Inception, a pictogram
Pictogram
YANG Long-lam, Markus 楊朗林
Student of SM2105 Narrative Strategies and Aesthetics of Time-based Media
Abstract
The 3-part pictogram series depicts the story of the movie Inception (2010) in various perspectives.
Part A. It represents the timeline of the story. The pictogram’s design is like a dart board. Each ring layer holds a mission statement. Each color line represents a team member’s journey. If the path occupies the full width of a layer, the character is hosting the dream level, that is, being in-charge to protect and wake up other team members.
Part B. This graph aims to emphasize the three-structure and the character’s arc in a traditional storytelling sense. The path of the characters represents their journey of reconciliation to themselves. The spinning tops represent the progress of Cobb’s reconciliation to himself. The more the red region, the more completion of the progress goes.
Part C. This graph depicts the methodology of world-building in Inception. The patterns on the blocks are mazes. This movie shows an interesting way to build a world with infinite possibilities, even though the characters are still bound by the rules.
