Textual Investigation 1A

Learning Objective: To work on key points for your textual investigation on genre.

Key words: 400-850 words. Genre. 

For your first textual investigation, you will choose one main (print based) text and refer to one or two others for comparison.

Use the following to help you plan your work.

Introduction

Explain what you expect to see (the conventions) in a text of the format and genre you have chosen.
This could be a CD cover, promotional poster, magazine cover etc.
Explain why these conventions are expected to appeal to a target audience.
Think about:
Characters
Setting and iconography
Narrative

Discuss which main text you will use and which other texts you will refer to (these should be contrasting).

You will need to answer the question from your title, for example;
Investigate how far (your chosen text) conform to genre conventions.

Now comment on
Characters - are they what we expect to see in the genre or are they different?
Compare how the character has been represented with another character from the same genre.

Setting and iconography - How do we know we are watching this genre?
What examples of settings, props, costume etc., are there to suggest the genre? Can you briefly compare your text with one from another genre?
Include an image and annotate it.

Technical codes - give examples of any shot types, angles, lighting techniques and say what the effect of them is on the audience in relation to genre.

Narrative - Explain what is happening in the text, is this conventional for the genre?
Try not to describe the story but explain how the conventions fit into the narrative.
Briefly compare to another text from the same genre.
Can you apply Todorov's theory of equilibrium?
Are there any Proppian characters to consider?

Audience - How do the genre conventions appeal to an audience? Is it a mainstream or a niche audience? What is the age group? Demographic, psychographic?

Conclusion

Answer your initial question. How far does the main text you are investigating conform to genre conventions? Is it similar to other texts of the same genre or does it use a different approach?
Support what you say by comparing it briefly with the other texts you mentioned.

Success criteria:

To gain a level 3 or 4 you need to show that you;
have explored the way in which your texts conform to or challenge genre conventions in detail.
Show awareness of how the audience can be attracted to the text because of its typical genre conventions.
Refer to more than one text.
Used media vocabulary in your investigation.
Written communication must be of excellent quality, spelling, grammar, punctuation.

Task 1:
In your orange books, list the following and write a sentence about how each has been used in your chosen text.
Consider if they conform to the usual conventions.

• Characters.
• Visual codes.
• Setting.
• Iconography.
• Technical codes.
• Narrative that is evident.
• Target audience and audience appeal.

Task 2: 

Read the example of a textual investigation shown below. (This is on representation not genre)