2. Multimodal analysis of the LoL Guide

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The fan artefact aims to use its anecdotal storytelling and humorous (but familiar) conventions in the YouTube League of Legends communities. This artefact disproves Goffman’s (1959 as cited in Buckingham 2008) dramaturgical or theatrically performative view of social interaction. The common point of contention with this account would be the implication that “front-stage” social behaviour, seen in the workplace or large social gatherings, is less sincere and truthful than the “back-stage” social behaviour present in smaller scale settings. This does not consider the fact that all social interactions are performative to some extent thus their veracity can not be truly judged and can not be divided into those from either social and personal identities. While the identity Ian exhibits is explicitly presented as performative it still shows his sincere views, albeit sometimes in a satirical manner, and reflects the vision of the League community he wanted to create in the viewers’ minds, a game filled with stress, toxicity, and frustration, yet remains highly addictive and popular. For example, the statement “You might have heard about the game’s playerbase being a bit too- Passionate… very… passionate” while showing imagery of articles that state League’s toxicity on a statistical level. This is an understatement done for comedic effect which reflects his real view on the community. Another example would be when he said “The first thing I do when I load into a game is optimize communications” while muting the voice chat for the team, which humorously reinforces these ideas on the community’s toxicity through performative action. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Applying the Kineikonic mode’s framework (Burns, 2013) to the video , we can analyse how multiple modes are used in tandem to convey a singular idea. The Kineikonic mode allows us to examine what Burn describes as “the distinctive insight offered by a multimodal approach, " which is the synergy between modes to help further the meaning created by the text. Using this analysis of the relationship between modes, as well as the method of decomposition to examine the smaller details that larger contributory modes are composed of, will help us to produce a comprehensive analysis of this text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From 1:26 to 1:39, the text uses a wide variety of modes to create a chaotic atmosphere for an in-game fight scene as a parody of mainstream cinema and anime action scenes. Regarding orchestrating modes during this sequence, the primary footage was procured through recording League of Legends gameplay. This means that control over many aspects of more traditional filming are lost or have to be emulated in editing; for example, lens focal length, proximity and framing all have to be substituted for scaling and positioning footage in editing software. This artificial variation in filming is used frequently in this sequence to increase the pacing of the video. The video can cut to multiple variations of the same footage of gameplay with varied framing and proximity to build energy and pace.

 

One example of the text using editing to emulate more traditional cinema as a stylistic choice is the use of letterboxing. By artificially cropping out the top and bottom of recorded footage, the aspect ratio of the text is made to be wider. This widescreen aspect ratio is associated with traditional cinema and is used to imply spectatorship to audiences (Cossar, 2009). This builds toward the idea of this sequence being an action scene common in mainstream cinema. Another mode used similarly is visual effects, a submode of the larger contributory: visual modes. Throughout this sequence, a specific type of motion lines known as speed lines are overlaid on the video footage. This specific style of visual effect is popularly used in shounen manga and has been adapted to anime, where it is used to emphasise movement and action (Allen, 2015) by providing visual movement to the text and drawing the audience's attention to the center of the screen. Both the use of speed lines and letterboxing are the clearest uses of different modes that both synergise together to emphasise the idea of the sequence being a parody of mainstream media.

 

In terms of auditory modes, the sequence includes the background song “Fight Scene” by Audioautix. Breaking this mode down, the song uses a fast-paced rhythm, the instrumentation uses electric guitars, and the dynamic shift includes an increase in volume. All of these changes are relative to the previously used background music. This shift in tempo, for example, can be interpreted to synergise with previous visual modes to emphasise an audience's feeling of excitement (Qiao, 2024).

 

The chaotic atmosphere that these modes are collaborating to achieve has a special role in the larger text as a moment of juxtaposition. This is emphasised by the sequence being preceded by a black screen and no audio for about one second. The sequence then begins, interrupting the silence both visually and auditorily. 

 

The analysis of this fan artefact reveals how different elements are orchestrated to create meaning, particularly within the League of Legends community. Through personal storytelling and humour, the video explores the performative nature of online identities while expressing the game’s culture of toxicity and frustration. The combination of visual and auditory techniques enhances the chaotic, energetic atmosphere, drawing from cinematic and anime precedents to amplify the parody’s impact. Ultimately, the artefact blends sincerity and satire, using humor to reflect and exaggerate the League of Legends experience. It highlights how, even in exaggerated portrayals, there’s an authentic representation of the shared experiences within the gaming community.

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