#visual storytelling

[robotlyra]

Since we keep getting "live action" CGI remakes of already perfectly adequate animated movies, and because people need to understand that animation is a medium and not a genre, I have prepared this primer about the importance of Visual Language for Conveying Information.

Can you tell what the personalities of these two mice are?

Can you tell now?

Which of these two tigers feels safer to be around?

Which of these three dogs is the funniest one?

If you can answer these questions, then you already have experience with the idea of visual language and stylistic choices being used to impart narrative meaning. If you can understand why these choices were made to impart meaning, then you can understand why animation is a medium for telling stories that has its own inherent value, and is not merely a "placeholder" for the eventual implementation of photorealistic presentation (aka "Live Action" CGI). Animation does not need to be "corrected" or "legitimized" by remaking it into the most representational simulation of observable reality.

[avalanchinedream]

Naomie Harris is my Beryl Grace fancast/faceclaim(that's if they cast her in the show). i know gods don't really have dna so the kids tend to look like their mortal parent. plus, the concept of thalia being a carbon copy of beryl is very bittersweet. thalia tried her hardest to run from her mother just to see her everytime she looks in the mirror...it doesn't matter how she changes her hair, wears makeup to change her face. there's no denying everytime she glances upon herself she'll always have a piece of her mother... forever.

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[artist-issues]

I’ve only seen it once so forgive me for not saying more—

—but my favorite sequence is by far the part where ROZ is watching Brightbill finally take flight, and she looks up to try and see him as he gets farther away, but then her view of Brightbill is blocked by the pop-up screen saying “Task Complete.”

And she has to rush after him to get her final look, because of that. Because the Task was getting in the way of her seeing him.

[sturgeonposting]

sturgon be upon ye

[mysterywriter2187]

Transformers: One - What's In A Kneel?

!!!!!MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

With the responsibility of leadership and the dangers of pedestals and hero worship being such major themes, it only makes sense that all three of the film's leaders would show their true characters, and in doing so seal their fates, in moments where they have to kneel/bow.

Sentinel Prime essentially sets the entire second half of the film in motion when both the heroes and we as the viewer see him kneel to the Quintessons. It confirms everything that Alpha Trion was just telling them/us about him, and it's also the very thing that ends up getting broadcast to Iacon in order to finally expose Sentinel and turn the public against their False Prime.

For all his superficial charisma and his talk of looking out for the little guys, Sentinel himself is truly nothing more than a self-centred, spineless coward, who couldn't care less for the needs of the many and gladly bends to the will of bigger bullies/oppressors in order to keep himself in power.

After learning of Sentinel's betrayal and being subsequently captured with the High Guard, D-16 makes a point to stand while in custody and adamantly refuses to kneel. Even when Sentinel begins beating and torturing him, D-16 makes it abundantly clear that he has no intention of bowing to him or anyone else ever again.

In better circumstances this could be a heroic trait, a courageous defiance and the willingness to stand up in the face of injustice. But it just as becomes a negative one, and it's one of the last warning signs to the kind of leader that Megatron is going to be.

He may have started out with good and heroic intentions, but because of this Megatron sees himself as superior, and whether by choice or by force, he expects his fellow Cybetronians to rally behind him just as they did with Sentinel. While he sees himself as a revolutionary, in the end he's just going to become another tyrant.

And then we have Orion Pax. For much of the film, he's a far cry from the noble, legendary leader that we know and love from other iterations, but he starts to grow into it as he devises the rescue mission, and is tasked with rallying his fellow miners to help.

Having gotten a major upgrade since the last time he saw them, Orion now towers over his former peers and they're utterly awed by the sight of him. Rather than trying to take advantage of their admiration or even intimidate them with his new size and strength, Orion almost seems frustrated by the new height difference, and before beginning his speech he kneels down to literally speak to them on their level.

Orion doesn't make a point to do this, no one has to ask or prompt him to, in fact he himself doesn't even give that much thought to it, it's just his first instinct for how to best communicate. He may look larger and stronger now, but he still values the miners as his friends and his equals, and nothing is ever going to change that.

