Speaker 1: What is visual storytelling, and how do great filmmakers convey such complex ideas and emotions without the use of dialogue? For well over a hundred years our eyes have been fixed on the silver screen, whether in cinemas, our homes, or our devices. The screen has the ability to entertain us, to educate, and to challenge us. It's shown us worlds we've never thought possible, people from all walks of life, and the stories we all share. From the original silent picture houses, to the largest screens imaginable the world over, people have been coming together for the experience. Now we're not going to get too deep or too philosophical about what film is, instead we're just going to break down well-known techniques, show how they can be applied, and when used by a master of their craft, create something truly cinematic. So let's start with the simplest and most elegant form of cinema, visual storytelling, where it's show, not tell. This was initially, and for the most part, the only way for a film to tell its story. That was until Al Jolson spoke to us for the very first time, uttering the now famous words Although sometimes having no dialogue can be just as effective today as it was in the beginning. This is all of the artist, or the tribe. Most of WALL-E, the opening to There Will Be Blood, or 2001 A Space Odyssey. It's the chilling showdown in The Silence of the Lambs, the finale from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, to the musical boot scene in Before Sunrise. Great filmmakers can convey so much without even a single word being spoken. To show how effective visual storytelling can be, let's take a look at one of, in our opinion, the greatest moment of visual storytelling. The Married Life montage sequence in Pixar's Up. This sequence conveys so many techniques and skills that we could talk about it for hours. Simply though, it is the journey of a married couple, their dreams, life, love, loss, and eventual end. And Pixar does this so beautifully and simply, all without words, in just over four and a half minutes. So what is it that makes this sequence so special? Taking the opening scene without adding on their context, it's easy to see a young, newly married couple, but smarter still, they manage to convey their characters and their backgrounds. See the church guests, one loud and cheerful, the other plain and quiet, just like our characters. The concepts are familiar and can be easily understood by all. A simple family, a new home. We quickly see their jobs and, in a truly masterful, cinematic way, their dreams. As the cloud becomes a child, we see their next plan in life. Next, we are shown the bedroom being decorated through the use of music, colours, and lighting. Being decorated through the use of music, colour, and the perfect use of a lateral tracking shot, we see that this is not possible for them. The use of a poster, a doctor, and the body language. Something so complex to convey is done in two simple shots. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This is why. Although times can get tough, we must continue, find new things to look forward to. And in this, they use the adventure as a new goal. But of course, life will always have its own plans. Using the savings jar as both a connective thread through the sequence and as a symbol for their progress, the filmmakers play with, at times, literal bumps in the road. A flat tyre, a broken leg, a damaged roof. All while showing the couple's love. Despite setbacks, they are happy together. As time moves on more quickly, the use of a tie is used as a common thread, a clever and creative way to show the passage of time. And in a moment of tragic poeticism when, after so many years of life, Carl remembers this dream. He buys the ticket, but it's too late. Character, always trying to keep up with his adventurous wife, has finally seen time slow her down. And to wrap up this emotional story, the filmmakers use an incredibly clever and well-known technique called coming full circle. We see Carl alone in the church, a reminder of where it all began, using the first and last scene as the same place, shows the audience and informs them, if not just subconsciously, that the story is over, at least for now. So many techniques and styles, all expertly used in an incredible four-minute sequence that both conveys everything it needs to and also engages and moves us. This is visual storytelling at its best. So now that we've shown you an example and broken it down, this is the part where you come in. "- You talking to me?" On this channel, we also want to challenge you to go back in time and we also want to challenge you to go and create something unique yourself. What good is learning if it can't be put into practice? And remember, it doesn't matter what level of skill you are, what camera or lenses you have, each of us has the ability to create. So we encourage you to pick up whatever you have, use your digital camera or your phone. We'd love for you to create and share your videos in the comments. So now the challenge. Because this video is about visual storytelling, we want you to create a 30 to 60 second video containing no dialogue, the first and the last scene must be the same location, and it's on the theme of waiting. But besides that, it's up to you, show your creativity. Thanks for watching everyone. And if you liked our first video, please hit that subscribe button below for more just like it. So don't forget to like, comment and share, and join us next time where we'll be breaking down another well-known technique and creating a creative challenge based around it.