Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Audiovisual Communication for Advertising
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
mpujolp@uic.es
Introduction
The course begins with the cultural construction of the gaze, exploring how we look at images and how images participate in the construction of meanings and imaginaries. From this framework, students are introduced to the specific tools of photography and cinema in order to understand how images and audiovisual narratives are constructed both visually and narratively.
Building on this foundation, the course progressively moves into the field of advertising and explores how these tools can serve an idea and a communication objective: from the professional context, strategy, and the brief to the development of the concept, art direction, and its audiovisual execution.
The course culminates in the development of a creative and audiovisual treatment based on a brief, in which students will be expected to integrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
To provide students with a strong cultural, visual, narrative, and creative foundation for understanding how images and audiovisual narratives are constructed, and for applying this knowledge to the creative process in advertising.
By the end of the course, students will be able to develop an idea from an initial brief into a coherent, well-structured, and clearly articulated audiovisual advertising proposal.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Explain the foundations of classical and contemporary culture in order to interpret current communication trends and phenomena.
- CN02 - Recognise the textual, graphic and audiovisual expressive and narrative resources used to create effective persuasive messages in advertising and public relations.
- CP01 - Work effectively in professional advertising and public relations teams, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.Work effectively in professional teams involved in audiovisual production, adapting to multidisciplinary and changing environments.
- CP02 - Communicate persuasive arguments orally and in writing in Catalan, Spanish and English, demonstrating strong skills in summarising and memorisation.
- CP05 - Manage relationships between advertisers and agencies effectively, applying media planning and buying strategies in multi-channel advertising and public relations environments.
- CP07 - Produce audiovisual advertising projects using core techniques in storytelling, recording, editing and post-production for a range of formats and media channels, taking economic viability into account.
- CP09 - Create multi-platform advertising content using narrative and digital marketing strategies adapted to different formats and channels.
- CP10 - Create graphic and visual elements by applying principles of design and visual communication to advertising and public relations campaigns.
- HB05 - Use advertising language and narrative techniques to develop persuasive messages for advertising and public relations campaigns.
- HB08 - Develop creative advertising messages, adapting language and style to different contexts and formats.
Learning outcomes of the subject
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze images and audiovisual works in terms of their formal, narrative, cultural, and communicative dimensions.
- Identify and apply the main principles and techniques of photographic and cinematic language.
- Understand how choices related to framing, composition, lighting, color, camera, mise-en-scène, and editing contribute to the construction of meaning.
- Identify the fundamental elements of narrative structure and apply them to the development of audiovisual narratives.
- Interpret an advertising brief and translate its objectives into an idea and a creative concept.
- Develop a coherent visual proposal aligned with a specific communication objective, defining its tone, visual universe, and art direction.
- Develop an advertising idea into an audiovisual proposal, coherently integrating concept, narrative, visual language, and directorial approach.
- Present and defend a creative audiovisual proposal clearly, coherently, and with well-founded arguments.
Syllabus
Understanding how images and ways of seeing have been historically constructed and transformed.
1. A History of the Gaze
1.1. Methodologies and approaches to image analysis
1.2. The historical and cultural construction of the gaze
1.3. Regimes of representation and modes of visuality
2. The Emergence of Photography
2.1. Photography as a transformation of the visual paradigm
2.2. The techniques, production, circulation, and consumption of photographic images
2.3. Photography, documentation, memory, and artistic expression
3. Transformations in the Twentieth Century
3.1. The avant-garde, photography, and the visual arts
3.2. Mechanical reproduction and mass culture
3.3. Transformations in the status and functions of the image
4. Contemporary Visual Culture
4.1. The social, cultural, and political functions of images
4.2. Image, persuasion, power, and critical thinking
4.3. Visual imaginaries, identity, and image saturation
Understanding how images and audiovisual narratives are constructed.
