1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Visual communication began some 40,000 years ago when the first civilizations used
cave walls as canvasses to transmit their knowledge, beliefs, and stories. The evaluation of a
good visual communication design is primarily dependent on assessing audience comprehension.
Nowadays, visual communication is becoming one of the most essential methods for individuals
to communicate and share information. There are six categories in visual communication, and
one of them is graphic design, which refers to using visuals to create layouts and designs. The
most visual being used is in advertising, where it uses visuals to promote services and products.
Video production and web design use visuals for interactive experiences that users can engage
with, and lastly, illustration or photography that capture every moment or tell stories visually
appealing.

As a basic element, successful visual communication design concludes with points and
lines. The points obtain attention and can be combined to make something much larger, such as
designs, forms, shapes, and patterns. Meanwhile, lines may convey complicated information
simply by using line composition, width, shadows, or overlaps. The most basic graphics can
convey information, hierarchy, and significance while also adding a distinct flavour to the
visuals. Colour, as we all know, is the first thing that comes to mind when we think about or see
something visual. Colour can influence our mood, the emotion of a picture, or our energy,
evoking feelings of grief, exhilaration, angriness, or happiness. In other words, since each colour
communicates so much value, colours are a great tool for designers. Next, most visuals include
typography—the typefaces that we use—and leave an impression on the readers' minds.
Effective typography can generate an emotional response and significantly contribute to the
visual mood. Finally, layout produces meaning through emphasis, hierarchy, and scale. This is
critical in the case of magazine design and advertising to develop a succinct, clear, and
persuasive message for the audience.

Thus, three aspects of visual communication have been highlighted: semiotics, icons or
iconics, and metaphors or rhetoric. The first part is semiotics, which is the study of signs. The
study of language and how it impacts human perceptions and views about the world is known as
semiotics. It's also a great technique for image analysis. Although concepts such as signifier

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relate to the physical form of the sign, which could be auditory, tasteful, or material, signified
refers to the mental concept that we learn to recognise. The literal or underlying meaning behind
a word, as opposed to the sentences or thoughts represented by the phrase, is denotation. For
example, the word "red" has the connotation "angry." Finally, connotation is an idea or feeling
elicited by a phrase in addition to its literal or main meaning. The next element is icons, which
are graphic representations of an object, idea, or activity. Icons are images that we frequently
associate with creativity. Sending texts requires logical thinking since we must consider
grammar, whereas employing icons requires creative thinking. Thus, by communicating with
icons, we are exercising both our creative and logical minds. Finally, a visual metaphor suggests
a relationship or likeness by using a picture representation of an object. In other words, a visual
metaphor employs physical similarities to make something resemble something else or the
thoughts underlying the visuals. Visual rhetoric employs the rhetorical triangle, namely (1) ethos,
which employs character, credibility, and culture. (2) Pathos uses emotion and passion to
convince, whereas (3) Logos uses logic and proof.

Visual communication is important for people to effectively express their ideas

and concepts. Presentations, data visualizations, graphic design, and complicated topics can all
be conveyed in an intelligible fashion using visual mediums. Nowadays, visual communication is
used in advertising and public relations that show on every screen to assist individuals receive
information quickly and properly. Visual communication can also be targeted by employing body
language or inserting visuals into the message, allowing it to communicate with greater effect
without using words. As a result, visual communication is one of the ways to engage huge
audiences and inspire change without dependence on language limitations. In our digital age,
graphics are of greater significance than ever. This is because it immediately influences and
persuades people's beliefs by connecting links and using visuals to communicate a message or
produce important details that make an impression. Hence, it helps people to create relationships
with each other from all over the world.

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 (A) THE ENGLISH TEACHER ( 2020 )

2.0 (A) Video Synopsis

Directed by Blake Ridder's 12-minute short film The English Teacher (2020) is nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2020. The entire story focuses on Jin, an Asian man
desperate to learn English from Mr. Robert. Mr. Robert suffers from loneliness, and since
becoming an English teacher, he has formed a bond with his student, Jin. however, the
friendship masks some unexpected secrets that make Mr Robert suspicious of his student when
Jin sends an email charging Mr.Robert an impressive amount of £700. At the same time, Jin
fulfilled his curiosity by sending a short recorded video over email to explain why Jin acted the
way he did. The shortest part of the film offers explanations of how Jim feels fearful and
guilty for hitting Mr. Robert's wife with a car while she was riding a bicycle.

