Gunther Kress’s discussion on modes and multimodality is important to keep in mind in the digital age. Being conscious about how you use modes and approach multimodality is extremely beneficial in the digital age, when we have so many more modes available than before. As Kress points out when discussing multimodality, different modes can do different things, and bringing them together can provide more information that conveys meanings in the form of different medium. Because of the digital age, modes have been able to be combined to create new media like websites, films, and video games. Digital media has expanded the uses of modes, so being more conscious about them is crucial to be able to effectively use them to create such media. This is especially highlighted in the MODE video guide about digital film and moving images.
As discussed by the MODE team, film is very much a multimodal form. Framing, the camera angle, the lighting, the sound, all are modes working simultaneously within a film. Each mode of needs to be planned, most of the time with a whole team working together on each one, then combined together in a cohesive way. All the modes add something to the medium, so if one if haphazardly worked on then the whole film can fall apart. Filmmakers have to be conscious about each mode and how they work together in order to effectively communicate the message of their piece.
We need to learn and be aware of multimodality, how all these modes work and can be put together to convey meanings.
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