Analysis

Art analysis is the practice of discussing and dissecting art work. It involves using art vocabulary to talk about visual things, like art. There are a few more art terms used when talking about video and animation because the elements of time and sound are added. Rather than relying on words like "cool" or "chill", art vocabulary can help you get more specific about why you think something is "cool" and therefore lead you to be more skilled at identifying more "cool" things and making better art yourself. 

How To Analyze

There are seven categories of analysis from which to investigate the video. 

  • Artwork Identifying Information
  • Content
  • Sensory Properties (Elements of Art)
  • Formal Properties (Principles of Design)
  • Technical Properties
  • Expressive Properties
  • Context

Artwork Identifying Information

Artist


Title

Date

Medium (Format)



Dimensions (Length)


Who Owns It
The Artist is the name of the person or people who made the artwork. (Not the person who uploaded it to their internet video channel.)

The Title is the name of the work of art.

The Date is the year the artwork was created. (Not necessarily the date it was uploaded.)

The Medium is the format the art takes. This describes to the viewer how the art was made. Here are some examples of Medium: Painting, Sculpture, Video, Film, Stop-motion Animation, Computer Generated Animation, Live Action Video. 

The Dimensions refer to the size of the artwork. In video, the length of time is sufficient information here.

The owner of the video may be the company that produced it, the artist who made it, or a company who bought the rights to it. You may have to do research to discover the owner of the artwork. (Not the person who uploaded the video.)

Content

Here is where you talk about what your video is trying to communicate to the viewer. Explain what the video is communicating to the audience. Pretend the audience just doesn't get it, and explain what we are seeing.
Subject Matter


Major Theme





Minor Theme



Significance
The Subject Matter is what the video is about. Is it about cats? darkness and light? melancholy? This is where you explain what we just watched in a few sentences.

The Major Theme is the over arching idea the video is trying to express. The subject matter may be a group of dancing cats, but if the dancing cats symbolize politicians, the theme would not be about cats, it would be about politics. Ask yourself: what is the artist trying to tell me about the subject?

The Minor Theme is the less significant ideas the video is trying to express. Many videos have more than one idea they are trying to communicate. Here is where you describe the secondary ideas.

The Significance is where you tell us what this all means to us. Why is this important? Why has the artist made this work? This is where you argue why this is an important video to watch.

Sensory Properties (Elements of Art+)

The Sensory Properties, also known as the Elements of Art, describe the building blocks of the video both visually and aurally. Here is where you describe how the artist communicated the content above. This section speaks to artistic style. Answer how the content is communicated rather than what is being communicated.
Line




Color





Shape
& Form





Texture




Value



Space






Sound






Time
If line is a dominant property of your video, you should describe the kinds of lines being used. Are they scratchy and rushed, geometric and even, soft and organic? What is the quality of the line? What is the purpose of making that artistic choice? Why do you think the artist used that type of line instead of another? 

Color schemes can have a big influence on the feeling of a video. Ask yourself about the range of colors present. Are they realistic or have they been choreographed to create a feeling in the viewer that adds to the content? Are the colors bright? dull? Is there a limited range of colors? Which colors dominate? What does that choice do for the video? Why would the artist have made those color choices?

What style are the objects rendered in? Are the shapes flat? organic? geometric? cartoonish? realistic? Are there more forms than shapes? How much depth is there in the world presented? How is form indicated? Is there a light source with shading? When talking about shape and form, it is more useful to talk about what purpose the decisions served that merely pointing out that cartoonish shapes were used. Venture a guess as to why the artist made those choices, or do some research to find the artist explaining her/his choices.

If texture is a dominant aspect of your video, there may be a reason for this. It could help create the mood or shift the tone of the work. If the characters and backgrounds are abstracted to remove or smooth out all texture, that may have a useful purpose as well. Mention how texture is used throughout as a tool, rather than just in one instance, and to what end it is used.