3.0 (A) Video Message

i. Due to their emotions, individuals explain things in unexpected ways. For example, Jin enrols
as an English student simply to confess to Mr. Robert that he hit Mr. Robert's wife without
exposing himself to Mr. Robert and telling the truth face-to-face.

ii. How important it is to have someone special in their lives who may also make an impact since
they are missing and feel alone. Mr. Roberts, for example, misses his beloved wife. He is always
depressed because he feels empty and misses his wife.

iii. Fear of a terrible thing happening to someone makes individuals want to stay away from the
accident. For example, Jin, who was late for work, accidentally hit Mr. Robert's wife, and he is
afraid to take any risks in telling the truth.

4.0 A) Semiotics Elements

According to Random House Electronic Dictionary 1992, the study of signs and symbols as
elements of communicative behavior. In Greek, semeiotikas means "an interpreter of signs," or
used to represent or stand in for anything. The theory of semiotics provides a structure for
understanding how humans utilize signs to make sense of their surroundings. One of its pioneers,
the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, defined it as the study of "the life of signs within

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 society." He declared the sign as "something that stands for something to somebody”. There has
some semiotics elements in The English Teacher (2020) ;

Visual A (1)

In visual A (1) on duration 0:17, The

English Teacher (2020) clearly shows an
object of books, a pencil, and spectacles
that are used to represent Mr. Robert, a guy
who has work to do before going to sleep.
As we know, Mr. Robert is an English
teacher who teaches people house by
house. The next semiotic is the glass of half-alcohol, which shows that Mr. Robert drinks it while
doing his work because he might be stressed or dwelling on his feelings. For example, Mr.
Robert loses his beloved wife, and the way he forgets the sadness is to drink a glass of alcohol.
Not only that, the symbolic nature of his wife’s necklaces also represents that he misses her so
much. Perhaps he is staring at the necklace, or that necklace makes him feel like his wife is
always with him.

Visual A (2) Visual A (3)

Semiotics also offers visual A (2) with a runtime of 3:22 that depicts body language through hand
gestures or movements. Body language may account for 60% to 65% of all communication, according
to Foley GN and Gentile JP in their book Nonverbal Communication in Psychotherapy. As depicted in
visual A (2), Jin is pointing at Mr. Robert while training his English on "What is your name?" while
Mr. Robert responds with his name and cheers together as a success for his student, Jin. Following that,
visual A (3) on duration 6:34 shows Jin making a head gesture to indicate that he understands,
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and Mr. Roberts' hands make the explanation more obvious since they elicit Jin to ensure that he
understands what Mr. Roberts is saying.

Visual A (4) Visual A (5)

In visual A(4), duration 7:05 shows that Mr. Robert makes a hand gesture on his chin. It
represents that he is thinking about the questions that he wants to ask because he feels curious or
confused. For example, visual A (4) shows Mr. Robert wondering why Jin transferred 700
pounds for a short list because that amount makes Mr. Robert feel uncomfortable.

On length 6:08 in visual A (5), Mr Robert's hand touches his face, and he is frustrated and crying
because he misses his beloved wife, who died after being hit by her own student, Jin. It
demonstrates how much he adores his wife and how lonely and empty he feels without her.

Visual 1 (f )

Visual A (6) Visual A(7)

on length 6:29 in visual A (6), depicts Mr. Robert's waiting for his wife and his wish that she is
lying down beside him. It shows Mr. Robert making a small move on his bed with his hand,
expressing sadness and loneliness. Following that, visual A (7) presents Mr. Robert as lonely by

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wearing a blue shirt and sitting alone represented by the phrase, is denotation. The colour "blue "
has the connotation “ sad “.

