The Intercultural Perspective on Wedding...

E.MI.C.C. – European Master in Intercultural Communication

1

M1/M2 Course: Understanding people’s views and visions. A semiotic approach of audiovisual productions.

T h e I n t e r c u l t u r a l P e r s p e c t i v e o n W e d d i n g C e r e m o n i e s

Authors:

Iris Halevi Andrea Märcz

University of Utrecht

Utrecht, 28.11.2010


2

Table of Content

1/ Introduction 4 2/ The corpus 5 2.1/ Hindu Wedding 5 2.2/ Jewish Israeli Wedding (amateur) 5 2.3/ Gay Wedding 6 2.4/ Greek Orthodox Wedding (amateur) 6 2.5/ Royal Wedding (historical) 6 3/ The principal topics, scenes audiovisual objects of the corpus 7 3.1/ Hindu Wedding 7 3.2/ Israeli Jewish Wedding 9 3.3/ Gay Wedding 13 3.4/ Greek Orthodox Wedding 15 3.5/ Royal Wedding 17 4/ A bottom-up analysis of one audiovisual document 21 4.1/ Hindu Wedding 21 4.2/ The Mise en Scène - The Principle Relevant Objects (Hindu Wedding) 27 4.3/ The Mise en Image of The Filmed Situations (Hindu Wedding 28


3

5/ The audiovisual discourse: messages and public 37 5.1/ Auctorial Instructions 37 5.2/ Intended Public 41 General conclusions 45 Final remarks 46 Bibliography 47


4

1/ Introduction

In the following paper we will present an intercultural analysis of different wedding video’s taken from the website of www.youtube.com. The video’s display weddings from different countries, religions and cultures of the world. It is our goal to find the similarities and differences between the representation of weddings in the world. We will look into the introduction of the bride or groom entering the wedding location. In addition, we will analyze the representations of the wedding ceremony and the attending guests. By focusing on these three key ingredients we will show that there are distinctive patterns which are common to all the video’s in the corpus.

http://www.youtube.com/


5

2/ The corpus Our corpus contains five video’s of different weddings around the world. Some wedding are considered traditional within the local culture, while others are more progressive and modern. In analyzing the central scenes of each wedding video, it will become possible to find general similarities and differences between each wedding. Our top-down analyses and bottom-up analysis will provide us with the necessary data to draw general conclusions and form a possible hypothesis concerning the way weddings are filmed and organized in different cultures of the world.

2.1/ Hindu Wedding This video is 1:02 minutes long and can be considered a professional video, capturing a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony held in Europe. It is the wedding of Sumbul and Sanjay, held on the 21st May in 2010. The central scenes which will be further analyzed are those focusing on the entrance of the groom into the location of the wedding ceremony, the ceremony itself and the representation of the guests at the wedding. Furthermore, this video will also be covered in the bottom-up analysis. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCw0gufSEoE

2.2/ Jewish Israeli Wedding (amateur) This video is 6:20 minutes long and edited in a rather amateur way. It represents the Jewish Israeli wedding of Neta and Eran. It can be considered a ‘typical’ Jewish wedding for Jewish Israeli citizens. The central scenes we will focus on are those showing the groom entering the ‘chupa’ (the ‘tent’ under which a Jewish couple is wedded), the ceremony itself and the close-ups of the guests present at the wedding. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpYJV4Hk1mE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCw0gufSEoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpYJV4Hk1mE&feature=related


6

2.3/ Gay Wedding

This clip is 2:47 minutes long and shows an American gay couple who received approval to get married in Amsterdam. It shows the preparation of the couple Rob and Bob before the actual ceremony, but also the ceremony in the town hall in Amsterdam. The central scenes we will analyze are the ones in which the couple enters the town hall together, the ceremony itself and the close ups on the audience in the town hall. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGppGJrEruk

2.4/ Greek Orthodox Wedding (amateur) This is an amateur video of a Greek orthodox wedding held in Brooklyn, U.S.A. It is 1:46 minutes long and contains the entrance of the bride into the church, the wedding ceremony itself and the representation of the audience present during the wedding. These central scenes will be analyzed in great detail in the top-down analysis. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmGtNcrJXeY&feature=related

2.5/ Royal Wedding (historical) This video contains the royal wedding of the Dutch princess Juliana and prince Bernard on the 7th of January, 1937. It can be considered a professional, historical film and it contains the entire wedding day of this royal couple. The video is 11:46 minutes long, but we will be focusing on the time frame between 4:32-8:40. This time frame includes the arrival of the invited political guests and the royal family members. It also shows the entrance of the princess into the Saint Jacobus Church and the actual wedding ceremony. These central scenes will be analyzed in the top-down analysis. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Vjkinzmm4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGppGJrEruk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmGtNcrJXeY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Vjkinzmm4


7

3/ The principal topics, scenes audiovisual objects of the corpus In the following section we will provide a top-down analysis of each video. The types of scenes are the entrance of the groom and/or bride into the wedding location, the wedding ceremony, and audience and guests. Each video will display some characteristic features in the representation of these key scenes. However, it will also become clear that there are quite some similarities in the way these cultures represent their wedding events.

3.1/ Hindu Wedding

Scene description

Corpus Localization Audiovisual object description N°

Type/genre of scene

Specific, concrete

scene

Film document

Time code Visual shot (Acoustic

shot)

Iconic Meaning

Figurative meaning

Proprioceptive meaning

1 Entrance of the groom into the wedding location

Entrance of the groom with a woman and a little boy (probably his mother and son or nephew)

Film 1 (Hindu wedding)

00:31-00:32

VS 18 (at the background some kind of Hindu music).

The temple, golden statues on both sides, the groom and the other people in the middle. The groom is accompanied probably with his mother and the little boy.

The setting of the temple, the golden buddhas, the festive environment are all displaying part of the traditions of a wedding, just as the important role of the family.

Emphasis of Hindu tradition in a probably European city/country/environment. He is probably excited that this day has come, the anticipation is visible.

Entrance of Entrance of Film 1 (Hindu 00:34- VS 20 The bride is The bride is Emphasis of Hindu


8

the bride into the wedding location

the bride accompanied by a young woman and a young man(who could probably be a brother and her mother)

wedding) 00:35 Background music

accompanied by her mother and brother, in her environment visible signs of the Hindu traditions.

arriving secondly; this shows the role of the Hindu women.

tradition in a probably European city/country/environment. She is probably excited that this day has come, the anticipation is visible on her face.

2 The wedding ceremony

The groom and the bride are shown

Hindu wedding

00:45-00:45

VS 24 The couple is shown from a closer point of view, so their faces are shown more clearly.

the couple is shown from close, their traditional clothing and the bride’s jewelry and make-up gives a closer insight of the traditional Hindu embellishment.

The emphasis is on the couple’s emotions, concentration and excitement.

The groom, the bride, and another man are shown, who is the Hindu priest, the pundit.

Hindu wedding

00:46-00:48

VS25 Sitting on the floor of the temple on red materials and listening to the priest who is leading the ceremony.

The couple is sitting on a red carpet, which color means festiveness. Sitting on the floor is different from other cultures, it is a Hindu

The emphasis is on becoming a family during the ceremony. The groom and bride are now husband and wife.


