Textual Analysis

The Virtual Revolution

Voice of Narration

• The voice of narration is introduced immediately to inform the audience. Medium shot connotes an introduction to the narrator allowing the audience to meet and understand she is the narrator.

• We think the voice of narrator would be more effective for our documentary as we want to force our message in our documentary onto the audience.

Talking Head

• The documentary uses a convention of a documentary – the talking head. Medium close up connotes intensity relating to the sternness of the topic, combined with the talking head convention, it signifies to the audience that there are people who care and take an interest into the topic.

• We could use talking heads in our production with victims or people who work with victims to gather information to notify to our audience.

Converged Device

• The use of extreme close up on this converged device connotes its power and strength reinforcing the message notified in the documentary, converged devices are influential and dominant.

• As we are focusing on web 2.0, we could have extreme close ups on laptops, as they provide access to social networking, this would connote its control and power.

• The long shot of random footage, acting as montage is effective as it connotes loneliness and isolation, which are all effects on victims of cyberbullying.

• Using montage footage will be effective in our documentary as it is effective and emotional, which may potentially move our audience.

Title

• Dark colouring surrounding the title connotes threat, and gives an ominous feel to the documentry. This informs the audience that the topic is difficult and serious which might potentially capture their attention and understanding.

Lighting

• The use of dark lighting surrounding the narrator connotes intensity and concentration, this combined with a medium close signifies the desire to spread awareness of the shocking power of the web.

Location

• This establishing shot has a buzzing city like feel to it, it is conventional for cities to cause people to get lost, this may link in with the idea of cyber bullying, how one thing can lead to another and sooner or later it gets taken too far.

• During this shot, the narrator explains facts about the increasing use of technology in South Korea, progressively teaching the audience.

Examples

• This two shot is used as an example to force the information into the audience. By using examples, the relevance of the topic increases as the audience sees true models which reinforce the reason behind the documentary.

• The focus on the childs face connotes attention and concentration suggesting he is addicted to converged devices.

Social Networking

• The ability to recognise all of these social networking sites would cause the audience to understand they spend too much time on the internet.

• The size of the circle represents the amount of visits the size gets each month, Facebook and Google received the most, this should be relevant to audience members who visit these sites considerably more, connoting an addiction and a sense of reliability on social networking.

Interview

• This medium shot two shot suggests an interview feel, if is effective as it connotes an interest in both peoples opinions.

• As we will be interviewing in part of our documentary, a two shot is valuable.

• The birds eye view landscape shot connotes freedom and independence. This may represent the freedom on the internet – there is not rules, and no control. However, this can be a negative connotation, as this lack of order and control increases the risk of cyber bullying.

• The close up on the list of Facebook friends connotes force and intensity, as the shot focuses on one name in the friends lists it suggests the idea, that many people are “friends” on Facebook, but not in real life.

• The black and white photo suggests it was taken a long time ago, this connotes the fact that cyber bullying has been going on for a long time.

• The males stern facial expression connotes anger and his glasses connote intelligence.

• “Whats on your mind?” – the questions suggests that too much information is posted online. The delivery of personal information onto the web is dangerous, as it once it has been done there is no going back.

Shots

• The extreme close up connotes intensity and frustration suggesting the female is deep in thought. This suggests the idea that the internet can really effect you.

Montage

This series of shots of outside landscapes such as open fields, leaves and trees connotes isolation and freedom. The montage technique involves various editing optical effects such as fades and dissolves which connote a passing of time, this suggests the impact of the web on many people continues for a long time and the slow pace creates emotion and connotes weakness and suffering, which may act as a result from cyber bullying.

Archive footage

• The use of archive footage is conventional for documentaries, however this particular shot is an explosion – this connotes the impact and power the web can have on people and the extreme long shot acts as a lack of control.

The office set location connotes buisness and intelligence suggesting the information the narrator is passing on to the audience is knowledgeable and relevant and implies the narrator is smart.The medium close up shot connotes intensity, highlighting the seriousness of the topic and supports the significance of the topic.