Multimodal metaphors in a Sino-British co-produced documentary

The increasing prevalence of multimedia communication necessitates the study of multimodal discourse, particularly the use of metaphor across various modes. While research on multimodal metaphor exists, it primarily focuses on static media like advertisements and comics. This study addresses the gap in understanding multimodal metaphors within dynamic media, specifically documentaries, which are increasingly important for constructing and communicating national images. The study aims to analyze the multimodal metaphorical representations in documentaries, revealing their cognitive rationale and modal characteristics. This will enrich the study of multimodal metaphors, refine existing theories, and offer guidance for creating dynamic multimodal discourses like documentaries while improving audience understanding.

Early multimodal discourse research focused on semiotic interpretation from a social-functional perspective. Recent research integrates multimodal discourse with other fields, including corpus linguistics and metaphor studies. Current multimodal metaphor research emphasizes theoretical framework expansion (integrating visual grammar and conceptual blending theory) and practical application (validating theory across various media). However, most studies focus on advertisements and comics, neglecting dynamic video formats like documentaries. While documentary films have evolved and gained prominence in conveying national narratives, particularly in the post-pandemic era, studies on their multimodal metaphorical representations are limited. This study seeks to address this gap by examining a Sino-British co-produced documentary to understand how it uses multimodal metaphors to convey Chinese cultural narratives.

This study uses the Sino-British co-produced documentary "Through the Seasons: China" as its corpus. The documentary, freely accessible on Youku, consists of three episodes (approximately 150 minutes total) and features numerous metaphors. The methodology involves three phases: 1. **Multimodal Metaphor Identification:** This uses Forceville's criteria (analyzing contexts, identifying source and target domains in 'A is B' format, and determining if two or more symbol systems represent the relationship). To reduce subjectivity, the Cameron and Maslen method is employed, with a second researcher involved in the process. Disagreements were resolved through consultation, with some metaphors discarded due to irreconcilable differences. 2. **Labelling of Multimodal Metaphorical Representations:** Nvivo 12 plus software was used to classify and encode the identified metaphors. This involved: * **Open coding:** Identifying the modalities (verbal, pictorial, implicit) of the source and target domains. * **Axial coding:** Grouping metaphors based on their representation modes (A1B2, A1A2B, etc.). * **Selective coding:** Integrating axial codes into broader categories: cross-modal mapping (CRM), mono-modal mapping (MOM), multimodal mapping (MUM), single-domain implicit mapping (SIM), and dual-domain implicit mapping (DUM), and then into the first-level categories of explicit and implicit representation. 3. **Analysis and Discussion:** A case study approach analyzed the most frequently occurring subcategories to identify patterns, modal characteristics, and cognitive rationales. A total of 139 multimodal metaphors were analyzed. The inter-rater reliability between the two coders was 88.28%.

The study identified 139 multimodal metaphors, categorized into two main groups: explicit (20%) and implicit (80%) representations. Explicit representations included cross-modal mapping (1%), mono-modal mapping (18%), and multimodal mapping (1%). Implicit representations included single-domain implicit mapping (76%) and dual-domain implicit mapping (4%). **Explicit Representations:** * **Cross-modal mapping:** Only two instances, showcasing source and target domains represented in distinct modes (verbal source-pictorial target and pictorial source-verbal target). * **Mono-modal mapping:** 25 instances, where source and target domains were represented in the same mode (primarily verbal), with pictures serving as examples. The verbal mapping-picture example target sub-model was more frequent due to the documentary's emphasis on authentic visual representation. * **Multimodal mapping:** Two instances, using both verbal and pictorial modes to represent source and target domains simultaneously. **Implicit Representations:** * **Single-domain implicit mapping:** 105 instances, where either source or target domain was implicit. The most common was implicit source-verbal and pictorial target, reflecting the documentary's aim to present relatively abstract Chinese culture to an international audience. * **Dual-domain implicit mapping:** Five instances, where both source and target domains were implicit, relying heavily on contextual cues and audience knowledge. This approach was less frequent due to the potential for misinterpretations among audiences with varying cultural backgrounds. **Mode Usage:** The documentary predominantly employed implicit (79% for source domains, 5% for target domains) and verbal-pictorial (6% for source domains, 62% for target domains) modes. Verbal mode was more frequently used for representing the target domain (47 instances, or 34%) while implicit mode was most frequently used in representing the source domain (110 instances, or 79%). Pictorial mode was least used in both cases (1 instance for each). The relationship between pictorial and verbal modes included juxtaposition (70 instances), interpretation (67 instances), and complementarity (2 instances).

The findings indicate a preference for implicit source-verbal and pictorial target representations in the documentary, reflecting its aim to facilitate understanding of Chinese culture among international audiences. The high frequency of implicit representations reflects the documentary's strategy of subtly guiding viewers towards metaphorical interpretations, allowing for a more organic and engaging experience. The diverse mapping relationships (cross-modal, mono-modal, multimodal, single-domain implicit, and dual-domain implicit) highlight the flexibility and complexity of multimodal metaphor in documentaries. The study also reveals an uneven distribution of modes, with implicit and verbal-pictorial modes being the most common. The use of implicit source and verbal target is a typical representation of documentaries, aiming to provide a clear and authentic understanding of Chinese culture to the international audience. This is influenced by genre conventions (documentaries prioritizing authenticity and factual information) and target audience considerations (catering to international viewers with varied cultural backgrounds). The frequent use of verbal-pictorial mode for target domain representation underscores the importance of visual and auditory engagement to enhance understanding of complex cultural concepts. The study challenges the narrow definition of multimodal metaphors based solely on mode differentiation, proposing a broader definition that incorporates perceptual level, mapping characteristics, and cognitive domain representation. The three main types of relationships between pictorial and verbal modes (juxtaposition, complementarity, and interpretation) also reflect documentary filmmakers’ strategic use of multimodal metaphors to increase audience comprehension.

This study offers a more comprehensive classification model for multimodal metaphorical representations in documentaries. It revises the definition of multimodal metaphor to account for perceptual levels, mapping characteristics, and cognitive domain representations. It also clarifies the relationships between pictorial and verbal modes. The findings provide valuable insights for documentary filmmakers and audiences. Future research could expand the sample size and investigate other types of multimodal discourse to further refine the understanding of multimodal metaphors.

The study focuses on a single documentary, limiting the generalizability of the findings. The sample size, while substantial for a qualitative study, might not fully capture the breadth of multimodal metaphor use in all documentaries. Future research should explore a wider range of documentaries to confirm the findings and broaden the scope of the study. Further, the study relies on subjective interpretation during metaphor identification, which, while mitigated by inter-rater reliability checks, may still introduce bias.