Publication details
Setting and Framing as a Reflection of Power Dynamics in South Park
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Ideology and power dynamics are present in our daily lives, whether we are aware of it or not. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in multimodality, which enabled more thorough investigations into the function and purpose of communicative modes beyond just language, particularly focusing on visual resources. Jewitt (2014, 32), Machin and Mayr (2012, 15) and others point out that visual semiotic resources are among the primary means used to communicate ideologies and demonstrate power dynamics. This makes visual resources the central theme of my presentation. In this presentation, which constitutes a part of my dissertation, I will analyse four episodes of the famous satirical show South Park. Specifically, I will examine static shots from these episodes, focusing on two main aspects: the setting (including characters and other visual elements) and the framing of shots (character positions, camera distance, and angles). For the setting, it is crucial to analyse both what is presented visually and how it is presented, focusing on the emphasis of certain elements and the symbolism they convey (Machin and Mayr 2012). Framing also plays a significant role in illustrating power dynamics. For instance, close-up shots often depict characters as powerless, while images shot from above, showing a group, may symbolise uniformity (Chouliaraki 2014; Machin and Mayr 2012). My aim is to explore how these visual elements reflect power dynamics within the episodes. Each selected episode satirises a different social issue, typically between two opposing groups from different socioeconomic backgrounds. |
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