Value is an important way to create depth in a visual plane. Lighting has a big impact on the overall feeling of a space. Is the setting dark and creepy? sunny and happy? Think about how value is used throughout the video and assess how it affected the content being presented.

Space is an important tool to focus the viewer, change the mood, or set the stage for important things to come. How much space is given to the objects in the shot? How much depth is there? Do you feel claustrophobic? vast and endless? contained? like you are entering a world? or being kept out of it? Space, depth, and perspective work together to focus our attention and allow the content to move about in space. Characterize the amount and quality of the space used and assert what you think the purpose of this choice was.

Sound can influence the mood or tone of the work. It can make information clear to the viewer when not all the information is presented visually. Consider the quality of the sound. Does it complement the visual information or contradict what is happening visually? Are they using music (as a background effect or as the main sound)? sound effects (to emphasize an action)? dialogue (between characters on screen or off)? voice over narratives? Is the sound trying to give the viewers cues about how to feel about a character or situation (think: creepy music when a new person enters screen)? 

The amount of visual or audial time given to a place, object, or character can signify its importance and set the tone for how the viewer is supposed to feel about that thing (think: there is a difference between a long panning shot of a desert-scape that takes a long time to find the tiny character and quick edits between taxis and pedestrians on New York city streets). Pauses are just as revealing as flowing time (think: camera pause on the key evidence in the murder mystery). Time can also describe the progression of a narrative (linear time, flashbacks, flash-forwards, etc.) Time can progress evenly (real time) or speed up (think: calendar pages ripping off calendar) or slow down (think: five to ten seconds on character stopping, staring at big deal thing - whatever it maybe - train barreling at them, attractive person, etc.).

Formal Properties (Principles of Design+)

The formal properties (also known as the Principles of Design) describe how the artist organized the sensory properties. This section can be discussed in relation to the sensory properties or on its own. For each section ask yourself how the visuals, editing choices, and the soundtrack come together. 
Balance






Unity




Emphasis





Contrast





Pattern






Movement








Rhythm




Mise-en-scéne





Camera:
- Angle
- Distance 
- Movement















Editing Choices
- Transitions
- Cut length
- Sound sync
Balance describes how the composition is organized. Is the main focal point centered in the frame (symmetric)? off center (asymmetric)? How did the artist establish a focal point? How does your eye move through the work? When the main focus changes from off center to center, is there a difference between how the viewer is supposed to feel about the character/focus? What is the purpose of having the visual field organized around the center or off-center? Assert why you think that choice was made.

Unity describes all of the similar choices that make the entire work look like it goes together. Sometimes unity is most obvious when it is broken between scenes or when you compare one video to another. Ask yourself what choices are consistent throughout that create the overall feeling of the work. These repetitive choices are what create the unity. 

Emphasis focuses the viewer on a particular area. This could be visually, through sound, or by editing. The emphasized aspects are more important that others. Emphasis is how the artist lets the viewer know how to prioritize the various information presented. If certain aspects are emphasized throughout the video, assert how and why you think these choices were made. Consider the mood of the video as an important driving force.

Contrast describes the amount of difference between two things. Often contrast is used to describe how much difference there is between color or value, but you could use contrast to describe other concepts, such as the amount of difference between the visuals and the audio. Contrast is often used to focus the viewer on something or create a particular visual or aural mood.  Assert what kinds of contrast are used throughout the video and why you think these choices were made.

Pattern refers to elements that are repeated. This could be a visual pattern, a pattern in editing (i.e. the amount of time between cuts) or a repetitive sound that creates a pattern. It is less interesting to point out one instance where the floor has a checkered pattern on it, than ways pattern is used throughout the video to add to the mood, content, or overall quality of the work. Identify aspects that have been repeated to create emphasis or choices that are repeated to create unity. Assert why these choices were made and what they produce for the viewer.