9

tradition. 3 The audience

and guests The guests Hindu

wedding 00:48-00:52

VS26 The guests are shown as sitting around the table and listening to the ceremony.

The setting is not traditional Hindu, but an embellished ballroom. It could be set up at any kind of wedding.

The emphasis of respect and concentration is shown from the guests.

3 The audience and guest

The guests Hindu wedding

00:52 – 00:56

Shot 27 The guests are shown as sitting around the table and listening to the ceremony.

The setting is not traditional Hindu, but an embellished ballroom. It could be set up at any kind of wedding.

The emphasis of respect and concentration is shown from the guests.

3.2/ Israeli Jewish Wedding

Scene description

Corpus Localization Audiovisual object description N

° Type/genre of scene

Specific concrete

scene

Film docume

nt

Time code

Visual shot (Acoustic shot)

Iconic Meaning Figurative meaning


1 Entrance of the groom into the wedding location.

Entrance of the groom and two other men into the

Film 2 (Jewish Israeli wedding)

00:52-00:53

VS 18 Acoustic shot: The groom sings a song to his bride.

The groom is accompanied by two men (probably his father and future father-in-law).

The central role of men in Jewish tradition, when walking to the location of the wedding ceremony.

Emphasis on the importance of Jewish tradition during Israeli wedding ceremonies. Feelings of ‘anticipation’ are also conveyed.


10

‘chupa’ 00:54

-00:55

VS 19

The groom is accompanied by two men (probably his father and future father-in-law).



1:11-1:13

VS23 The groom is accompanied by two men while surrounding by the guests on both sides of the path. Fireworks are shown.



Entrance of the bride into the wedding location.

Entrance of the bride into the ‘chupa’ while accompanied by two women.

1:17-1:20

VS25 The bride is accompanied by two women (probably her mother and future mother-in-law) in walking towards the wedding location. They are surrounded by the guests.

The role of women in Jewish weddings, when walking the bride to the ‘chupa’.

Emphasis on the Jewish tradition in Israeli weddings. Feelings of ‘anticipation’ and ‘emotional responses’ of the bride are apparent in this part of the wedding.

1:21-1:24

VS26 The bride is accompanied by two women (probably her mother and future mother-in-law) in walking towards the wedding location. They are surrounded by fireworks and guests.


Emphasis on the Jewish tradition in Israeli weddings. Feelings of ‘anticipation’ are apparent in this part of the wedding.


11

1:25-1:32

VS27 The bride is accompanied by two women (probably her mother and future mother-in-law) in walking towards the wedding location. They are surrounded by the guests.


Emphasis on the Jewish tradition in Israeli weddings. Feelings of ‘anticipation’ are apparent in this part of the wedding.

2 The Jewish wedding ceremony

Handing a cup of wine to the groom and bride underneath the chupa.

2:16-2:21

VS37 Acoustic shot: A different song is edited onto the video. It has a spiritual connotation to the Jewish people, because it is about religious value of the city of Jerusalem.

The rabbi hands a cup of wine for the groom to drink. The bystanders watch the event under the chupa.

The Jewish wedding tradition of handing the first wine cup accompanied with the betrothal blessings, recited by the rabbi. The Jewish tradition is emphasized.

Emphasis on the Jewish rituals and traditions during the Israeli weddings. Feelings of ‘spirituality’ and ‘sanctity’ are conveyed.

2:22-2:27

VS38 The bride is handed the same blessed cup of wine by a woman (probably her mother).

The Jewish wedding tradition of handing the first wine cup accompanied with the betrothal blessings, recited by the rabbi. The Jewish tradition is emphasized.

Emphasis on the Jewish rituals and traditions during the Israeli weddings. Feelings of ‘spirituality’ and ‘sanctity’ are conveyed.

Bringing the wedding

2:28-2:33

VS39 A little boy brings the rings on a white pillow.

This is not specifically part of Jewish tradition. It

Emphasis on the generational aspects of Jewish life. Feelings of ‘kindness’ and ‘youthfulness’ are


12

rings to the bride and groom.

simply shows the generational aspect of this ceremony.

present.

The groom gives the ring to his bride. Now they are officially married.

2:34-2:47

VS40

The groom blesses the bride and put the wedding ring on her right forefinger. Now they are officially married according to the Jewish tradition.

The traditional Jewish rituals have been used to finalize the marriage and become husband and wife.

Emphasis on the importance of Jewish traditions in this wedding. A sense of ‘sanctity’ is conveyed in this scene.

3 Representation of the audience and guests.

The audience is shown in general.

2:56-3:00

VS42 A large group of people are shown from far away, watching the event taking place in the chupa.

The amount of people that have come to witness this wedding is great. They are shown from far away as to show that the union of this man and woman is important to many guests.

Emphasis on the ‘community’ and ‘friends’ of this couple. It conveys feelings of ‘friendship’ and ‘brotherhood’ among the people present at this wedding.


13

3.3/ Gay Wedding

N° Scene description

Corpus Localization Audiovisual object description

Type/genre of scene

Specific concrete

scene

Film document

Time code

Visual shot (Acoustic

shot)



1 Entrance of the grooms

The couple (Bob and Rob) are walking in to the place of the ceremony

Film 3 (gay wedding)

1:04-1:12

VS 30 The couple are walking down on the “isle”, the guests are sitting on the two sides.

The setting is traditional; the couple is arriving together, which differs from other weddings.

Emphasis on the common entrance of the couple, the anticipation of the union is extremely visible.


The wedding vow of one of the grooms

1:56-1:59

VS 47 The couple is standing in front of a fireplace, one of the groom is talking, sometimes he also looks out at the audience.

The couple is standing opposite each other, which shows the equivalent rules within the relationship.

Emphasis on the vow itself, and how the groom tells his partner what he feels about him. He expresses his feelings.

The wedding vow of the other groom

1:59-2:05

VS 48 The camera first shows only the speaking groom and then zoom out to see the couple together. Still standing at the same place.

The couple is standing opposite each other, which shows the equivalent rules within the relationship.

The emphasis is on the talking groom’s excitement and his feelings as he looks at this partner.

When they say 2:08- VS 50 They are standing They show balance, Emphasis on the fact that


14

“I do” 2:16 opposite each other, looking into each other’s eyes and holding hands.

happiness, equivalence and agreement. There is no difference at this point between gay and straight weddings.

they are about to become husband and husband. Strong emotions visible on their faces.

The first kiss as husband and husband

2:17-2:21

VS 51 This is the first conjugal kiss of the couple after they have been pronounced husband and husband.

The general element of weddings is emphasized.

Emphasis on traditions of weddings, following the rituals of a straight couple’s wedding.

Bringing the rings and the exchange of the rings between the grooms

2:22-2:36

VS 52, VS 53 and VS 54

This is a general element of weddings to finalize the ceremony and to become officially married.

Traditional element of wedding ceremonies has been used.

Emphasis on the general traditions of a wedding ceremony which has been applied here.

3 Presenting the audience

and the guests

The audience is shown general

1:22-1:27

VS 35 and VS 36

The audience is shown as they participate in some kind of conversation.

The audience is taken inside to the pre-ceremony, during the toasts. It shows the importance of family and friends.

Emphasis on the family members and friends. It shows they support and respect according to the couple, which is very important.

The couple surrounded by the guests

2:39-2:43

VS 56 As a final shot the couple is shown surrounding by all the families and guests, outside the building.