5. Photography
5.1. Photographic Language and Image Theory
5.1.1. Theme and subject
5.1.2. Message and intention
5.1.3. Monosemy and polysemy
5.1.4. Interpretive discourse
5.1.5. Denotative and connotative discourse
5.2. The Morphology of the Image
5.2.1. Form
5.2.2. The symbolic value of form
5.2.3. Point and line
5.2.4. Contour
5.3. Light
5.3.1. Direction and intensity
5.3.2. Tonal contrast
5.4. Color
5.4.1. Symbolic value
5.4.2. Psychological value
5.4.3. The color wheel
5.4.4. Additive and subtractive color mixing
5.4.5. Color composition
5.5. Principles of Visual Composition
5.5.1. Format
5.5.2. Shot scale
5.5.3. Perspective and depth
5.5.4. Visual weight
5.5.5. Balance and imbalance
5.5.6. Symmetry
5.5.7. Visual flow
5.5.8. Rhythm
5.5.9. Visual echoes
5.5.10. Compositional structures
6. Cinema
6.1. Narrative Construction
6.1.1. Introduction to cinematic narrative
6.1.2. Three-act narrative structure
6.1.3. Narrative devices for driving the story forward
6.1.4. Plots and subplots
6.1.5. Character arcs
6.1.6. Dialogue and subtext
6.1.7. Theme and tone
6.2. Audiovisual Construction
6.2.1. The role of the director
6.2.2. The camera as a creative tool
6.2.3. Framing, shot sizes, camera angles, and camera movements
6.2.4. Mise-en-scène
6.2.4.1. Set design and visual elements
6.2.4.2. Directing actors
6.2.5. Lighting
6.2.6. Types of editing
Learning how to put these tools at the service of an idea and a communication objective.
Once students have acquired the fundamental tools for understanding how images and audiovisual narratives are constructed, the course moves on to their application in advertising. Students will become familiar with the context of advertising communication and will explore the process that leads from strategy and the creative brief to the development of a creative concept and its visual execution.
7. The Context and Ecosystem of Advertising Communication
7.1. Agency structure
7.2. Media channels
7.2.1. Newspapers and magazines
7.2.2. Radio
7.2.3. Television and cinema
7.2.4. Outdoor advertising
7.2.5. Direct mail
7.2.6. Ambient and guerrilla advertising
7.2.7. Branded content
8. Strategy and Planning
8.1. The client
8.2. Market research
8.3. Account planning
8.4. The creative brief
9. Developing the Creative Concept
9.1. The creative team
9.2. Applied research
9.3. The creative process
9.4. Developing the campaign’s look and feel
10. The Role of the Art Director
10.1. The role and scope of art direction
10.2. The art director’s tools
10.2.1. Seeing differently
10.2.2. Visual ambiguity
10.2.3. Visual hierarchy
10.2.4. Visual impact
10.2.5. Simplicity and restraint
10.2.6. Building a distinctive visual brand identity
11. Creating Advertising Pieces
11.1. Preparing the visual concept
11.2. From initial sketch to final execution
11.3. Photography
11.4. Illustration
11.5. Typography
11.6. Planning and storyboarding advertisements
12. Ideas and Inspiration
12.1. Sources of creative inspiration
12.2. Methods for generating ideas
12.3. Emotion and empathy
12.4. Criteria for evaluating an idea
Understanding how an idea is conceived and developed as an audiovisual piece.
This block takes the process one step further: once the advertising idea has been developed and its visual universe defined, the focus shifts specifically to its development as an audiovisual proposal.
13. The Power of Storytelling
13.1. Origins
13.2. Emotional design
13.3. New forms of advertising communication
13.4. What is branded content?
13.5. Types of branded content
14. Audiovisual Advertising Production
14.1. From the advertising script to the visual treatment
14.2. Pre-production
14.2.1. Casting
14.2.2. Location scouting
14.2.3. Storyboarding
14.2.4. PPM — Pre-Production Meeting
14.3. Production
14.4. Post-production
Applying the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to an original proposal.
15. From the Brief to a Creative and Audiovisual Treatment
15.1. Developing the idea and creative concept
15.2. Developing the narrative and visual proposal
15.3. Developing the audiovisual treatment
15.4. Presenting and defending the proposal
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Methodology
The course combines theory and practice throughout. Sessions are designed as learning environments in which concepts are explored through lectures, case studies, screenings, and practical exercises, progressing from the analysis and understanding of images to their application in advertising communication.
Sessions will combine:
- Lectures introducing and developing the key concepts and content of each block.
- Screenings and analysis of photographic works, film excerpts, advertising campaigns, and audiovisual pieces.
- Exercises and practical assignments designed to progressively apply the concepts covered in visual culture, photography, cinema, and audiovisual advertising.
- In-class work and feedback sessions to support the development of the final creative and audiovisual treatment.