Gaining the Matrix later on may have gotten him the name, but it's this moment when Orion truly begins to embody the true core and heart of Optimus Prime. Powerful and inspiring, yet humble and caring. Or perhaps, as the legendary Peter Cullen himself has always said:

"Strong enough to be gentle."

[vibe-stash]

Chungking Express (1994) dir. Wong Kar-wai

[unseelie-grimalkin]

I'm going for gold, lads, lasses, and other gendered classes!

Do you like visual novels? Do you like stories about the fey? Do you like your entertainment as EDUTAINMENT?

IF SO, BOY HOWDY DO I HAVE A VISUAL NOVEL PROJECT FOR YOU.

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven romantic visual novel inspired by Irish mythology. Play as an Irish tenant farmer from the mid-19th century, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined with fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

OKAY, BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU, SEEKER OF SEROTONIN?

6 wonderful romantic/PLATONIC options (each love interest can be pursued entirely platonically)

a visual novel whose philosophy is less on anxiety-inducing, arbitrary choices to get a good or bad ending, but instead focuses on if you, the player, are interacting with a character in a healthy or unhealthy manner, leading to player freedom and choice

intelligent and reflective writing that is reflected within character moments and dialogue

and MORE! (so much more!)

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE OUT ABOUT THIS GAME?

Here is the bio link, which has links for the indie developers' social media accounts (Tumblr, Twitter, Discord Server) along with the link to their official website, which has a deep dive into every main NPC and the philosophy of the game. The demo is out now and free on both Steam and Itch.io

(As an official statement: I am in no way employed or affiliated with Moirai Myths and I was not approached in any way to make this post. This is me being a feral fan on main, blazing this post)

EDIT:

HELLO EVERYONE! DID YALL KNOW THE KICKSTARTER FOR THIS GAME JUST LAUNCHED TODAY? NOW YOU DO! MORE DETAILS AND MORE FUN TO BE HAD!

They’re doing voice acting reveals this month, along with an early bird special to see blushing/flirty emotes!

EDIT THE SECOND:

WE HAVE REACHED FULL FUNDING WITH THE GAME! Which is excellent, because it means that my little hyperfixation is gonna be made!

However!

It would be very nice if we could reach some of the stretch goals (which go into depth here: x). Not only are they fun (MC customization, a switch port, expanded voice-over work, more sprites, mini-games, side stories), but I think they'd spark a lot of serotonin for folks playing (myself included).

If this post has interested you at all, please, please, please check out the Kickstarter above! Thank you!

EDIT THE THIRD

Since this is still getting notes beyond my wildest dreams:

Hello! It's been a while! The Kickstarter ended a bit ago (I did not update this post when it did end, due to being ecstatic to how much the project managed to get: 130% funding!), but development is ongoing and strong! The first two routes are in development right now. Please keep tuned at @moiraimyths for official development updates!

[performing-personhood]

Oh man someone on reddit just made a really good point that I hadn't considered: Dot and Bubble is a story that could not be told without diverse casting.

In the past, this episode would have been impossible. The predominance of white casting would have required exhaustingly obvious exposition and would have ruined the brick-wallesque impact of the ending.

The only way this story can be told the way it is, is if you have a main cast that's diverse enough for a casting decision like "hey wait everyone here is white" to become obvious.

My gratitude for this story is going to continue growing and unfolding. I am so, so thankful that Doctor Who went so out of its way to give me such a really explicit demonstration of what racism looks like, so that my sheltered white ass knows for the very first time exactly how much I don't see.

[worldwidewandress]

"nothing ever ends poetically. it ends and we turn it into poetry. all that blood was never once beautiful. it was just red"

[moiraimyths]

FEB 1, 2023: KICKSTARTER FOR THE GOOD PEOPLE (NA DAOINE MAITHE) HAS ENDED!

