Media Analysis and Criticism

(moving image media)

What is a text?

• A text is: any media product that we can analyze in terms of its meanings.

• E.g., film, television show, magazine, newspaper, book, radio program, music recording, website (or a portion of these things).

What is textual analysis?• To analyze: to break something down

into its components/parts• To analyze a text: to consider its parts,

to ask why creators chose those parts and arrangements rather than other parts and other arrangements

What is textual analysis?• In an audiovisual medium, we can

analyze:– Arrangement of parts as images and

sounds through audiovisual techniques=style

– Arrangement of parts into a narrative (story) or non-narrative form

Narrative Form

• How are parts combined?• Narrative: representation of events

linked by causalityA causes B; B causes C; C causes D, etc.

Narrative Form• Narrative elements:

– beginning (exposition), middle and end (conclusion)

– plot vs. story: plot is the story as presented in the narrative (some stories begin in the middle -- in medias res

– conflict is central to most narratives, and the way the conflict is framed and resolved usually is central to a story’s meanings

– diegesis: the story world. What is outside of the diegesis?

Non-Narrative Form

• Other ways of combining events/images

• E.g., a series of images set to music might be non-narrative

• E.g., commercials might be non-narrative

• Still images are typically non-narrative (print ads, photographs, etc.)

Style

• audio-visual techniques (images & sounds)

• All media texts have style, i.e., their distinctive way of combining elements

3 aspects of visual style

• mise en scène• cinematography• editing

Mise en scène• literally, “put into the scene”• a/k/a staging• sets, costumes and makeup,

acting, lighting

e.g., high-key vs. low-key lighting

• Depth staging--shallow space

• Depth staging--deep space

• Depth staging--deep vs. shallow

Cinematography

• photographic properties of the image

•depth of field: what is in focus?•focal length: short/normal/long

lens?

Cinematography

• photographic properties of the image

•depth of field: what is in focus?•focal length: short/normal/long

lens?

Cinematography• positioning of the camera, aka

“framing”–shot scale–camera angle–camera movement

Shot scale: extreme long shot (ELS)

Shot scale: long shot (LS)

Shot scale: medium shot (MS)

Shot scale: medium close-up (MCU)

Shot scale: close-up (CU)

Shot scale: extreme close-up (ECU)

Angle: Straight

Angle: Low

Angle: High

Angle: Canted

Camera movement

• Panning/tilting• Tracking/craning

Editing

• relations between shots•temporal relations•spatial relations•editing may maintain spatio-

temporal continuity (presenting a scene in a single space/time)

•editing may create spatio-temporal discontinuity, e.g., flashback

Continuity Editing

• maintains spatio-temporal continuity by matching shots

• “transparent” or “invisible” editing--you’re not supposed to notice it

Continuity Editing• One matching technique: shot/reverse-

shot (typically used in conversation scenes, maintains continuity of screen direction)

Discontinuity Editing• In Veronica, flashbacks. How are

these shifts in time marked?

Discontinuity Editing

Eyeline match/POV

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Sound

• Elements of the soundtrack:– Dialogue (includes

onscreen/offscreen, voice-over)– Music– “Noise” (e.g., doors closing, cars

running, footsteps)• Always consider sound in

relation to image