The two families have become one, the happiness and love is the main subject of the scene.

Emphasis on the people and the union of the two families.


15

3.4/ Greek Orthodox Wedding

Scene description


Type/genre of scene

Specific, concrete

scene

Film document

Time code Visual shot (Acoustic shot)



1 Entrance of

the groom The groom is standing next to a man and shaking hands in front of the altar

Film 4 (Greek wedding)

00:07-00:10 VS 2 The groom is presented as waiting at the altar, shaking another man’s hand.

The hand-shaking represents the agreement of the union of the two families.

Emphasis on the handshaking, as the symbol of the union.

Entrance of the bride

The bride walking down the aisle with her father


00:10-00:15 VS3 The bride is presented by accompanied her father.

The traditional role of the father, who is giving out her daughter to her future husband.

Emphasis on the daughter-father relationship and the traditional role of the father.


The priest blesses the couple


00:15-00:22 VS 4 The couple, already together, standing in front of the priest, looking up at him.

The priest’s blessing symbolizes the acceptance of God for this couple to get married.

Emphasis on the blessing and the Greek orthodox ritual.

The exchange of the rings


00:25-00:28 VS 6 The hands are shown as the couple exchange rings.

It is part of the wedding ceremony , it follows the wedding tradition, symbolizes the union and

Emphasis on the hands and the rings exchange. It conveys a message of trust


16

link. and belief. The

coronation Film 4 (Greek wedding)

00:35-00:39 VS 9 The couple is shown from behind, as a third man is putting two white crowns on their head.

The coronation is a symbol of manhood, that human beings are the crowns of creation. Man and Woman have to fulfill the expectations of their mission together. It is a Greek catholic ritual.

Emphasis on the traditional ritual and what it symbolizes in a marriage.

The couple is lead by the priest


00:51-1:03 VS 12 The couple, still with the crowns on their head are been lead around a little table by holding hands with the priest, who is canting prays.

This is like a leading ritual, symbolizes how God and their religion should lead them through life.

Emphasis on the holding hands and the couple who are lead by the priest.

The kiss Film 4 (Greek wedding)

1:04-1:09 VS 13 The couple is shown at their first conjugal kiss, surrounded by congratulating and hand-clapping relatives and friends.

The kiss is the symbol of the marriage, after the first kiss the couple is officially married. It is one of the oldest and most anticipated wedding traditions.

Emphasis on the couple, their union, their love and the beginning of their life together.

3 Presenting the audience

The guests Film 4 (Greek wedding)

00:01-00:7 VS 1 Showing the guests from the back with lighted candles and the church.

This scene is representing the church itself, where the wedding is held, as part of the traditions.

Emphasis more on the church itself and on the guests. It is visible how many people have come to this occasion

The guests Film 4 (greek wedding)

00:48-00:50 Vs 11 The camera is wondering from the couple in the middle to the guests and the

The main aspect is to show that the church is full. So many people has been coming to see the

Emphasis is on the church and receptiveness silence which is visible in the


17

rest of the church. wedding ceremony of this couple.

church. It is also a tradition to remain silent during the ceremony.

3.5/ Royal Wedding

Scene description


Type/genre of scene

Specific concrete

scene

Film docume

nt

Time code

Visual shot (Acoustic shot)



1 The representation of the guests and audience.

The arrival of the guests (i.e. politicians/royal family)

Film 3 (Royal Dutch wedding)

04:32-04:32

VS 1 Title page: “The invited guests arrive at the royal ceremony” which describes the coming visual shots.

- - -

Separate guests arrive at the wedding.

4:33-4:36

VS 2 Acoustic shot: sound which recorded in real-time (i.e. church bells ringing)

An important male guests arrives at the wedding location. Steps out of the car and shows his personal invitation to a member of staff.

The formality of the event and the importance of the guest who is arriving is evident.

Emphasis on the high rank of the arriving guest. A sense of ‘formality’ is captured in this scene.

4:37-4:38

VS3 An important male guest arrives at the wedding and is shown

The formality of the event and the importance of the guest who is arriving is

Emphasis on the high rank of the arriving guest. A sense of ‘formality’ is captured in this


18

entering the church. evident. scene. 4:39-

4:41 VS4 An important spiritual

leader is arriving at the church. He salutes all the surrounding people.



4:42-4:46

VS5 A royal guest arrives at the church accompanied with a woman. He nods at the bystanders while walking into the church.



6:16-6:28

V20 An overview of the amount of guests present at the wedding location (i.e. the church).

The size of the event is emphasized.

Emphasis on the ‘greatness’ and ‘historical importance’ of this event, by showing the amount of guests present at this wedding.

2 The entrance of the bride and groom into the wedding location.

Princess Juliana and Prince Bernard walk into the Saint Jacobus Church.

6:15-6:16

VS19 Title page: “In the Saint Jacobus Church” (i.e. the wedding location)

- - -

6:52- VS24 The bride and groom The enormous size of the Emphasis on the ‘formality’ and


19

7:00 Acoustic shot: The typical wedding song for formal Christian weddings is being played (real-time)

are walking with other royal couples to the podium. They walk in a slow and stiff rhythm while they are surrounded by many guests on both sides of the path.

wedding is apparent. Also the formality is emphasized by the walking behavior of the royal couple and the formal dress code of all the people present.

‘historical importance’ of this event. Also a sense of ‘anticipation’ and ‘excitement’ is noticeable by the addition of music in the background.

7:05-7:37

VS26 Acoustic shot: The typical wedding song for formal Christian weddings is being played (real-time

The bride and groom are walking with other royal couples to the podium. They walk in a slow and stiff rhythm while they are surrounded by many guests on both sides of the path.

The enormous size of the wedding is apparent. Also the formality is emphasized by the walking behavior of the royal couple and the formal dress code of all the people present.

Emphasis on the ‘formality’ and ‘historical importance’ of this event. Also a sense of ‘anticipation’ and ‘excitement’ is noticeable by the addition of music in the background.

3 The wedding ceremony.

Prince Bernard and Princess Juliana are being blessed by the reverend and become husband and wife.

7:49-7:59

VS29 Acoustic shot: blessings of the reverend are heard (real-time).

The bride and groom hold each other’s hands while the reverend blesses them.

The bride and groom are surrounded by dozens of people, underlining the historical importance and formality of this event.

Emphasis on the Christian tradition and ‘formality’ of royal weddings. The amount of surrounding guests also emphasizes the fact that this is an important historical event.

The reverend asks Prince

8:13- 8:17

VS35 Acoustic shot: the voice of the

The groom is asked whether he wants to become the husband of

The traditions of a formal Christian wedding are followed.

Emphasis on the formality of this event.


20

Bernard whether he wants to be Juliana’s husband. He answers “yes”.

reverend and the voice of Prince Bernard is heard in real-time.

his bride. He answers “yes”.

The reverend asks Princess Juliana if she wants to be Bernard’s husband. She answers “yes”.

8:34-8:40

VS40 Acoustic shot: the voice of the reverend and the voice of Princess Juliana is heard in real-time.

The bride is asked whether she wants to become the wife of her groom. She answers “yes” and the couple is now officially married.

The traditions of a formal Christian wedding are followed.

Emphasis on the formality of this event.