Thank you to our 776 backers for allowing us to bring this project to life, and reach our side stories stretch goal! We hope that you love what we have in store! Stay tuned, fateful friends!

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven historical fantasy visual novel inspired by Irish mythology and Celtic folklore. Play as a tenant farmer from mid-19th century Ireland, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined in fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape and return home with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

Our Full Game will Feature:

Six Character Routes: There will be six character routes in total, each one exploring the individual stories of our diverse cast of Love Interests (LIs)! There are two men, two women, and two non-binary folk to choose from. Half of our cast is aspec, as well!

Secret Story Route: If you play through all six character routes, you'll unlock the secret story route! It's designed to tie up the broader narrative aspects of the game, and you can choose which character route is "canon" to your play through!

Flexible MC: Choose your preferred name and pronouns (including neo pronouns) and romance whomever you please! (We even have a stretch goal to customize MC's sprite appearance, too!)

Platonic Options: Not into romance, or don't want to romance them all? Not to worry! All routes can be played platonically.

Multiple Endings: Each route has two endings based on the health of your relationship with the LI, regardless of whether it's romantic or platonic.

English-Gaeilge Lexicon: Our game features translatable Gaeilge (Irish) words and phrases, and in the full game, translations will be voiced for ease of pronunciation!

Voice Acting: The main cast will have limited voice acting in the full game. Check our Kickstarter page periodically for voice actor reveals and samples!

Other Features (Stretch Goals): Side stories in-between route releases.

While we develop the full game, be sure to try out our FREE DEMO out now on Steam and Itch.io! Make sure to Wishlist our game on Steam as well!

[talesfrommedinastation]

Let's talk about Chrisjen Avasarala's outfits in The Expanse

The first time we ever meet Deputy Undersecretary of the United Nations, Chrisjen Avasarala, she's chilling out in her fancy, cozy house, checking out her outfit and hair in the mirror, and playing with her grandson. She's rocking a lovely gold sari, huge earrings, and big ol' bangles.

Minutes later, she's still wearing that gorgeous shimmering outfit...as she's at a UN Black Site, interrogating a Belter terrorist who is being tortured using gravity.

(The whole scene is a masterclass in character introduction of a feminine, refined, powerful, badass. 10/10 writing).

But I want to talk Avasarala's outfit right here.

Saris are up to 9 feet in length and are often elegantly draped. You NEED gravity and resources to make the fabric work. Especially shimmering silky fabrics like that.

Doubly so for jewelry. Earrings cannot be worn like that under space helmets (I say from experience being an earring lover and motorcycle enthusiast) lest they damage the wearer or break. Bracelets would be impractical in space too, especially the bigger ones that clank and announce someone's presence, like Avasarala.

Point in, Avasarala marching in full regalia like that to a Belter is full flaunting of not only her heritage, but Earth's power and role. She is wearing a beautiful, rich, cultured outfit no Belter could ever wear in their lifetime and she knows it.

[rosemaryprosser]

In waters wild (France, 2023)

[sudriantraveler]

I think it's a pretty neat little visual through-line that in 3 out of 4 of the stories in Thomas the Tank Engine we see Thomas either approaching or going past this signal box and the associated signals.

That box marks the approach to Vicarstown yard limits. That's just about the furthest point Thomas is usually allowed to go. So it's neat that a book all about Thomas wanting to go out and see the world is very consistent in showing the reader the point where the yard ends and the world begins.

We don't see this signal box in the fourth story, because by that point Thomas is at Wellsworth and not Vicarstown, but there is one change Dalby made to the original Payne illustrations that I kinda like, because it helps to complete this visual through-line.

In this illustration above of Thomas traveling with the breakdown train, the Dalby version has added a signal (along with a few other minor details).

No signal box still, we are by now very much away from the big station and out into the countryside. But the addition of that one signal I take to mean that this scene, which previously could have been anywhere on the mainline, is now specifically the yard limits for Wellsworth. The illustration is also similarly framed to the previous ones set in Vicarstown, with the reader looking from behind Thomas as he moves out and away towards the open countryside.

