COMPARATIVE NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FILM AND TELEVISION SERIES AS TEXTS
Edward LarkeyProfessor of German Studies and Intercultural CommunicationDepartment of Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural CommunicationUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)Baltimore, Maryland, USAEmail: [email protected]
Purpose of using ATLAS.ti
Derive quantitative and qualitative data from elapsed time segments of audiovisual narrative: Quotations ➙ Codings
Correlate data on narrative structure and content with similarly-derived data on camera work, dialog, music and scoring, and frame composition: and scoring, and frame composition: Quotations ➙ Codings➙ Links
Visualize correlated data in charts, diagrams, tables and other graphic representations;
Delineate what is meant by a “televisual language” capable of comparative analysis;
Object(s) of analysis: TV Format Comparisons
Television Formats: Scripted fictional TV series
originally produced in one country/region, but reproduced with new cast, in a new location, culturally modified story line and
Linguistic/Geographic Regions (both ways) US-UK Japanese-Korean-Taiwan-
China-Hong Kong Intra Latin American: Chile-modified story line and
with other culturally, socially, politically, and institutionally specific adjustments to length and content of story
Intra Latin American: Chile-Argentina-Colombia-Mexico
France – Quebec US/UK-Turkish and other
areas: Grey’s Anatomy, Monk, In Treatment, Yo soy Betty la fea, The Office, Doc Martin, etc.
Digital Tools of Analysis
Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premiere Video Editing Subtitling Scene and Segment
Marking
Cinemetrics Online database of scene
length and other segmentations
Continually growing database of film and TV series
Marking
Microsoft Excel Creation of tables with
quantitative data: elapsed time in mm:ss and percentage
Creation of graphs and charts with comparative temporal data
database of film and TV series
Multi-Media Analysis Multi-track timeline
visualization of audio-visual components
Color coded tracking of audio, visual + other aspects
Dragnet “The Big Seventeen” (1951)
Stahlnetz “Die blaue Mütze” (1958)
Similarities
Narrative content/story: both mark off boundaries of morally “good” consumerism of post-war period among the “vulnerable” youth
Dragnet “The Big Seventeen”: Teenage use of drugs “bad” Dragnet “The Big Seventeen”: Teenage use of drugs “bad” (chaos, disorder), patriarchy “good” (discipline, “normal”)
Stahlnetz “Die blaue Mütze”: US entertainment and consumer culture “bad” (deviance, disorder) , work and local culture “good” (normal, orderly)
Dragnet (US) / Stahlnetz (Germany)
Similarities Crime Genre: paradigmatic for separate TV crime traditions
Cast of characters: Detective and Sidekick: Morally upright and searching for truth
Urban Setting Urban Setting
Music: same music composition used: Signum and transitions
Voiceover commentaries by main detective
Middle class postwar bourgeois “normalcy” and ordinariness is positive value and orientation for youth
Linear narrative progression: no flashbacks or flash forwards
Dragnet/StahlnetzNarrative Structure Similarities
Dragnet: Illustrated Radio Drama24 Minutes 1951 »The Big Seventeen«
Stahlnetz: Film adapted for TV44 Minutes 1958 »Die blaue Mütze«
Introduction Voiceover
Dragnet »The City«
serious Joe Friday
Stahlnetz Berlin-
Neukölln comedic
Anonymous
Commission of Crime
DragnetMovie
Theater RiotRecounted
(3x)
StahlnetzAssault on Soap Store Owner Re-
enacted (1x);Recounted
(2x)
Dragnet Stahlnetz
0:40
2:16
5.9%
2.4%
00:38
05:07
Dragnet: Illustrated Radio Drama24 Minutes 1951 »The Big Seventeen«
Stahlnetz: Film adapted for TV44 Minutes 1958 »Die blaue Mütze«
Search for Evidence
owner
DragnetHarold
Everson Jr.
