Chapter 4

I think what was most helpful about this chapter was the useful discussion of the effect of an image on the reader of a text, as well as the use of camera angles and other tricks to capture the interest of the reader. For example, a camera angled straight at the person being filmed is more easily identified with, and seeing the image rather than just reading it is more emotionally powerful anyway. Using the Vietnam war as an example of this emotional power of image was definitely an effective and true statement on the part of Jones and Hafner. It was, after all, the first war with extensive news coverage, and this had a profound effect on the way people reacted to it. These facts are valuable information, and I plan on making use of this new-found knowledge for my video argument, which I now know will need to be properly paced matched with an appropriate soundtrack. Just reading this has made me feel like I have a few more tricks up my sleeve for the upcoming video, and I'm more excited than ever to begin filming. I want to also take care to avoid the mistakes we observed in some of the videos in class, to give it a really professional feel, and I think the tips this chapter has to offer will be truly valuable throughout this process.