*No experience necessary, phone cameras welcome!*

Visual storytelling has been a fundamental aspect of human expression from ancient cave paintings to the silver screen and now the digital era. However, formal education often overlooks visual language as it becomes increasingly prevalent in our lives.

In this course, we address this gap by expanding your visual vocabulary while delving into the history and techniques behind image-making.

Each week, we will examine different critical aspects of visual storytelling through the lens of history and practical exercises, where students will grasp the importance of everything from lighting to learning essential camera techniques necessary for modern day visual storytelling.

Students will solidify their understanding and apply theory to practice by completing a visual storytelling project, a valuable addition to portfolios and showcase your visual literacy to clients and collaborators.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, actor, content creator, or simply eager to express yourself visually, this course provides the tools to effectively and creatively communicate and express your ideas in a visual format.

Week 1: The camera and visual language

• Visual Language in technical and academic terms
• Basics of the camera and what affects the visual language

Week 2: The objective eye and editing

• Editing is like writing a novel. The magic of the sequence
• Russian soviet montage theory
• The “rules of cinema”

Week 3: History of images and lighting

• Composition, deep focus and information in the frame.
• What effect B&W images convey
• Understanding the fundamentals of composition and lighting

Week 4: Thinking in colour

• Colour is light, light is colour.
• Effects of B&W vs colour in film
• Colour Theory in Film
• Applicable colour theory in films
• Understanding colour temperature

Week 5: Project presentation and wrap up

• Discussion
• Final project
• More advanced techniques

About the Instructor

David Narbecki, Miami born, Tokyo-based cinematographer and content creator, embarked on his journey into visual storytelling through a childhood fascination with comics and anime. This passion led him to Japan, where he honed his craft at a traditional manga school, earning accolades for his work. His interest in visual storytelling evolved to encompass photography and motion pictures.

Under the mentorship of Guggenheim fellow Tony Chirinos and Magnum photographer Costa Manos, David embarked on a lifelong exploration of visual language. His photography has graced the walls of international galleries including leica store miami, and David has worked in a variety of positions on and off the film set mostly in the camera department including being the director of photography on an American-Japanese co-produced feature film.

Beyond his own creative pursuits, David is an enthusiastic educator, sharing his expertise in visual language, photography, and cinema through his YouTube channel, as well as workshops and lectures.