Monday 25 January 2016

Textual Investigations

Learning objective: To complete and submit textual investigation 1 and to make a start/plan for textual investigation 2.

1. Open your textual investigation 1 and make sure it has all the relevant information.


  • Name
  • Candidate number or space for it
  • Centre number 34251


Title underlined

Has all the text used the same font style?

Does it look neat and justified?

Have you written an introduction (saying what you will deal with) and a conclusion?

Have you included numbered illustrations?

Any quotes you have used should be referenced at the end. Websites, books etc.

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Textual investigation using the concept of NARRATIVE

Choose one of the titles suggested but include your own text.

Introduction: 

Say which text you will be exploring and which concept (narrative) you will be looking at.
For example: In this textual investigation I will be discussing how narrative is constructed in the television advert for Channel featuring Kiera Knightley.

DON'T JUST JUMP IN AND WRITE IMMEDIATELY ABOUT YOUR TEXT.

Explain the concept of narrative. Give a definition.
Narrative is the way in which a text is structured to hold the attention of the audience, they can be linear or non-linear.
Non linear narratives do not start at the beginning and tell the story chronologically, they include flash backs and flash forwards.
Linear narratives can employ the theory of Todorov...

Main body:

Discuss how narrative is usually constructed in this genre. For example; a crime drama may show us the detective's life outside of his/her job, making it more interesting for the viewer, they may feel they 'know' the character better. Some crime dramas use flashbacks, some of these may be misleading and add to the enigma of the story.

Discuss the characters in your text. Do they work alongside other, different character types? 
Maybe they are binary opposites?

Compare your characters with other characters in shows from the same genre.
How has the use of enigmas for example affect an audience in one show but not another?

How do technical codes drive the narrative?
Sound - gives the audience clues to the character types, consider Propp.
Editing - fast or slow paced editing? How does this impact on the narrative?
Lighting - High key is naturalistic, low key adds drama. How is lighting used?
Framing - does the text use any unusual framing techniques? High angle, low angle etc

Settings - what do the audience expect from the settings used in your text? are they typical of the genre and do they drive the narrative?

Use specific points from your text to make things clear.

Above all; use media terminology.

You can use screen shots with annotation to make your points clear. 

In your conclusion you should discuss how visual and technical codes are used to change the audiences point of view.

Say if the text you are exploring conforms to or challenges narrative conventions. Does it use unusual techniques  to appeal to an audience?

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Textual investigation using the concept of Representation

Introduction: 

Say which text you will be exploring and which concept (representation) you will be looking at.
For example: In this textual investigation I will be discussing how representation is constructed in the television advert for Channel featuring Kiera Knightley.

DON'T JUST JUMP IN AND WRITE IMMEDIATELY ABOUT YOUR TEXT.

Explain the concept of representation. Give a definition.
Representation is the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way.

Say that the Media is not a window on the world, it does not show the real world, only a version that has been represented according to the type of text.

All media texts go through a process of mediation and text producers send us messages through representations. For example England can be shown to be a great place with traditions and history or it can be shown as a place with a lot of poverty with no hope.

Main body:
Discuss how representation is presented in your text.
For example; are the characters and places shown in a positive or negative way?
Say how this is done through the use of visual and technical codes.
Costume, facial expression, colour (connotations), body language, graphics and settings.
Sound, editing pace, lighting and framing.

What would the viewers think of these representations? Would they like and agree with them or would they be offended and disagree with them strongly?

Discuss the characters in your text. Do they work alongside other, different character types? 
Maybe they are binary opposites?

Compare your characters with other characters in shows from the same genre.

Say what a stereotype is. It is a cliche, a shortcut or a snapshot used to convey a message but it is a representation that is used over and over until the audience take it for granted. Like Scottish people and kilts.

How do technical codes help to construct the representation?
Sound - gives the audience clues to the character types, consider Propp.
Editing - fast or slow paced editing? How does this impact on the narrative?
Lighting - High key is naturalistic, low key adds drama. How is lighting used?
Framing - does the text use any unusual framing techniques? High angle, low angle etc

Settings - what do the audience expect from the settings used in your text? How have the settings been represented? Are the places shown in a negative or positive way?

Use specific examples from your text to make your points clear.

You can use screen shots with annotation to make your points clear. 

In your conclusion you should discuss how visual and technical codes are used to change the audiences' point of view about the things that are being represented..

Say if the text you are exploring conforms to or challenges narrative conventions. Does it use unusual techniques  to appeal to an audience?

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