Multimodality is an attempt of the "author" of a work to use different modes of communication to portray their meaning as clearly as possible to their audience. For one to use multimodality, they must first understand what a mode is. Put simply, a mode is any form of communication. What makes modes different is the fashion in which information is displayed across each mode. In the video, the professor refers to writing as a portrayal of something that is stationary in time while something like a video shows information across time. These are two ways that modes differ from each other and can be used by any writer to more clearly represent information. Another instance in which modes differ from each other is the notions that society has put on them. If someone were communicating something in a formal manner, they would write it as a letter rather than using a video or pictures.
Now that multimodality has been explained, I will address the differences between Kress and Wysocki's theories of multimodality. It seems Kress agrees with Wysocki's theory, but wants to add onto the preconceived notion of how a mode is perceived . Kress notes that the key to seeing modes differently is the way they are spaced. Basically, people interpret words on a page much like they would a picture. Just as a picture has a foreground and a background that is separated spatially for the reader to see, writing can be seen and used the same way. One more difference that Kress has in opposition of Wysocki is that he looks at words too specifically. Using the example of images once again, Kress argues that an image can be things like cars, fingernail paintings, and tattoos. Why can't words be seen in this same light where they are rearranged and spaced differently to broaden their mode.
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