21

4/ A bottom-up analysis of one audiovisual document

For our bottom-up analysis we chose to analyze the Hindu wedding video, because it precisely shows the key scenes of the entrance of the groom and bride, while also showing the attending guests and the actual ceremony. This video represents the three key ingredients of all the video’s and it also underlines the specific traditions of the Hindu religion. It can be considered a professional video, because there were many shots used to illustrate these three key components.

4.1/ Hindu Wedding

N° Localization in video document

Shot identification Scene identification

Audiovisual object description

Film docume

nt

Time code

Visual shot N°

Acoustic shot N°



1 00 :00 – 00 :00

2 Film Hindu wedding ceremony

00 :00-00 :02

VS 1

A suiting, traditional Hindu on gis edited into the video and extends during the whole duration of

Title of the film : Introducing the Hindu wedding of Sumbul and Sanjay on May the 21st in 2010.

generic iconic meaning : A representation Hindu wedding

emphasis on what is going to be shown : introduction of a wedding. "excitement"could be induced by this.


22

the video. 3 00 :03-

00 :04 VS 2

A house on a green hill and a blue sky

the location for this Hindu wedding

an idyllic location for a Hindu wedding

Emphasis on the "paradise feeling" of Hindu weddings

4 00 :05-00 :06

VS 3

White flowers White flowers white flowers Emphasis on the "paradise feeling” and "idyllic sense" of a Hindu wedding

5 00 :06-00 :07

VS 4 The groom kneels down and is crowned by an unknown man and his mother. His mother is sitting behind him, while the groom has eyes closed

The groom kneels down and is crowned by an unknown man and his mother. His mother is sitting behind him, while the groom has eyes closed

Hindu wedding-tradition is characterized by the mother crowning her son for his wedding ceremony

Emphasis on the symbolic power of authentic Hindu wedding tradition. Also the power relationship between mother and son in a Hindu wedding ceremony are shown.

6 00:08-00:09

VS 5 Groom (crowned) and his mother holding hands and looking at each other with a smile on their faces

Groom (crowned) and his mother holding hands and looking at each other with a smile on their faces

Intimate relationship between groom and mother in Hindu wedding ceremonies

Emphasis on the “intimacy”, “happiness” and “love” between mother and groom during the Hindu wedding ceremony

7 00:10-00:11

VS6 Groom (crowned) and his mother stand closely next to each other and smile while looking into the camera

Groom (crowned) and his mother stand closely next to each other and smile while looking into the camera

Intimate relationship between groom and mother in Hindu wedding ceremonies

Emphasis on the “intimacy”, “happiness” and “love” between mother and groom during the Hindu wedding ceremony

8 00:11-00:11

VS7 A part of the face of the bride: eyes looking down and veil covering her hair

A part of the face of the bride: eyes looking down and veil covering her hair

Beauty of the Hindu bride

Emphasis on the “beauty” of the Hindu bride

9 00:12- VS 8 The bride is sitting The bride is sitting on The traditional Emphasis on the traditional


23

00:13 on a chair and is looking down to see her opened hands on her lap. Her hands are covered with henna drawings. The bride is saying something while looking at her hands.

a chair and is looking down to see her opened hands on her lap. Her hands are covered with henna drawings. The bride is saying something while looking at her hands.

costume of a Hindu bride, with the traditional henna decoration on her hands. The bride says a prayer while looking at her opened hands.

Hindu clothing and bodily decorations of a Hindu wedding. A sense of “luxury” and “tradition” are expressed.

10 00:14-00:15

VS9 decorated hands of the bride

decorated hands of the bride

The hands of the traditional Hindu bride are extremely decorated with jewelry

Emphasis on the “wealth” and “luxury” of the Hindu bride during the wedding

11 00:15-00:16

VS10 The groom is standing with another man in front of a house. The men are both dressed in traditional Hindu attires.

The groom is standing with another man in front of a house. The men are both dressed in traditional Hindu attires.

The close proximity between the man shows a intimate relationship between the two Hindu men.

Emphasis on “friendship” or “brotherhood” between Hindu men

12 00:17-00:18

VS11 Golden Hindu statue

Golden Hindu statue The importance of the Hindu religion during a Hindu wedding.

Emphasis on the Symbolic power of the Hindu religion signified by a statue

13 00:19-00:20

VS12 The wedding location: chairs, tables and golden decorations

The wedding location: chairs, tables and golden decorations

The size of the event and its luxurious decorations

Emphasis on the amount of money and organization put into this event. A sense of “wealth” and “luxury” is portrayed.

14 00:21- VS13 A chandelier A chandelier The emphasis on the Emphasizes the “luxury” of the


24

00:23 surrounded by other candles in a circle of a decorated floor

surrounded by other candles in a circle of a decorated floor

detailed decoration of a Hindu wedding

event

15 00:24-00:26

VS14 The Hindu bride is shown from the wrist up. The bracelet and attire of the bride is shown.

The Hindu bride is shown from the wrist up. The bracelet and attire of the bride is shown.

The amount of effort put into the look of the Hindu bride: jewelry, clothing and make-up

Emphasis on the pampering of the bride and effort put into decorations and beauty of the bride. Provides a sense of “awe” or “striking beauty” of the bride

16 00:27-00:27

VS15 A part of the smiling face of the Hindu bride is shown.

A part of the smiling face of the Hindu bride is shown.

The beauty of the Hindu bride is emphasized by focusing on her face only.

The “happiness” and “beauty” of the Hindu bride are emphasized.

17 00:28-00:28

VS 16 A portrait shot of the bride is made. It shows her smiling face decorated by a golden jewel on her forehead. Also her veil is shown.

A portrait shot of the bride is made. It shows her smiling face decorated by a golden jewel on her forehead. Also her veil is shown.

The beauty of the Hindu bride is emphasized by focusing on her face and luxuriously decorated veil.

The “happiness” and “beauty” of the Hindu bride are emphasized.

18 00:29-00:30

VS 17 Outside a crowd of people have gathered. An older woman is putting some kind of necklace around the grooms head and they hug afterwards. While hugging the crowd throws flowers over

Outside a crowd of people have gathered. An older woman is putting some kind of necklace around the grooms head and they hug afterwards. While hugging the crowd throws flowers over them.

The tradition that an older woman should give some kind of necklace to the groom during the Hindu wedding ceremony. Throwing flowers over these two people might be a symbol of celebration in Hindu

Emphasis on the participation of the community during Hindu wedding ceremonies. Also the sense of “celebration” is emphasized with the throwing of flowers. Finally, a feeling of “respect” and “intimacy” between the groom and the older woman is expressed.


25

them. tradition. 19 Hindu

wedding ceremony

00 :31 – 00 :32

Shot 18

The groom walking down the temple with an older woman on the left and a little boy on the right.

The temple, golden statues on both sides,the groom and the other people in the middle.

Traditional hindu temple, golden buddha statues, traditional clothing.

Emphasis on the Hindu tradition, the groom is accompanied by his mother.

20 00 :32 – 00 :33

Shot 19

The groom and the little boy sitting down in golden thrones.

The background is covered by red curtains and plush materials.

Festive background. Emphasis on the grooms and the little boys embellished clothing.

21 00 :34 – 00 :35

Shot 20

The bride is shown with her mother and brother

She is walking in. Festive background. Emphasis on the Hindu traditions, the bride is led in to the location.

