In taking on this surprising and interesting task, my eyes were opened to the benefits and limitations of emojis as text to convey messages. I did not select the work because it would be easy, I actually selected the last work of cinematography that I enjoyed. On the nights when I need to stay up later than my family to work on meeting a deadline, I sometimes have the TV on to keep me company with something that I know well. The voices help me stay alert, but the familiarity with the plotline makes sure that my attention is not grabbed by the visual.
I started with the title, and I did so because I think it is essential to identify the show and the genre to understand the plotline. I fear it would be nonsensical otherwise. If the title is understood, then the rest of the symbols may fall into place rather than raising eyebrows.
As I related the plot, I relied entirely on big ideas, characters, and actions. I did not utilize syllables at all. The plot has been reduced to quite a basic summary – in fact, I imagine more of a description that would appear on Netflix or a plot overview that may appear on Wikipedia. Certainly, there were a lot more plot details that would be explored using words than is demonstrated by the emojis, and those words would be necessary to communicate the intricacies of character interactions, the subtleties of facial expressions, and so forth. This is what I would describe as the challenges encountered when translating the plot into emojis. The limitations of the provided emojis mean that the artistry, subtlety, the depth of story telling is somewhat lost.
Overall, what I found interesting about this activity is the reminder of the strength that comes with combining words and text. Emojis alone struggle to paint the whole picture, yet words alone in text messages can lead to misunderstandings as they may not convey tone and ultimate purpose. As Bolter wrote in 2000, graphic designers sought to demonstrate that the “combination of word and image offered an experience that was more authentic than the conventional printed page could offer alone.” With today’s integration of text and emojis in messaging between cell phone users, I suggest that they were correct in their pursuit of such a demonstration.
Reference:
Bolter, J. (2000). Writing Space : Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print: Vol. 2nd ed. Routledge.
5 replies on “Task 6: An Emoji Story”
Hi Steve,
I really enjoyed reading your reflection. What really stood out to me was your point that you “imagine more of a description that would appear on Netflix”. I didn’t approach it this way, but it totally makes sense! Like you, I went for a very simplified approach.
You also mentioned selecting a work you enjoyed rather than one that would be easy to visualize, which is a decision I also made. This choice made the task more engaging but also highlighted the complexity of transposing a detailed storyline into a series of simple images. Like you, I also relied heavily on big ideas, characters, and actions to summarize the plot. Like you, I didn’t focus on syllables, as the aim was to convey the essence of the story rather than the specific sounds of words.
Your approach of starting with the title to set the context is different from my approach, as the title was the last thing I did. I found it came naturally after I got used to the emoji’s that I wanted to use in the story.
Thanks again for sharing!
I forgot to mention that your simplified plot seems so clear!! Adults become babies, they fight aliens, return to earth and are adults again. But, I don’t think I know (or have seen) your movie!
Thank Joti – you absolutely nailed the lot. An episode of Star Trek the Next Generation!
I really want to guess the name of the media you’re describing but I can’t for the life of me figure it out.
Here’s what I can discern:
– It’s a movie or tv show
– There are two women and a man
– The characters travel back in time
– They fight aliens
– They win
– They come back to the present
In your post you mention that knowing the title will make the rest fall in place, but I hope that I’ve at least gotten things roughly right without having any clue about the title!
Okay I actually do have a guess… Is it Star Trek? I’m not familiar enough with the series to say for sure, but based on your title emojis I’m going to guess Star Trek: The Next Generation. The hiking boot is what gave it away.
You nailed it – Star Trek the Next Generation! It was an episode when 3 characters are accidentally made into children via the transporter machine, save the day when aliens attack, then are returned to their adulthood.