Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Textual Media analysis

Recently I've done a practise textual media analysis in preparation for the exam.
Here's what I've done

Those that Can’t Media analysis

 

This is an audiocomedy, set in south Wales, some of the accents in the audio piece indicate that the people in it are welsh. However, not all accents sound realistic to where the audio comedy is set.

The clip starts with upbeat rock music, which shows that the programme is going to be light hearted.

In the first scene, we can hear a head teacher discussing the idea of forming a school council. The school council idea indicates that the audio piece is set in a school, and the head teacher giving the name of the school “Tom Johnes Comprehencive” shows that the school is set in south Wales, and named their school after the singer tom Johnes. From the head teacher’s voice, we can tell the she sounds very different to her colleagues, which we can hear later on in scene 1, her accent doesn’t sound Welsh, from the head teacher’s voice, we can also hear that she’s well spoken, and that she’s been well educated, and knows what she’s talking about.

Also in the first scene, we can hear the voices of staff members which sound as if they are in a small room, a room which has many objects inside, like notice boards on the walls, and book shelves. We can also hear children playing in the background of scene 1, which does once again indicate that the audio piece is set in a school.

From the sarcastic approach to the idaea of the school council given by the other members of staff, of who majority are male, we can work out the the school views on equality and gender are very old fassioned, and the fact that the male staff are mocking the idea also shows the stereotypical view that men don’t like to be told what to do, especially by a woman.

The strong accents of the members of staff suggest that they are all from the local community, but the accent of the head teacher is much different. This could explain why the other members of staff do not want to agree with her on the idea of a school council, they think she’s an outsider. It could also show that the members of staff don’t trust her only because of rthe accent difference.

 

When the scene changes, you can hear loud, energetic music, which also indicates that it’s a comedy.

The next scene, you can hear children playing and talking in a playground, different to the previous scene, as now the sound of children playing is not a background sound, but the main sound of the scene.

The children are talking about voting in the election, and jobs. This scene also shows the children’s attitude towards jobs and voting, as they’re talking about how one of the kid’s dad doesn’t have a job.

Then, scene 2 crossfades into scene 3, with children singing in the assembly, which again, indicates that the comedy is set in a school. The music teacher talks with a very strong Welsh accent, and sounds very old. This could indicate tradition and a long standing, much preferred way of doing things, a way that does not include making any changes to the school system. When one of the staff members, Mr Williams asks a student to help the music teacher of her piano stool. When the student points out to Mr Williams that the music teacher is not on a stool, Mr Williams, despite the fact that he’s realised this fact, and knows that the student is right, calls the student an idiot, and tells him that he’s being disrespectful. This part in the scene shows the old fassioned student and teacher relationship, the teacher is always right, and the student is always wrong, if the student dissagress with this view, they’re being disrespectful towards the teacher.

In the scene, the head teacher is talking to the students about making decisions, asking them about examples of decisions. When the children are starting to give examples of decisions, which include make up and clothing, it shows how what’s happening around them affects the way they think. In other words, if their parents or parents of their friends don’t have jobs, they think that they will be in the same or a similar situation, so they worry about other things.

Sound wise, you can hear the children talking louder, wanting to be heard in a big room, so it does indicate the assembly hall. Also in the scene, when the head teacher asks for student opinions, and one student replys with negative opinions of the school, then one of the teachers Mr Williams tells the student off, saying that if the teacher wanted his opinion, she would ask for it. After the student saying that the teacher did in fact ask for his opinion, the teacher is clearly confused but in the end realises that the teacher did in fact ask. If the teachers are confused themselves about simple situations, then what hope of success do the students have?

Some accents heard in the extract sound exadurated, which once again outlines that this is a comedy extract.

Over all, this is a school based comedy, set in Wales, putting forward stereotypical views, mainly regarding gender.

Other people however, may find this comedy offencive, for example, people that live in Wales. They may interpret this comedy as a false representation of the Welsh culture.

The extract features diagetic and non diagetic sounds. Non diagetic being the theme tune at the beginning and the track which ends scene 1 and starts scene 2. Diagetic sounds, the ones that not only the listener can hear, are: The children playing in the background in scene 1, the ball bouncing and children playing in scene 2, and children singing in the assembly hall in scene 3.

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