Textual Analysis
The website I have chosen for my textual analysis is the gallery website of Tim Burton. It is a very simple gallery, showing a limited amount of the illustrative artwork of Tim Burton. I choose this website is not only because Tim Burton had directed the 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, but also as a huge fan of his work and style, I believe that I can receive inspiration from his works.
When we first enter the website there is a countdown in the form of illustrations drawn by Tim Burton.
Afterwards we are greeted with an official notice that shows the authenticity of the site and promoting the official illustration book with a hyperlink to the website which users can buy the book.
The concept of making the gallery into a little simulation in which one can control an avatar called Stain boy to where to go using the keys on the keyboard is a very interesting ideal as it transforms a normally 2D into a 3D one, giving the users a rather unique online gallery-viewing experience.
After reading the instructional message, we are then given freedom to try out how to control the avatar, which is the purpose of the first page in which there is two trees, a door leading to another page and stain boy, the avatar. The content on the website all looks rather hand drawn. A rather eerie soundtrack also begins to play, adding to the ambiance of the site.
Both the Private and Public gallery are identical in that they show exactly 13 artworks each and brings you back to the corridor page afterwards, making it simple and easy for users to navigate. Each of the individual artworks can be zoomed into for further inspection.The only difference would be that in the Private gallery, it is required to submit an email, agreeing to receive promotional material. There are hardly any words as it is a gallery site, giving the user a very visual experience.
Though the artworks are rather surreal and Gothic and may not even be beautiful to some people, the artist’s imagination and individuality can clearly be seen in the gallery.
Overall, this website gives users a one-of-a-kind experience. I believe that this website shows the Uses and Gratifications theory; it shows all 3 key dimensions which are content, process and social gratification. The content gratification is shown by the user’s motivation to see the specific artwork of Tim Burton and can even buy his illustration book if the desire. The Process gratification is satisfied by the usage of the Stain Boy avatar, which is used for navigating site instead of a mouse cursor, thus creating a new type of relationship between the user and the technology media. And finally, the social gratification is when the user submits their email to gain access to the private gallery, in the process, connecting a fan based community to receiving the latest updates. Fans of Tim Burton’s style and even aspiring artist will definitely find this site worth exploring.
Reference
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