Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Theory of Composing: Part 2
Think back to the theories of composing you have been constructing; what role, if any, did design/visual rhetoric play? Has your theory of composing changed--in what ways yes, in what ways no? Do you see visual rhetoric/visual composition in your daily lives, and if so, in what ways?
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Design and visual rhetoric haven't necessarily changed my previous theory, but they have slightly tweaked it. Being a visual learned myself, I have always found visual and design oriented rhetorical discourses more effective in communicating messages. Thanks to McCloud and other superiors like Faigley, I now view certain rhetorical cannons, such as style, with more reverence. Whether you are speaking or illustrating, your own unique style is going to seep out of your creation. However I still think a piece of visual rhetoric needs to be organized and created through the rhetorical triangle, one cannot slap a picture on a piece of paper and call it a rhetorical statement.
ReplyDeleteI constantly see visual rhetoric/visual composition in my daily life. Commercials on the television, pictures in a cookbook, even children's cartoons are all a forms of pictures telling us a story and relaying a message. The rhetorical message doesn't necessarily have to sell us on a product, but rather sell us on an idea. This concept is why I believe the Disney princesses are so influential to girls and woman of all ages. The idea of a fairly tale life with your prince charming is a message that will prevail to females of all ages.
Composition seems to be gaining more and more components as this class continues with new attributes being added every time we have a new weekly reading. Visual rhetoric is important to the realm of composition, although I think it has more of an impact in certain mediums. For example, the design or visual rhetoric of a speech may not play as big of a role in its composition as form or style might play. On the other hand, an advertisement may rely heavily on visual rhetoric while focusing less on delivery. The usage of visual rhetoric definitely has more of an obvious benefit within visual mediums such as billboards, television, and magazines.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I feel like a number of characteristics inherent in visual rhetoric are useful to composition, especially in terms of transitional mediums. If you’re composing something like a script or a play, the medium you start out with doesn’t physically require visual rhetoric. However, while writing, you must take into account the effect design will have on the piece once it’s transferred to another medium. While creating a dialogue for a movie, one must take into account the juxtaposition of the actors, the lighting of the set, or the color schemes of the wardrobe. While a screenwriter may not be personally responsible for these details, it’s important to have an idea of these variables in order to portray the right messages and emotions. Even though visual rhetoric may not play an obvious part in some compositions, it has the ability to influence a wide range of fields and genres found within the scope composition.
At first, I never really gave any thought to how visuals could be used in rhetoric. I mean, I thought about it with the videos such as the ones PETA tried to make, but I never thought past that. I didn't think to how visual rhetorics are used every day without even realizing how and where they are. They're in billboards, tv's, magazines, newspapers, comics, even in road signs. Most of them are advertisements for products, but some are also for persuasive statements like the anti-abortion campaigns that Christian organizations sponsor using billboards.
ReplyDeleteI think visual rhetorics host the mood of what the designer or speaker is trying to say because the image is what your eyes first absorb and a single picture is much more easily read than an actual article or even hearing something being spoken.
My ideas of composing have changed only in that I would consider using visuals or pictures and intertwining them with my words if possible because images alone are not enough. They need text or spoken words to explain them. The saying "A picture is worth a thousand words"--if there wasn't anyone to explain or understand what is being conveyed in the picture, would it still be worth any amount of words?
Kari K
From our discussions in class, and primarily from reading McCloud, I am starting to understand more fully many of the aspects of visual rhetoric. This theory of composing I began mentally constructing several weeks ago is now expanding. Prior to reading McCloud and discussing Faigley, I had very little grasp on the endless forms of visual composition. Even just seeing the different techniques, forms, styles, and strategies used in comics- just one form of visual rhetoric- I have been able to comprehend how messages can be composed and how images can portray concepts and ideas much more differently than words.
