Résumé of the digital video

In short, the analysis on the compositional level illustrates how several different semiotic resources are combined to create the structure of the video as a whole. The narrative is based on a commonly used structure: exposition, conflict, rise of action, denouement, and coda. Three different scenes move the video forward in narration and time. An essential finding is the students’

use of the coda, as a metacomment on the digital video, to deepen possible interpretations and to substantiate and clarify their intentions. By the use of the coda, the students further substantiate their interpretation of the poem and relate this to a larger frame of reference by commenting on an issue of topical interest at that particular time. The analysis also shows that transitions play an important role in weaving the digital video to a cohesive “text”, and that this is realised by the use of sound and voice-over as well as movement in both time and space.

(a) delineating identity explorations by presenting their thematic interpretation of showing one’s true self represented by a storyline of a homosexual revealing her sexual orientation

(b) the use of frame shots, camera angles, and particularly sound effects in creating contact, distance, and point of view

(c) the narrative structure to establish rhythm and the use of coda and sound effects in creating salience.

The digital video delineates identity explorations, exemplified as but not limited to revealing one’s sexual orientation by presenting a storyline of a girl confronting her peers, being rejected, getting support from another girl, and running off with this girl. The analysis illustrates how the students in the video represent their interpretation by the actions of the represented participants; by the choice of locations and settings that constitute a context for the represented participants; by the use of sound and visual effects; and by the use of written text to substantiate and clarify their intentions and interpretations. The students employ different semiotic resources in their digital video for different purposes, but throughout the video they use the acting of the represented participants, sound and visual effects, and the reciting of the poem to represent the storyline of a person revealing their true self. They also use written text, particularly to substantiate and clarify their thematic interpretation.

The use of voice-over in reciting the poem is a central part of the digital video and, together with the other modes used, serves the purpose of narrating the story.

The relationship between the two girls can be considered as friendship, and the storyline as being about becoming accepted or finding friendship. The video is, thus, ambiguous and open for interpretation, and can in this sense be referred to as poetic.

However, as illustrated in the analysis, there are signs in the coda indicating that the issue at stake is homosexuality, with the explicit reference in the written comment “Thanks to Karin Boye (who was

homosexual)” accompanied by the sound effect of applause and cheers. Thus, the students’ use of a coda is remarkable in several ways. By the use of the coda they further substantiate their interpretation of the poem and relate this to a larger frame of reference by commenting on an issue of topical interest at the time.

The represented participants, the setting, and the students’ references to homosexuality refer to explorations and reflections regarding identity that are characteristic of adolescents. Thus, as mentioned before, the digital video brings up identity explorations, exemplified as but not limited to revealing one’s sexual orientation.

The findings illuminate how the students use a multiplicity of semiotic resources in their digital video. What is particularly remarkable is their use of sound. Sound effects play a central part in the video as a means of reducing distance to the viewer, establishing tone, mood and social meaning, narrating the story, and indicating how the central relationship might develop; the intimidating sound in the first scene; the pounding heart in the second; the church bells in the third; and the cheers and applause in the coda. Interestingly, the use of the pounding heart is actually doing all of these things. It reduces the distance to the viewer by creating a sense of intimacy and closeness; it serves as a narrative device since it starts beating louder as the girls grab each other’s hands and run off together; and it ascribes social meaning, as it can be interpreted as indicating love between two persons of same sex.

The students’ digital video addresses the viewer from a certain point of view with a variety of resources, which is noticeable in the students’ use of horizontal and oblique camera angles to create but also reduce the distance to the represented participants; by addressing the viewer as well as commenting on their thematic interpretation in written text; and by the use of sound effects, such as applause and cheers to emphasise a certain viewpoint and standpoint. By these means they are taking a clear standpoint and opinion on an issue. A prominent finding is also the students’ use of different semiotic resources in creating contact and distance, which is noticeable in variation in frame shots to create and reduce distance; in the use of sound effects of a pounding heart to create intimacy and closeness;

and by including “failed scenes” that, besides serving as a meta comment to the digital video, also comment on their own working process, which reduces the distance to the viewer.

The narrative of the video is based on a commonly used structure:

exposition, conflict, rise of action, denouement, and coda. Three different scenes move the video ahead in narration and time. An essential finding is the students’ use of the coda. The coda is used as a meta-comment to the digital video and further deepens possible interpretations. By the use of coda the students substantiate and clarify their interpretation of the poem and relate this to a larger frame of reference by commenting on an issue of topical interest at that particular time. The analysis also shows that transitions play an important role in weaving the digital video to a cohesive “text”, and that this is realised by the use of sound and voice-over as well as movement in both time and space. Another essential finding is the use of sound effects in creating salience. The students use sound effects to draw attention to several issues, such as the use of an intimidating sound to establish an intense confrontational situation;

the use of the heartbeat to indicate intimacy, closeness and, possibly, love; the use of church bells to indicate the connection to marriage;

and the of applause and cheers as a standpoint regarding the issue of homosexuality.

6 DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study is to contribute to furthering the knowledge of students’ multimodal designing in response to literature by studying how a transmediation process of digital videomaking in response to a poetic text influences the interpretive work among a group of students in lower secondary education. In the quest to address this issue, attention is focused on both the process of students’ collective work and the digital video they produced;

meaning-making is considered both in the multimodal digital video and in the negotiations during the process of videomaking. To understand how a digital videomaking process influences the students’ negotiations of the literary text, the following research questions were posed: (1) What characterises the students’

multimodal designing process regarding their use of semiotic resources as means to negotiate their interpretation of the poem? and (2) How do the students, in their digital video, use semiotic resources to represent their interpretation of the poem? These questions have been addressed and discussed in Chapter 5, and in this chapter the analyses are interpreted and discussed from a wider angle, coming back to the main theoretical ideas that have been emphasised in the study. Initially, I discuss multimodal designing in response to literature through the lens of transmediation and offer a furthering of the understanding of transmediation as combining, juxtaposing, and emphasising different interpretations (6.1). Following this, I discuss video poetry as exploring and establishing social agency (6.2) and discuss how such a transmediation process exemplified in this study

can be seen as offering performative spaces for negotiating literary interpretations (6.3). Finally, I critically discuss the advantages and limitations of the methods used (6.4).

6.1 Transmediation as combining, juxtaposing and