A guide to writing an excellent textual analysis!

Have you been ever stuck when it comes to putting together a textual analysis of a short film? Well with this guide, you will never be stuck again!

What is a 'textual analysis'?

Textual analysis of film requires observing and questioning all the elements that create meaning within the piece, such as acting, directing, lighting, cinematography, mise en scene, etc. Besides noticing the individual elements that create a film’s meaning, textual analysis also involves understanding how the film fits into the larger context of its social, historical, cultural and political environment. So textual analysis also requires researching a film’s genre, audience as well as its historical, institutional, and socio-cultural significance. It’s only in combining both that we can create a thorough understanding of the film.

How to execute a 'textual analysis'

First of all, start by reading the question thoroughly, engraining the task in your head so you can be thinking about the question while you watch the clip; make sure you take some notes while you do this. After this, begin typing up/writing up your textual analysis and stick to this basic structure:

I. Genre and Audience-

1. What tradition or genre is it in?
2. What are the features determining genre?
3. What other work might it be connected to?
4. Who made this? Why?
5. What can we tell about its’ creators?
6. How does it fit within the director’s other work?
a. Does it share significant narrative or thematic concerns?
b. Does it share particular visual or technical elements?
7. What is the film’s theme?
8. What is the target audience? How does it address its audience?

II. Historical and Institutional Factors-

1. What are the institutional factors that may be important?
a. as a production of a specific producer (i.e. Walt Disney), institution (Disney Studios), specific economic factors (Studio Film), or a political background? (U.S. politics 1959)
2. What is the film’s historical significance?
a. as a document of its time?
b. as a part of history of film?

III. Socio-cultural context

1. What is the film’s socio-cultural context?
c. as a work from a specific country?
d. As a work from a specific culture?
e. As a work representing a specific part of its society?
f. As a work made for a specific audience?
g. As a work made for a specific reason?

IV. Narrative

1. How is this film constructed according to narrative/story being told?
2. Is the narrative organized by plot or time sequence, or some other way?
3. Does the film use other principles than narrative sequence as a structure (for instance, an argument?
4. What is the nature of our engagement with the story or characters?

V. Film Language and Representation

1. How are characters and issues represented?
2. What is the style and effect of acting and performance?
3. How is meaning created by camera angles, shots, and camera movement?
4. How is meaning created by editing and sequencing?
5. How is meaning created by lighting, shade and color?
6. How is meaning created by sound and music?
7. How is meaning created by location and set design?
8. Does the film make use of symbols, metaphors, or allegories? Share are they and how do they work within the context of the film?
9. How is meaning created by technical elements such as production design, mise en scene, composition, special effects (matte paintings, models or animation, computer generated images….etc.)

http://understandingfilm.wikifoundry.com/page/1.+Textual+Analysis