Connotations of Regional Accents by Hollie-Jade Higgins

In the UK, there is a wide variety of different accents, all of which have different interpretations that may distinguish specific stereotypical groups within society. When creating a film it is important to consider the different associations with regional dialects as this may positively or negatively effect the overall outcome. Regional Accents are polyscenic; meaning that they have different meanings to different people… an example of this is the London accent, for some people the London accent can be aggressive, for others it may be common etc. You also need to consider the variations of an accent in an area, Once more using London as an example, as well as the ‘common’ accent there is also the ‘posh’ London accent which is used in the film Notting Hill. Regional accents also have a strong connotation to wealth and success and can also set the mood of a film.
As Regional accents are polyscenic, they may affect the preferred reading of a film.

· Preferred Reading- When the audience sees the film in the way desired by the film producers. They will not challenge the concepts of the film.

· Negotiated Reading- Viewers who challenge the desired effect of the film producers.

· Oppositional Reading- Viewers in this position will have a completely opposite outlook on the film than desired by the producers.

All in all, any regional dialects used will need to be used for a reason, and we will need to make sure that any accents used will not compromise the preferred reading of our film.