22 00 :35 – 00 :36

Shot 21

Showing the bride’s face from closer as she smiles.

The bride from a closer point – searching for feelings on her face.

Just the bride, nothing else.

Emphasis on the beautiful bride’s facial expressions.

23 00:37 – 00:38

Shot 22

The groom and the bride walking hand in hand.

In the background there are the throne and the plush materials.

This is where the ceremony has been held and they got married.

Traditions, religion, love .


26

24 00:39 – 00:44

Shot 23

Hands of the bride and the groom together.

Love, faith, trust, union.

The hands show off an union.

Emphasis on the union what this marriage means.

25 00:45 – 00:45

Shot 24

The face of the couple from close

Looking at their emotions and feelings.

Emphasis on the love, the emotions, feelings.

26 00:47 ‐00:48

Shot 25

The couple and another man sitting on the floor, and the man is talking to them.

Sitting on the floor of the temple on red materials.

The man in the middle is talking to them, maybe this is when they will get pronounced as husband and wife.

Emphasis on the Hindu wedding ceremony.

27 00:48 – 00:52

Shot 26

The guests are shown who are sitting at tables.

They are all looking at the same direction.

The guests, as side actors of the movie.

Emphasis on the guests, their support and concentration.

28 00:52 – 00:56

Shot 27

Other group of guests.

Just looking and paying attention.

The guests, as side actors of the movie.

Emphasis on the guests, their support and concentration.

29 00:58 – 00:59

Shot 28

The bride and the groom standing up and walking down from the thrones.

Probably they are pronounced already as husband and wife.

They are married now.

Emphasis on the couple together.

30 00:59 – 00:59

Shot 29

The last shot of the couple.

The wife is in front, followed by her husband.

They are looking at the ground.

Emphasis on the couple together.


27

4.2/ The Mise en Scène - The Principle Relevant Objects (Hindu Wedding)

In the following section the mise en scène of the Hindu wedding video is further analyzed. This analysis will provide more information about the most important objects shown in the visual shots.

N° Shot

Main subject of the film

1 Shot 1 Title of the film : Introducing the Hindu wedding of Sumbul and Sanjay on May the 21st in 2010.

2 Shot 2 A house on a green hill and a blue sky 3 Shot 3 White flowers blowing in the wind 4 Shot 4 The groom kneels down and is crowned by an unknown man and his mother. His mother is sitting behind him, while the groom has eyes

closed 5 Shot 5 Groom (crowned) and his mother holding hands and looking at each other with a smile on their faces 6 Shot 6 Groom (crowned) and his mother stand closely next to each other and smile while looking into the camera 7 Shot 7 A part of the face of the bride: eyes looking down and veil covering her hair 8 Shot 8 The bride is sitting on a chair and is looking down to see her opened hands on her lap. Her hands are covered with henna drawings. The bride

is saying something while looking at her hands. 9 Shot 9 decorated hands of the bride 10 Shot 10 The groom is standing with another man in front of a house. The men are both dressed in traditional Hindu attires. 11 Shot 11 Golden Hindu statue 12 Shot 12 The wedding location: chairs, tables and golden decorations 13 Shot 13 A chandelier surrounded by other candles in a circle of a decorated floor 14 Shot 14 The Hindu bride is shown from the wrist up. The bracelet and attire of the bride is shown. 15 Shot 15 A part of the smiling face of the Hindu bride is shown. 16 Shot 16 A portrait shot of the bride is made. It shows her smiling face decorated by a golden jewel on her forehead. Also her veil is shown. 17 Shot 17 Outside a crowd of people have gathered. An older woman is putting some kind of necklace around the grooms head and they hug

afterwards. While hugging the crowd throws flowers over them. 18 Shot 18 The groom, an older woman and a little boy in the front


28

19 Shot 19 The groom and the little boy

20 Shot 20 The bride, her mother and brother 21 Shot 21 The bride’s smiling face 22 Shot 22 The bride and the groom 23 Shot 23 The bride’s and the groom’s hand 24 Shot 24 The face of the couple from a closer view 25 Shot 25 The couple and another man 26 Shot 26 Guests 27 Shot 27 Guests 28 Shot 28 The bride and the groom 29 Shot 29 The bride and the groom

4.3/ The Mise en Image of The Filmed Situations (Hindu Wedding)

The following analysis will highlight the audiovisual techniques used to emphasize a specific element in the wedding.

N° Shot

Mise en image

1 Shot 1 Camera position: not relevant Camera Movement: not relevant Framing: precise size to fit in the title of the film Zoom: no Visual field: still of the title page Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: Introducing the shown footage to come i.e. The Hindu wedding ceremony of Sumbul and Sanjay.

2 Shot 2 Camera position: from a low angle position Camera Movement: moving from a lower to a higher position Shot scale: Long shot Zoom : no


29

Visual field : blue sky and side shot of the house and the green fiel it stands on. Shot duration: 1 second Interpretation: attempt to highlight the location (i.e. the house) of the Hindu wedding ceremony

3 Shot 3 Camera position: low angle Camera Movement: horizontal pan (left – right) Shot scale: close‐up Zoom: no Visual field: white flowers next to the with window frames of the house Shot duration: 1 second Interpretation: showing the white flowers as to emphasize the beauty and luxury of the wedding’s location (i.e. an idyllic place).

4 Shot 4 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: no Shot scale: Medium shot Zoom: yes Visual field: two hands belonging to an unknown man and the groom kneeling on the floor while his mother sits behind him. Shot duration: 1 second Interpretation: Showing the mother crowning the groom while he kneels down on the floor.

5 Shot 5 Camera position : low angle Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Medium shot Zoom: no Visual field: From torso upwards the groom and his mother hold each other hands and stand close together. They look at eachother while smiling. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: The relationship between the mother and the groom are emphasized as being loving, intimate and happy.

6 Shot 6 Camera position : low angle Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Close‐up


30

Zoom: no Visual field: groom and mother looking into the camera while standing close next to one another. They smile. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: The relationship between the mother and the groom are emphasized as being loving, intimate and happy.

7 Shot 7 Camera position: high angle Camera Movement: fixed Shot scale: Close up shot Zoom: no Visual field: nose, eyes, forehead and ears of the bride are visible Shot duration: 0.5 seconds Interpretation: Emphasis on the beauty of the Hindu bride.

8 Shot 8 Camera position: high angle Camera Movement: pan Shot scale: Medium shot Zoom: no Visual field: Bride is sitting on a chair. From her knees upwards she is shown while she opens up her hands and lays them down on her lap. Shot duration : 0.5 seconds Interpretation: Showing the beauty of the Hindu bride and the Hindu tradition of decorating her with Henna tattoos, jewelry and colorful attires.

9 Shot 9 Camera position: high angle Camera Movement: pan Shot scale: Close up Zoom: no Visual field: Decorated hand and arms of the bride which are laid upon her lap. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: Showing the effort put into decorating the hands and wrists of the Hindu bride.

10 Shot 10 Camera position: low angle


31

Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Medium shot Zoom: yes Visual field: Groom and other man stand in front of a part of the house. They are shown from their torso up while standing close to one another. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: Showing the apparent intimacy of the groom with another male member of the family or dear friend.

