Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Selected Nollywood Posters

Language in communication is somewhat controlled by semiotic resources such as the visual image, sound and action. Given the assertion above, multimodal features of text make such control possible; transposing nuances of visual arts into verbal or grammatical contexts. Thus, multimodal discourse analysis evolves not as a form of abstract to grammatical process but a device to understand visual impressions through semiotic regimes. Understandably, movie posters yield forms of ambiguity and create semantic problems for readers in meaning construction. This study analyzes the application of multimodal features to construct meaning in movie posters. The descriptive and analytical method of data analysis are used in discussing the data. Drawing from Kress and Van Luween's theory of visual grammar, the study finds that modality arrangement are deliberately used by movie producers to achieve visual impressions that promote semantics of visual design.