Year 10 Revision

Multi-modal Texts

The focus of this examination question analyse thematerial of amultimodal text. In the examination you will have 45 minutes to answer the question.

Examples of multimodal texts are:
DVD covers
Leaflets
Advertisements
Flyers

Websites

Magazine covers
Posters
Brochures

The analysis of multimodal texts

In most multimodal texts, presentation and layout are always carefully chosen to aid the audience in following and understanding the text. Ask yourself HOW the text's presentation and layout help it appeal to its audience or achieve its purpose.

Multimodal texts have a series or combination of purposes:

to entertain
to inform
to persuade

to explain

to advise
to instruct

Use of Language:

Rhetorical language – increases the persuasiveness of a text.

Emotive language – to create an emotional response from the reader (anger, shock, guilt)

The use of the personal pronoun 'you' for direct address. This adds a personal touch and engages the reader; it sounds friendly, inviting and even confiding.

Personal viewpoint or 'direct address' (‘when I... / We... speaks to you...’ ) can create a friendly tone and involve the reader.

The use of the inclusive pronoun 'we'. This can make the reader seem to be a part of a special group of people (e.g. 'We're all in this together, aren't we?').

The use of interesting, short anecdotes adds interest and engages the reader's attention (e.g. 'Let me tell you about the time I went to Paris ...').

The use of hyperbole can create a persuasive impact (e.g. 'This is an absolutely fantastic experience which will blow your mind away!').

Description creates imagery that can be very engaging and involving, even persuasive. It can be made very vivid and used to create mood and emotion (e.g. 'Like a sphere of shiny steel, the sun floated in the heavens'). Look for the use of effective metaphors, similes and emotive language.

Facts and opinions are used to support a writer's point of view or argument but you must be able to separate worthwhile from biased facts and facts from factually stated opinions, always exploring how reasonable and effective the evidence really is.

Rhetorical questions engage and help to persuade the reader. They help make a point in a more powerful and emotional way.

Repetition and lists of three can be effective persuasive devices. .

Tone - a formal tone can add authority and sound authentic or sincere. However, an informal, or even conversational tone can add warmth and enjoyment.

Quotations and evidence from expert sources are used to provide support and create added authority.

Sentence style can be varied to add interest - and a very short sentence can add dramatic impact.

Captions add meaning and steer the reader to respond in a certain way to an illustration or a photograph

Use of Presentational Devices

There is so much to comment on – but remember to always explain the effect on the reader.

Layout can be used to aid understanding and to make the piece more eye-catching.

Catchy/Eye-catching titles capture the reader's attention.

Colour adds eye-appeal, impact and emphasis.

Different font styles and sizes are important in attracting and directing the reader’s eye

Headlines, captions and subheadings add impact and clarity.

White space creates clarity and attractiveness.

Short paragraphs and sentences are easier to follow and grasp.

Bulleted or numbered lists aid clarity.

Formatting: bold, italic and underline can create emphasis and impact.

A logo can create a high level of trust in a product or service, e.g. 'Coca Cola'.

Illustrations and photographs add interest, clarity and emotional impact.

Graphs and charts ease understanding (but can be very selective in what they show).

Cartoons add humour and attract attention.

Maps may be helpful in certain cases.

Colours: can have positive and negative connotations depending on the context. Consider the following colours:

Gray/Grey: gloomy, depressing, bland, stability, wisdom, old age, boredom, decay, dullness, dust, pollution, urban sprawl, balance, neutrality, mourning

White: purity, neutrality, cleanliness, truth, snow, winter, coldness, peace, innocence, simplicity, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, unimaginative, bland, empty, unfriendly (interior)

Black: death, funerals, the bad guy, evil, power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style, fear, seriousness, rebellion, slimming quality (fashion)

Red: passion, strength, energy, fire, love, excitement, speed, heat, arrogance,

ambition, power, danger, blood, war, anger, revolution, aggression, summer, stop, communism, Mars (planet)

Blue: seas, men, peace, harmony, sadness, tranquility, calmness, trust, coolness, confidence, water, ice, dependability, cleanliness, depression, coldness, obscenity, Earth (planet), strength, steadfastness, light, friendliness, conservatism (UK & European politics)

Green: nature, eco-friendly, spring, fertility, youth, environment, wealth, money (US), good luck, vigor, generosity, go, grass, aggression, jealousy, illness, greed, envy, renewal, natural abundance, growth, health, calming

Yellow: sunlight, joy, happiness, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air, liberalism, cowardice, illness, hazards, weakness, summer, friendship, a sign of hope (yellow ribbon)

Purple: royalty, wisdom, nobility, spirituality, creativity, wealth, ceremony, arrogance, flamboyance, gaudiness, mourning, riches, romanticism (light purple), delicacy (light purple), penance, bravery (purple heart)

Orange: energy, enthusiasm, happiness, balance, heat, fire, flamboyance, playfulness, arrogance, warning, danger, autumn, royalty

Brown: boldness, depth, nature, richness, rustic, stability, tradition, fascism, dirt, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty, roughness, down-to-earth, wholesomeness, steadfastness, dependability.

Pink: femininity, sympathy, health, love, marriage, joy.

Shot Composition: The most common shot types.
EWS (Extreme Wide Shot) The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. The EWS is often used as an "establishing shot" - the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is also useful in scenes where the action is very spread out. For example, in a war movie an extreme wide shot can show the scale of the action

VWS (Very Wide Shot)
The subject is visible here. The emphasis is very much on placing the church in the environment. This often works as an establishing shot, in which the audience is shown the whole setting so they can orient themselves.

WS (Wide Shot) The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible. AKA: long shot, full shot.

MS (Mid Shot)
The MS is a comfortable, emotionally neutral shot. It shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. In fact, this is an approximation of how you would see a person "in the flesh" if you were having a casual conversation. You wouldn't be paying any attention to their lower body, so that part of the picture is unnecessary. The MS is appropriate when the subject is speaking without too much emotion or intense concentration.

MCU (Medium Close Up) Half way between a MS and a CU. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.

CU (Close Up) A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame. A close up of a person usually means a close up of their face. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. A close-up exaggerates facial expressions which convey emotion. The viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.

ECU (Extreme Close Up) The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.

Two-Shot A shot of two people, framed similarly to a mid-shot. Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects.

(OSS) Over-the-Shoulder Shot Looking from behind a person at the subject. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view.

Point-of-View Shot (POV) Shows a view from the subject's perspective.

High Angle Shot
A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle Shot
This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.

Bird's Eye
The scene is shown from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view which can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different spatial perspective. In drama it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the characters can't.