Film analysis notes
Propp (character types)-
Vladimir Propp was a Russian and soviet formalist and scholar
He analysed the plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their basic narrative elements.
He looked at one hundred folk tales and came to the conclusion that they were all made up of 31 plot elements, which he called functions.
He also found that despite the large number of characters which appeared in the folk tales, there were only 8 character types
Vladimir Propp was a Russian and soviet formalist and scholar
He analysed the plot components of Russian folk tales to identify their basic narrative elements.
He looked at one hundred folk tales and came to the conclusion that they were all made up of 31 plot elements, which he called functions.
He also found that despite the large number of characters which appeared in the folk tales, there were only 8 character types
- The villain
- The helper
- The princess or prize
- The father
- The donor
- The Hero
- The false hero
- The dispatcher
Todrov: Equilibrium
- Equilibrium
- Disruption of Equilibrium by an event
- A realisation that the disruption has happened
- An attempt to repair the damage of disruption
- A restoration of equilibrium
Binary opposites
Key Terms
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude
- How real the world of the story appears to the audience- is it believable, for example.
Diegesis/ diegetic world
- The world in which films take place.
Juxtaposition
- Placing one object next to another to create meaning.
Narrative Theory
- Theories that categorise narratives and find features to common to them.
Action+ Enigma codes- Roland Barthes
Action codes- What will happen next
She falls over- will he catch her?
She has been caught-What will he do with her?
Enigma Codes- The audience question why...
Why is there a shoes on the floor?
Action codes- What will happen next
She falls over- will he catch her?
She has been caught-What will he do with her?
Enigma Codes- The audience question why...
Why is there a shoes on the floor?
Genre and audience pleasures
Rick altman argues that genre offers audiences a set of pleasures:
Emotional pleasures
Rick altman argues that genre offers audiences a set of pleasures:
Emotional pleasures
- How does the text make you feel?- happy, sad, nostalgic etc
Visceral pleasures
- Gut responses such as excitement, fear, laughter
Intellectual pleasures
- Does it make the audience think?
Denotation- Denotation is what you can see- for example a red sports car
Connotation- connotation is the meaning you derive from text. for example we have many different association with the colour red, such as anger passion, glamour. When analysing a text, it is important to consider these connotations. so in an episode of X-factor, why is the set blue in colour? Why is the logo red?
Connotation- connotation is the meaning you derive from text. for example we have many different association with the colour red, such as anger passion, glamour. When analysing a text, it is important to consider these connotations. so in an episode of X-factor, why is the set blue in colour? Why is the logo red?
Micro Features
Mise-en-scene
- Costume
- Props
- Lighting
- Setting
- Colour palette
- Hair and makeup
- Performance
- Camera movement(Tilt, pan, crane, dolly)
- Camera angle( birds eye, high, eye-line, levelled, low, worm)
- Shot size( extreme close up, close up, mid close up, midst, mid long shot long shot)
- Depth of field
- Framing
Editing
- Pacing
- Length of cuts
- Transition (fade dissolve cut wipe)
- Elliptical Editing
Sound
- Sound FX
- Diegetic- exists in the filming (ambient sound/ background sound)
- Non Diegetic- not in the film( voice over, music)
- Parallel
- Contrapuntal
Macro features
Narrative
Narrative
aesthetics
Representation how people and places are shown to the audience (amy Winehouse British press)
Ideology
Genre
Stereotype
Representation how people and places are shown to the audience (amy Winehouse British press)
Ideology
Genre
Stereotype
Genre- category or type of film (audience expectations)
Get out and genre
Middle class white girl (final girl)
= PROTAGONIST
resourceful
virgin
abstains from drugs drinking sole survivor
=black teenager die first
Mise-en-scene
Two white woman walking down an empty street
very light outside
quiet
empty
suburban neighbourhood
leafy
long
wide street
Get out
stereotypical long dark street
dark= danger
begin with black guy being killed= stereotypical
Camera work
Over the shoulder shot
Track with track behind
shots- we share the protagonists journey
start with track
Exam style question
Analyse how genre conventions have been used to create meaning in a media product you have studied.
In Jordan peeles 2017 horror film 'get out' the director subverts regular horror conventions through the use of character stereotypes. Typically in a generic horror film, a black male character would be expected to be targeted by the antagonist; and the 'final girl'- the hero of the film would be white middle class. This was especially prevalent in horror films throughout the 1980s, notably in the slasher sub-genre. However, in ,Get Out, the hero of the story is Chris, a black male in his mid-20s, while the false hero, according to props character types, is Rose Armitage a white, middle class female.
