Week Four: Critical Approaches

This week in my blog post I will be summarizing eight critical lenses one can use to look at a text, and doing my best to use the TV show "Lost" as an example for each. Here we go...

1. Audience Analysis

This approach assumes that "audiences are more than simply passive targets or dupes of media texts" (Beach, p. 35). Instead, readers or viewers come to a text with their own prior knowledge and experiences, and that prior knowledge and experience interacts with the text and allows each viewer to construct their own unique take on that text. Because each person brings different things to their reading or viewing experience, each person will get different things out of the text.

In the first season of "Lost," a plane crashes on a mysterious island in the South Pacific, leaving 48 survivors to attempt to live their. Two of the passengers are a married couple from Korea. Jin, the husband, is very traditional, and asks his wife Sun to cover herself up and not interact with the other survivors. Sun, who secretly learned English while in Korea, must hide her ability to communicate with the other passengers for weeks because she knows her husband will not approve.

Not knowing much about Korean culture myself, I took these characters at face value. Many people with more knowledge on the subject have complained that Jin and Sun are stereotypical characters, and that their behavior does not coincide with very many modern Koreans. Because of my lack of prior knowledge, I was not prepared to question the show in that way, and thus I had a very different viewing experience.


2. Semiotic Analysis

This critical perspective deals with the meaning of signs and codes. Culture determines meaning what certain images have, so "an image or sign can have multiple meanings depending upon the different codes used to interpret the sign" (p.36).

Rain is one image that is often used on "Lost" Based on the context, however, this sign can have a variety of different meanings. Most often it is used to show tension, like when the survivors are running from the monster. Several characters have been shot in the rain. In other scenes, the rain has been used to show renewal or rebirth. In the Pilot episode, Locke, who was paralyzed before the plane crash but can now walk, sits happily in the rain as if it's washing away his past. Mysterious apparitions also happen in the rain; Walt appeared to Shannon after he'd tried to escape the island on a raft, and Harper, who is dead, appears to Juliet in the rain. Viewers understand the various things one sign can signify based on knowledge of other texts.

3. Narrative Analysis

One can also look at particular texts with an eye for "narrative structures or patterns employed in genres" and to "identify archetypal story patterns" (p. 36, 37). Audiences have learned to expect structures and patterns they've seen over and over again, and those patterns can be analyzed to reveal ideological assumptions in the text and the culture as a whole.

In the dramatic mystery genre, for example, foreshadowing and other audience clues are a regular literary technique. On "Lost," foreshadowing is used so often that fans have lengthy lists of unanswered questions going into each new episode. In the first season finale, Locke, Jack and Hurley are attempting to blow open a hatch Locke discovered on the island. On the door, Hurley spots a series of numbers he believes to be cursed, and attempts to convince the others to leave the hatch alone, which foreshadows the trouble that comes after the hatch has been opened.

4. Poststructuralist Analysis

This angle looks at language categories and how they "influence characters and audiences' perceptions" (p. 37). Binary oppositions are an easy way to look at this type of analysis; what are the limitations of looking at the world through the viewpoint of good/evil, black/white, right/wrong?

This is a theme often explored on "Lost." As a viewer, it is tempting to constantly sort characters into the "good guys" and "the others" or "the bad guys." The "Lost" narrative is constantly adding more background and psychological insight into each character, which challenges the binary oppositions the audience is attempting to use. For example, Benjamin Linus, the leader of the "others," is, in my opinion, the greatest villain of all time. However, he consistently claims that "We are the good guys." We also are shown flashbacks to his childhood, where we see that his father constantly blamed him for his mother's death because she died during childhood. While I am still convinced he is the story's villain, humanizing details keep me from sorting him into the evil category while others fall into "the good guys." In the photo below, half his face is cast in darkness while half is lit, symbolizing his dual nature.
5. Critical Discourse Analysis

Critical discourse analysis deals with the way people communicate in different situations or roles. The way we speak reveals our identities or roles, and "define what is considered to be 'normal' in a social world" (p. 38). They also reveal the larger ideology of a culture.