11 Shot 11 Camera position: low angle Camera Movement: fixed Shot scale: Close up Zoom: yes Visual field: The red altar on which a golden Hindu statue is place. The zoom causes the altar to be passed over and focusing on the statue only. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: Showing the symbolic power of this statue and the importance of the Hindu religion during the Hindu wedding ceremony.

12 Shot 12 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: tracking shot Shot scale: long shot Zoom: no Visual field: The inside of the wedding location: tables, chairs, chandeliers and golden statues. Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: Showing the effort and money put into such a Hindu wedding event.

13 Shot 13 Camera position: high angle Camera Movement: pan Shot scale: Close up Zoom: no Visual field: Chandelier with lit candles surrounded by a circle of lit candles and a colorfully decorated floor. Shot duration : 2 seconds


32

Interpretation: Showing the effort put into decorating each single detail of the interior of the wedding location.

14 Shot 14 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Close up Zoom: no Visual field: Moving from down to up by showing the wrist and arm of the bride until moving up and showing her veil and face. Shot duration : 2 seconds Interpretation: The amount of effort put into the look of the Hindu bride: jewelry, clothing and make‐up.

15 Shot 15 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Close up Zoom: no Visual field: Showing a small part of the upper lip of the bride up until the decorated forehead of the bride. Shot duration : 0.5 seconds Interpretation: The beauty of the bride is emphasized by showing jewelry and make‐up on her face.

16 Shot 16 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Close up Zoom: no Visual field: Showing just the neck upwards of the bride. Her face and luxuriously decorated veil are shown while she smiles and looks down. Shot duration : 0.5 seconds Interpretation: The beauty of the bride is emphasized by showing jewelry and make‐up on her face. Also her shyness and happiness are shown by her small smile and look downwards.

17 Shot 17 Camera position: high angle Camera Movement: subjective camera Shot scale: Long shot Zoom: no Visual field: A crowd standing outside in a circle facing the groom and an older woman. In the background a car is shown and some


33

vegetation and another building. Shot duration : 0.5 seconds Interpretation: Emphasis on the participation of the community during Hindu wedding ceremonies. Also the sense of “celebration” is emphasized with the throwing of flowers. Finally, a feeling of “respect” and “intimacy” between the groom and the older woman is expressed.

18 Shot 18 Camera position: neutral, in front of the people who are filmed Camera Movement: going backwards as the people coming towards Framing: Average long shot Zoom: no Visual field: focusing just on the people Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: filming the happy groom and his closest relatives

19 Shot 19 Camera position: from the front Camera Movement: not moving Shot scale: from far Zoom : no Visual field :2 people sitting down Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: the grooms takes his position

20 Shot 20 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: vertical – zooming in Shot scale: Establishing shot Zoom: yes, zooming on the bride’s face Visual field: Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: Showing the happy bride surrounded by her family

21 Shot 21 Camera position: neutral Camera Movement: not moving Shot scale: close


34

Zoom: no Visual field: frontal, just her face Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: showing the happy bride’s face from a closer position

22 Shot 22 Camera position : neutral Camera Movement: stable Shot scale: far Zoom: yes, onto their hands, which is the next shot Visual field: the couple is in the middle Shot duration : 1 second Interpretation: the first shot of the couple together

23 Shot 23 Camera position : neutral Camera Movement: stable Shot scale: Establishing shot Zoom: no Visual field: hands of the couple Shot duration : 5 seconds – the longest scene Interpretation: showing the union what this wedding means

24 Shot 24 Camera position: from side Camera Movement: fixed Shot scale: no Zoom: no Visual field: just the couple’s faces Shot duration: 1 second Interpretation: the couple is concentrating

25 Shot 25 Camera position: from the side‐back Camera Movement: fixed Shot scale: Medium shot Zoom: no


35

Visual field: people in the middle Shot duration : 2 seconds Interpretation:

26 Shot 26 Camera position: from side Camera Movement: horizontal – towards left Shot scale: no Zoom: yes, onto a man’s face Visual field: the guests sitting at their tables Shot duration: 4 seconds Interpretation:

27 Shot 27 Camera position: from side Camera Movement: horizontal – towards right Shot scale: no Zoom: no Visual field: another group of guests sitting at their tables Shot duration: 4 seconds Interpretation:

28 Shot 28 Camera position: from side left Camera Movement: its not moving Shot scale: no Zoom: no Visual field: the couple, as they come down from the pulpit Shot duration: 2 seconds Interpretation: the couple has been now pronounced so this is the moment when they are already husband and wife

29 Shot 29 Camera position: from side right Camera Movement: not moving Shot scale: no Zoom: no Visual field: the couple from a closer point of view


36

Shot duration: 1 second Interpretation: the last scene about the couple


37

5/ The audiovisual discourse: messages and public

In this section we will formulate the main message that each video is trying to convey in its most important scenes. In this case, we will capture the message that the author of the video is trying to send to his or her public. In other words, how should the public ‘read’ the specific scenes of the video. In addition, we will distinguish the intended public for which the author has made the wedding video.

5.1/ Auctorial Instructions

Message/purpose

(“auctorial instructions”)

Filmic elements that are arguments for this + short explanation

Entrance of the bride and/or groom into the location of the wedding.

“Look and admire the attires and crown of the groom and the luxurious beauty of the bride before the ceremony.” “Feel the excitement and anticipation of the couple before the ceremony.”

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = entrance of the groom into the wedding temple. • Scene type 2 = entrance of the bride into the wedding temple • VS 18 (=entrance of the groom), VS 20(=entrance of the bride) • Focus on the groom and bride’s clothing and jewellery by zooming in on those

aspects.

The wedding ceremony. “Feel the concentration and their excitement of their union.” “Get closer to the Hindu traditions, the Priest and the couple sitting on the floor.”

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the groom and the bride are shown • Scene type 2 = the groom, the bride and the priest are shown • VS 24 (= birde and the groom), VS 25 (=bride, groom and priest) • Focus on the emphasis of their feelings and their union

Representation of the guests at the wedding.

“Being surrounded by the people who they love, family, friends are all their to be a sentinel of their

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the audience are shown • VS 25, VS 26 (= the audience)

E.MI.C.C. – European ast iM er n Intercultural Communication

38

marriage” • Focus on the audience’s support and concentration Entrance of the bride and/or groom into the location of the wedding.

“Feel the excitement and emotions of the groom and bride before they become husband and wife.” “Feel the generational connection between mothers and bride and fathers and groom.”

(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = entrance of the groom into the chupa. • Scene type 2 = entrance of the bride into the chupa. • VS18, VS19, VS23 (=entrance of the groom), VS25, VS26, VS27 (=entrance of the

bride) • Focus on the excitement of the groom and emotional response of the bride by

zooming in on her face. • Irrelevancy of the people standing behind the groom or bride.

The wedding ceremony. “Witness the traditions in the Jewish wedding”. “Feel the spirituality of the Jewish wedding.”

(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = Handing a cup of wine to the groom and bride underneath the chupa. • Scene type 2 = Bringing the wedding rings to the bride and groom. • Scene type 3 = The groom putting the ring on the bride’s finger. • VS37, VS38 (=handing cup of wine), VS39 (=bringing rings), VS40 (= groom

putting ring on bride’s finger) • Key objects: bride, groom, priest, prayers, cup of wine. • Irrelevancy of the people standing with the bride and groom under the chupa.


