CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework

TEXTUAL ANALYSES TASK: Textual Analyses

SOFTWARE: Word/Weebly

DESCRIPTION:

You are required to complete 3 textual analyses (Poster + Magazine + Trailer) FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM (4=12 or 3=9). In order to complete this task, you must choose horror posters from Google, horror teaser trailers from YouTube, and horror magazines from the hub (www.ctklms.com). The purpose of a textual analysis is to discuss the connotations (meanings attached) to each element, with all points being linked back to the horror genre. Please use the structures supplied on the following sheet. There is no word limited for these written tasks.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate to the examiner WHY conventional horror content is the way it is and to highlight similarities within the genre

A-GRADE EXAMPLES:

http://officialhorizonstudios.weebly.com/textual-analysis.htmlhttp://blackcrowproductionss.weebly.com/textual-analyses.html

CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework

Textual Analyses

For each analysis you must include:

Film Title Release Date Director

Production/Financing Company Principle Cast Sub-Genre

Film Info: Origin? Adaptation? Sequel? Franchise? Re-make? Synopsis: What is the film about? (100 words max)

1. Horror Film POSTERDiscuss the connotations and reasons for all the following elements (consistently relate to horror):Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costume, & Props, Camera: Framing & Shots, Colour, Typography: Anchorage, Font Type, Mood & Styling, Specific Conventions: Tagline, Credits, Quotes etc.

Structure Paragraph 1: Denotation.Paragraph 2: Mise-en-SceneParagraph 3: TypographyParagraph 4: Target Audience

2. Horror Film MAGAZINEDiscuss the connotations and reasons for all the following elements (consistently relate to horror):Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costume, & Props, Camera: Framing & Shots, Colour, Typography: Anchorage, Font Type, Mood & Styling, Specific Conventions: Masthead, Coverlines, Selling Line etc.

Structure Paragraph 1: Denotation.Paragraph 2: Mise-en-SceneParagraph 3: TypographyParagraph 4: Target Audience

3. Horror Film TRAILERDiscuss the connotations and reasons for all the following elements (consistently relate to horror):Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costume, & Props, Camera: Framing, Shots & Movement, Colour, Typography: Captions, Mood & Styling, Sound: Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, Sound Effects, Voiceover, Score/Incidental Music, Locations, Narrative: Story, link to the Genre choice, Editing: Continuity editing, Montage editing, pacing, fast, slow etc.

Structure Paragraph 1: NarrativeParagraph 2: Mise-en-SceneParagraph 3: CameraParagraph 4: SoundParagraph 4: EditingParagraph 5: TypographyParagraph 4: Target Audience

CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework

Movie Teaser Trailer - Textual Analysis

Before completing a movie trailer textual analysis you must include:

1. The Film Title: 2. Year of Release: 3. Director: 4. Production/Financing company: 5. Principle Cast: 6. Films Origin/Info: Adaptation? Sequel? Franchise? Re-make? 7. Synopsis: What is the film about? (100 words max)

There are certain areas that should help you to pull apart a trailer and analyze its contents. Remember, what are the connotations? Everything that is put into a trailer is put there for a reason, what do they all connote?

Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costumes, & Props. Sound: Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, Sound Effects, Voiceover, Score/Incidental Music. Camera Angles & Movement. Shot Size (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU or ECU).

Genre: what type of horror sub-genre is it? Does the trailer have its own style and iconography that is common to a particular film genre? Are distinct genre features reflected in the Mise en scene of the video? Narrative: how is the story told? Is this narrative presented in a fragmented, non-linear order? Do you think this has been done to create mystery and leave the viewer with a desire to see the film being advertised?Location: how does the trailer reveal location? What clues tell you so?Characters: Who is portrayed in the trailer? How are they represented? Why? Do they support genre conventions?Voice Over: is there narration? If so, what is the style?Theme: identify at least one theme based on the trailerPacing: how is the trailer paced (fast, slow?) Does the pace change? What impact might pacing have?)On-Screen Graphics/Captions: what kind of info is revealed? What is the style of captions (font, colour etc.)?Editing & Post-Production (special effects) : What form of editing is used? If fast cuts are used, why? Does the soundtrack tempo drive the editing? Are digital effects or CGI used? What pleasure does this create for the audience?Music & Other Sound Effects: what role do they play? Upbeat or Slow? Haunting tones?Camerawork: Does camerawork convey particular meanings? (Shot size/ camera movement/ camera angle)

Questions to consider:

1. How does the trailer begin and end? Was it effectively edited?2. What film studio is releasing the trailer? What do you know about them & their previously released films?3. Why is this trailer being played before the release? What is its purpose?4. Do trailers tell you everything you need to know about the film? (Where can you get more information?)

