Textual Investigation 2 Narrative or Representation

Learning objective: 
To learn how to approach a textual investigation using the concept of narrative or representation.

Your second textual investigation must be completed before the deadline of Feb 12th 2016.
It should consist of between 400 and 850 words.
You must investigate a moving image piece but not a film trailer as this is the focus of your exam.
You can choose to analyse...
an advert from TV,
an opening title sequence,
a key scene from a film or a TV show.

In your investigation you should consider one main text and at least one other to compare it with.
You must submit a plan at the end of this lesson which shows your intended structure.
Complete a rough draft and submit to Mr Ealey for feedback before you complete a final draft.

Textual investigations require you to include the following information on the front page:

• Name:
• Candidate number:
• Centre number: 34251
• Word count:

You must write about one main text and compare it to at least one other.

Use media terminology when you can;

connotations, implies, visual codes, technical codes, audio, iconography, pace of editing, target audience (very important), regulation, Maslow (hierarchy of needs), Todorov (equilibrium theory), Propp (character types), Barthes (enigma and action codes), Levi Strauss (binary opposition). Stereotypes, celebrity etc.

Your conclusion should discuss whether the main text conforms to or challenges the narrative or Representation conventions for the target audience.

Use illustrations to support your point.

For narrative, you must choose from one of the titles below:

• Explore how narrative is constructed in (your chosen text)
• Explore the structure of narrative in (your chosen text)
• Explore how conventional the narrative structure is in (your chosen text)
• Explore how far the narrative structure in (your chosen text) challenges conventional narratives.

For representation you must choose from one of the titles below:

• Explore how gender, ethnicity, age, nationality, place, events or issues are represented in (your chosen text).
• Explore how far the representation of one of the following is challenged in (your chosen text): gender, ethnicity, age, nationality, place, events or issues.
• Explore how far the representation of one of the following reinforcesconventional points of view in (your chosen text): gender, ethnicity, age, nationality, place, events or issues.

Task 1: Use the handout provided to plan the structure of your investigation.

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