| With the rapid development of multimedia technology,the dominant role that language plays in communication is challenged by other semiotic resources such as visual image,sound and action.Accordingly,the traditional analysis which is restricted to language itself is far from comprehensive and exhaustive,and we are compelled to take other semiotic resources into consideration.Hence,Multimodal Discourse Analysis thriving in the 90s of the last century solves the problem to most degree,for which Systemic-Functional Grammar founded by Halliday(1973)is well suited to provide theoretical tools.Derived from three meta-functions in Systemic-Functional Grammar,Kress and van Leeuwen(1996)proposed the first systemic framework for visual analysis in Reading Images.This thesis aims to analyze opening ceremonies of Beijing Olympic Games and the Rio Olympic Games by using Multimodal Discourse Analysis.The research is based on the qualitative analysis,and the comparison of the screen-shots is made from the following three respects:representative meaning,interactive meaning and compositional meaning.The results can be summarized as follows:(1)Both opening ceremonies present the scenes in which athletes are holding up the torch by reaction process.While the scenes of the respected people in action process,the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games adopts the action process to display children's performance.The opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games employs action process to show the scenes of the disabled and black people.The two opening ceremonies display their historical buildings and the country's pillar industries in a symbolic way.(2)Both opening ceremonies depict facial expressions from the frontal angle.However,Beijing highlights common people while Rio emphasizes celebrities.The changing shots are employed in both opening ceremonies to capture scenes.Whereas,traditional elements are presented through close shot in the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony while through long shot in the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.The way of presentation traces to different purposes of demonstration.Scenery is shot from high angle in the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony whiles at eye-level angle in the Rio Olympics opening ceremony.Both of them adopt high color saturation to reflect the reaction of audience.The Rio Olympics opening ceremony exclusively adopts de-contextualization to depict several scenes of eye contact.(3)The buildings are placed in center-margin direction.Beijing put buildings in the center while Rio put its heritages off the center.Facial expressions are salient in both ceremonies and the involvement of facial expression aims to demonstrate people's attitude towards the Olympic Games directly.The conclusion can be drawn that the similarities between the two Olympic Games opening ceremonies lie in the common pursuit of the Olympic spirit.They are represented to show the country's historical achievements and social development as well.The root of the differences is caused by the distinct ways of expressing emotion,different historical processes,distinguishing ideologies and orientations of values.The study of this thesis plays an important role in the study of multi-modal discourse analysis and Olympic opening ceremony.This study offers reader a brand new angle to the appreciation of the Olympic opening ceremony and the culture,society and ideology contained therein.This new perspective also provides an idea for the future opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. |
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