My Multimodal Text

Link to Tiff's Multimodal Text

Semiotic Techniques Used in My Multimodal Text

I aimed to convey meaning through a multimodal approach, utilising a wide variety of modes to create and enhance my text.

I wanted to steer away from more ordinary text, so I downloaded a Tudor-style font to create a more realistic typography; this was used for the main title, as well as throughout the presentation. Other forms of texts used included speech bubbles. This was a useful tool inspired by Inanimate Alice and Horrible Histories, meaning I could add extra information and instructions for/to the viewer. A significant way I used speech bubbles to create a semiotic turn, conflicting the content of the verbal direction with the direction of the speech bubbles. This was for comedic and ironic effect, such as when Tom verbally suggests  we move on to the next section and continue working, followed by his speech bubble suggesting we take a break and go for some lunch. To continue with postmodernism, I also used conflicting styles of imagery. The majority of the adventure is in a fictional cartoon style, this is to show the unrealistic notion of traveling back in time. This was juxtaposed with the real-life footage I filmed of my hand opening its palm to show the keys that the viewer has collected. I created a brief dream-like fade effect by focussing my camera at the last moment, so the keys are blurry to begin with before becoming clear and sharp. I did this to show the ‘real’ human side of the text; that is to say to remind the reader that the Tudors too were real, and even to touch on the moral side of the viewer saving a life from execution.

Throughout the multimodal text I used a variety of audio, including vocal speech, sound effects, and music. I layered this audio to create a richer depth of sound. In one place, the slide which takes place by the large cooking fire, I wanted the viewer to really feel like they were by a fire, so I used this multi-layered approach to layer the sound of a ‘roaring fire’, with that of a ‘crackling fire’, then recorded my vocal speech of Tom the Tudor Fly, and lastly added his ‘buzzing’ sound. In addition to this, I enhanced the image of the fire with a filter to make it more orange and brighter, using GIMP, now that I was slightly more comfortable using it (see previous post). Adding to this the layered animation clips of moving fire, and a flaming text spelling the word ‘HOT’, this hopefully created an appropriate paradigmatic atmosphere to help the viewer feel encompassed by their surroundings in a fiery setting.

I used special effects as a postmodernistic tool, placing video clips and imagery at interesting angles to entice the viewer in to a new way of seeing things. I experimented with different camera angles, using overhead footage of a great Tudor building to simulate flying with Tom the Tudor Fly, and to see the building from his perspective. His perspective was also seen with the ‘fly-on-the-wall’ –esque image of the kitchen, before zooming in to human level. I also utilised a variety of transitions to move smoothly between slides and to help the reader feel like they are ‘flying’ with Tom.

I used my character of Tom the Tudor Fly as a signifier for the direction and place the reader travels to. Tom frequently directs the viewer to ‘follow me!’, which the reader is able to do through the extensive use of animations and graphics. Tom is almost constantly in motion; I did this by creating my own erratic ‘fly-inspired’ custom flight path animations, and often setting these to repeat themselves so Tom is always buzzing and on-the-move. This heavily animated aspect of my text really helps to make the text feel ‘alive’, and this also helped with the interactive aspect which I admired in Inanimate Alice. To enhance this interactive element further, I used triggers, such as when the viewer has to locate and click on the signpost to the castle in order to see the next part of the animation and continue the story.

I created postmodern style tensions in my text by having Tom speaking directly to the reader. I also used techniques such as pathetic fallacy to create atmosphere; in the more intense slide where we hear of the cook’s imminent execution, I used animated rainclouds, lightning, and the sound of thunder. To add to this I created a shadow on the entire video to make it seem darker, and added multiple layers of tense, clashing music. To get these videos and sounds, I used a YouTube to mp3 converter to acquire the authentic Tudor music in my text, and a different converter to download YouTube clips to my desktop in order to publish them in the text.

Who or what will play the lead character?

I have decided to have a lead character to 'guide' the reader through the adventure. This character will speak, meaning I can keep my actual text to a minimum and focus more on the more unusual modes such as sound and music. 

I have considered various characters to act as the ‘guide’ for the reader on this adventure, originally deliberating a Tudor child, of whom the reader (as a child themselves) would be able to directly relate to. I then decided to go down a more ‘gruesome’ route, as I have found this would be more interesting and appealing to a young reader; something for them to go ‘ewww!’ at. I considered a rat and a flea, before eventually deciding on a fly. By choosing a small animal it is easier to have a sense of perspective, the reader is able to appreciate big and small backgrounds, but I mainly liked the idea of having something with wings, so I can create a variety of more unusual angles for the multimodal text, such as flying over a room or scenery. With a fly I can also more modes, such as a 'buzzing' sound effect and hovering custom animation.

After extensively searching for cartoon fly images, I was unable to find anything quite suitable; I wanted a fly with a bit of character to it, so I decided to create my own. This way I could personify it more and make it more relevant to the story by adorning the fly with a typical hat from the Tudor era! I started by drawing my own fly, but I found it difficult to get rid of the off-colour background to paste it seamlessly onto a background picture.

I have ultimately decided to create my own design on the computer itself. This meant I could easily edit the fly in order to change its facial expressions, adding that extra bit of character. I downloaded GIMP (The GNU Image Manipulation Program) and used this as an aid to create and enhance my Tudor fly. This software is brand new to me and I have been finding it relatively difficult to manipulate, but it is useful to try a new way of adding colours and using filters.

Further inspiration: Horrible Histories books

Thinking further into the field of educational history for children, I have looked at the hugely successful and critically acclaimed books (and recently television series), Horrible Histories, a series I myself grew up reading as a child. These are books designed to teach children about key times in history, while still being fun-to-read and containing a juicy bit of gore and gruesomeness.

A collection of some of the Horrible Histories books

It is important to note however that although I intend my text to be thematically similar with a similar 'horrible history' semantic field, the typology and general formal of my text will be vastly different from the Horrible Histories books. These books are written in a conventional black-and-white, words-printed-on-paper format, whereas my text will be the polar opposite to this. However, in the books there are frequent cartoons with amusing quotation bubbles, as well as some fun diagrams. These break up the text into smaller chunks, giving the reader a light break. The author also draws attention to important names and facts by using bold typography.

A look inside the books shows funny cartoons and bold typography...

Looking at the content and style of Horrible Histories has also helped me to find a way of incorporating social realism into my text, as Horrible Histories have proven that gruesomeness is something which can really appeal to children. Therefore, I have decided to touch on one of the most pervasive aspects of social realism: death. The Tudors were notorious for their public executions and their high death-by-execution rate, and therefore my chosen history period will be the Tudor era. I have decided that the ‘adventure’ in my text will be having to find clues, in order to save an innocent person from getting beheaded.