5.0 A) Icon Elements

Icons are little synthetic visual elements that indicate actions and functionalities and allow
people to interact with the digital and non-digital gadgets they use in their daily lives. From
conception to use, the factors of codification, interpretation, and communication that include
these sign systems are examined, beginning with semantic and semiological considerations. The
four types are the first principles that define the four icon types (similar, example, symbolic, and
arbitrary), and they match the proper one to the communication objective. Following that is
brand recognition, which can be applied to non-brand-centric designs such as navigation signs,
handouts, and advertising campaigns. Then there are lines and routes that use lines or arrows as
tools to direct a viewer's attention and thinking in specified directions. There are some icons on
The English Teacher short film;

Visual 2 ( a )

Visual A (8)
There is a icons under the brand identification, Apple, on visual A (8). Mr. Robert is responding
to an email from one of his students on his iPhone 8. A few theories exist regarding the shape of
an apple's brand name, including the well-known proverb, "An apple a day keeps the doctor
away." Alternatively, Alan Turing, the father of modern computing, died as a result of eating a
poisoned apple. In actuality, Steve Jobs named the firm Apple after a fruit because he liked it.
After visiting an apple orchard, he offered the name Apple to Steve Wozniak, who followed a
fruitarian diet. As a result, it shows how significant an icon is as a business brand even now.

6
 Visual A (9)

At duration 8:20, there are app icons, one of which is the Gmail application. Mr. Robert used
Gmail apps to look through all of his emails while also receiving a short recorded video from his
student, Jin, and then hearing an explanation for why Jin gave him £700, revealing the truth. The
Gmail application's icons include a stylized envelope, which represents the email service. The
envelope is usually seen in red and white, the colours of the Google logo. As a result, it is a basic
and easily recognised logo that has become an iconic symbol of email communication in the
digital age.

6.0 A) Metaphor Elements

Rhetoric is defined as "the active and retroactive organisation of discourse." This indicates that
rhetoric is a manner of organising communication to rectify or realign a point of view, as well as
a way of generating a shared viewpoint on the past and future. The three most frequently
discussed notions in rhetoric and rhetorical theory are ethos, pathos, and logos, also known as the
artistic proofs. The term "artistic proofs" refers to persuasion elements that originate with the
speaker rather than from inartistic sources, or data that the speaker employs but did not
'originate,' 'invent,' or 'make.' There has a metaphor on The English Teacher ;

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 Visual A (10)

As seen in visual A (10), mentioning a metaphor of the words 'nightmare'.It signifies that London
is a city that wouldn't sleeps, and Mr. Robert may encounter too much traffic, frustrated cyclists,
roadworks, or reckless motorbikes. As a result, facing all of this has become a nightmare for Mr.
Robert.

8
 SUMMARY
No QUESTION ANSWER/EXPLAINED IMAGE/SCREENSHOT

1. Tittle of the The English Teacher (2020)

video

2. Video’s Blake Ridder

director

3. Duration of 12 minute 15 second

video

4. Video’s Jin, an Asian man desperate to learn English

synopsis
from Mr. Robert. Mr. Robert suffers from
loneliness, and since becoming an English
teacher, he has formed a bond with his
student, Jin. However, the friendship masks
some unexpected secrets that make Mr
Robert suspicious of his student when Jin
sends an email charging Mr.Robert an
impressive amount of £700.Jin fulfilled his
curiosity by sending a short recorded video
over email to explain why Jin acted the way
he did. The explanations of how Jim feels
fearful and guilty for hitting Mr. Robert's
wife with a car while she was riding a
bicycle.
4. Video’s i) Due to their emotions,
message
individuals explain things in
unexpected ways.
ii) It is important to have someone
special in their lives.

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 iii) Fear of a terrible thing
happening to someone makes
individuals want to stay away
from the accident
5. Semiotics 1. An object of books, a pencil, and
elements
spectacles that are used to represent
Mr. Robert, a guy who has work to
do before going to sleep.
2. Glass of half-alcohol, which shows
that Mr. Robert drinks it while doing
his work because he might be
stressed or dwelling on his feelings
3. The symbolic nature of his wife’s
necklaces also represents that he
misses her so much.
4. Jin is pointing at Mr. Robert while
training his English on "What is
your name?" while Mr. Robert
responds with his name and cheers
together as a success for his student,
Jin
5. Jin making a head gesture to
indicate that he understands, and Mr.
Roberts' hands make the explanation
more obvious since they elicit Jin to
ensure that he understands what Mr.
Roberts is saying.
6. Mr. Robert wondering why Jin
transferred 700 pounds for a short
list because that amount makes Mr.
Robert feel uncomfortable

10
 7. Mr Robert's hand touches his face,
and he is frustrated and crying
because he misses his beloved wife,
who died after being hit by her own
student, Jin.
8. It shows Mr. Robert making a small
move on his bed with his hand,
expressing sadness and loneliness

9. Mr. Robert as lonely by wearing a

blue shirt and sitting alone, showing
that he is upset

6. Icons 1. There is a icons under the brand

Elements
identification, Apple.

