Visual Storytelling, Environment Design, Spatal Cinematography (Part 1)
“Aesthetics, Functionality, Narrative, Storytelling”
Before this lecture I never really understood the depth and importance that comes with shapes in storytelling. When creating visual art of any kind, whether it’s a picture, a movie, a photo, etc, I have found for myself that I tend to gravitate towards certain shapes and colours than others in certain situations, and those choices change depending on the situation. I used to think it was just preference for what I liked to see, a bias if you will, but it turns out there is logic and history behind it.
Different shapes portray different things. Circles are considered soft, nonthreatening, natural, feminine, maternal. They symbolise completeness, balance, and endlessness. Squares, on the other hand, are the antithesis of circles. They are unnatural, manmade. Symbolise stasis, stability, strength, or just boring, old-fashioned. And then there’s triangles. They are considered to be the angriest shape. The “pointy-ness” of the triangle elicits fear, distrust, and suspicion. When placed with the broad side down, it can represent stability; when inverted, it can become unnerving, emphasizing power dynamics.