Considering Visual Elements

A picture could be worth a thousand words if it was used correctly.  Thus, I need to make sure that all my visual elements are cohesive and effective.

Is the feeling or tone that the image invokes appropriate to the visual-rhetorical tone of my argument?

Woodpuncher. "Video" 2014 via Pixabay.
Public Domain License.

The images that I use to portray human genetic modification could easily have a strong emotional impact, especially one that puts human genetic modification in a bad light.  I am trying to show that the technology is in responsible hands and not something to fear.  The images will need to be comforting but not cheesy.

If the image is a graph or a chart, does it clearly support a major point of my argument, or is it superfluous?

I want to use graphics and visual representations of the research data so that people can feel like they have a grasp on the knowledge and not feel threatened by the overwhelming science behind it all.  To accomplish this, I will need to provide only the important information and nothing to will be too complicated to understand.  This will only hinder my point.

If the text is multimodal, is the image anchored or placed within the verbal text effectively?  Is the verbal text in close proximity to the image that illustrates it?

For my video, I will need to decide where I can place the image in relation to the audio.  If I place the image after what I make the point, the listener will be prepared for what they are about to see.  If I show the image while I am talking, the viewer will be better able to follow along.  Sometimes, watch the narrator speak can be a lot more effective than just listening to audio, so I will need a good balance of me and images.

If you are writing a multimodal argument, do the visual images help you move from point to point in the argument clearly?

I may want to consider some graphics that organize the video into my different points.  This might include text on the video that highlights my “topic sentence” or numbers my points.  Both of these would indicate to the reader that I was transitioning to the next point and would help me stay structured instead of rambling.

Do the different visual and textual elements come together persuasively as a whole, or are there elements that seem disconnected or out of place?

I hope to use images sparingly, so that when they are used, they are payed attention to.  The images are meant to enhance the audio, not distract from it.

Is the visual-rhetorical tone of your project consistent?

Human genetic modification is a serious topic, but I want my argument to come across as comfortable and conversational.  My images need to reflect this.  Some images, such as the graphs, will be professional and serious, while other pictures may lighten the mood.  However, they will need to be cohesive.