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Perception is based on one’s experience and state of mind.
When we see a branch on a tree, we see it as a part of the tree. Our eyes respond to the overall form of the image rather than to an isolated visual element that it contains. Our perception, however, alters based on fresh inputs. For example, when we see not just a branch but also a host of trees, lush green grass, a small pond, a couple of dogs, and a house in the midst of the greenery, we perceive it as someone's farmhouse.
Look at Fig. 1.1. Can you tell where the geometric figure begins and ends? In the first instance, it looks like a trident. However, on taking a closer look, you realize that it is only an illusion.
Now look at Fig. 1.2. Some of us may see a duck. But when asked to see a rabbit, our perception changes. We now begin to see a duck from one side and a rabbit from the other.
There is no end to such examples. The point is that perception is based on our experience, the fresh inputs, and the state of mind we are in.
We can better appreciate a film made in a language we speak and under¬stand than one in a foreign language. Unless we are familiar with foreign cultures, understanding the metaphors and the 'visual language' used in foreign films is somewhat difficult. The creator of a video presentation (be it a documentary, a fiction, or a music video)-the director-arranges and rearranges the perceptual elements of video and sound to communicate effectively.
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