Movement describes how much or the quality of things in the video that move. Thinking about time, the intersections between the visuals and the sound, and the editing choices can be useful ways to think about movement differently. How does time and speed impact the work? Is the motion even or choppy? Do cuts between scenes create their own sense of motion? Is there a break or pause? To what end? How does the flow impact the content and the emotional quality of the work? Does the sound emphasize the movement or work counter to it? Assert what kinds of time, speed, and motion are being used throughout the video (not just one instance) and what they do to the artwork's reception. 

Rhythm describes the flow of a work of art. Rhythm occurs when pattern and movement are working together. Music often has rhythm. Editing choices can create rhythm too. Visually, objects that are repeated and move create rhythm. Rhythm often has a big impact on the mood of the work. Describe how the rhythm is being made and assert what kind of impact it has on the video.

The mise-en-scéne is everything included in the scene - even the implied off-stage things (voice on the phone, or person in other room, shadow through window, voice-over, etc.). Some genres rely heavily on what happens out of frame (think: horror, suspense, thriller). Other genres will keep all of the information centralized in the frame. The mise-en-scéne describes all of the choices shared both visually and aurally. This includes how the setting/background supports the characters/main objects. 

How the visuals are shot can have a big impact on how the imagery is received. The camera angle can be high (like an aerial shot), straight on (human height), or low angle (foot to knee height looking up at objects from below). These angles can tell the viewer how to think about the object presented. Using a low angle can make the object ominous or heroic. Whereas, looking down on a object can make it seem less important or less powerful. The distance of the camera from the objects changes how information is received as well. The long shot is an establishing shot showing lots of setting because it is quite far from the objects presented. The full shot shows all of the objects presented (think: from head to toe, someone walking through a courtyard). The medium shot is closer to the object, generally showing about half or the most important parts of an object (think: waist to head - two people talking in a coffee shop - you don't see their feet, just above the table). The close-up shot is quite close to the object presented (think: character's facial expression or detail of small object important to narrative). Camera movement, as opposed to objects moving in a still frame, can emphasize elements within the mis-en-scéne. The camera can tilt (think: nodding your head), pan (think: shake head from left to right), or zoom (the focal length changes and make the objects appear closer - though with distortion).  In  these motions the camera stays in one place, but the angle to the object changes. The camera can also get up and move while filming:  a dolly (the camera moves closer to object) and a truck (the camera moves left or right while keeping a perpendicular relationship to the object) are examples.

Editing choices can impact how the content is interpreted by the viewer.  Editing, in its most basic iteration, describes how more than one piece of film or video is combined. Transitions describe how one clip of video turns into another. Often a jump cut is used, meaning there is no added transition, just the end of one clip and the beginning of another. Less often, dissolves or other transitions are used (think: fade to black or ripple into dream sequence).  The editing rhythm sets the pace of the video (think: how short clip lengths are and how frequently cuts are made). Often pacing of the editing will correspond with the pace of the background sound to create the mood of the scene (think: quick cuts of person moving through space coupled with energetic music used in an action or escape scene, or long scenes with poignant character monologues to drive character development). Editing to match the pace of the soundtrack strengthens the impact and connection between the visuals and the audio.

Technical Properties (how it was made)

The technical properties describe how the medium impacts the look, sound, and feel of the artwork. Each medium has its own limitations that impact what is possible for the artist and therefore the artwork. This is the opportunity to describe how these limitations impacted the video you chose.
Medium



Impact of the Medium Used


Relationship to Other Works in that Medium
The medium describes what the artist used to make the artwork. This could be hand-drawn animation, live action, computer generated animation, stop-motion animation, video documentation of a performance or sculpture, etc.

The medium does dictate the aesthetics of the artwork. Describe how the imagery is affected by the medium. What would changing the medium do to the artwork and how it is received? Is the mood contingent upon this medium or would another work equally well? 

This is not the only artwork made this way. Compare this work to other well known examples that use this medium. How is it similar or different from other works using this medium? Go beyond the video itself and describe how other artists use this same technology to create other works of art. You are placing this work within an art historic context of other works from the last century. You may want to ask yourself: How long have people been making art with this medium? What are the most famous works in this medium? How does this video compare to those common examples?

