Visual Communication Images with Messages, Fourth Edition, (C) 2006

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Visual Illustration Ideas for the Class
Over several years the author has collected hundreds of slides, many hours of videotaped television and motion picture presentations, CD-ROM interactive programs, and World Wide Web links that are shown in class. You can make slides from the pictures in the textbook or create your own. Extra credit assignments from students who write about ethical issues concerning magazine advertisements usually include pages from the publications that can be converted to slides. Remember to always leave a videotape in your VCR to record a program that is useful to illustrate a point from the textbook. Always try to label the tape immediately after taping a program. That simple procedure saves a lot of time.

Chapter 1:

Child's drawing, confusing photograph, abstract art, Nick Park's Creature Comforts

Chapter 2:

Slides showing technical and artistic aspects of light, paintings of Edward Hopper and Claude Lazar, scenes from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner

Chapter 3:

Slides showing the technical and artistic aspects of the eye, clip from Alanis Morissette music video, scene from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein

Chapter 4:

Slides showing the artistic aspects of color and form, Nick Parks' Wrong Trousers (color), and Bill Plympton's Your Face (form).

Slides showing the artistic aspects of depth and movement, scene from Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (deep focus--depth), opening sequence of "NYPD Blue," and scene from Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (movement)

Chapter 5:

Slides demonstrating each sensual theory. Excerpt from Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio, director, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, and music by Philip Glass (imagine yourself as a brain cell).

Slides demonstrating each perceptual theory. Excerpts from David Lynch's Fire Walk With Me and Lost Highway, "Wayne and Garth" on "hello" (confusing) music videos, "Losing My Religion," REM music video directed by Tarsas (the myth of Ithacus), and a "Saturday Night Live" clip demonstrating the importance of words.

Chapter 6:

Slides demonstrating various points in the lecture. Excerpt from Stop the Church (showing propaganda). "This Land is Your Land" Kerry/Bush 2004 campaign animation from JibJab.

Chapter 7:

Pink Floyd's "On the Turning Away," concert film, "NYPD Blue" excerpt, "Jerry Lewis Telethon" clip, repeat Young Frankenstein clip opening, "Chess for Girls" from "Saturday Night Live," Volkswagen commercial, "Da, da, da," spoken introduction to slide show with music by Enya, "Boadicea" and Joan Osborne, "One of Us."

Image Analysis:

Slides demonstrating each perspective.

Chapter 8:

Slide examples, excerpt from James Burke's television program concerning Gutenberg, Van Halen's music video, "Right Now"

Chapter 9:

Slide examples, selected movie titles by Saul Bass, and a scene from "Mad About You" (virtual reality episode).

Chapter 10:

Slide examples, videotape from a WGN weather segment, diagram from C/Net showing the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman murders.

Chapter 11:

Slide examples, clip from "Futurama," a "Ren and Stimpy" cartoon, Tin Toy, Bambi vs. Godzilla, "Believe in Me," music video clip from Smashing Pumpkins, racist cartoon, "All This and Rabbit Stew," Tex Avery, 1942, various cartoons on video.

Chapter 12:

Slide examples.

Chapter 13:

Excerpts from various motion pictures (The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith, 1915 (silent era); The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming, 1939 (color); Citizen Kane, Orson Welles, 1941 (words and image combination); Rebel Without a Cause, Nicholas Ray, 1955 (close-ups); Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock, 1960 (subjective camera); In Cold Blood, Richard Brooks, 1967 (terror of black and white); Woodstock, Michael Wadleigh, 1970 (montage); The Passenger, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1975 (slow rhythmic pace); Annie Hall, Woody Allen, 1977 (documentary style); Blue Velvet, David Lynch (symbolic images); Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese, 1991 (slow zoom-in); Boyz N the Hood, John Singleton, 1991 (family values); Freejack, Geoff Murphy, 1992 (terrible art direction); Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982 (beautiful art direction).

Chapter 14:

Various clips from reality television programs and The Contest, "Seinfeld" episode.

Chapter 15:

Apple's "1984" Macintosh commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, short portfolio pieces from various companies, excerpts from cgi motion pictures: Star Wars, The Last Starfighter, Tron, The Abyss, Terminator 2, The Lawnmower Man, and others.

Chapter 16:

Demonstrations of Google, Passage to Vietnam and Riven. My bookmarks on the World Wide Web.

Chapter 17:

Slides from all the previous lectures.