PRACTICE

Interpreting Texts

An Introduction to Linguistic Analysis

Part 2. Text & message.

Special effects & manipulating meaning

Contents

List of visuals

D. Language vs. multi-modal communication

Adriana Vizental
 WHO IS THE SPEAKER?

Multi-modal communication: text – voice – video

Picture and sound effects

The dog rushes to the door, greeting his keepers

as they pass by him. Looking at the child, he
approaches but the baby starts crying. He leaves the
room but with a sad face watches the beautiful scene
of a lovely family.
The father observes the sadness in the dog’s eyes, so he
grabs the phone and search on the well known platform
of purchasing merchandise “Amazon Prime” a solution.
The add, continues with the dog wearing a lions’ mane.
The dog approaches the baby while the music stops in
the same time the dog stops in front of the baby.
The child reaches and touches the dog, and the music
starts to play.

Voice over ( a soft female voice )

“I wish I could ask you
How was your day
We may be different
But also the same
A friend would be lovely
Don't you agree
Close we could be
Smiling and free
*humming
Just you and me...
*music stops
*the child reaches to the dog
*music begins
And together feel the love my dear
Never apart”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6XKV1RSQOY)
Analysis

Language: the text:

✔ the name of the product &
✔ the signature line (spoken in English, written in English and Japanese)
The visual:
✔ the story – conveyed visually
• a succession of visual images - representational structure ( demanding and
offering pictures, a mix from which the message is well exploited to sent a
certain message and to apply on the receivers’ way of life )
✔ body language – intensely exploited
• the actors’ and dogs’ gestures and facial expressions convey intentions,
feelings and emotions; a bidirectional transaction
✔ visual grammar
• the close-up shot is also made upon the father, who introduces us to the brand
that they are promoting, “Amazon Prime”
• its frame has the shape of square giving the connotation of order and
artificiality yet it transmits the message that the platform contains everything
from A to Z, ( e.g. Amazon)
• while the colors give us the connotation of authority, boldness combined with
an orange arrow (the smile of the customers) – reduced palette
✔ the impact of the visuals alone ( the scene of the happy family, the sad dog, their
relation and actions) is full contextualization softness which has a direct impact
on the receiver

The sound:
• muzak ( background music )
• sound effects – enhance the impact of the commercial
✔ the moment of deadly silence ( e.g. when the dog, wearing the lions’ mane,
approaches the baby waiting to be touched , and accepted, by her)
➢ creates a sense of heightened suspense:
➢ the receiver waits, impatient to see if the plan worked ( e.g. the purchase
from the platform is truly useful )
✔ the baby’s hesitation and her final decision:
✔ supported auditively by the building up of sound and rhythm
✔ soft melody accompanied by a kind , low, delicate, finely tuned voice
✔ the slowed down rhythm of music
Figurative speech: textual metaphor
• metonymy: the material ( e.g. lion’s mane ) instead of the object it derived of
( e.g. Amazon , the platform )
• metaphor: the name of the platform( e.g. Amazon ), implying the vast river
Amazon and the vast merchandise the platform offers; the way the dog
impersonates the lion making the connection to the arrow under the logo which
makes the receiver aware of the color both sharing it (orange mane, orange arrow,
easy to remember)
• circumlocution/paraphrase: to make the message more interesting and alluring
“And together feel the love my dear/ Never apart” this part of the song, is played
while the logo of the platform is displayed, emphasizing the message