How do composers use distinctively visual techniques Essay

How do composers use distinctively visual techniques to shape our interpretations of the world? Composers use distinctively visual techniques to shape the audiences interpretations of the world. John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe-horn Sonata and the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ uses distinctively visual techniques such as dialogue, photographic images, and music to effectively shape the audiences interpretations of the world. Firstly Misto uses dialogue as a distinctively visual technique in his play ‘The Shoe Horn Sonata to shape the audiences interpretations of the world. Misto uses juxtaposition as the dialogue consists of both private and public conversations which create powerful links between the two characters. The first scene shows Bridie re-enacting the kowtow, a tribute to the emperor of Japan. This kowtow was done when a Japanese guard would cry out ‘Keirei’. Stage directions allow the readers to visualise exactly how the composer wants i t to be performed. The audience is able relate in some way and feels engaged with Bridie at this point. Misto then uses photographic images, projected on a screen behind Bridie to support the dialogue. These images consist of several 1940 posters for the womens army, as well as photographs of the Australian army nurses disembarking in Singapore. Not even halfway through scene 1 the use of dialogue and photographic images have raised a concern to the audience of the pain and suffering that many women endured at the hands of the Japanese, yet their stories were not widely known. This has shaped their interpretations of war vastly, as there is much more horror, truth and death involved then just men on the front line. In the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ the use of no dialogue is so the importance of photographic images is essential for conveying the point of view of the advertisement, which is ‘slow down’. The photographic images show the last message left by each young person and the rush they are in. The images are shown in a slow motion effect which gives the audience time think of the situations and then evokes an emotional response. The images show the surroundings of where how the message was left, this shows that these people come from all different family backgrounds and have a relationship with members of their family. Therefore we realize that these rushing deaths can happen to anyone, regardless of who you are. This shapes the viewer’s interpretation of the world showing that rushing is not worth the consequences of speeding and therefore reinforces the importance of slowing  down. Lastly in ‘Shoe Horn Sonata’ Misto uses music from the period to go with images projected. The use of music adds emotion to the play and It places the audience in the historical context and in some parts it suggests the irony of the situations the women went through. An example is when Bridie criticises the British, the song ‘Rule Britannia’ is played. This song is very patriotic and helps us understand the irony of the situation. The use of music creates emotion within the audience helps shape their interpretation of war, as there is much more horror, truth and death involved then just men on the front line. In the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ the slow solemn music is used to arouse emotion within the audience. This shapes the audiences interpretations of the world because the slow musical beat actually relaxes the audience therefore causing them to slow down and think about the consequences of speeding and the importance of not rushing. John Misto’s play ‘The Shoe-horn Sonata and the RTA advertisement ‘Notes’ uses distinctively visual techniques to effectively shape the audiences interpretations of the world. This is done brilliantly by an impressive use of dialogue, photographic images, and musi c.