Download Visual and Media Literacy, the Overlooked Competencies:

Visual and Media Literacy, the
Overlooked Competencies: How
We are Influenced by What We See
Frances A. May
University of North Texas
LOEX Conference 2009
Albuquerque, NM – May 2, 2009
Information and Visual Literacy
 Breivik (2005) argues that information literacy should
incorporate multiple types of literacy including
computer, library, media, network, and visual literacy.
 Goal: Provide resources and understanding for
participants to engage in visual literacy instruction.
 Visual Literacy: The ability to decode, comprehend,
and analyze visual images in order to construct
meaning from visual representations of ideas and
concepts. (Burns, 2006)
Why is VL important?
 The more we know, the more we see (Natharius, 2004)
 Visual literacy is a prerequisite for the comprehension of
visual media.
 Awareness of Visual Manipulation
 Aesthetic Appreciation
Understanding Visual Literacy
 Images are texts that use a powerful
shorthand form of communication
(Burns, 2006).
 Visual communication is powerful
because it is “meta-indexical” (Marcum,
2002).
 Visual images are examined in
conjunction with the written text
provided.
Visual Rhetoric
 Relationship between written texts and
images
 Studied by communication scholars,
artists, art historians, writing instructors
 Seeks to understand how visual images are
used to build arguments in an attempt to
persuade others or portray a specific
ideology
Text – The medium through which
the author/rhetor delivers the act (e.g.,
television show, ad campaign, picture,
this PowerPoint presentation)
Rhetorical Criticism/Analysis
studies a speaker’s use of words, phrases, &
visual texts to explicate how her/his arguments
have been built in order to make intended point.
Intertextuality- cognitive connections
we make when we see something and
understand that the visual text references
an earlier text (Natharius, 2004).
Intended Audience: Who is
the target of the visual
image?
Desired Outcome – The effect (on
the intended audience) that the
creator/author of the image is trying
to accomplish.
What is the argument?
 Classical Logical Argument– Syllogism:
 Major Premise “All men are mortal”
 Minor Premise “Socrates is a man”
 Conclusion “Therefore, Socrates is mortal”
 Most arguments do not provide all parts of the
syllogism, but instead rely on the audience to provide
part of the argument based on past experience or
referents. Scholars have defined this process as an
enthymeme.
Ethos – The perceived
credibility of the
author/rhetor of the
image.
Logos – The logical appeals used by
the author/rhetor in an attempt to affect
the intended audience in the desired
manner.
Pathos – The emotional appeals
used by the author/rhetor in an
attempt to affect the intended
audience in the desired manner.
Camera Angles
Visual References
Lighting
Camera Angles
Visual References
Lighting
Summary of Tricks of the Trade
 Camera angles
 Looking up
 Looking down
 Perspective changes
 Visual References and changing them
 Lighting
Questions to guide your analysis
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Who is the author? Is the author credible?
Who is the intended audience?
What is the desired outcome?
What is the main argument of the image?
Do the images use intertexuality?
Are the images being manipulated?
What is left out?
 “What is not seen is as important as what is seen”
(Natharius, 2004, p. 244).
 Example: US Media Coverage of Iraq War
Questions?
Acknowledgments
 To Karen Anderson for the slides on visual rhetoric and
for her collaboration
 Films used:
 Triumph of the Will
 Hitler: A Career Unparallelled
 Star Wars IV: A New Hope
 Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
 Much Ado about Nothing
 Serenity
Thanks!
Frances A. May
[email protected]