An exemplar for use with a level 2 alternative English class.

1. 2.10 C l o s e R e a d
Vi s u a l Te x t s
Example presentation Christine Wells

2. Qu e s t i o n s t o
c o n s i d e r
 What is happening in this shot?
 What theme or idea does this show?
 What film technique has been used?
 Why has the director used this technique?
 How did this affect the audience?

3. 1. T h e f i l m I
s t u d i e d
L i mi t l e s s
(2011)
Di r e c t e d b y
Ne i l Bu r g e r

4. 2: L i m i t l e s s p l o t
s u mma r y
 Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by
girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that
he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old
friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer
pharmaceutical that makes him laser focused and more
confident than any man alive.
 Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read,
heard or seen is instantly organized and available to
him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the
financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul
Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version
of Eddie as the tool to make billions. But brutal side
effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent...

5. 3. T h e S e q u e n c e
The sequence that I have analysed is when Eddie takes his first
NZT tablet and he has a conflict with his landlord‟s girlfriend in
the corridor outside his apartment.
This scene shows the effect that the NZT has on Eddie and how he
responds to it.

6. 4: A s p e c t 1: C o s t u m e 1
An a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t
t w o c o s t u me s i n t h e e x t r a c t .
Ho w a r e t h e y u s e d t o d e v e l o p
c h a r a c t e r o r i d e a s ?

7. A s p e c t 1: C o s t u m e 1
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t t wo
c o s t u me s i n t h e e x t r a c t . H o w
a r e t he y us e d t o de v e l op
c h a r a c t e r o r i d e a s ?
 The director includes an over the shoulder shot of Eddie
who is talking to his ex-wife‟s brother. He is wearing old
jeans and a dull grey/brown coloured shirt and jacket.
His hair is long, dirty and uncared for and he is
unshaven. The director uses Eddie‟s costume to make
the audience aware that he is down and out, he is
unsuccessful as a writer and is feeling uninspired and
hopeless. This shot is linked to the theme of despair as
the audience could assume that Eddie is feeling hopeless
about his life.

8. A s p e c t 1: C o s t u m e 2
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t t wo
c o s t u me s i n t h e e x t r a c t . H o w a r e
t h e y us e d t o de v e l op c h a r a c t e r o r
i d e a s ?

9. A s p e c t 1: C o s t u m e 2
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t t wo
c o s t u me s i n t h e e x t r a c t . H o w a r e
t h e y us e d t o de v e l op c h a r a c t e r o r
i d e a s ?
 In contrast a close up shot of Eddie at the end of the
film shows him with short hair, close shaved and wearing
a suit and tie. The director shows the audience that he
now takes pride in his appearance and feels confident
about who he is and his role in life. This links to the
theme of transformation as it informs the audience that
Eddie has changed from his former deadbeat self into a
successful business man who believes he can achieve
anything.
 These 2 costumes are used to reinforce the development
of Eddies character from a no-hoper to a successful
person and also to portray the theme of transformation
to the audience.

10. 5. A s p e c t 2
An a l y s e t h e u s e o f l i ght i ng i n
t h e e x t r a c t . Ho w d o e s i t c r e a t e
m o o d o r d e v e l o p c h a r a c t e r /i d e a s
i n t h e e x t r a c t ? Ho w d o e s i t
ma n i p u l a t e o r a f f e c t t h e
a u d i e n c e ?

11. A s p e c t 2
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f l i ght i ng i n t he
e x t r a c t . H o w d o e s i t c r e a t e mo o d o r
d e v e l o p c h a r a c t e r /i d e a s i n t h e
e x t r a c t ? H o w d o e s i t ma n i p u l a t e o r
a f f e c t t h e a u d i e n c e ?
 The mood changes to become intense and triumphant. The
lighting in this scene reflects this when it changes from
being dull to well lit and bright after the effects of the pill
are felt by Eddie.
 The director manipulates the lighting to help the audience
to understand that before Eddie took the pill his life was dull
and going nowhere. When he takes the pill the bright light
suggests to the audience that the light in his mind had been
turned on and his world has now been opened to many new
possibilities.
 The light shines brightly on Eddies face and combines with a
close up so that the audience can see the expression on his
face. A voiceover of Eddie saying, “I was blind but now I
see” reinforces the idea/theme of transformation. This
dialogue is a reference to the apostle Paul from the Bible
who said the same thing.

12. 6. A s p e c t 3
An a l y s e t h e u s e o f mu s i c i n
t h e e x t r a c t . Ho w i s i t u s e d
t o de v e l op c ha r a c t e r , i de a s ,
o r mo o d ?
 The music in this scene changes as the lighting changes.
When the pill takes effect Eddie is suddenly able to hear
every sound around him. He is aware of the smallest
sound which helps the audience to understand that his
world is changing. The director utilises the orchestral
music and otherworldly sounds to suggest a spiritual
experience or epiphany.
 The director uses the music to show the audience the
effect of the drug on Eddie. It shows that Eddie is now
awake to the world and his surroundings, he is now able
to access 100 per cent of his brain. Because of his
epiphany he now has supernatural abilities which will
help him to succeed in whatever he chooses to do. The
use of music in this extract is used to reinforce the
theme/idea of transformation.

13. 7. A s p e c t 4: S h o t 1
An a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t
t w o s h o t s a n d /o r c a m e r a
m o v e m e n t s i n t h e e x t r a c t . Wh a t
i s t he p u r p o s e o f e a c h a n d h o w
i s t h i s d e v e l o p e d ?

14. A s p e c t 4: S h o t 1
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t t wo
s h o t s a n d /o r c a m e r a mo v e me n t s i n
t h e e x t r a c t . Wh a t i s t he p u r p o s e o f
e a c h a n d h o w i s t h i s d e v e l o p e d ?
 The director „s purpose for this shot is to show the
audience the wonder and awe Eddie feels as he realises
that his life now has endless possibilities.
 The director develops this purpose through a close up of
Eddies face as he experiences he initial effects of the
drug. The close up is used to show the audience his
reaction to the effect, his eyes are wide and he is
smiling as he sees and hears all the tiny details
surrounding him. His expression is one of wonder and
awe and the audience is able to see that the drug is
having a huge impact on him.

15. A s p e c t 4: S h o t 2
A n a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t t wo
s h o t s a n d /o r c a me r a mo v e me n t s
i n t he e x t r a c t . Wh a t i s t he
p u r p o s e o f e a c h a n d h o w i s t h i s
d e v e l o p e d ?

16. A s p e c t 4: S h o t 2
An a l y s e t h e u s e o f a t l e a s t
t wo s h o t s a n d /o r c a m e r a
mo v e me n t s i n t h e e x t r a c t . Wh a t
i s t he p u r p o s e o f e a c h a n d h o w
i s t h i s d e v e l o p e d ?
 The director „s purpose for this shot is to show the
audience the change in the relationship between Eddie
and his landlord‟s girlfriend.
 The director develops this purpose through a two shot of
Eddie and the landlord‟s girlfriend smiling and chatting
with each other in the hallway. The two shot is used to
show the audience that he has impressed the landlord‟s
girlfriend with his knowledge and intelligence which is a
result of the NZT working in his system. The audience
can see the positive effect that the drug has had on the
way Eddie can relate to others. This links to the
idea/theme of transformation by showing the first
change in his personality.

17. Th e En d