Reflection
I relied on ideas then words and didn’t really use syllables at all. The title did not really lend itself to syllable use like the blade runner example on the assignment page. I could not find pictures that directly related to the words in my title and the ones that were available may have led to confusion as they have multiple meaning. The first thing that I did was a written summary of my chosen piece and then tried to use the emojis to represent the overall theme of each section rather than direct one to one correspondence of words to emojis. The piece I chose was long, so I didn’t represent all the themes. This piece is also a convoluted mix of stories, so I chose only to represent the main theme only.
For the assignment, I started with the title as it helped me establish key emojis that would be used throughout the story. I was able to set the tone of the story and these emojis guided the images for the rest of the story. By beginning with the title I was able to almost write a thesis for myself which helped me frame the key narrative before I expanded the ideas for the plot summary.
I chose this piece because it is one of my all-time favourite stories that has been told through text and images. It is a familiar story to many people and it features distinctive imagery that lent itself to this task. I chose it because it paints strong mental pictures which made it easier to express through emojis. A story with clear actions, symbols and emotions affords itself to this kind of visual language.
This assignment really underscores Bolter’s (2001) ideas that writing is no longer confined to words on a page but electronic writing is a blend of images, text and interfaces. He argues that computers have transformed writing and the writing experience. He concludes that this engages readers though more that just text, by using layout, icons and the interactive nature of digital experiences.
Using images to tell stories is not new but in this context it uses a global database of images that can be understood despite language barriers. This is not new idea but with the digital aspect it means that these images are available immediately and they are a part of everyday life. This shows the ubiquities of digital platforms.