Stahlnetz
Otto Ott
Interview with Victim
Dragnet Jocko
Harris Drug Supplier
Stahlnetz
Emmanuel Fischer Soap
02:53
04:33
7.05%
10.2%
03:40
01:06↑
↱
Seite von 1 2
YouthCriminals
DragnetOne
PerpetratorOne
Accomplice
StahlnetzOne
PerpetratorOne
Accomplice
Crime Scene Investigation
DragnetMovie
TheaterStahlnetz
Soap Store
Crime Scene Investigation
Evidence
DragnetMarijuana
cigarettes in box
StahlnetzSoap Store Blue Cap
01:23
3.4%
00:01
03:45
Seite von 2 2
SupplierFischer Soap Store Owner
InterrogationsSuspects
Girlfriend/Fianceé
Resolution
Apprehension
Motive
QuestioningRelativesFriends
WitnessesEmployers
ConversationsSidekick
03:45
03:35
Suspect 1:06:26
Suspect 2:06:11
06:23
7.05%
8.04%14.33%
14.44%
13.9%
8.42%
03:25
Suspect02:21
DemmeringMother02:28
See also MovieTheater owner
03:45
⤴
↑
↑
↳ →
Differences Dragnet/Stahlnetz
Aspects Dragnet “The Big Seventeen”
Stahlnetz “Die blaueMütze” (The blue cap)
Story content and moral Teenage drug use leads to destruction of self and property
Superficial US consumer goods (cap, music, fashion,lifestyle) lead to deviant behavior
Type of narrative diegetic mimetic
Length of episode 24 minutes 44 minutes
Aesthetic tradition Illustrated radio drama TV adaptation of film
Number of scenes (approx) 11 24
Mood Serious/objective Ironic/self-deprecating/objective
Introductory Segments
Dragnet: 00:38 Voiceover Stahlnetz: 02:37 Voiceover
ATLAS.ti Step1: Creating Quotations
1. Compile quotations 1. narrative structure and content: List of scenes (duration
and placement) and sequencing: see slide 7
2. dialog types1. Voiceover: Main detective1. Voiceover: Main detective
2. Interrogations: Suspects and accomplices
3. Questioning: relatives, friends, employers, witnesses, victims
4. Conversations: between detective and sidekick
2. Create links between quotations1. Narrative structure
2. Dialog types
ATLAS.ti Step 2: Codes
1. Create Codes
1. Narrative structure
2. Dialog structure
2. Create links between codes2. Create links between codes
1. Narrative structure
2. Dialog structure
3. Clues and Steps to resolution of crime
P. 1/4: Quotation link report »Dialog«
Alibis of suspect(s)
Apprehension of Suspect(s)
Café Owner
Clue Deliverer
CluesCommission of Crime
Conversations
Crime Scene Investigation
Evidence/Possessor
Evidence/Possessor/Matuschke
Evidence/Relation to Crime or Suspects
Fischer
Alibis of suspect(s)
0 28 0 5 31 8 0 0 40 21 34 3
Apprehension of Suspect(s)
28 0 2 0 8 4 1 0 16 14 15 3
Café Owner
0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 2 3 0
Clue Deliverer
5 0 1 0 10 2 0 4 5 3 6 1Deliverer
5 0 1 0 10 2 0 4 5 3 6 1
Clues 31 8 2 10 0 14 11 7 57 18 49 14Commission of Crime
8 4 0 2 14 0 3 5 6 10 7 10
Conversations
0 1 0 0 11 3 0 2 13 0 4 0
Crime Scene Investigation
0 0 0 4 7 5 2 0 1 0 2 6
Evidence/Possessor
40 16 3 5 57 6 13 1 0 14 46 3
Evidence/Possessor/Matuschke
21 14 2 3 18 10 0 0 14 0 15 2
List of Code Group Members
Groups: List of Code Groups and their Members
Code Group CodesDialog Narrative Structure
Introduction to City and Story
Commission of Crime
Crime Scene Investigation
Questioning
Conversations
Interrogations
Resolution of Crime; Arrest of Criminal
Post-Crime Conclusion
Darker Blue: Dialog CodesLighter Blue:
Narrative Structure Codes
Resolution of Crime; Arrest of Criminal
Evidence/Possessor
Evidence/Relation to Crime or Suspects
Clues
Alibis of suspect(s)
Motive for Crime
Clue Deliverer
Apprehension of Suspect(s)
Ideological/Discursive Context
Voiceover
Identification of Suspect(s)
Evidence/Possessor/Matuschke
Helga Heiderich
Körfer
Schmidt
Ms Eberhard
Wetzlar
Ott
Café Owner
Fischer
Matuschke
Recounting Story
Narrative StructureIntroduction to City and Story
Commission of Crime
Opening Credits
Crime Scene Investigation
Questioning
Conversations
Interrogations
ATLAS.ti Codebook
Alibis of suspect(s) ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Apprehension of Suspect(s) ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Café Owner ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Clue Deliverer ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Clues ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Commission of Crime ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Voiceover [no entry] Edward Larkey
Wetzlar ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Page one Page two
Conversations ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Crime Scene Investigation ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Evidence/Possessor ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Evidence/Possessor/Matuschke ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Evidence/Relation to Crime or Suspects ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Fischer ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Helga Heiderich ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Identification of Suspect(s) ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Ideological/Discursive Context ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Interrogations ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Introduction to City and Story ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Körfer ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Matuschke ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Motive for Crime ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
Ms Eberhard ■ [no entry] Edward Larkey
ATLAS.ti Report
Quotations according to Code with comments
Quotations according to code no comments
List of hyperlinks with comments
ATLAS.ti Quotation Frequency + Density according to Codes
Quotation Link Chart
03:55.84 – 04:19.74_00:23.89_Crime Scene Investigation (1)
continued by
03:01.64 – 03:13.69_00:12.05_In soap store_actual attack_(3)
Edward Larkey
17. Aug 15Edward Larkey
17. Aug 15
04:00.56 – 04:06.38_00:05.81_
03:55.84 – 04:19.74_
00:05.81_Wetzlar Voiceover_Description of Crime-recounted
expands00:23.89_Crime Scene Investigation (1)
Edward Larkey
07. Aug 15Edward Larkey
07. Aug 15
04:06.62 – 04:12.17_00:05.54_Police Work begins at Crime Scene
expands
04:00.56 – 04:06.38_00:05.81_Wetzlar Voiceover_Description of Crime-recounted
Edward Larkey
07. Aug 15Edward Larkey
07. Aug 15
ATLAS.ti Frequency + Density of Quotations according to Codes
ATLAS.ti Hyperlink Network Diagram
Problems using ATLAS.ti for Narrative Analysis of Film and Television
Quotation naming strategies: Elapsed time in file name
Developing a set of quotation and code links
What are suitable codes and links for narrative What are suitable codes and links for narrative structure and content?
What are adequate and appropriate data visualizations of quotations, codes, and links?
Is ATLAS.ti a suitable instrument of analysis for our needs?