ReplyDeleteAs for visual rhetoric and composition in daily life, I am realizing more and more each day just how immersed in it I really am. Billboards, commercials on TV, movie trailers, magazine advertisements, memorabilia, brands, and the like, overflow out of American culture. While sometimes this visual rhetoric can be a simple message with no underlying themes or subconscious messages, I am beginning to recognize more subtle messages as well. The Barbie example in class was a good one; another like it would be how the people on any fitness commercial look. Seeing behind the visual composition in today’s society has helped me not only see beyond surface level rhetoric, but also enhanced my approach regarding how I take in all of the daily visual messages thrown at me.
After realizing that visual rhetoric is everywhere everyday in my life, it began to effect my theory of composition. I wouldn’t say that my theory of composition has changed completely , however, I would say that visual rhetoric has effected this theory. I feel that before visual rhetoric was present in my theory of composing, but I simply did not realize it. Now, when composing, I think that I am more aware of my compositions appearance and its visual aspects than I was before. Instead of simply focusing on the content of my work, I now find myself tending to the visual aspects more than I did before.
ReplyDeleteVisual rhetoric/visual composition is something that is present in our everyday lives. One example that we see of this everyday is in television commercials, billboards, and any other form of media trying to get us to buy something! Being on a college campus also gives a great amount of exposure to visual rhetoric/visual composition. It seems that around every corner you can find a flyer, poster, or even a chalk drawing on the sidewalk using visual rhetoric to appeal to the students on campus. From magazines, to newspapers, to photos, visual rhetoric is something that is not only present in our everyday lives but makes an impact on us everyday.
Looking back on my original theory of composing, I never really considered the use of visual rhetoric in composition. I think my theory of composing has definitely expanded and I am starting to think about the little things like color, and the use of images, for example whenever I need to get my point across. I will say that the use of visual rhetoric is probably pretty useless in speeches, prose, and other forms of written rhetoric. When it comes to specific mediums like magazines, advertisements, fliers, etc.. visual rhetoric is the most important factor when composing.
ReplyDeleteI have definitely have started to notice the use of visual rhetoric more and more in my daily life. That doesn't mean it hasn't been a factor though, things like billboards, and advertisements are a consistent form of visual rhetoric we are exposed to each and everyday.
After developing my own personal theory of composition, it has become much more clearer that visual rhetoric does play a large and important role. As a visual learner, image is key. It can grab your attention and hold your attention much longer than text usually would.
ReplyDeleteAfter these past few weeks, it has become clear and evident that there is much more visual rhetoric in our culture today. Companies and corporations attempt to appeal to their customers and buyers with multiple forms of visual rhetoric.
With techniques that consist of color, size, and style, magazines, billboards, flyers, and commercials have had extremely effective rhetoric behaviors.
In my original theory of rhetoric I spoke about how the 5 canons and the rhetorical triangle were completely vital to having effective rhetoric. While I maintain that statement and idea, I think I failed to realize the importance visual rhetoric has in not only daily life, but also the whole field of rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteVisual rhetoric is thrown around in so many different forms with so many different intricacies within them that reading McCloud, I think, was beneficial to the understanding of visual rhetoric. For example, while I always had a soft spot for a nice color palate I didn't realize how much I associated various palates with specific things. Like the Batman, Hulk, Superman example McCloud gives. I also appreciated his explaining the use of harsh versus relaxed lines and what all of them mean. While it felt a little weird to read about the "feelings," for lack of a better word, of lines I was actually genuinely interested.
Visual rhetoric is definitely powerful in it's field and seems to be a silent killer in regards to effectiveness. Bad use of visual rhetoric probably leads to bad responses to the medium, product, idea, etc.
My view of composing really hasn't changed. I still believe that the most important aspects of a composition is content and audience. As far as design/visual rhetoric go, I believe that they serve a very important role in a composition. We live in a society that is very much based on looks; if something is visually unappealing, we most likely are just going to ignore it. Most of the visual rhetoric we see in our daily lives involves advertizements, but I also feel that the way people present themselves is almost a form of visual rhetoric. We try to tell other people what we want them to know about ourselves with the way we dress, style our hair etc, and I feel like that is a very strong and important form of visual rhetoric in our society today.