- Presentations and discussions of students’ proposals, encouraging them to articulate and defend their creative and visual decisions.
Throughout the course, students will complete three assessed practical assignments linked to the main content blocks, as well as a final project that will bring together the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course in an audiovisual advertising proposal.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Assessment
Assessment will be continuous and will consist of three practical assignments, a final project with an oral presentation, and class attendance and active participation, weighted as follows:
- Practical assignments: 30%
- Final project and oral presentation: 60%
- Participation and attendance: 10%
Throughout the course, students will complete three assessed practical assignments linked to the main content blocks of the course. Each assignment will account for 10% of the final grade:
- Assignment 1 · Visual Culture — 10%
- Assignment 2 · Photography and Cinema — 10%
- Assignment 3 · Audiovisual Advertising — 10%
The specific content and format of each assignment will be defined in relation to the content and objectives of the corresponding block. Assessment will take into account students’ understanding and application of the course content, their analytical and argumentative skills, their visual and audiovisual judgment, and the quality of both the proposal and its presentation.
Final Project and Oral Presentation · 60%The final project will consist of the development of a creative audiovisual proposal based on an advertising brief.
Students will be required to develop a creative and audiovisual treatment that integrates the main areas of learning covered throughout the course, including the development of the idea, narrative and audiovisual language, and the visual and creative development of the proposal.
The project will include an oral presentation and defense. Assessment will take into account the quality and originality of the proposal, its relevance to the brief, its narrative and audiovisual coherence, the quality of its visual approach, and the student’s ability to articulate and justify creative decisions.
Participation and Attendance · 10%Assessment will take into account regular attendance, active participation in exercises, screenings, and class discussions, as well as students’ engagement and consistent involvement throughout the course.
Requirements for Passing the CourseAn overall weighted average of 5/10 will not, in itself, be sufficient to pass the course. Students must also:
- Submit all practical assignments and achieve a minimum grade of 5/10 in each one.
- Achieve a minimum grade of 5/10 in the final project.
- Meet the attendance and participation requirements.
If any practical assignment is not submitted or receives a grade below 5/10, the final course grade will not be calculated, even if the weighted average is 5/10 or higher.
ReassessmentStudents who have completed the course and meet the following minimum requirements will be eligible for reassessment:
- A minimum grade of 4/10 in each practical assignment requiring reassessment.
- A minimum grade of 4/10 in the final project, if reassessment is required.
- 90% attendance at class sessions.
Any practical assignment that has received a failing grade must be revised and resubmitted. If the final project has received a failing grade, it must also be revised and resubmitted. A minimum grade of 5/10 is required to pass any component submitted for reassessment.
Attendance and participation are not eligible for reassessment.
Bibliography and resources
Aumont, J.; Bergala, A.; Marie, M.; Vernet, M. (1992). Aesthetics of Film. University of Texas Press.
Berger, J. (2008). Ways of Seeing. Penguin Classics.
Bordwell, D.; Thompson, K.; Smith, J. (2020). Film Art: An Introduction (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Fernández Gómez, J. D.; Rubio-Hernández, M. M. (Coords.). (2019). Géneros narrativos audiovisuales en publicidad. Tecnos.
McKee, R. (1997). Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. ReganBooks.
Muela Molina, C. (2018). Manual de estrategias creativas en publicidad. Pirámide.
Obradors, M. (2007). Creatividad y generación de ideas. Estudio de la práctica creativa en cine y publicidad. Aldea Global.
Rabiger, M. (2008). Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics (4th ed.). Elsevier/Focal Press.
Rubin, R. (2023). The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Penguin Press.
Sullivan, L. (2022). Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: The Classic Guide to Creating Great Advertising (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Professional Resources and References- Shots — An international platform specializing in creativity and audiovisual advertising production. It will be used as a reference source for viewing and analyzing campaigns, directors, production companies, and industry trends.
- Anuncios — A publication specializing in advertising, creativity, marketing, and communication, useful for keeping up to date with industry developments and creative work. Anuncios also publishes the Anuario Creativo, which brings together a broad selection of Spanish advertising work.
- Club de Creatividad (c de c) — A leading organization in Spanish advertising creativity. Its archive provides access to work featured in the Anuarios de la Creatividad Española, organized by year, award, and category, making it a particularly valuable resource for teaching and researching creative references.