NARRATIVE THEORIES

The third and final narrative theory I have chosen to look at is Todorov's theory. 

Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured into 5 stages:1. a state of equilibrium2. a disruption of the equilibrium by some action3. a recognition that there has been a disruption4. an attempt to repair the disruption5. a reinstatement of the equilibrium 

Here narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one. The narrative is driven by attempts to restore the equilibrium. However, the equilibrium attained at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium. Todorov argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disruption. The disruption itself usually takes place outside the normal social framework, outside the ‘normal’ social events.

A film that follow these steps perfectly is Die Hard.

1. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is coming home to his family for Christmas and all is calm. (The equilibrium)

2. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his team of terrorists take over the nakatomi building which is hosting a Christmas part of which McClane and his wife are attending.

3. (2 points of recognition) McClane isn't in the room when the terrorsits storm in so is able to move up the builiding when he hears screaming. People outside of the building realise there's a disruption when a police man's car is shot at from the building.

4. The police try sending in a SWAT team in which fails. The situation is solved by John McClane throwing Gruber out of a high floor window which kills him.

5. The equilibrium is restored when the police got McClane, his wife and the other hostages out of the building, and the McClanes leave in a police car.

NARRATIVE THEORIES

Claude Lévi-Strauss is a theorist who came up with the idea that films contains binary opposites, these opposites may clash in the film making the activity more exciting. For example if you are watching a film there is normally a Hero, opposite to that would be a Villain, which you will almost always get in a film with a Hero. I have been able to recognize some of the binary opposites that occur within the film Boy A. Claude sadly died at the age of 100 and is know famous for his revolutionary understanding of the nature of culture, custom and civilisation.

In Boy A, these are some of the binary opposites noticed and what I believe the producer was looking for when incorporating the themes.

• Hero – Villain.
• The Hero in the story is obviously Jack, who has overcome his past and saved a little girl from an accident. The villain however is the past, the younger him who keeps reminding Jack who he really is.
• Love – Hate.
  Love is the theme between Jack and Michelle, who met when he started his new job. Hate in this film dwells in the past, the fact that Jack hates himself and Philip.
• Truth – Lies.
  The truth is Jacks past, and his true identity that he hesitates to speak about, because of the new start to life. His new identity that everyone knows well and loves is in fact a lie.
• Freedom – Captivity.
  Freedom is the restart to Jacks life, when he gets out of jail and gains a new name, new friends and a new job.  Captivity is him in jail, and the feeling that he himself is trapped, trapped with lies and regret.
• Naivety – Matureness.
  When Jack is young, he is naive, and has a dearth of knowledge in the activities done with Philip. However he is quite mature when older.
• Secrecy – Openness.
  Secrecy is Jack keeping his true identity to him and Terry, and the fact that he can’t even tell the girl that he loves the truth. Openness is when he finally admits to his work colleague on the phone.
• Fear – Courage.
  Jack fears his past, and he feels that its haunting him, and eventually people will find out. Courage is the fact that he still carries on a normal life trying his hardest to forget his past.
• Hesitant – Anxious.
  Jack is hesitant to tell people the truth. Jack wants to tell people of his past, and he wants to let people understand what hes going through instead of living with a false identity.
• Trust – Betrayal.
  Terry puts his trust in Jack, and that he wont tell a soul about his past because Terry is protecting Jack, protecting his future. Betrayal is when Terry own sons tells all about Jacks past, due to jealously.
• Tense – Relax.
  It gets rather tense at places, when Jack runs away when all is revealed. Other than this most of the film contains relaxed moods and conversations between individuals.
• Redemption – Damnation.
  Redemption is what Jacks feels when his sin has been given another chance, the fact that he is allowed to live a normal life. Damnation is the sin that Jack created when younger.
• Hope – Despair.
  Hope is what jack feels when his new life starts, and how he is going to live his life, full of hope. Despair is at the very end of the film, when Jack loses hope and travels to Blackpool Pier.

NARRATIVE THEORIES

Lesson 02

MWE: 

25/09/13

The narrative theory I have chosen to research is Joseph Campbell's Hero Quest. The Hero’s Journey is a pattern of narrative identified by the American scholar Joseph Campbell that appears in drama, storytelling, myth, religious ritual, and psychological development.  It describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization.

1.        THE ORDINARY WORLD.  The hero, uneasy, uncomfortable or unaware, is introduced sympathetically so the audience can identify with the situation or dilemma.  The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history.  Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.

2.        THE CALL TO ADVENTURE.  Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change. 

3.        REFUSAL OF THE CALL.  The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly.  Alternately, another character may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.

4.        MEETING WITH THE MENTOR.  The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey.  Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.

5.        CROSSING THE THRESHOLD.  At the end of Act One, the hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values. 

6.        TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES.  The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.

7.        APPROACH.  The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special world.

8.        THE ORDEAL.  Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear.  Out of the moment of death comes a new life. 

9.        THE REWARD.  The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death.  There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.

10.      THE ROAD BACK.  About three-fourths of the way through the story, the hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home.  Often a chase scene signals the urgency and danger of the mission.

11.     THE RESURRECTION.  At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home.  He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level.  By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.

