Katie Coen

Images tell a story. More importantly, they are used to tell a story. Visual storytelling is one of the best ways to get a message across or make someone feel a certain way. In “Visual Storytelling,” Andrew Losowsky explains how text and numbers aren’t memorable or easily digestible for most people. That’s because more than half of our brains are used for visual processing. People like visuals, and they can be so powerful. To show just how well images can tell stories, I analyzed seven screenshots from some of my favorite movies to explain the meaning behind them.

Alice in Wonderland

This screenshot is from Alice in Wonderland, released in 2010. This moment shows the Mad Hatter talking to Alice after she was shrunken down and standing on his tea party table. You can see just how small she is compared to his size and the objects on the table around her. This gives the viewer a prospective of her struggle being small and makes them feel for her. The way the Mad Hatter looks and his facial expressions give clues into who he is, a whacky, “mad” man who is very dramatic and visual. After this scene, Alice fights to grow back to her normal size.

From a visual storytelling perspective, this moment is very intimate. It shows the relationship between the two characters and the dominance the Mad Hatter has over Alice in this moment. It is not an authentic photo and does not seem real to the audience, but it fits in the fantasies of the movie. It may not look real, but it does make the audience feel bad for Alice and curious about what will happen next.

The Princess Diaries

The moment from The Princess Diaries film shows Mia finding out she is a princess. She lived her entire life an average girl, then her grandmother tells her she is next in line for the throne of a small kingdom. The surprise in her face says it all. She was not expecting to learn this and could not have predicted this was how her life would turn out. The images gives background into where the characters are, sitting outside in a garden drinking tea. It also gives a good visual of what Mia looks like with her puffy hair, and shows she goes to a private school based on her uniform.

In visual storytelling, surprise is used to peak the audiences interest. When you see how Mia reacts to this news, you feel the same shock with her, forming a relationship between the character and the viewer. It is an authentic and emotional moment. While the reason Mia is surprised is not very relatable, everyone can think about a time they were that shocked. It is clear the creators of this movie wanted to achieve and show off this surprising element to make the audience stick around.

Grease

This scene from the movie Grease shows a date Sandy and Danny went on to a drive in movie. If you’ve seen the movie, you’d know there is some conflict between them at this point, after a summer romance ended and they surprisingly saw each other at school. The way Sandy looks in this moment really sets the tone. She seems frustrated and disappointed in how the date is going, which is relatable to many viewers. The way they are dressed shows the time period it takes place in and how different the two characters are. Danny is more edgy with his leather jacket while Sandy is wearing a conservative dress with a girly hair accessory. After this moment, the date gets even worse.

This photo does a great job at telling a story. It seems real and unedited, plus the way Sandy is feeling can be felt by the audience. The actress’s face of disgust makes them feel for her and root for her as a character. It shows an extremely emotional moment that the movie creators wanted to share with the audience.

Les Miserables

This is one of the opening shots in the movie Les Miserables. It features hundreds of men working on a in the water. They are prisoners and put to work by strict guards. This scene sets a tone for the rest of the movie, and plays into the titles, which means “the miserable ones.” This screenshot does not give the viewers a look into a character, rather it sets the scene.

This scene setting aspect makes it a geographically appealing wide shot. It gives visual context into where the movie is taking place and what is happening. It makes the audience feel confused and emotional because they may not know what is happening, or feel bad for the men working hard.

Maleficent

Maleficent is a different take on the classic story of the Sleeping Beauty. It shows the emotional journey of the woman who gave Aurora the curse that put her into a deep sleep. In this screenshot, Maleficent is full of rage, about to use her powers to conduct a spell. You can see the anger in her face and look of determination to get what she wants.

Storytelling wise, this is a very informative photo. It shows who Maleficent is at the start of the movie and what she is able to do. It may not be authentic, as there is clearly editing used to give the special effects, but it is emotional and gives a look into her soul. It can make an audience scared or concerned, which conveys the storyline and makes them want to know what’s happening. This moment can also be surprising for someone who has never seen the visualization of Maleficent’s powers before. It’s a great example of showing and not telling.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride tells the story of a farm girl who goes on a quest to find her love. This scene in the movie shows the emotional moment before he leaves her. The screenshot gives an idea of where and when this movie is taking place based on the farm scenery and what the characters are wearing. You can tell this is taking place a long time ago in a fairytale land and the love the couple has for each other.

The obvious emotional and intimate moment the characters are having helps visualize and tell the story to the audience. It shares a relatable moment of love and knowing when a chapter in life is ending, which many people can understand. Because of this, they feel sympathy for the characters and want to see them end up together.

Hairspray

The happiness from the this scene in Hairspray just jumps off the screen. This image shows Tracy and her mother, Edna, shopping for the first time together. Edna had just left her house for the first time in years and was excited to see the world after so long. You can clearly see, based on the clothes and hairstyles, that the movie takes place in the 1960’s.

The excitement the characters are portraying makes its way to the audience. It makes them feel emotional and happy as they watch the pair branch out and try new things. It may remind someone of a time they were that happy or a bonding moment between a mother and daughter, which is extremely relatable for the target audience of this movie.

It is clear that all of these screenshots from movies make someone feel a certain way. They do a better job at portraying emotions to an audience than reading a story. As a visual person, I would much rather see something in front of me rather than have to process words. With the technology everyone uses constantly in this day and age, that rings true for many people. They want to be surprised and emotional, which is just what visual storytelling does.

Resources:

Bergström, B. (2008). Chapter 2: Storytelling. In Essentials of visual communication. essay, Laurence King Pub.

Gitner, S. (2022). Chapter 1: In What Ways Do We Think about Visual Storytelling Every Day. In Multimedia storytelling for digital communicators in a multiplatform world. essay, Routledge.

Klanten, R., Ehmann, S., Losowsky, A., & Schulze, F. (2012). Introduction. In Visual Storytelling: Inspiring a New Visual Language. essay, Gestalten.

Montalto, M. (2022, May 12). Worth 1,000 words: The Four principles of visual storytelling. amplifi. https://amplifinp.com/blog/4-principles-visual-storytelling/

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