Textual Analysis

James May test-drives the GM Hy-Wire concept car

 

The documentary that I analysed was James May test-drives the GM Hy-Wire concept car. The car uses hydrogen fuel cell production and drive by wire technology. The documentary used different camera angles such as close up, panning and zooming which enhanced the scene. These camera angles were effective in showing the audience that the GM Hy-Wire concept car was not slow compared to regular gas cars and it was the future. Throughout the film, the GM Hy-Wire concept car was filmed in medium to long panning shots and this gave the audience an impression that the car was easy to drive. There was a lot of point of view shots showing how to drive the car and using some devices. There was a worm’s eye view of the car braking and this was showing that the tyres were not screeching like a regular gas car.

There was a dissolve when he was looking at different parts of the car. The presenter was dressed casually wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. The setting was at a peaceful location where he could drive without any distractions. The presenter first introduced the car by saying that this is a new breed of cars and explaining that the car is evolving. The presenter was speaking on the other side of the road and the camera was zooming in. The test drive was the presenter explaining how comfortable it was to drive using point of view shots and close ups. There was a medium shot of a waterfall and this is due to the documentary being filmed as peaceful. A collection of medium shots showing things like waterfall have nothing to do with the documentary but the audience may find it fascinating.

Shot reverse shots were used for interviewing the public about the GM Hy-Wire concept car and test driven the car to see how comfortable it is compared to what they normally drive. The structure starts with the presenter giving a brief introduction about the car. The presenter using a variety of camera shots further examines the car. The test drive shows how the presenter felt comfortable driving. There were frequent cuts during the test drive as he was using different parts of the car. The car was then taken apart and explained in thorough detail by the presenter using medium shots. The closing statement gave the audience something to think about.