MM1 Introduction

MM1-h A toolkit for analyzing and composing multimodal texts

MM1-hA toolkit for analyzing and composing multimodal texts

As a first step in looking at multimodal texts, you need to learn to identify the different modes a composer is using and to examine them separately. Sections MM2 through MM6 ask you to read and analyze written words, sounds, static images, moving images, and multimodal compositions. This text includes a toolkit that helps you evaluate individual modes and multimodal compositions. You will learn to think in terms of What? How? Who? and Why? as you answer questions like these in sections MM2 through MM6:

Genre. What kind of text is it? A slide show? An audio essay? An advertisement?
Features. How would you describe the elements of the text? What styles and treatments has the composer used to create emphasis, maintain clarity, or inspire feeling?
Purpose and audience. What is the text doing? For what reason was the text created? Who is the intended reader/viewer/listener?
Meaning. What is your interpretation of the text? (Keep in mind that your interpretation—your take on the meaning—may differ from the composer’s intended message.)

Sections MM2 through MM6 include specific advice about how to apply these tools to different types of texts—those composed of written words, sounds, static (or still) images, or moving images—and to compositions that combine these modes.