Monday 11 May 2009

Textual Analysis

Textual analysis is the process of breaking down a text into its various elements and studying them to analyse how meaning is created. When analysing moving image media (such as film or television) we must examine the following areas:
* camerawork (shots, angles, movements)
* editing (how shots have been put together)
* sound (both digetic and non digetic)
* special effects (if there are any)
* mise-en-scene (costume, make-up, facial expression, props, setting, performance)


Wide shot/ establishing shot


Long shot


3/4 shot


Mid shot


Medium close up


Close up


Big close up


Extreme close up

Camera movements:
* crab - the camera moves sideways, like a crab does.
* pan - the camera stays in the same spot but pivots left or right
* tilt - the camera stays in the same spot but tilts up or down
* dolly - also known as tracking, the camera moves backwards or forwards
* stedicam - the camera is fixed and will not shake or wobble at all
* hand-held camera - the camera is hand-held

Skins trailer

In this trailer, teenagers are represented as:
* drug-takers
* aggressive
* drinking
* youthful
* energetic
* voilent
* destructive
* rebellious
* aggresive
* vicious
* out of control
* no respect
* vandals
* promiscuous

These representations are constructed by:
* using pacey music - loud
* we can't hear them, we can only see what they are doing - focous on their actions, it is like we are on drugs
* structure - as advert progresses kids get more and more out of control
http://kristina3.glogster.com/televisiondrama/

Defining the genre

Within the genre 'Television Drama' there are various sub-genres which each have their own unique codes and conventions.

Codes and conventions are the defining features of a genre - they are what makes a media text what it is. With moving image texts (TV shows and films) codes and conventions can be elements of:
* Narrative/structure
* Setting
* Character
* Theme
* Sound,
- Digetic - in the world of the show (the characters can hear it)
- Non digetic - not in the world of the show ( voice overs, sound effects/music)
* Cinematography - camera work
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