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.