ReplyDeleteMy theory of composing as totally changed in that I now see that I really disregarded visuals in the ideas that I wrote about. Now that I'm coming to a close on my print media project I can see how composition isn't merely saying what you want to say in an interesting way, it's also drawing the reader-- the audience, in and visual including pictures, and picture/word combinations are incredibly relevant to this.
ReplyDeleteVisual rhetoric is prevalent in everyday life. Just the other day I went to class wearing a shirt with a really funny image on it and words to go along and enhance the message. And as I dressed and walked around I wondered if anyone was appreciating the rhetoric, the success of it, the composition and style, and I realized this class is really penetrating my life! I see everything in rhetorical value now. And visuals as well. I find myself analyzing the boxes of cereal and critiquing what is rhetorically effective and what isn't. And everything McCloud talks about comes directly into play. Color, word choice, simplification, all the elements that effect comics. My theory of rhetorical composition is now widening to include things I never realized were included, such as shapes, colors, etc.
I don’t think that my theory of composing has changed much per se, but the mediums through which composing travels have definitely changed for me. In the beginning of this class, I was honestly bummed to hear that we would be reading through a comic book for part of the class. (I know, it’s probably causing you to stir up with anger and get defensive for McCloud) But I honestly didn’t have any idea such a comic would be so helpful in sharing ideas. It sounds elementary to my friends outside of class when I explain to them one of our readings is a comic book that has pictures (and a lot of them!) with words, but the pictures make the book understandable. They just poo poo my explanation. I don’t think I have ever learned so much so quickly. I’m not trying to brown nose or anything but the old adage “show, don’t tell”, really rang true with McCloud because he would “show” and “tell” but mostly show.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if design, visual rhetoric played any type of role in my theory of composition but I assume they must be placed in there somehow. I don’t know what order they will fit into my theory but to deny them any sort of recognition would be to negate anything in McCloud I have learned.
I think that visual rhetoric (visual composition) is more prevalent in my daily life than written composition: every add on T.V., every restaurant I drive by, even the graphic tee’s college kids wear. No one can escape the grips of visual rhetoric!
My ideas of design and visual rhetoric have changed greatly since the beginning of this class, mostly because if you had asked me in the first week I wouldn't even have known where to begin! The PETA clips we watched gave me a better understanding of rhetoric and I understood that the video was using certain concepts to manipulate the audience. What I did not understand was the specific concepts they were using such as the design. Now that I have been studying rhetoric it is all making much more sense and is more clear.
ReplyDeleteMcCloud has been my favorite so far because he explained the ideas of visual rhetoric and design so well, or at least in a way that was easy for me to understand. I never realized comics had so much visual rhetoric and after reading that book I feel like I must have been completely dumb to not see it. Colors, shapes, and space are all examples of visual rhetoric and design, and yet it is so much more than that. Less detail can generate greater understanding, colors can set emotions as well as create perceptions of depth, and the space that is not filled is at least if not more important than the space that is!
I've learned that visual rhetoric and design is present all around us all the time. It's in magazines, newspapers, TV ads, you name it; the more I see it, the more I notice, and it just goes to show how much I have learned so far in this class.
In the first part of developing my "theory of composition", I emphasized the importance of the audience within the creative process. As I've learned more about visual rhetoric, though paramountly important, like written and oral rhetoric, the visual rhetoric must still serve the audience.
ReplyDeleteThere are many facets that contribute to visual rhetoric and how an audience identifies with it. The most important, perhaps, is the dichotomy between emotional and rational reactions. Images prompt strong emotional reactions that, more than often, lead to irrational decisions. Those who present persuasive techniques to audiences have to be mindful of this dichotomy to ensure its validity and effectiveness.
I think visual rhetoric only has effect when it has "presence". The goal of presence is for the object, or concept, to fill the audiences entire "field of consciousness". Without presence, the argument is separate from the actual image that is supposed to support it. With presence, however, the argument is supported by the image and the image supports the rhetorical triangle. When each element is interdependent, the audience is able to comprehend and identify with the argument being presented, and as a result, the audience remains the primary role in composition.
