How to Analyse......film, music, text Rachel Maissan

Introductions EBMFTVAUDMUS3DANVET Tri 1 Tri 2 Tri 3 Tri 4 Tri 5 Other

What’s the difference? Description is...Analysis is... ‘the act or an instance of describing; the process of being described. ‘a spoken or written representation (of a person, object or event). ‘a state[ment of] the characteristics, appearance, etc. of’ The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary 4th edn 2008 ‘a detailed examination of the elements or structure of a substance etc. ‘a statement of the result of this.’ The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary 4 th edn 2008

What is Analysis? The Art of Analysis according to John Germov: ▫‘Knowing the right question to ask is half the answer’ ~Lord Byron, (2000, pg. 36) ▫Must critically question your material ▫Assess strengths and weaknesses of the theories and research (critical analysis) ▫Need to constantly question ‘why?’ of what you read/view/hear when doing analysis ▫Compare alternative views proposed by authors you find in your research ▫This takes time! ▫ Investigate different points of view, take nothing for granted, give reasons for your opinions on a topic

The Art of Analysis cont. ▫Be aware of alternative views and address them ▫You should take a side in your analysis based on the evidence (don’t sit on the fence) ▫Your opinion comes through in the research you reference and side you choose, but you want to present an informed opinion rather than a biased one ▫Always use researched, credible evidence to back up your statements/opinions ▫Keep an open mind to avoid bias (think about what aspects of the topic you may be biased about before you start) ▫Practice makes perfect

But watch out for... The Art of Analysis cont. ▫Can’t just summarise your topic ▫Beware of common sense – it changes over time and culture (once it was common sense to think world was flat or that sun rotated around Earth) ▫Only use lecture notes as a starting point for understanding the topic and research (don’t need to be referenced because they’re personal communication, not entirely reliable)

Handy Hints Consider the following questions to help determine the strengths and weaknesses of the information you uncover: ▫Is the information up to date? ▫Is the information country specific? ▫What is the academic discipline base of the information? ▫If research findings are presented, do you find them persuasive? Could alternative conclusions be drawn? ▫Do other studies come to different conclusions? If different research findings emerge, how might these be explained? ▫What aspects of the research bothered or impressed you? ▫What is the author’s argument? What assumptions does the author make? ▫What key theories and issues are addressed? Are some theories or issues neglected?

Analysing film clips WHY?

Some film terminology Shot type Camera movement Mise en scene Lighting Sound Title graphics Editing

Analysing music WHY?

Some music terminology Melody Instrumentation Contrast Tonality Rhythm Repetition Harmony Texture Form

Analysing text/lyrics WHY?

References Duncan, L 2006, De-mystifying Musical Analysis, viewed on 17/05/2013. Englishbiz 2013, Analysing Moving Image Texts: ‘Film Language’, viewed on 15/05/2013. Film Education n.d., Terminology, viewed on 15/05/2013. Get Great Marks for your Essay by John Germov 2000, Allen and Unwin, 2 edn, Crows Nest NSW Library of Congress n.d., Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Motion Pictures, Washington DC, viewed on 15/05/2013. Library of Congress n.d., Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Sheet Music and Song Sheets, Washington DC, viewed on 15/05/2013. Library of Congress n.d., Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Sound Recordings, Washington DC, viewed on 15/05/2013.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Rachel Maissan