Expressive Properties (the feelings it inspires)

Expressive properties describe the feeling of the work of art. There are two main categories of exploration in expressive properties: mood and symbolism. 
Mood



Evidence of Mood



















Symbolism





Evidence of Symbolism
The mood describes the feeling the artwork creates in the viewer. The mood is affected by the aesthetic choices (visuals), the soundtrack (musical score, ambient noise, sound effects), and the editing choices. 

Describe what in the video makes you feel the mood is one thing over another. This is a subjective category, so you need to explain why you think what you think. Other viewers may disagree or see something else that has more meaning for them. Create an argument describing how the artist created the mood you think is there.

Things to consider visually: color scheme, speed (quality), motion, vantage point (closeness to the viewer: claustrophobic, expansive, private, exposed, etc., angle of the camera, how much information is being communicated/provided: everything is clear, viewable, understandable, some areas are blurry, too dark to see, confusing, uneasy), lighting

Things to consider aurally: tempo (the speed at which the sound progresses), key (major, minor, 7th, etc.), loudness (soft, quiet, loud, overwhelming), melody (complementary harmonies vs. dissonant harmonies), focus (are some sounds removed to accentuate others? are some sounds louder than normal to set up an action or focus the viewer's attention?), contrast (does the music amplify or contrast with what is happening visually?)

Things to consider regarding editing: pacing: length of scenes, speed between cuts, the relationship between sound and visuals, camera movement, time (compress, subjective, slow-motion, freeze frame, flashback)

Symbolism occurs when an object or event stands in for a larger concept or idea. A scene of a flag waving often connotes patriotism and pride. Time-lape of flowers growing or withering can become metaphors for the life cycle of characters in the work. Symbols are often culturally specific. Americans associate apple pie with innocence, youth, and homespun values. In China, red and gold may signify power and authority.

Symbols may not be clear or interpreted the same way to all viewers. Explain why you think something is symbolic of something else by providing a rational argument. Cite moments in the video that stand in for larger ideas than just what is visually and aurally described. Describe why you believe symbolism has occurred. 

Context (where does this fit into the art historic record)

In this section, take some time to research the context in which the artist is working. Where was it made? What was happening at that time in the world that might have influenced the work? What other works came before it that might have influenced the artist? What other works of art has this artist made?
Style







Region



Historical Information





Artist Information
Often works of art can be grouped stylistically throughout history. There have been trends in art, wherein artists working in a similar time period and location make similar aesthetic choices. The rococo were very ornate painters, whereas the modernists were very austere painters. Japanese anime has a distinct look that is very different from the cartoon animation tradition in America influenced by Disney and Warner Brothers. There are many ways to approach a particular medium. Does the video you chose fit into a stylistic genre? If not, what stylistic genres does the artist borrow to make their own. 

The region the artist works can sometimes be very influential on the artwork being produced. Research where the artist was living and working at the time the artwork was made. Discover if any major historical events in that area had any impact on the artwork being presented.

Historical information could refer to large cultural events that impacted the artist and therefore the artwork. (That is, it would be important to understand the basic premise of WWII to fully understand the film Grave of the Fireflies, by Studio Ghibli.) Historical information could also describe the history of the community in which the artist worked. For instance, the history of Pixar could be useful to know when watching a computer generated animated feature film. 

Artist information describes the personal history of the artist, especially including the other works of art the artist has produced. Here you are humanizing the task of making and identifying the individual or group of people who have made the artwork being shown. Give us a sense of how much time and energy went into not just the making of this work of art, but into the growth of the artist up to that point. It would be particularly interesting to note if the artist went to an art school to learn these skills, and if so, where.

Note: It is important to distinguish between the person who uploaded a video to the internet and the actual maker of a thing. Do the research needed to identify the true artist.