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Symbols * Images * Codes: The Secret Language of Meaning in Film, TV, Games, and Visual Media
Symbols • Images • Codes is an accessible collection of visual images in a wide range of categories that will help you express your message through the most powerful medium in existence.
- GenresFilmNonfiction
160 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
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April 14, 2012
With a focus on building visual cues into your script, this book contains a lot of seemingly “common sense” information explaining which emotions and thoughts are induced by various images. I found it a particularly interesting read as most screenwriting books approach scripts in terms of plot, character and dialogue without more than a much more than lip service to the visuals (although of course McKee does focus on the opening image).
In the section called “How to use this book” it suggests that it is of most use as a reference guide to be looked at when you find yourself thinking. To quote the book, “Everyone in the audience should simply weep now; hmmm… what cue can I give them?”. Personally, I think that would be a little dangerous, and would risk your script becoming formulaic. However it certainly works as a means of sparking the imagination.
Heavily illustrated with stills from very recent films, and including chapters on such things as the different meanings of colours, this book gave me a lot to disagree with. I of course mean that in the best possible way. The internal arguments that this book sparked were incredibly useful for the script I was working on.
Symbols Images Codes has a very interesting index at the end of the book which lists emotions, situation, etc with references to different chapters. For example under Loyalty it lists “Animals – dog. Colour – red, blue, Numbers - 2” and also points you to the chapters “Crosses” and “Cultural References”. This Index highlights the book’s Eurocentric view of what images mean.
Yet, when I think of a film with strong symbolism in its images, it’s hard to go past “Ring” (the American film with a script by Ehren Kruger based on “Ringu” script by Hiroshi Takahashi). Part of the reason I believe the images work so well in that film is that the Japanese rather than the western meanings are used. For example water representing death rather than the western meaning of renewal.
“Ring Two” (Again with a script by Ehren Kruger) is also a particularly useful film to look at in terms of symbols. I would suggest that part of the reason it isn’t regarded as a particularly successful film is the use of mainly western symbols. For example, stags as a strong life force. Despite using the same sorts of bold images in both films, “Ring Two” failed to excite an audience due to the formulaic meanings of the images.
In the section called “How to use this book” it suggests that it is of most use as a reference guide to be looked at when you find yourself thinking. To quote the book, “Everyone in the audience should simply weep now; hmmm… what cue can I give them?”. Personally, I think that would be a little dangerous, and would risk your script becoming formulaic. However it certainly works as a means of sparking the imagination.
Heavily illustrated with stills from very recent films, and including chapters on such things as the different meanings of colours, this book gave me a lot to disagree with. I of course mean that in the best possible way. The internal arguments that this book sparked were incredibly useful for the script I was working on.
Symbols Images Codes has a very interesting index at the end of the book which lists emotions, situation, etc with references to different chapters. For example under Loyalty it lists “Animals – dog. Colour – red, blue, Numbers - 2” and also points you to the chapters “Crosses” and “Cultural References”. This Index highlights the book’s Eurocentric view of what images mean.
Yet, when I think of a film with strong symbolism in its images, it’s hard to go past “Ring” (the American film with a script by Ehren Kruger based on “Ringu” script by Hiroshi Takahashi). Part of the reason I believe the images work so well in that film is that the Japanese rather than the western meanings are used. For example water representing death rather than the western meaning of renewal.
“Ring Two” (Again with a script by Ehren Kruger) is also a particularly useful film to look at in terms of symbols. I would suggest that part of the reason it isn’t regarded as a particularly successful film is the use of mainly western symbols. For example, stags as a strong life force. Despite using the same sorts of bold images in both films, “Ring Two” failed to excite an audience due to the formulaic meanings of the images.
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