For example, Oceanic Airlines, the fictional carrier of the plane that crashed on the "Lost" island, uses its own language conventions to communicate about the crash and its aftermath. Because it is a business, it uses business discourse to tell its side of the story. Their response:

“We are very eager to resume flying and apologize for any inconvenience our temporary closure may have caused our loyal customers,” said Michael Orteig, President, Oceanic Airlines. “Oceanic Airlines is proud to be a top tier flight provider and looks forward to providing travelers with many more years of unparalleled service.”



6. Psychoanalytic Theory

Not only do viewers bring prior knowledge and experience to their viewing experience, but, according to psychoanalytic theory, they bring their "subconscious desires, needs, and fears defining one's identity" (p. 40). All of those things affect how audiences decode the meaning of images, which are subjective.

For example, I imagine their is a lot to be discovered about a person by asking them their favorite "Lost" character. According to this theory, we choose our favorite characters by the ones we identify with or aspire to be. My brother Jack, for example, says Daniel Faraday is his favorite character. Faraday is a physicist, a little socially awkward, but very brilliant. He is also quite hilarious. My brother, I feel, is close to this character, but it also reveals his desire to be more brilliant and nerdy than he is.


7. Feminist Analysis

Often, this lens examines "the sexist portrayals of females and males" (p. 40). Analysis includes a look at "cultural constructions of myths regarding gender differences (p. 41).

On "Lost," there is no shortage of ass-kicking female characters. In fact, most female characters have shown themselves to be adept at "male" behavior such as gun-wielding. However, of the group of characters dubbed by fans as the "A-Team" (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid and Locke) who are the characters who most often make treks into the jungle to "save the day," only includes one female.

8. Postmodern Analysis

Postmodern analysis "challenges and even parodies traditional forms" (p. 41).

The best example of this on "Lost" is the episode "Expose." In the third season, the writers introduced Nikki and Paolo, two survivors who came out of the background. Fans were livid, wondering why time was being wasted on these random characters at the expense of storylines about the main characters. The "Expose" episode is a response to the fans' outcry--it not only shows (through flashbacks paralleling previous episodes) what Nikki and Paolo have been doing all this time, but it directly comments on fans' cognition. Here are a few "postmodern" things in this episode, written by Nikki Stafford her book Finding Lost (2007):

-There was no "Previously on Lost" segment at the beginning, as if writers knew many people wouldn't remember [Nikki and Paolo] being on Lost previously.
-Hurley, the avid television viewer, knows exactly who Nikki is [the star of a television show called Expose]. Sawyer, representing the casual viewer, is constantly saying "Who the he's Nikki?"

Week Two: Justifying film, television and media studies in the curriculum

The following are the 7th Grade OUTCOMES for students at Richfield Middle School:

Demonstrate ability to read with accuracy and fluency

Expand vocabulary through reading, listening, and speaking

Increase comprehension of written materials through a variety of strategies

Strengthen ability to actively read and interpret a variety of literary works

Develop and strengthen expressive, narrative, and research writing skills

Actively demonstrate understanding of writing as a process

Apply standard English conventions in formal writing

Demonstrate ability to locate and cite information in reference materials

Strengthen ability to communicate effectively through listening and speaking

Develop awareness of how to evaluate accuracy and credibility of sources


On the surface, it seems that the curriculum developers at RMS primarily hope their students to improve their literacy skills in print media. The curriculum primarily asks teachers to use books as texts and the writing is to be done on paper. However, I believe that the curriculum should introduce students to the skills they will continue to use later in their education and later in life. It seems many of the outcomes discussed here involve the retrieval and evaluation of information: research. While it is still relevant for students to be able to use libraries, encyclopedias and dictionaries to find information, training students to use online resources will afford them the most relevant and important skills for future research projects, formal or informal.