Use the following sites to find examples of film trailers:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/trailerparkhttp://uk.filmtrailer.com/http://www.youtube.com/

CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework

Movie Poster - Textual Analysis

Before completing a movie poster you must include:

8. The Film Title: 9. Year of Release: 10. Director: 11. Production/Financing company: 12. Principle Cast: 13. Films Origin/Info: Adaptation? Sequel? Franchise? Re-make? 14. Synopsis: What is the film about? (100 words max)

There are certain areas that should help you to pull apart a poster and analyze its contents. Remember, what are the connotations? Everything that is put into a poster is put there for a reason, what do they all connote?

Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costumes & Props. Camera Angles. Shot Size (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU or ECU). Main Image/Composition/Layout: Symmetrical/Asymmetrical. Focus: Soft/Harsh/Depth of Field. Colour: Connotations of Different Colours. Anchorage: Words/Captions, which help to understand context of the image. Type of Font:

o Serif fonts (small caps/feet/flick ups- connote tradition/old fashioned).o Sans Serif fonts (no flick ups, and generally connote a more modern feel).

Conventions: Does the movie poster follow any conventions of a specific genre of film?

Mood: Try to get a sense of the mood the poster conveys. Grim films tend to use disturbing images intended to evoke fear or anxiety. Epic movies convey a sense of grandeur, such as broad landscapes or a ship in outer space.

Font/Names: Presentation of film stars. If names appear above the title, or faces are prominently featured, the studio wants you to know who's in it. Posters with no names, abstract imagery, or unknown characters, are selling something other than the cast.

Credits: Look at the film's release date. Many movie campaigns slowly roll out their coverage, and the period of time before the opening may clue you in to how the studio wants you to feel. "Teaser" posters released early will often be mysterious or intriguing, intended to entice your curiosity without revealing too much. Posters later in the campaign will be more explicit, possibly revealing details about the plot.

Colour: Pay attention to the colour scheme. Harsh or intense colours tend to represent a moody or dark film, while comedies will have brighter, more upbeat colours.

Tagline: Consider the tag line or catch phrase. Action films stress excitement & adrenaline. Novel based films may tout the original book, while films by successful directors or producers may emphasize their earlier works.

Quotes: Examine quotes on the poster. Movie posters love to cite various different critics praising their film. The advent of the Internet, however, has rapidly increased the number of critics out there, and some are more reputable than others. Praise from Empire magazine, the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal carries an air of respectability. Films that have fewer good reviews to choose from will often look further down the ladder for good quotes, citing sources you may be less familiar with.

CTK – A2 Media: Unit G324 Advanced Portfolio Coursework

Movie Magazine Front Cover - Textual Analysis

Mise-en-Scene: Lighting, NVC, Setting, Costume & Props.

Camera Angles. Shot Size (ELS, LS, MLS, MS, MCU, CU or ECU). Main Image/Composition/Layout: Symmetrical/Asymmetrical.

Text/Typography/Masthead/Cover-lines, Dateline/Barcode/Selling Line (USP)/Left Third.

Type of Font: Serif fonts (small caps/feet/flick ups- connote tradition/old

fashioned). Sans Serif fonts (no flick ups, and generally connote a more

modern feel).

MASTHEAD (LOGO) The name of the magazine displayed in the typeface in which it is designed. This is the visual branding of the title and is often done in a specially designed typeface to be very recognisable & unique. The masthead is usually used on the contents page inside as well as the front cover, & as a logo for advertising/branding purposes.

DATELINE Month and year of publication, often with the price. Note that a monthly magazine usually hits the newsstands the month before the cover date.

MAIN IMAGE In the case of this front cover there is a single image of the character ‘Hellboy’. The image is used in a classic way, the face is big enough to stand out on the newsstand, with the model making full eye contact.

MODEL CREDIT/MAIN COVER-LINE

This says: 'You and Whose Golden Army?' This makes reference to the release of the new ‘Hellboy’ film ‘The Golden Army’. The photographer and model credit is usually on the contents page.

COVER-LINES Empire magazine uses a lot of cover lines, which are distributed around the main image without detracting from it. A mistake often made is cover-lines that run over an image that has many colour changes in it, rendering the words invisible.

LEFT THIRD The left third of the magazine cover is vital for sales in shops where the magazine is not shown full-frontage. The title must be easily recognisable in a display of dozens of competitors. The start of the masthead is important here, as are short cover lines that are easy to read.

BAR CODE Standard bar code used by retailers

SELLING LINE Short, sharp description of the title's main marketing point or perhaps setting out its editorial philosophy.