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.
Throughout this section you will find a toolkit that helps you evaluate each mode separately and as part of multimodal compositions. You will learn to think in terms of What? How? Who? and Why? as you answer questions like these:
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.)
The following sections include specific advice about how to apply these tools to different types of texts—those composed of words, sounds, static (or still) images, or moving images—and to compositions that combine these modes.
Related topics:
Analyzing written words
Analyzing sound
Analyzing static images
Analyzing moving images
Analyzing multimodal texts