With that being said, visual rhetoric is always around us. It is the presence, however, that varies. Visual rhetoric exists in our appearance, the appearance of others and our perception of them, and every element within nature.
Fundamentally, my theory of composition has remained static. I still hold message and audience to be of primary focus in effective rhetoric. The visual or design elements as we've discussed recently, play an important role in developing and communicating a message. I did not establish this in my previous theory but have now realized the necessary amendment. Visual rhetoric and composition is overwhelmingly prevalent in our everyday lives. It can be identified in print and digital media pertaining to advertisements, education related activities, product design and much more. The attention that visual rhetoric gives to an individual is unmatched; it immediately invokes the audience and creates a intensified connectivity to the message. Visual design and composition fine tunes the message increasing the effectiveness of the message to the intended audience.
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned last time on the “Theory of Composing: Part 1”, visual rhetoric has played a huge part in my understanding and construction of the theory. It was through the example of photography given in the video In Defense of Rhetoric that I was able to more easily get a grasp on the idea as a whole of rhetoric y focusing on the specific area of visual rhetoric and comparing it to its written and oral counterparts.
ReplyDeleteThis past week, through the reading of McCloud, I’ve been learning so much about comics that I hadn’t come to realize in the past. These have been able to apply these same ideas of this specific genre of visual rhetoric to my own, more general construction of the theory of composing in rhetoric. For example, closure is a much-emphasized concept that can be extrapolated from the genre of comics to the visual medium and then unto the general idea of rhetoric. In the world of comics, as explained by McCloud, closure takes place in between panels at the gutter and the reader/audience is crucial to this process. Without the audience’s input, there is no closure, and as McCloud states, you only “get what you give.” If we look at this same concept in the broader field of print visual rhetoric, closure also exist but in a different form. There may be no gutters or panels in a poster per se, but most often the message will not be understood without the reader’s/audience’s input because much of it is implied and expected to be interpreted by the reader through his own means of common human experience. Then, if we expand even further unto digital media, the same use of closure is applied. For instance, in a film, scenes are cut, but in between them, action is often assumed or interpreted to have taken place by the audience, and without the audience’s involvement, the story cannot move and the message won’t get across. Then, if we take it even another step further, and apply closure to rhetoric in general, including oral and written, we discover that this concept is also key in these forms and when a the audience is listening to a speech or reading from a book, in this case, too, they must use their imagination for closure.
Another central concept from comics and visual rhetoric that can be applied to the broader idea of rhetoric in the construction of a theory if composing is the success in the invisibility of structure. Only when the panels in a comic are “invisible” to the reader, is the story the most successful because of its ease and flow. It written and oral rhetoric it’s the same. Only when we’re unaware of the fabricated structure of concepts and paragraphs is the message the most successfully sent and received.
For one thing, considering visual rhetoric has brought into play a whole slew of new constraints to composing. Factors such as frame size and word limit are for the most part only a hinderance to media such as comics/graphic novels/newspapers. But other visual media, especially those which contain color (which is almost everything nowadays), have physical constraints on production, based on the medium. How espensive something is to produce will directly effect the number of authors who attempt to compose in that genre.
ReplyDeleteSo really, my theory hasn't lost anything with the consideration of visual rhetoric. Rather, it has just acquired more. Composing still requires an author, exigence (or at least, some manner of intention), and a message/product. Applying and extrapolating Darton's communication circuit model, composing also needs include a publisher, a producer, a shipper, a seller and a reader. And every medium constraint applicable to visual rhetoric is also pertinent to every other manner of composing.
There are comics in the newspaper. There is graffiti here around town with rhetorical messages. I'm taking the History of Text Tech class right now, and we just covered an entire section on graffiti. One of the things that most people agree on is that graffiti can be considered art so long as it has intention or a message. So taggers can in a way be considered composers. There is visual rhetoric everywhere.
^erika higgins
ReplyDeleteSorry I keep forgetting to add my name x.x