Film theories mariam

Film theories mariam

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  Media Theories BY MARIAMEL GUENNOUNI
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  Narrative  Narrative isthe way the different elements in the story are organised. This is to make the storyline mean something in an organised matter and for the film to have a clear structure to it. Narrative is another way of saying story telling, it is a key word in media/film studies. There are many different narrative structures which different films could follow, Such as an open or closed structure. An open structure is when the film/story has no clear ending, the ending is left open. However, on the other hand a closed structure is when the story has a clear ending which is used in most films where the story ends satisfactorily.
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  Todorov  Theories; Tzvetan Todorovis a narrative theorist who’s theories have been broken down into three main areas. Todorov believes that, the text begins with a state of equilibrium, this is where everything appears to be calm or normal. His second main part is where the narrative has some sort of disruption or disequilibrium, meaning there could be some sort of threat in a normal situation. Finally, his last part is a new equilibrium where there are some sort of changes in the main characters life or outlook on life. Todorov suggests that there are five stages in the narrative process. He states that at first the equilibrium has to be carefully shown otherwise the changes will not be as dramatic. Then after there becomes a disruption, followed by a recognition that a disruption has occurred. Then there is an attempt to fix the damage that’s been caused and finally, a new equilibrium is achieved.
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  Genre  Genre isthe term for any category which any forms of art/culture could fit into. In film theory, genre refers to the method of film based on the similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed. The word itself means ‘type’ or ‘category’.
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  David Chandler  Chandlerwas a British visual semiotician based at the department of theatre, film and television studies. His best known publication is semiotics: the basics. He said that conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the notion that they constitute particular conventions of content, such as themes or settings. He also stated that every genre positions who participate in a text of that kind. For example; as interviewer or interviewee or as a listener or storyteller, each of these positions implies different possibilities for response.
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  Audience  An audienceis an individual or a group of people who view or read any media products. For example, Films, TV shows or magazines. Audience is a very important media element as whatever is being produced by a media institution the directors or producers always have to ensure that whatever they produce has to relate to their target audience. Otherwise their product will not be distrusted as they will not have any audience to watch or view their product. Also, the audience are the main investors in media as they are the main people who could get a product distributed and become known (raise awareness). Media organisations produce media texts to make profit. Therefore, with no audience here will be no profit.
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  Stuart Hall  StuartHall is a cultural theorist and professor of sociology at the open university. Hall came up with a model suggesting three ways in which we may read a media text. Those three were;  Dominant reading, this is where the ready fully accepts the preferred reading where the audience will read the text the way the author intended them to.  The negotiated reading - Where the reader partly believes the code and broadly accepts the preferred reading, but sometimes modifies it.  The oppositional reading – where the readers social position places them in an oppositional relation to the dominant code. In other words they reject the reading.  Hall was concerned with media power to create dominant ideologies. In other words brainwashing the public’s views for example, the role of women in todays society. He believes that the mass media create and define issues or public concern and interest through audience positioning.
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  Representation  Representation Inthe media context is the ways in which the media portrays particular groups and communities from a particular ideology or value perspective. Key areas of representation are; Age, gender, social class, ethnicity, regional identity and sexuality. Some people say an easy way to understand what representation is, is when you watch a TV show which show ordinary people however, in an exaggerated way which is different to seeing the same people in real life. However, representations can change over time depending on whether the stereotypes of the different social groups change over time.
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  Representation theorists  Thereare many representation theorists which all have different statements about representations.  Laura Mulvey was a feminist theorist, she extends this idea when she suggests that the ‘silver screen’ operates like a metaphorical mirror which reflects back to the female viewer. However, she feels as though they are not genuine reflections of female identity but representations of idealised feminity. For example, Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda video is an example of what Mulvey means by females are not genuinely reflected. The females in the video are all seen to be half naked and craving for sex, this reflects them as being objectified by males as a sex object.