AMEN: HIERARCHY OF ELEMENTS (SPLIT SCREEN)

Following on from my split screen research I decided to do some basic tests using the assets I had already created. The aim was to see how all of the elements could use a full screen rather than the 3 screens I had been working on. I was still more confident in the three screen approach but wanted to experiment a little. Considering the Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein's theory of montage editing being "an idea that arises from the collision of independent shots" where "each sequential element is perceived not next to the other, but on top of the other". Eisenstein applied this most commonly to full screen film one shot replacing the last but I wanted to see if this could work at the same time on screen using multiple elements all playing off one another. It is a variation of using three screens but my intention of using three screens was to make the audience interact by having to follow the action by physically looking around and moving. By having all of the elements on one screen this physical looking around would not be needed but instead replaces by following the elements on the screen. These would have to follow a sort of narrative with not too much happening at once or too many conflicting elements.

This led into doing some research into the design concept of a hierarchy of elements. With the three separate screens the screens I wanted the screens to be fairly balanced but using sound to draw the audience to the element I wanted their focus on at any particular time. However it would be tricky to do this with a single screen so I would need to be careful about how I used my elements.

The hierarchy of elements works in design by considering where the eye looks first, then second then third and so on. It works as follows.

1: SIZE
An element will appear more hierarchical if it is larger than other elements in a design. We naturally look first at the largest element in a design. If there are five windows on the front of a building, and one is twice the size of the others, our attention will focus on the biggest window first.

2: CONTRAST
Emphasis can be created by contrast. An element in contrast with something else is more easily seen and understood as something different attracts the eye. Any elements can be contrasted for instance

• Shape: A curve in the midst of straight lines, shape,a circle in a field of squares. 
• Colour: For instance one red dot on a background of grays and blacks. 
• Tone: Light or dark area in the middle of its opposite. 
• Textures: Rough as opposed to smooth. 
• Contrast: Created by contrasting orientation in space, horizontal, vertical, diagonal.
• Shape: A geometric shape in an otherwise naturalistic image. 
• An anomaly: Something that departs from the norm, will also stand out and grab our attention, for example a person wearing summer clothes in the snowy landscape.

3: PLACEMENT/COMPOSITION
Placement of the elements creates hierarchical positions. Within a circle, the centre is the most hierarchical. With other works the element placed centrally willThe end of an axis is naturally more hierarchical than points along the line. Equally if many elements are grouped and one is isolated this will make the isolated element stand out.

4: RHYTHM
The way the elements fall into rhythm that the audience accepts or falls into. Particularly useful when editing obviously and using music.

• Pattern: The best way to understand rhythm is to think of a song. Songs have rhythm when a piece of the song repeats. When listening to a song with good rhythm, we recognise the pattern and begin to expect beats.
• Breaks: A break in rhythm will appear more hierarchical. Think about a song. When a song has a repeated rhythm and the rhythm is broken, something quite special usually happens. 

EXTRA: SOUND AND MOVEMENT

The hierarchy of elements outlined above applies generally to design that is not time based like video. hence my addition and inclusion of the consideration of sound and movement. In my piece there will be text, graphical, animated and video elements.

• Sound: Obviously hugely important to my piece and the cornerstone of it. This can be used in collaboration with any animated or visual elements to ties them together and some will be sound from the visual elements. Volume, panning (left or right) and pace/rhythm of it will also be important. Transitions and contrasts can also be used here in the flow from one piece of music to the next. A soft fade into the next piece to comfortably move between them or a hard cut to make audience jolt and take notice could be used.
• Movement: This catches the eye and video and animation can be more visually rich than static images as a consequence. This could be used to attract the audiences attention to certain areas. However it is also "sticky content" maintaining audiences attention due to narrative and therefore can be diverting to the detriment of other elements so must be used cleverly and cautiously.

Moving forward and into experimentation with split screens i will need to utilse and apply all of these elements.