So now this visual indicator of Thomas venturing out into the wider world is consistent through the entire book.

[piningintrovert]

4 Minutes: Storytelling Through Camera Angles and Movements

Disclaimer: I did not study film nor do I work in the industry. This brief info dump is just what I found while doing some research to feed my current obsession with the show.

It goes without saying that the film crew is using many different techniques to aid in storytelling. These are just the two that caught my attention.

Dutch Angle

Often used in horror and psychological thrillers, this cinematic technique creates the feeling that viewers are tilting their heads to the side and that everything is off-kilter.

The Dutch angle is used by filmmakers to:

Portray uneasiness or tension

Make the audience feel on edge

Create a dark or ominous mood

Heighten emotion, especially when done in close-up

Whether a character is in peril or in the process of discovering something disturbing, the Dutch angle creates a sense of abstraction, subjectivity, mystery, and disorientation—just from slanting the camera a tiny bit.

Source: backstage.com; you can also read more about it here

Camera Roll Movement

The camera roll is a rotational camera movement that rotates the camera over its side on its long axis. Rolls can be dizzying and unnatural. For this reason, filmmakers use it to disorient the audience or create uneasiness. It’s specific effect makes it a very intentional camera movement that should only be used when wanting to elicit a discomfort in the audience.

Sometimes these effects tie in to a film’s theme, such as in this scene from one of the best Marvel movies, Black Panther. When Killmonger takes the throne, the sense of uneasiness in Wakanda is echoed to the audience through a slow camera roll.

Source: studiobinder.com; you can also read more about it here

Combining Techniques

In the scene below, both the Dutch angle and camera roll movement are used to emphasize the tension and uneasiness Great is feeling as he wakes from his nightmare.

Also, starting the shot at an angle and leveling out to 180 degrees reinforces the fact that Great is coming out a dream-state and is returning to reality (is he though? that remains to be seen).

[nyxlarkyn]

Wardrobe Storytelling

The first thing I noticed in the wine shot was the painting behind everyone. Now I couldn't screenshot the video I got this behind-the-scenes photo, the image was added in post-production; but the painting shows two women floating in the water almost lifeless.

The next thing I noticed was how everyone has a matching wardrobe color scheme. Sharon is the character we are most visually drawn to because while everyone else's clothes lean more towards a warmer tone with oranges, browns, and whites; Sharon leaps out at you with a heavy blue palette, much colder than the rest. The only other blues we see besides within the set decor is Teen's button up that's under a white sweater and Lilia's scarf ends fade into a blue.

Sharon is the most in your face because this is foreshadowing her death, further emphasized in a later scene where she's shot directly under a lone woman in the water. We know this death is coming because she isn't a witch, she doesn't belong on this dangerous road, she's sticking out like a sore thumb.

Teen shows a partial amount of blue to subtly inform us that there's something off about him as well. I don't believe this implies his death but to unconsciously unsettle us about him. (I originally assumed it was because he would be with Sharon during her death or be the one to cause it)

Lilia has a bit of blue because she has insight to the future. It's very easily missed and tucked away from view a lot as well.

[keen-observations-x]

Keen observation: Nezuko and Muzan have the same eyes

I only noticed this recently, but for Nezuko’s final form specifically - she and Muzan have the same eyes

I’m gonna attach a few photos just so you all can get what I mean:

And then there’s Nezuko:

AND ⚠️ MANGA SPOILERS⚠️

When Tanjiro took his demon form, he also had these same eyes, before our saving grace Kanao Tsuyuri came to his and our aid:

Now I think this is quite odd, seeing as the Kamado siblings are seemingly the only demons with eyes that similar to Kibutsuji - but I think it’s to do with the fact that they are the two demons who took the highest dosages of his blood, and lived. They are quite literally the only demons that close to Kibutsuji, and it is reflected in their demon forms.

(The eyes are, after all, the window to the soul!)

But you have to say, that’s some pretty good visual storytelling nevertheless!