Visual Storytelling with Bill Perkins

In this course, legendary Disney art director Bill Perkins will teach you the skillsets needed to create strong visual storytelling for film and animation. With his years of experience working on films like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Space Jam, Bill will help build your visual vocabulary to aid in your creative storytelling. You will learn about the visual components like primaries of design. Bill will lecture on the importance of dominance and subordination. You will explore ways to achieve shape clarity as well as manipulate both visible and implied lines. From there, Bill will analyze the use of color and visual subtext to help enhance your visual storytelling.

Week 1: Introduction to Visual Language
In week one, Bill will give you an overview of the visual components and primaries of design. You will look at the figure-ground relationship. Then, you will learn about the importance of dominance and subordination in the design of film stills.

Week 2: Shape Clarity
In week two, you will explore how to achieve shape clarity and distinction. Bill will review the concept of dominant vs. subordinate and lecture on Notan vs. Chiaroscuro. You will learn how to utilize line, mass, and form to create image clarity.

Week 3: Utilizing Tone
In week three, Bill will teach you how to utilize tone as a visual component. You will learn the concepts of Major and Minor keys that allow you to break down tonal relationships.

Week 4: Exploring Lines
In week four, Bill will lecture on the importance of both visible and implied lines in visual storytelling. You will learn how to lead the viewer’s eye around the picture frame and effectively deliver your narrative.

Week 5: Rhythm’s Power
In week five, you will learn the importance of rhythm within your compositions. You will also examine how rhythm can go beyond the composition to fit into character design.

Week 6: Analyzing Color
In week six, you will discover how to utilize color in visual storytelling. You will learn how to identify color relationships and apply contrasting colors to drive character development.

Week 7: Creating Subtext
In week seven, Bill will lecture on how subtext makes your visual storytelling more engaging. You will learn the effects of framing an image. Then, you will discover that adding or subtracting details will affect how the image reads to the viewer.