Genre Analysis

At its core, this episode, as well as the entirety of Unstable Universe, is designed to be a scripted Minecraft SMP YouTube video. It conveys its meanings and themes through the game itself and the mechanics within it, as well as through the content creators playing their characters. I think there can be an argument made that this episode uses every mode of multimodal communication, even those that could seem unexpected, such as gestural or spatial, in reference to how the “camera” moves or what can and cannot be seen through the singular point of view it takes place in. Parrot’s “I Uncovered Minecraft’s Greatest Secret” shares similarities with other minecraft escape room youtube videos, as each follow the formula of introducing the puzzle and showing the player make their way through and inevitably solve it. If you look at the videos within the series that come after this episode, you can also see that it also sets the precedent for videos that consistently fall into the three hour mark, which Unstable Universe is now notorious for.

On the topic of multimodality, this episode is a good example of how every element is used. Starting with linguistic, the most common method of communication is through characters speaking to each other, be it in the form of talking, signs, or chat messages. This is done to convey information not only within the story’s setting, but for the audience to understand as well. As for visual, a YouTube video is an inherently visual medium. Everything that can (or cannot) be seen is done with intent. The gestural mode of communication is more unexpected, but there is a body language that can be conveyed through the game. Characters will crouch while hiding, jump around when excited, and hit each other to get the other’s attention. One of the most obvious examples of this would be how Spoke, while invisible and not wanting to give his identity away to Parrot and Wifies by speaking, settles on hitting them to get their attention or for them to do things for him, like taking off their armor or following him. For spatial, an example would be the limited POV of Parrot, as the story is told through his eyes, you see almost everything directly from his first-person point of view. There is also the aspect of builds within Minecraft, which add to the atmosphere. The PrinceZam Empire has a light color palette and is grand and imposing, meanwhile the final bunker is made entirely out of obsidian, giving a dark and oppressing atmosphere. Finally, for audio, there is often background music to accompany whatever is happening on screen, such as the instrumental build-up to Wifies chunkbanning himself and the fading of the music that follows as Spoke celebrates his victory.

The pop-culture text in question contains a combination of genres, as it is a YouTube video, but more specifically a scripted Minecraft SMP video. It can also fall into the category of long-form content, as it passes the one hour mark by a lot. In a more narrative sense, the genres it would fall into are adventure and thriller. I believe that Unstable Universe as a whole could fall into the epic genre as well. As part of the adventure or epic genre, the characters involved must go on some sort of quest that leads them to many different locations with a goal in mind, and have them actively working toward that and against an opposing force. They must meet some push back, and must continue anyway. As part of the thriller genre, it must mix the excitement with fear and suspense. The characters' lives may be at stake, there could be a betrayal, or there could be a general looming sense of danger.

Unstable Universe as a whole toes the line between genres. While it is scripted, it is not overly scripted, such as Whitepine, an ongoing period drama that is done through Minecraft with exponentially shorter episodes and a much more consistent theme. On the opposing end, it is not livestreamed or completely unscripted, such as with what happens on Lifesteal, a pvp-focused, conflict heavy, but unscripted Minecraft server with both a YouTube and livestreamed presence.