Imagine that when you watched the movie you were continually conscious of the process by which the film was made. The relationship between movies and TV is a good analogy for the relationship between good and bad multimedia design. Think of data as your story and visual tricks as your aesthetic values. Let's belabor the analogy a little more. Story unfolds on multiple levels simultaneously.
Historical references abound.
The screenwriter and director use the power of shared experiences to focus complex meaning into intensely focused images. TV does not demonstrate this talent. We want to find a good balance between data and tricks. These things are all etudes that lead you down the path to a skilled level of craftsmanship. These are studies in light and lenses.