Abstract

This article examines “Show, Don’t Tell” as a core principle of visual storytelling in animation. This technique involves conveying narrative information, character emotions, and plot points through actions and imagery rather than relying on dialogue or exposition. The text breaks down the primary tools animators use to “show” a story. These include character acting, which uses posing, body language, and facial expressions to reveal a character’s internal state. It also covers staging, or the arrangement of elements within a frame to direct audience attention and clarify the scene’s purpose. Furthermore, the article explores how color theory is used to set the mood and communicate information subconsciously. Finally, it touches on environmental storytelling, the practice of using a character’s surroundings and props to provide context about their personality, history, and the state of their world. These visual methods combine to create a more immersive and engaging narrative experience, allowing the audience to interpret information for themselves.

Keywords

Visual Storytelling, Show Don’t Tell, Character Acting, Animation, Staging

“Show, Don’t Tell” is a fundamental principle in all forms of narrative, but it is the primary language of animation. At its core, it means using visual information to convey a story rather than having a character explain it through dialogue. Animation is a visual medium, and its greatest strength is its ability to communicate complex ideas, emotions, and plot points through action, design, and color alone.

Telling the audience, “The character is sad,” is weak. Showing the audience the character’s shoulders slumping, their pace slowing, and their eyes losing focus is engaging. This approach trusts the audience to understand the emotion by observing the performance.

Character acting and posing

In animation, “acting” is done through drawing or posing a model. An animator’s choices in body language and facial expression are the most direct way to show a character’s internal state.

A character who is lying might avoid eye contact and fidget with their hands. A character who is confident will have a strong, upright pose, while an insecure character might hunch over and try to take up less space. A single key pose can communicate an entire idea. For example, a character leaning forward with wide eyes shows anticipation, eliminating any need for them to say, “I wonder what will happen next.”

Staging and composition

Staging is an animation principle that refers to the placement of characters and objects in the frame. It is the animator’s way of directing the audience’s eye to what is most important.

Effective staging ensures that the main action or emotion of a scene is unmistakably clear. If a character is supposed to feel small and isolated, the animator will use a wide shot, placing the character alone in a vast, empty environment. If a scene is about confrontation, the animator might use a tight close-up, forcing two characters into the same small space to create visual tension. The way a scene is framed tells the audience how to feel about it.

Color and environment

Color is a powerful tool for subconsciously communicating mood. Color theory is used to create a “color script”, which maps out the film’s emotional journey using color. Cool, muted colors like blues and grays can show sadness or calm. Warm, vibrant colors like reds and oranges can show energy, passion, or danger.

This concept extends to environmental storytelling. The state of a character’s room is a visual summary of their personality. A messy, cluttered desk shows the audience that a character is disorganized or overworked. A sparse, meticulously clean room might show that a character is disciplined or cold. Animators use these background details to give the audience context about the world and its inhabitants without stopping the story for exposition.