“See the amount of people which has come to witness this wedding.”

(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = The audience are shown in general. • VS42 • Far shot: representing the large amount of friends and family witnessing this wedding. • No focus on the specific faces of the guests, because those details are irrelevant.

Entrance of the grooms into the location of the wedding.

“Walking down the aisle together on our wedding like a straight couple.”

(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the grooms arrive together • VS 30 (= the grooms) • Focus on the common entrance of the grooms • Irrelevancy of the guests, who are clapping hands on the two sides

The wedding ceremony. “Following the traditions, becoming a normal married

(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the wedding vows


39

couple.” “We love each other so much and would like to share our feeling with the whole world.”

• Scene type 2 = the “I do” • Scene type 3 = the kiss • Scene type 4 = the bringing and the exchange of the rings • VS 47, VS48 (=the wedding vows), VS50 (=the “I do”), VS51 (=the first kiss),

VS52, VS53, VS54 (=the exchange of the rings) • Key objects: grooms, rings


“Thank you for coming, thank you for sharing these moments and feelings with us.” “Thank you for your support, we love you very much.”

(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the audience in general • Scene type 2 = the couple surrounded by the guests • VS35, VS36 (=in general), VS56 (=together with the couple) • Focus on the support and the family


“Feel the excitement and emotions of the groom and bride before they become husband and wife.” “Let our traditions play one of the main roles in our ceremony.”

(Film 4: Greek Wedding) • Scene type 1 = the entrance of the groom • Scene type 2 = the entrance of the bride • VS2 (= the groom), VS3 (=the bride) • Focus on the entrance, the groom shaking hand with another guy, the bride is

led by her father. The wedding ceremony. “The marriage is a holy union in

the eye of God, he and our religion should lead us through our lives.”

(Film 4: Greek Wedding): • Scene type 1= The blessing from the priest • Scene type 2 = exchange of the ring • Scene type 3 = the coronation • Scene type 4 = couple led by the priest • Scene type 5 = the kiss • VS4 (=the blessing), VS6 (=the exchange of the ring), VS9 (=the coronation),

VS12 (=the couple led by the priest), VS13 (=the kiss) • Focus on the traditional elements of an orthodox Greek wedding • Irrelevancy of the church, sometimes It is shown by whole, but does not play

main role in the ceremony Representation of the “Look, so many people came to (Film 4: Greek Wedding):


40

guests at the wedding. celebrate the marriage together.” • Scene type 1= general picture of the audience • VS1, VS11 (=the audience) • Focus on the number of people who came


“Look at the amount of people who are watching the bride and groom walking the aisle.” “Look at the royal attires and formality of this historical event.”

(Film 5: Royal Wedding): • Scene type 1 = title page (“In the Saint Jacobus Church”) • Scene type 2 = the bride and groom walk on the aisle together with other royal

couples. • VS19 (=title page), VS24, VS26 (=the bride and groom walk the aisle) • The far shot is used to emphasize the magnitude and historical importance of

this event. • The church interior is irrelevant, while the mass of guests are relevant in

showing how large this event is. The wedding ceremony. “Now they finally become

husband and wife.” “An historical event; the Dutch princess is getting married.”

(Film 5: Royal Wedding): • Scene type 1 = reverend blesses royal couple • Scene type 2 = Prince Bernard answers ‘yes’ • Scene type 3 = Princess Juliana answers ‘yes’ • VS29 (=reverend blesses royal couple), VS35 (=Prince Bernard answers ‘yes’),

VS40 (=Princess Juliana answers ‘yes’) • Irrelevant objects is the interior of the church. • Key objects in this part are the bride, groom, reverend, the vows, blessings and

attending witnesses of the ceremony. Representation of the guests at the wedding.

“Look how many important people came to see this historical event.” “Look how many people are sitting in the church.”

(Film 5: Royal Wedding): • Scene type 1 = title page introducing the attending guests • Scene type 2 = showing some important guests separately • Scene type 3 = showing the mass audience in the church • VS1 (=title page), VS2, VS3, VS4, VS5 (=introducing powerful attending guests),

VS20 (= mass audience) • The focus changes from key persons receiving special attention, to the mass

audience shown in one far shot.


41

5.2/ Intended Public

Intended Public

Filmic elements that are arguments for this + short explanation


Friends and family of the wedded couple. People who are interested in the Hindu wedding attires and decorations.

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = entrance of the groom into the wedding temple. • Scene type 2 = entrance of the bride into the wedding temple • VS 18 (=entrance of the groom), VS 20(=entrance of the bride) • Focus on the groom and bride’s clothing and jewellery by zooming in on those

aspects.

The wedding ceremony. Friends and family of the wedded couple. People who are interested in the Hindu wedding tradition and rituals.

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the groom and the bride are shown • Scene type 2 = the groom, the bride and the priest are shown • VS 24 (= bride and the groom), VS 25 (=bride, groom and priest) • Focus on the emphasis of their feelings and their union


Friends and family of the wedded couple.

(Film 1: Hindu Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the audience are shown • VS 25, VS 26 (= the audience) • Focus on the audience’s support and concentration



(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = entrance of the groom into the chupa. • Scene type 2 = entrance of the bride into the chupa. • VS18, VS19, VS23 (=entrance of the groom), VS25, VS26, VS27 (=entrance of the

bride) • Focus on the excitement of the groom and emotional response of the bride by

E.MI.C.C. – European l CommunicatioMaster in Intercultura n

42

zooming in on her face. • Irrelevancy of the people standing behind the groom or bride.

The wedding ceremony. Friends and family of the wedded couple. People who are interested in the Jewish wedding tradition and rituals.

(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = Handing a cup of wine to the groom and bride underneath the chupa. • Scene type 2 = Bringing the wedding rings to the bride and groom. • Scene type 3 = The groom putting the ring on the bride’s finger. • VS37, VS38 (=handing cup of wine), VS39 (=bringing rings), VS40 (= groom putting

ring on bride’s finger) • Key objects: bride, groom, priest, prayers, cup of wine. • Irrelevancy of the people standing with the bride and groom under the chupa.



(Film 2: Israeli Wedding): • Scene type 1 = The audience are shown in general. • VS42 • Far shot: representing the large amount of friends and family witnessing this wedding. • No focus on the specific faces of the guests, because those details are irrelevant.

Entrance of the grooms into the location of the wedding.


(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the grooms arrive together • VS 30 (= the grooms) • Focus on the common entrance of the grooms • Irrelevancy of the guests, who are clapping hands on the two sides

The wedding ceremony. Friends and family of the wedded couple.