12.       RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR.  The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

CREATIVITY

LESSON 01: CREATIVITY

MWE

19/09/13

During our first lesson back, we discussed how A2 Media Studies will be and how it differs from AS. After the introduction to A2, we were set tasks to complete. To answer four questions based on the designated video for us to watch.

I was given the video of Elizabeth Gilberts, the author of the award winning novel: "Eat Pray and Love". I also did extra research on each question to help me wider my knowledge on creativity.

What is creativity?
Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then processing. Innovation is the production or implementation of an idea. If you have an ideas, but don't act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.

What gets in the way of creativity?
The fear of not being successful and people not liking what you do. Thi s can get in the way massively as it can be very distracting and off putting for people who have the urge to be creative. There is also an incredible amount of pressure that comes with being creative especially if the person has been successful before in creating masterpieces people often expect bigger and better things.

3 quotes on creativity 

•“Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being…creativity requires passion and commitment. Out of the creative act is born symbols and myths. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness-ecstasy.”
- Rolo May 

•"Creativity in music, performing arts; All these things are magica; things. But I klnow they are not magic" 

- Dr Charles Limb 

•"If you look at the advancement of humanity it fundamentally depends on innovation" 

- Professor Jonathan Schooler

Methods for encouraging creativity? 

1. Cutting oneself off for a short time 

2. Be patient 

3. Talking about elements of media that we find inspiring 

4. Music 

5. Insight 

6. Mixing up your routine now and then 

DOGME 95 - THE VOW OF CHASTITY

20/6/13

MWE

Dogme 95

Dogme 95 are sets of rules designed to celebrate the traditional values of story, acting and theme without the use of technology or special effects. The film makers focus is only on the performance of the actors and the story. They believe this approach may better engage the audience, as they are not alienated or distracted by overproduction. To this end, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced ten rules to which any Dogme film must conform. These rules, referred to as the "Vow of Chastity," are as follows:

1. Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being shot.)
3. The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted.
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now).
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The film format must be Academy 35 mm.
10. The director must not be credited.

"WASP"-Andrea Arnold

In today's lesson we studied an extract from Oscar winning short film "WASP" and looked for use of Dogme 95.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6BSVl1zQY

Through observation we learned what techniques were used into making the film effective. The shaky handheld camera movements, the lack of SFX and filters. They all contributed in adding realism in the text which made the extract easier for the audience to engage with as they could either sympathise or relate to the character. However the importance of sound and mise en scene was heavily emphasised.There was a huge importance placed in the time of day as artificial light was forbidden so it had to be sure that there was light in the shot. The costume was also important as it reflected the background of the characters as well as made them more realistic.The diegetic sound motif also contributed a lot into making the film believable. The dog and speeding car all helped construct the threatening atmosphere for the children, suggesting that the mother was not maternal at all and the fact her children were not properly clothed and very dirty showed how she didn't care about them. The dogme 95 technique really highlighted how important it is to pay close attention to detail as they can have a huge impact in allowing an audience to understand meaning and themes within a film.

After studying the extract, we were assigned to design  a storyboard for a scene in the film. How we would direct it. We were to make a storyboard for showing the mother and her children making their way to the pub and what happens from there. 

1st Frame: Leaving the flat

Mise-en-scene

This scene will be set in a dingy flat where it is poorly lit. The flooring will be a dark brown colour which symbolizes mud and dirt which will be cluttered with toys, magazines and childrens cutlery. I would want the costumes of the children to be very casual but dirty and I would have the youngest child have food around his mouth. This would show the poor care of the children, however the mother will be getting groomed to go to pub doing her hair and makeup,frantically looking for an outfit. Which could suggest that she is running late.

Camera

Sounds

Dialogue will be improvised and will mostly be of the mother hurrying her children, yelling expletives in an aggressive and irritated manner as they ask her questions. The will also be a jingling sound of the mothers keys and bag which will emphasise the fact that shes in a rush

Editing

No SFX or filters will be used. There will be no cuts either.

2nd Frame: Leaving the flat

Camera

The camera will continue to be handheld, it will film the woman facing the door from the outside as he shuts it close. It will show the audience her stressed facial expression as he slams the door shut which shows her frustration towards her children as well as the fact she's running late.

Misc-en-scene

The light will come from outside behind the mother still conveying the fact that her life and presence is very dark.

Sounds

The background noise of the environment, perhaps the cars and people chatting and the children talking as the walk down. The keys jingling will continue to be present and the slamming of the door can be used as a sound bridge. 

3rd Frame: Walking towards the pub

Misc-en-scene

The setting for the frame will be just of an ordinary neighbourhood. To show that the character belong to the environment. Lighting will be provided by the sunsetting. 

Camera

Sounds

Sounds will be dominated by the sound motif. Car engine from afar and footsteps against the pavement. The mother heels clicking as she struts and the children dragging their feet. The mic may pick up sound of the wind blowing. 

4th Frame: Walking towards the pub

Camera

Handheld tracking shot from the front will be used in which 3/3 of the frame will be of the mother and the rest will be of the children. In the background, there will be another family which juxtaposes the main characters. Another mother will be walking across the background looking contempt with a baby buggy. 

Mise-en-scene

There will be two conflicting lights illuminating the frame. Harshlight from the street lamp will shine upon the main characters and there will be the soft warm glow from the sunset will emphasis the maternal icon in the background of the other family.