Textual Analysis

THIS IS MY TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE CRIME AND GANGSTER FILM 'ROCKNROLLA'

The film starts off with a black screen with some heavy bass music. Then we hear a voice over saying 'what is a rock n rolla?' this male person has a cockney accent and his voice sounds husky, stereotypically cockney are associated with crime. This could imply what may or may not happen in the film. 

We are introduced to a topless man, we as the audience assume he is an important character as he has a lot of camera time and the camera zooms in to him. Then we hear the voice over "sex, drugs, money" and we are still hearing the same music.

The camera continues to zoom in on the character and pulls a gun out from the back of his jeans, we assume he is going to shoot something as the music gets quieter. As a gun is stereotyped with crime, this is why we assume he is going to shoot something/someone.

The camera pan round to the side of the character and reveals that the gun is in fact a lighter and he is doing some sort of drug. Drugs is also another convention of a crime and gangster film. Then we hear the voice over "a rock n rolla wants the fucking lot" by this point the music has stopped.

Then we see the title of the film and a animated man holding two guns in his hands. This could imply conflict and is again, another key convention of the genre. The 'N' in the title is a different colour to the 'rock' and 'rolla' which may imply conflict later on in the film

Titles then start to come up of the actors names. Although they are still in animation they are all holding o pose of action, either running or shooting. All of the poses are in accordance to the genre.

After this all the music stops and we immediately get a close up of a middle ages man. Because of this the audience assume this is the main character as this is the first time in the film we have seen a characters face. the voice over says "my names formally known as Charlie Archibald" again, suggesting he is the main character.

We are then introduced to a character 'Lennie'. Lennie is well dressed and wearing dark glasses, implying he wants to hide his identity suggesting crime. We can still hear the same music although it is quieter. 

To end the end of the introduction we see a establishing shot on London, implying where the film is set, and because the narrator has a cockney accent. The music is still continuing at a lower volume.

By having heavy bass music, fast paced shots, implications of the conventions of the genre and the voice over it gives a clear idea to the audience of what the film is about and possibly what might happen later on in it. it is made clear to the audience who the protagonists are and their status in the film. To make my film successful I feel I need to include similar things to this. This has helped me to understand what I need to have in my media text.   

Overall by doing this textual analysis work i have learnt to make a successful opening two minutes i need to use a variety of camera shots, i got an understanding of the type of setting i need to use eg a big well known city, a voice can add tension and give hints towards the film and finally the type of music i need to use eg. bass heavy, fast paced, upbeat.  Knowing all this now i have a better understanding of what needs to go into my own media text to make it successful