This though, is not immediately apparent in the opening sequence of the film, which seems to conform to genetic horror conventions. For example, In terms of mine-en-scene it is set in a quiet, leafy suburban,neighbourhood much like the one in Halloween. It takes place at night, and this is another convention of the genre. The use of a long take, without any cuts for the first two minutes combined with a track shot around a black male character builds a sense of suspense: we are waiting for the generic jump scare, which therefore puts the audience on edge. Tracking shots are used extensively in the horror genre. Often, as in this case, it immerses the audience into the diegesis of the film by placing them in the point of view of the endangered character; The effect is that we walk with the simultaneously experiencing what they do. Sound is also used to create a sense of suspense and paranoia. As the film starts, The diegetic sound of footsteps cicadas create an eerie atmosphere; as the scene progresses, a car engine is heard with diegetic music playing through a car stereo. The music 'run, rabbit, run' is on a high key; it creates a scene of false innocence for the endangered character and therefore for the audience. This is a classic example of contrapuntal sound an effect used in a lot of modern horror films. Peele cleverly uses generic conventions in this opening sequences so that he can subvert them later on. Meaning is therefore created by the audiences expectations being confounded. The use of the song 'Run Rabbit Run' Gives the audience the idea about what is going to happen. this uses a metaphor of the black male in this scene being the rabbit and how he needs to run as he's about to be taken. Peele did this to build up suspense in this scene and to contras the quiet neighbourhood he is in with the manic act that has just about to happened.
Mise-en-scene
Green
leafy
Large detached house
Columbus on house could have a reference to prison
Black male looking in staring as if he knows something
Blocking proxemics the distance between characters (the parents and Chris and rose) this could be binary opposition. We are on the side with Chris and rose which suggests we are on their side
When chris and rose arrive at the house we are introduced to a setting that is green and leafy; a large, detached partial house. An establishment shot is used of the house with chris and rose in long shot as they step out of the car and onto the veranda to meet roses parents; At this point the camera slowly tracks back to reveal walter the groundskeeper foreground right. This creates a menacing atmosphere in line with generic horror conventions. However this is juxtaposed by roses farther telling jokes and being very nice to chris throwing the audience off who the real antagonist is in the sense , an enigma code is created.
Once inside the house, blocking and proxemics are used as chris and rose talk to her parents, dean and missy. A clear binary position is established: young vs old; black vs white; modern vs erratic views on race. Eye line two shot are used of Chris and rose, meaning that the audience aligns with them; however low angle medium shot are used on dean and missy creating a feeling of unease with regard to their intentions. This further reflects in their strange , subtextual racist dialogue-for example, deans appropriation of the phrase "my man", before pointing out the stereotypical;ly culturally 'black' objets in the house.
During the tour dean gives Chris of the house, tracking shots are used through the hallway, finally revealing georgina in medium shot standing in the kitchen. we later discover that roses grandmother is inhabiting in her body; however, as a black woman in her early 30s, her mannerisms, facial expressions and dialogue create a strong binary opposition and enigma code. This is to be expected in a horror film, in which a sense of mystery in a recurring convection.
Final scene
Fittingly, for a horror film, the final scene is set at nigh. and ends in a bloodbath. Quick cuts are used as Chris attempts to escape, adding to the sense of excitement; this is an action shot. This is juxtaposed with rose in her room, in medium shot, with central framing used to highlight the difference between the two spheres of action. However after Chris crashes, and she pursues him, the camera work becomes handheld when he is in shot; with rose, the camera is more steady, suggesting she will overcome him. The fact that Chris is unlimitedly victorious, leaving her for dead is another example of the film subverting generic conventions: Rose the upper middle class female is the false hero; she is left for dead whilst Chris the black male is the hero. As rod drives him away to safety, a new sense of equilibrium has been created, in which stereotypical race roles have essentially been revered.
Middle class white girl (final girl)
= PROTAGONIST
resourceful
virgin
abstains from drugs drinking sole survivor
=black teenager die first
Mise-en-scene
Two white woman walking down an empty street
very light outside
quiet
empty
suburban neighbourhood
leafy
long
wide street
Get out
stereotypical long dark street
dark= danger
begin with black guy being killed= stereotypical
Camera work
Over the shoulder shot
Track with track behind
shots- we share the protagonists journey
start with track
Exam style question
Analyse how genre conventions have been used to create meaning in a media product you have studied.