2. App icons, one of which is the

Gmail application. The envelope is
usually seen in red and white, the
colours of the Google logo
7. Metaphor 3. metaphor of the word’s 'nightmare'
Elements

8. Do you like I don’t like this short film because I’m

this video?
curious about the ending. There are a lot of
Why?
questions like “what is happening on Jin?”
“What is Mr Robert will do after know Jin
is caused his wife die?”

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 B. KISAH SILAM
2.0 B) Video Synopsis

It depicts the story of a youngster who has a life of inability but is determined to succeed by his
own efforts, beginning with selling boiling palm fruit and palm cake at school. This chosen guy
is known as Att. Att's motivation to succeed is increased by the countless criticisms and taunts he
receives. Att was ultimately able to change the fate of himself and his family due to his effort and
prayers.

3.0 B) Video Message

i. Believe in the process. For example, Att is constantly patient with his life's struggles and
simply leaves to the almighty. As a result, he became an excellent person.

ii. Believe in your dreams and dream big. For example, after being slapped by an ice cream
seller, Att used to have a dream about giving free ice cream to the kids. But, with all of his efforts
and hard work, he accomplishes his dream of donating ice cream to kids.

iii. Sincerely doing everything. For example, Att accepts the offer of the owner of oil palm fields
for the planting of oil tree palms. Since that day, he has become the next owner of an oil palm.

4.0 B) Semiotics Elements

Bowcher (2018) defines context in semiotics as "those aspects of a conversation or interaction

that provide relevant and specific meaning." Semiotics come from the ancient Greek word
"mark" or "sign," which is how one interprets the world. It can be drawings, photographs, words,
body language, or sound. Semiotics has embraced all sorts of ways to assign meaning to what is
around us. Semiotics can be classified into three categories: iconic signs, indexical signs, and
symbolic signs. Signs with signifier and signified meanings come into being in two phases: the
encoding phase, which refers to the producer of the sign creating its meaning, and the decoding
phase, which refers to the viewer of the sign interpreting its meaning. Other than that, semioctics
also have their own codes.. The first sort of coding is metonymic, which is a set of indicators that
cause viewers to make associations or inferences. The following term, analogic, refers to clusters
of indicators that prompt us to form mental comparisons. Following that, displaced means to
shift meaning from one set of signs to another, and finally condensed means to combine

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numerous signs to make a new composite sign. There are two types of referents in Signified:
concrete and abstract. Meanwhile, the image is the signifier. There are three types of levels:
superordinate, basic conceptions, and subordinate. Those three levels are significant because they
interact to provide an overall comprehension. There has some semiotics on Kisah Silam short
film:

Visual B (1)

There is body language on visual B (1), as illustrated.

Body language is a type of nonverbal communication
that includes posture, facial expressions, gestures, and
eye movements. "Body language is a science that has an
impact on every aspect of our lives."(According to Aric
Watson). On visual B (1), Att just got back from school and is walking under the hot sunlight.
The symbol shows Att wiping away his sweat in response to the hot weather.

Visual B (2)

Faces are processed differently than other stimuli,

possibly because of the difficulties in distinguishing
between remarkably similar stimuli in order to recognize
individuals, as well as the social requirement of doing so
successfully. As illustrated in visual B (2), Att is attracted
to ice cream. The symbolism of his lips says that he wants to eat that ice cream so much.
Unfortunately, he cannot afford it because he doesn’t have the money to buy it, so he just stares
at an ice cream.

