Different Forms of Communication

Hi, and welcome to this video lesson on the difference in communication forms. Now to make things easier on us today, I’m only going to examine two different forms, that of a theatrical version of a story and a written version of a story.

When doing a comparison on different types of communication, especially with regards to a story or narrative, it often makes sense to examine aspects of plot, characterization, and even language use. We all know that sometimes we go to a movie of a book, and the director has decided to change aspects of the plot, characters, and even some of the language that’s being used in the movie, when it can’t be depicted easily, visually.

Let’s take a look at an example real briefly to help us understand: I’m thinking Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol has been produced in written and dramatic form. Between these two forms of communication, there is variation. Some aspects of the story can only be conveyed during a dramatized version, and likewise the same is true of the written version.

There are minimal variations amongst written versions, unless they’re adapted for children. For dramatic performances however there are lots of differences, and the major split is between movie interpretations and theatre performances, because both of these are different communication forms as well.

For every movie and theatre performance there is a variation in delivery, and script, actors, style presentation, and more. In fact, the variations are almost infinite, and no two experiences will perfectly match. Lastly, a dramatic performance has a visual aspect that can never be replicated by the written work. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching this video lesson, and until next time, happy studying!