techniques for visual texts

Question 1

Mise En Scene:

Answer 1

Put in scene, refers to everything within the border.

Photographer chooses where the frame will go and how far the subject will be,

affecting the appearance inside the frame.

Question 2

Techniques for Visual Texts:

Answer 2

• Body Language and Gaze
• > Facial expressions, gestures, stance, position
• > Conveys attitude, feelings or personality
• Composition
• > What is included is deliberately placed
• > Consider all surroundings, objects, clothing
• Framing
• > Camera shots and angles
• > Close ups, medium shots, long shots,
• Juxtapositioning
• > Placing of two objects near each other to highlight contrasts

Question 3

Persuasive Techniques:

Answer 3

• Anecdotes
• > A short account or story of an entertaining or interesting incident
• > Makes readers sympathetic / receptive to point
• Descriptive Language
• > Engage reader by gaining attention
• > Often put a new slant on familiar events and issues
• Exaggeration
• > Makes a point dramatically to reinforce it
• > Used to gain attention
• > Arouse strong / extreme emotional responses
• Evidence
• > Positions reader
• > Adds weight to ‘back up’ author’s point
• > Objective and irrefutable

Question 4

Identity:

Answer 4

• Self Identity
• > Person;s conception and expression of their own
• Cultural Identity
• > Conception and expression of ones own individuality or group affiliations

Identity can be defined as the distinctive characteristics belonging to any given individual, or shared by all members of a particular social category or group.

Formation of identity occurs through one’s identifications with significant others.

Question 5

Jasper Jones Notes: Craig Silvey,2009

Answer 5

• Identity of Jasper Jones
• Jasper Jones has been moulded by the hands of many bullies and abusive authoritative figures.
• He has constant negativity aimed at him and is trapped within a false sense of identity set upon him by the townspeople.
• Jasper has a low socioeconomic status and therefore is used as a scapegoat, for all the crimes which are committed in the town of Corrigan. Example can be seen at the end of the novel when the Wishart home was burnt down, someone has accused Jasper Jones of causing the fire.
• Being of aboriginal descent, Jasper has an unchangeable ethnic identity which unfairly puts a burden on his shoulders due to others within his town. In other words, jasper is a racial outsider.
• During the mid 1960s when this novel was based, racism and discrimination towards aboriginal people was still very frequent and somewhat accepted in the Australian culture by many.
• Context
• 1965, mining town Australia
• Novel was written during the Vietnam War, where conscription was employed.
• Vietnam migration to Australia, “Boat People”
• During this time, Australia was very racist towards immigrants and Aboriginals.

Question 6

Jeffrey Lu Identity

Answer 6

Jeffrey Lu’s cultural identity isn’t just his Vietnamese background, but, it’s the fact that he’s embraced the Australian culture so much we can consider him as your average Australian, you could view Jeffrey as someone who is like a bridge between the two nations, both belonging to each side .

• One of the many examples of Jeffrey’s Australian culture being represented within the novel is his love for cricket which is considered as an Australian past time. For the most of Jeffrey’s dialogue he’s either talking about cricket or his repartee with Charlie which also represents Jeffrey’s Australian culture.
• Jeffrey’s speech patterns with Charlie are often witty and for the most part uses Australian slang Jeffrey’s Personal Identity, from the beginning of the book, Charlie explains thats since Jeffrey is Vietnamese, he’s ruthlessly bullied and belted about by the boys at school and goes on to say that Jeffrey is unflappable.
• There are various of quotes within the novel that describe Jeffrey’s personality for example “He’s so compact and powerful. Despite being roughly the size of a garden gnome….”. The use of juxtaposition of the words ‘compact and powerful’ gives a strong sense of personality.

Question 7

Neighbours

Answer 7

• Tim Winton
• The neighbourhood represents the changing cultural identity of Australia in the 1980s, whereby relationships between the neighbours develop to a point where they adopt each others cultural traditions into the own cultures
• Becoming a part of their identities
• Represents Australia becoming more multicultural
• Shared human experiences are more important and powerful than differences in nationality and language barriers
• “Before long the young couple realised that the whole neighbourhood knew of the pregnancy … [she] felt flattered, claustrophobic, grateful, peeved.”
• The womans pregnancy and the birth of the couple’s child is symbolic of shared humanity, something that all humans experience or can relate to.
• Her pregnancy brings her closer to her neighbours and the gestures of kindness and gifts transcend any language barriers.
• The Joy the neighbourhood shows, along with the birth of his child, is overwhelming for the young man.
• It can take time to accept difference
• “It took 6 months for the newcomers to comprehend the fact that their neighbours were not murdering each other, merely talking.”
• The young couple’s understanding of good neighbours are seldom seen and never heard of whereas in this neighbourhood, it was the complete opposite where everybody knew everybody.
• After a few months, the young couple started to adapt to their neighbours lifestyle - This symbolises adopting multiculturalism and represents Australian society whereby we are becoming more multicultural.
• The young couple never experienced much community connection compared to their new neighbourhood.
• The sense of connection between neighbours allowed the young couple to accept difference

Question 8

Quotes in neighbours

Answer 8

• “The neighbours seemed cautious of the dog, a docile moulting collie”- In Australian culture, it is considered as a norm that people keep dogs as pets where as in the european culture…. “
• The sounds of spitting and washing and daybreak watering came as a shock”- In European culture, work starts very early in the morning and Australians, we normally start work in mid morning 8-10 hence why the couple were shocked.
• “The young man sensed their disapproval at his staying home to write his thesis while his wife worked.” - In European culture, they hold on to their traditional notions of gender roles where the men go out to work and the women stay home and look after the house/kids.

Question 9

In Praise of Ageing: Patricia Edgar

Answer 9

• Purpose
  Highlight the daily struggles and discrimination that falls upon mature aged people.
  The text sets out to confront and challenge this idea to provide a new perspective on ageing
  Graces that follow and to identify most importantly that you aren’t old until you let yourself be old
  To inspire the older generation to not fall victim to the negative ideology and identity forced upon them.
• Audience
  People that are being referred to being old
  Young adults as well maybe.
• Context
  Year 2013
  Where the old are patronised, ignored and shouted at.
  Expected to dwell on the margins of society
  Where a negative stereotype is placed on all elderly people
  Where elderly people are identified as being useless and a burden on society ( health care system)
• Ideology
  The ideology presented in this text identifies the common goal that you become old when you are no longer seen as young.
  Ideology where old people are seen as burdens on society and are no longer worth peoples’ time and money.
  The article challenges this ideology and argues this through the use of many anecdotes.
• Identity
  the elderly are identified in this text ( the stereotype) that they are old, useless, and no longer worth any kind of health expenses as they are already reaching their life expectancy.
  Are placed into this category and stereotyped.
  Seen as incapable as a group that feeds off younger generations.
  The article encourages people to not be identified as the stereotype and to stand up, to be an active citizen and to not let the stereotype affect their daily lives.
• Values and Attitudes
  Article shows values of prosperity towards getting older.
  Places values on health, life, youth and enjoyment.
  Leads to the attitudes that state you are only old when you believe you are old - Where age is just a number.