(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the wedding vows • Scene type 2 = the “I do” • Scene type 3 = the kiss • Scene type 4 = the bringing and the exchange of the rings • VS 47, VS48 (=the wedding vows), VS50 (=the “I do”), VS51 (=the first kiss), VS52,

VS53, VS54 (=the exchange of the rings) • Key objects: grooms, rings


43



(Film 3: Gay Wedding): • Scene type 1 = the audience in general • Scene type 2 = the couple surrounded by the guests • VS35, VS36 (=in general), VS56 (=together with the couple) • Focus on the support and the family



(Film 4: Greek Wedding) • Scene type 1 = the entrance of the groom • Scene type 2 = the entrance of the bride • VS2 (= the groom), VS3 (=the bride) • Focus on the entrance, the groom shaking hand with another guy, the bride is led

by her father The wedding ceremony. Friends and family of the

wedded couple. People who are interested in the traditions and elements of an orthodox Greek Wedding

(Film 4: Greek Wedding): • Scene type 1= The blessing from the priest • Scene type 2 = exchange of the ring • Scene type 3 = the coronation • Scene type 4 = couple led by the priest • Scene type 5 = the kiss • VS4 (=the blessing), VS6 (=the exchange of the ring), VS9 (=the coronation), VS12

(=the couple led by the priest), VS13 (=the kiss) • Focus on the traditional elements of an orthodox Greek wedding • Irrelevancy of the church, sometimes It is shown by whole, but does not play

main role in the ceremony Representation of the guests at the wedding.


(Film 4: Greek wedding): • Scene type 1= general picture of the audience • VS1, VS11 (=the audience) • Focus on the number of people who came


The general Dutch public.

(Film 5: Royal Wedding): • Scene type 1 = title page (“In the Saint Jacobus Church”) • Scene type 2 = the bride and groom walk on the aisle together with other royal

E.MI.C.C. – European Intercultural CommunicatioMaster in n

44

couples. • VS19 (=title page), VS24, VS26 (=the bride and groom walk the aisle) • The far shot is used to emphasize the magnitude and historical importance of this

event. • The church‐interior is irrelevant, while the mass of guests are relevant in showing

how large this event is. The wedding ceremony. The general Dutch

public. (Film 5: Royal Wedding):

• Scene type 1 = reverend blesses royal couple • Scene type 2 = Prince Bernard answers ‘yes’ • Scene type 3 = Princess Juliana answers ‘yes’ • VS29 (=reverend blesses royal couple), VS35 (=Prince Bernard answers ‘yes’),

VS40 (=Princess Juliana answers ‘yes’) • Irrelevant objects is the interior of the church. • Key objects in this part are the bride, groom, reverend, the vows, blessings and

attending witnesses of the ceremony. Representation of the guests at the wedding.

The general Dutch public.

(Film 5: Royal Wedding): • Scene type 1 = title page introducing the attending guests • Scene type 2 = showing some important guests separately • Scene type 3 = showing the mass audience in the church • VS1 (=title page), VS2, VS3, VS4, VS5 (=introducing powerful attending guests),

VS20 (= mass audience) • The focus changes from key persons receiving special attention, to the mass

audience shown in one far shot.


45

General conclusions

By going over each specific analysis of the corpus it is possible to distinguish some clear similarities and clear differences between the video’s. The top-down analysis shows that each video does display the key ingredients (entrance of bride/groom, the ceremony, the guests), but that the interpretation of these ingredients varies per culture.

Similar for all video’s is the fact that they all include a walk of either the groom and/or the bride into the wedding location. However, the ceremony and the representation of the guests is done differently in each video.

It is clear that for the Hindu, the Israeli and the Greek orthodox wedding the element of family is emphasized in the representation of the guests. In the gay and royal wedding however, a different representation is visible. The gay wedding shows the guests as a reflection of the fact that their union is approved by the witnesses and that the audience is happy for the couple. In the royal wedding, the formality and political importance of the guests is emphasized. Also the enormous amount of people attending the wedding ceremony is shown, underlining the fact that this is an historical event, relevant to the Dutch population.

The representation of the ceremony itself is constructed differently for each video. The rings are important objects shown in the Israeli, gay and Greek wedding while the other two video’s do not show this element. Furthermore, all video’s represent a Hindu priest, rabbi, Greek Orthodox priest or reverend. The only video which does not show this element is the gay wedding. This can be explained by the fact that the gay wedding is considered quite progressive and is still not accepted by most religions in the world. Therefore, the spiritual guide or priest does not play a role in this event.

Overall, the intended public for the Greek, Hindu and Jewish Israeli wedding is directed towards people who are interested to know more about the cultural and religious rituals of such weddings. Furthermore, for all wedding videos (except for the royal wedding) the public intended is the friends and family members of the wedded couple. In the case of the royal wedding however, the intended public is the Dutch society as a whole, because the video captures an historical event for the Dutch monarchy. Important to note is the fact that the gay and the royal wedding have an additional part in the beginning of their video’s. Both video’s have an introduction which represents the preparations before the wedding ceremony, while the other video’s neglected this component.


46

In conclusion, it is possible to state that our corpus displays some general similarities when it comes to the build-up of a wedding video across the cultures in the world. This build-up always includes the representation of the entrance of the groom and/or bride, the ceremony, and the attending guests. However, the interpretation of each key element is different depending on the focus of the wedding. For the Hindu, Israeli and Greek wedding, the emphasis is put on religion and cultural traditions. In the gay wedding the focus is put on the union of love between two men while copying rituals used in heterosexual weddings. In the case of the royal wedding however, the focus is put on the historical relevance of this event. These different types of focus have shaped the general ‘feeling’ of the video’s and have formed the underlying auctorial message conveyed in the scenes. Thus, religion, union of love, and history were the distinctive factors giving shape to the 5 video’s in our corpus. Through our analyses it has become possible to formulate a generalizing hypothesis.

Hypothesis: Wedding video’s from different cultures are constructed in the same way (i.e. entrance groom/bride,

ceremony, attending guests), but their conveyed message and intended public differ depending on the main focus of the video. Our corpus distinguished between the focus on religion, union of love, and history.

Final remarks More extensive research needs to be done in order to find even more differences between the video’s. Also, more wedding video’s need to be analyzed in order to include even more cultures into the scope of analysis. Accordingly, it will become possible to discover whether there are more topics of focus to be distinguished and whether other wedding video’s also include the same three key ingredients we found in our corpus.


47

Bibliography

• Anon, 2010. Hindu Traditions. [Online]Weddingdetails.com. Available at:

http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/hindu.cfm

• Anon, 2010. Jewish wedding. [Online] Ahavatisrael.com. Available at: http://www.ahavat-israel.com/torat/marriage.php

• Anon, 2010. Greek wedding traditions. [Online] worldweddingtraditions.com. Available at: http://www.worldwedding-

traditions.com/locations/east_europe_traditions/greek_wedding_traditions.html

• DKovas, 2007. A Greek wedding ceremony. [Online] Available at:


• Dvdangor, 2009. נטע וערן - החתן המפואר שר לכלה בחופה- מדהים! – חתונה [Online] Available at:


• Filmitmedia, 2010. Hindu wedding ceremony. [Online] Available at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCw0gufSEoE

• Koninklijkhuis, 2009. Huwelijksdag Prinses Juliana en Prins Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Vjkinzmm4

• Stockinger, P., 2010. Understanding people’s views and traditions. A general semiotics framework for the analysis of

(digital)audiovisual documents. PP presentation: Utrecht

• Winnieweddings, 2010. Winnie Weddings – Weddingplanner – Wedding of Bob ‘n Rob. [Online] Available at:


http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/hindu.cfm

http://www.ahavat-israel.com/torat/marriage.php

http://www.worldwedding-traditions.com/locations

http://www.worldwedding-traditions.com/locations



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCw0gufSEoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Vjkinzmm4


The Intercultural Perspective on Wedding...

Documents

Transcript of The Intercultural Perspective on Wedding...