Media Media Advanced Advanced portfolio.portfolio.

By Eleanor Wright.

Genre Theory.Genre Theory.• Genre conventions are used by film makers to

show audiences what to expect. • Genre is not static it can have hybrid genres that

involve more than one genre. They can range from a mix between romantic comedy like The Wedding Singer and sci-fi horror for example alien.

Narrative TheoryNarrative Theory• Narrative theory is where we look at now the narrative effects our

perception and the film itself.• There are conventions of narrative some theorists look at these and come

up with theory's about the narrative within films:• Propp- Propp was a structural linguist he said that there are conventions to

the characters in a film. There will be a; 1. protagonist-Male hero2. Antagonist-male 3. Damsel in distresses (weak female character)• Todorov- Todorov looked at the narrative structure and set out conventions

it follows:1. First there is EQUILIBRUIM (this is where every thing is the way it should be)2. Second there is DISEQUILIBRUM (this is where some thing goes wrong)3. Then REALISATION ( this is where the hero realises there is something

wrong and does some thing about it) 4. Lastly RESTORATION/NEW EQUILIBRUIM (this is where everything goes back

to normal)• Levi-strauss- He looked at opposing themes (Binary opposites) this is where

you have two opposites like for example lower and upper class or gender.

Postmodernism Definition:Postmodernism Definition:• Postmodern films challenges the audiences

beliefs this is done in different ways depending on the film. It can be religion, truth, human improvement, science, technology and just the social norms of the world today that are challenged. Postmodern films use things like time bending, pastiche and altered states to create these challenges in the films. For example films like the Truman Show and Clockwork Orange are examples of postmodern films.

Pastiche:Pastiche:• Pastiche is when a film is deliberately made in the style

of some other film.• For example Kill Bill is a tribute of Hong Kong action

films and spaghetti Westerns, and the film is filled with exaggerated stereotypes of characters.

• Austin Powers is a mock of Bond film and pays homage to the popular culture of the Swinging 60's, British Invasion. And is making a comedy of Spy flicks. So this film is copying spy films but making it funny by making a joke out of spy films.

Challenging Challenging Narratives:Narratives:

• Some films have a challenging narrative which will make the audience question things and think about things they normally wouldn’t.

• For example some films do this by having a ‘hyperreality’ in the narrative like in the Truman Show it questions the audience is the world we live in real or is it controlled by someone else and is our reality really real.

• Or using technology to make the audience think ‘what if?’ for example in In IRobot the robots that we have created try and take over this narrative challenges the audience by making thing think what if this could actually happen.

• Flattening of affect is also used, this is where films use drugs, violence and technology to create detached and emotionless lives for characters that makes the audience feel like are there actually people like that in the world and once again is challenging and questioning the audience. For example in Clockwork Orange they have a sadistic gang that rape people and kill people just for no reason and this movie because of this fits in with the flattening affect.

Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino• Tarantino is the director of many popular

postmodern films. He does films that are very heavily stylized, have challenging narratives and are very influenced by other films and genres.

• His films include, Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, Inglorious Basterds and his most recent Django unchained.