In Jordan peeles 2017 horror film 'get out' the director subverts regular horror conventions through the use of character stereotypes. Typically in a generic horror film, a black male character would be expected to be targeted by the antagonist; and the 'final girl'- the hero of the film would be white middle class. This was especially prevalent in horror films throughout the 1980s, notably in the slasher sub-genre. However, in ,Get Out, the hero of the story is Chris, a black male in his mid-20s, while the false hero, according to props character types, is Rose Armitage a white, middle class female.
This though, is not immediately apparent in the opening sequence of the film, which seems to conform to genetic horror conventions. For example, In terms of mine-en-scene it is set in a quiet, leafy suburban,neighbourhood much like the one in Halloween. It takes place at night, and this is another convention of the genre. The use of a long take, without any cuts for the first two minutes combined with a track shot around a black male character builds a sense of suspense: we are waiting for the generic jump scare, which therefore puts the audience on edge. Tracking shots are used extensively in the horror genre. Often, as in this case, it immerses the audience into the diegesis of the film by placing them in the point of view of the endangered character; The effect is that we walk with the simultaneously experiencing what they do. Sound is also used to create a sense of suspense and paranoia. As the film starts, The diegetic sound of footsteps cicadas create an eerie atmosphere; as the scene progresses, a car engine is heard with diegetic music playing through a car stereo. The music 'run, rabbit, run' is on a high key; it creates a scene of false innocence for the endangered character and therefore for the audience. This is a classic example of contrapuntal sound an effect used in a lot of modern horror films. Peele cleverly uses generic conventions in this opening sequences so that he can subvert them later on. Meaning is therefore created by the audiences expectations being confounded. The use of the song 'Run Rabbit Run' Gives the audience the idea about what is going to happen. this uses a metaphor of the black male in this scene being the rabbit and how he needs to run as he's about to be taken. Peele did this to build up suspense in this scene and to contras the quiet neighbourhood he is in with the manic act that has just about to happened.
Mise-en-scene
Green
leafy
Large detached house
Columbus on house could have a reference to prison
Black male looking in staring as if he knows something
Blocking proxemics the distance between characters (the parents and Chris and rose) this could be binary opposition. We are on the side with Chris and rose which suggests we are on their side
When chris and rose arrive at the house we are introduced to a setting that is green and leafy; a large, detached partial house. An establishment shot is used of the house with chris and rose in long shot as they step out of the car and onto the veranda to meet roses parents; At this point the camera slowly tracks back to reveal walter the groundskeeper foreground right. This creates a menacing atmosphere in line with generic horror conventions. However this is juxtaposed by roses farther telling jokes and being very nice to chris throwing the audience off who the real antagonist is in the sense , an enigma code is created.
Once inside the house, blocking and proxemics are used as chris and rose talk to her parents, dean and missy. A clear binary position is established: young vs old; black vs white; modern vs erratic views on race. Eye line two shot are used of Chris and rose, meaning that the audience aligns with them; however low angle medium shot are used on dean and missy creating a feeling of unease with regard to their intentions. This further reflects in their strange , subtextual racist dialogue-for example, deans appropriation of the phrase "my man", before pointing out the stereotypical;ly culturally 'black' objets in the house.
During the tour dean gives Chris of the house, tracking shots are used through the hallway, finally revealing georgina in medium shot standing in the kitchen. we later discover that roses grandmother is inhabiting in her body; however, as a black woman in her early 30s, her mannerisms, facial expressions and dialogue create a strong binary opposition and enigma code. This is to be expected in a horror film, in which a sense of mystery in a recurring convection.
Final scene
Fittingly, for a horror film, the final scene is set at nigh. and ends in a bloodbath. Quick cuts are used as Chris attempts to escape, adding to the sense of excitement; this is an action shot. This is juxtaposed with rose in her room, in medium shot, with central framing used to highlight the difference between the two spheres of action. However after Chris crashes, and she pursues him, the camera work becomes handheld when he is in shot; with rose, the camera is more steady, suggesting she will overcome him. The fact that Chris is unlimitedly victorious, leaving her for dead is another example of the film subverting generic conventions: Rose the upper middle class female is the false hero; she is left for dead whilst Chris the black male is the hero. As rod drives him away to safety, a new sense of equilibrium has been created, in which stereotypical race roles have essentially been revered.
Excellent stuff, Amber - all correct and present
ReplyDeleteMr Boon