Therefore, the definition of "reference materials" (above) could be expanded to include online resources. The last outcome, "evaluate accuracy and credibility of sources," is an incredibly important skill to have when doing internet research, and without that outcomes direct application to online sources, students may not be able to apply it to that avenue. The process of research is fundamentally different than it was ten or twenty years ago, and we must give our students the skills to keep up with the retrieval and evaluation of information.

I would also seek to expand the definition of "literary works" (above) to include film and television texts. Because we seek to teach students to "actively read and interpret" printed texts, I imagine we want to encourage our students to actively think about and analyze all the "texts they come into contact with, not be passive recipients of information and narrative. By including film and television in the curriculum, we teach students the importance of being actively involved in our environments. In addition, any analysis skills students learn in relation to film and television can only strengthen, not take away from, the skills we want them to apply to printed texts.

Week Three: Film Techniques

For this assignment, I'm going to look closely at a scene from NBC's hit show "Heroes." In case you are unfamiliar with the program, "Heroes" is a show about people around the world who find out they have extraordinary abilities.

In the scene I will be looking at (from Season Two, Episode Four, "The Kindness of Strangers"), Matt Parkman, an NYPD detective who is able to hear people's thoughts, is interviewing Angela Petrelli, the mother of two sons with special abilities, about a suspicious death.

The first shot is a long shot of Parkman and his supervisor standing around Mrs. Petrelli's hospital bed. The camera swiftly moves in on Mrs. Petrelli's face and she delivers the line "I killed Kaito Nakamura." I believe this camera movement focuses our attention on Mrs. Petrelli and adds drama to her already surprising statement.

As she explains herself, the camera captures Mrs. Petrelli in profile. Also in the frame is her heart monitor, and we hear it beeping. The inclusion of this image makes the audience feel that she is confessing to the murder of Mr. Nakamura to keep herself alive.

After Mrs. Petrelli makes her case, Parkman attempts to read Mrs. Petrelli's thoughts. As is characteristic of the mind-reading scenes on "Heroes," there is a particular sound of electronic static and the character's voice echoes a bit. The camera also provides several shots of the character's face from different angles. These are signals that help the reader distinguish between spoken language and thoughts being heard by Parkman.

Also, for the first time that I've noticed on the show, camera angles alternate between shots looking down on the character's forehead and shots that zoom in on the character's mouth. I think this is a brilliant way to highlight a main theme in this scene: People often say very different things than what they think. In this case, Mrs. Petrelli is confessing to a murder, but in her mind she is telling Officer Parkman that even though she is innocent, he should just "Take her confession and let it go."

In general, this scene is built on close-ups of the actor's faces, because seeing each character's reaction to spoken words and thoughts are very important to the story. The lighting in the scene is low and dramatic, without a lot going on in the background to distract from the characters' expressions. The music is soft but builds to a crescendo at the climax of the scene. Ultimately, this scene, though short, is very effective in establishing larger themes as well as conveying new information about the characters in a dramatic way.

In my classroom, I would show two clips side by side because it is sometimes easier for students to identify techniques using comparing/contrasting measures. I would either choose two clips that show the same theme or subject matter, or choose the same scene from different versions of a film (such as the two film versions of Romeo and Juliet). Then I would ask my students, using the vocabulary discussed, to find the elements in each. After identification, we would discuss "the underlying purpose for why filmmakers are using these different techniques" (Beach, p. 23).

I do agree with Beach when he says "students are most likely to learn to understand and critique use of film techniques through engaging in their own digital video productions" (Beach, p.21). If resources are available, I would love for my students to create short films to share with the class. At the very least, I think the process of planning/storyboarding an idea is a valuable project for the class to try.

The text mentions comics as a good way to teach storyboarding. Because "Heroes" draws a lot on comics and comic book art, I think it would be a valuable lesson to look at the "Heroes" comic and compare it to the actual "Heroes" program.