Visual B (3)

Symbolic gestures are hand postures with some

conventionalized meaning. They are static gestures that one
can perform in a very complex environment containing
variations in rotation and scale without using voice. As
illustrated in visual B (3), Att is rubbing his eyes after being
slapped by the ice cream seller. It shows us that Att is crying.

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 Visual B ( 4 )

Hand gesture, as defined by H. Hasan and S. Abdul-

Kareem, is the movement of hands and fingers in a
specific direction to transmit some important
information. Att is making hand gestures, as illustrated
in Visual B (4). The teacher spanked him for selling a boiling oil seed palm at school. The
symbol depicts Att in anguish, and in order to relieve his pain, he makes a little motion on his
hand.

5.0 B) Icon Elements

The alternation and amount of visuals in encoded iconic visual messages rely on what is desired
from an informative standpoint. There are one icon shows in Kisah Silam:

Visual B ( 5 )

The flag icon, as shown in visual B (5), represents that the school is from Malaysia and that the
school loves being patriotic.

6.0 B) Metaphor Elements

The metaphor triangle refers to Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
These three Greek sentences refer to the core concepts from which communications in all
communication channels. A visual metaphor is a visual image that represents a place, person,
idea, or thing and conveys a particular connection or point of similarity. Pictorial metaphor and
analogical juxtaposition are other terms for it. There are some metaphor element on Kisah Silam;

14
 Visual B ( 6 )

As shown in visual B (6), the metaphor of the phrase "grow up" means that you progressively
become an adult or develop physical or mental maturity. On visual B (6), Att is praying that he
will one day be a successful guy.

Visual B ( 7 )

Both visuals B (7) include pathos and logos in their metaphors. Pathos persuades by emotion and
passion, but Logos persuades through logic and proof. For example, Logos demonstrates that Att
grew and achieved his ideal for giving free ice cream to children. Pathos comes next, displaying
Att's emotion as he believes he has become a successful person capable of changing his life.

15
 SUMMARY
No QUESTION ANSWER/EXPLAINED IMAGE/SCREENSHOT

6. Tittle of the Kisah Silam

video

7. Video’s Mohammad Raja Amin

director
8. Duration of 17 minute 40second
video

9. Video’s It depicts the story of a youngster who has a

synopsis
life of inability but is determined to succeed
by his own efforts, beginning with selling
boiling palm fruit and palm cake at school.
This chosen guy is known as Att. Att's
motivation to succeed is increased by the
countless criticisms and taunts he receives.
Att was ultimately able to change the fate of
himself and his family due to his effort and
prayers
4. Video’s i. Believe in the process.
message
ii. Believe in your dreams and
dream big
iii. Sincerely doing everything,
10.Semiotics 1. Att just got back from school and is
elements
walking under the hot sunlight. The
symbol shows Att wiping away his
sweat in response to the hot weather.

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 2. Att lips says that he wants to eat that
ice cream so much but he doesn’t
have the money to buy it, so he just
stares at an ice cream.

3. Att is rubbing his eyes after being

slapped by the ice cream seller. It shows
us that Att is crying.

4. Depicts Att in anguish, and in order

to relieve his pain, he makes a little
motion on his hand.

6. Icons Represents that the school is from Malaysia

Elements
and that the school loves being patriotic.

7. Metaphor 1. metaphor of the word’s 'grow up’

Elements

8. Do you like I like this short film because it teaching

this video?
us to always be patient and do not give
Why?
up easily.

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9.0 CONCLUSION
Overall, visual communication is an important tool that enables us to successfully convey
the most complex concepts and engage with our audiences in novel and relevant ways. It
is a powerful method for breaking down language barriers, providing an engaging
method for storytelling, assisting with topic comprehension, and allowing businesses to
access a larger client base through their visual presentation. Every element in the film is
vital in helping the audience absorb the information and analyse what is going on.
Semiotics helps us understand why certain signs are understood differently across
cultures and geographies. It also encourages people to evaluate the meanings linked to
colours, images, sounds, and events, as well as how perceptions may have been
influenced by people and other external variables. Meanwhile, icons must provide good
iconography that can draw together an audience and make them more understandable.
Finally, metaphor helps to explain personal or imagined experiences in language that
readers can understand. They can lead the reader to new and crucial discoveries by
connecting diverse areas of experience and language.

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