight being used.

Darkness is "black", therefore it represents many of the same things as the color itself,

including mystery and danger. The darkness gives the clip an eerie vibe, the audience is aware

that this demon is in no way, shape, or form a positive thing.

SIGHTS, SOUND AND MOTION:

SOUND

Char-Asia Johnson

Sound: "The element of sound is of high importance as it adds emotion and rhythm to a film, commercial, video etc… It also pr

Sound: "The element of sound is of high importance as it

adds emotion and rhythm to a film, commercial, video etc…

It also provides a tone towards the story/characters. The

most effective use of sound can be described as its ability to

foreshadow any change in moods, or events."

From the very beginning of the video we see how the music is used as an exclamaiton

point. As the girl (Dawn) slides in there is a huge crescendo that stops abruptluy signifying the

something big is about to happen.

Also during the call and response section, we notice how the dominant section (sweet’s

portion) is darker but has a direct tone, while the less dominant (Dawn’s portion) is signified

by a soft spoken section.

CLOSING REMARKS

When it comes to aesthetics we notice:

• Sights are set up so everything can be seen

• Everything is even toned as to prevent visual distress

• And colors have a purpose

• Things move in a way together to emphasize certain points

• Sound and lighting have the ability to set a tone or mood

• There is emphasis in everything

• It all ties in together to make things worth watching