The following is an analysis of a favorite commercial of mine which may be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3Zma2_n5CA&feature=related

Shot 1: Long shot, shows Tim sitting at his desk, co-workers approaching him
This shot establishes the setting and characters
“Hey Tim, show Joel how everything you touch turns into Skittles.”

Shot 2: Medium shot, shows Tim and his co-worker’s hand offering him a stapler. He pokes it and it crumbles into Skittles.
This shot allows a closer look at Tim’s sadness, as well as a close view of the crumbling stapler.

Shot 3: Medium shot of co-workers in amazement.
This shot allows us to focus on the co-worker’s reaction to Tim’s talent. “That’s awesome!”

Shot 4: Medium shot of Tim looking up at his co-workers.
This shot puts us on Tim’s level, allowing us to sympathize with him.
“Is it awesome when you can’t hold your newborn baby boy in your arms?”

Shot 5: Long shot of Tim and his co-workers, who are eating the Skittles off Tim’s desk.
This shot allows us to see both Tim’s sadness and the casual Skittle-eating behavior of his co-workers.
“Did you feed and dress yourselves this morning? I didn’t.”

Shot 6: Medium shot of Tim, slow zoom in.
This shot is gets us the closest we get to Tim’s face, allowing us to see the emotion in it.
“I met a man on the bus today. I shook his hand. He’ll never see his family again.”

Shot 7: Medium shot of the co-workers, whose hands drop to their sides.
We see a closer view of the co-worker’s reaction and sympathy here, and watch their softening body language.

Shot 8: Medium shot of Tim from the co-workers’ POV.
From this point of view, we mirror the sympathy of the co-workers.
“I guess that’s pretty awesome”

Shot 9: Close up of Tim as the phone rings.
“Excuse me.”

Shot 10: Close up of Tim as he touches the phone, then the phone turns to Skittles.
This close angle lets us see the surprising results of a simple action like answering the phone.

Shot 11: Close up of Tim as he grunts in frustration.
A close view on his reaction.

Shot 12: Long shot from the opposite angle of Tim and his co-workers as Tim touches his desk and it collapses into a pile of Skittles.
This is the climax of the commercial, so we are able to see the full weight of the collapse, all the characters and the setting with Skittles all over the floor.

Shot 13: Shot of a pack of Skittles and the text.
This reinforces the name of the product.
“Touch the rainbow, taste the rainbow.”

Week One

This weekend I watched a video made by one of the students at Phillips Community Television:

http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/mtm05/

Doing an internship with PCT is an option for the Service Learning course my brother and I took during our time as undergraduates, though neither of us took advantage of it. The video this particular student made, “Battleground Minnesota,” was really fascinating. He conducted interviews with many politicians, lawmakers and others associated with the upcoming election.

What interested me most about the film was the way this student chose to draw his interviewees into his own experience as a young person, rather than ask his subjects to immerse him in the life of a politician. The scene where he gives Mark Dayton some “bling” comes to mind, as well as the use of rap music throughout. His intent with the meetings with Minnesota lawmakers is to introduce the priorities and interests of young people like himself, as well as to introduce the political process to his viewers.

As a viewer who doesn’t have a lot in common with the filmmaker, this struck me as an unorthodox way of creating a “get involved” documentary. My expectation was for the filmmaker to try to make the political process more accessible to young people. I thought his interviews would involve more questions and fewer scenes with uncomfortable politicians. But once I got over feeling uncomfortable with them, I understood that the filmmaker chose to make the people with the power feel awkward so young people like him could gain a little power.

I know that Phillips Community Television’s program has many of the same goals discussed in Chapter 1 of the Beach textbook. For example, this filmmaker uses the music and filmmaking skills from his “bedroom culture” to make this project. In addition, the film itself indirectly comments on the lack of voice young people have in the political process and in the media, and encourages other young people to be engaged. Without education in media literacy and the opportunity to express lessons learned through media, I don’t think the filmmaker could have made the connections he did with this project. Watching his film, I think, is a good argument against the statements of the Eden Prairie school board member, because I think important learning did take place.