1. Andrew Paladino
Unit 2 Reflection
Writing 105
October 28, 2015
To have the ability to be a visually literate person, one must have the ability
to analyze a segment of film. Based on this person’s analysis, they must have the
capability to sit down, review all segments of the analysis, and form conclusions
surrounding the nature of the film. One is said to be a visually literate person when
he or she can write beautifully in pages about the smallest segments of a film and
interpret each segment as it relates to everyday life. Visual Literacy is important,
especially today, because our society has become more and more compatible with a
brand new generation of innovation and technology. We may further benefit from
this technology by using the skills we have attained in decoding visual pieces
presented to us in everyday situations.
As a result of learning about different segments of visual art, as well as
understanding what is means to “decode film”, I find myself looking for deeper
meanings in the smallest of ideas. After generating my analysis paper on Nostalgia
for the Light, I have come to realize that analyzing film isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Learning to create arguments in my analysis and after finding facts that support my
argument was by far my greatest challenge. Despite these challenges, I’ve come to
find that complication leads to resolution.
Not only do I feel literate in the visual side of Literacy, but I also feel literate
in the reading aspect as well as the art aspect. I enjoy looking at pieces of art
because they always reveal a deeper meaning, however, this deeper meaning is

2. revealed in all types of literacy. When reading a book, symbolism is revealed with
the author’s use of words and meaning is evoked through themes in the plot.
While writing my analysis on Nostalgia for the light, I came to understand
that when composing a piece of visual imagery, I had to look at each piece of the
puzzle before I could connect it’s entirety. I had to adhere to whom I was presenting
for, the ways in which I structured my paragraphs, and finally how I would present
myself as a composer. I had to pay to close attention to which genre I was writing
about solely because of the many themes portrayed in the film.
My essay was influenced by other students working on visualizing the same
film, as well as guidance from my teacher in formulating a thesis to guide my
writing. Other students that worked on the same documentary provided the
necessary comments that allowed me perfect my paper. In addition to the influences
I received from my piers, I found great interest in some of the short pieces of film
that we visualized at the beginning of the unit. My favorite short film was titled
“Pink Helmet Posse” because the theme revealed a lot about the talent of young
women and the imagery was depicted beautifully.
As a result of what I learned and the pieces of literacy that I composed
throughout the Unit, I must say that visual literacy is very unrestricted in it’s ability
to draw meaning. Although this meaning is dependent upon the ways to which the
audience views a segment of film, each viewpoint can have similar patterns. I
learned that as a composer, I have the power to influence my audience. I have to
power to change viewpoints or even allow an in depth look at why one theme is
more favorable than another. Visual literacy is attractive in its ability to create new

3. meanings. As these meanings become relevant to our everyday lives, they have the
ability determine our future success in the realm of literature.