Film - and storytelling more widely - always involves a shift between the known and the unknown.
A good short film nearly always ends with a shift in this... like a twist.
Film Narratology is concerned with both language (as in the film's specific codes and conventions) and context (and often the relationship between the two).
Story and plot are essential aspects of narratology but narratology is not only limited to these aspects.
Task 1:
1)Take the key elements of any well known film and write them down as bullet points. You have 5 minutes. We will then speed date share and see if you can name the film from these elements.
2) Add some plot points and share again - do more people recognize the film?
Task: Please write up this activity in your journal, scan an image from the film and add to your Journal.
Taking this short film as an inspiration / model, develop a short monologue (1-2 pages) about starting somewhere new.
Just like in the film Redundant, don't have anything too dramatic / obvious happen. Instead, you should built a subtle sense of unease... the creeping sense that something isn't quite right.
>>> Choose roles on the spreadsheet here Malcontents Monologue roles
Next up we are going to work through a few tasks that will lead us to develop a practice comparative study. This will have four key ingredients:
Narrative Structure
A film theory: Marxist, Psychoanalytical, Structuralism, Deconstructuralism, New Criticism, New Historicism, Feminism, (LGBT Studies) and Queer Theory, Race Criticism, Post Colonialism
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Action or Adventure, Crime and Gansta, Cult, Drama, Epics or Historical, Musical or Dance, Science Fiction, War, Westerns,
Cultural context: Economic, Geographical, Historical, Institutional, Political, Social, Technological
An entertaining introduction to editing from the master....
More on the language of film here https://www.philpoteducation.com/mod/book/view.php?id=222&chapterid=225#/
Comparative study: Narrative structure Focus
Task 4: Plot a graphic for Run Lola Run
How do films arrange and structure unconventional and/non-linear narratives?
The most obvious departure of Run, Lola, Run from traditional cinematic narration is the triple repetition of a single sequence of events. Thus, its overall narrative function does not proceed along a line parallel to the narrative stream. The beginning scenes of the movie contain several devices of art house cinema. Run Lola Run subverts audience expectation of linear time and narrative structure.
Courtesy of Arisa: Graph for the narrative structure on the film "Run Lola Run" - a non-linear zigzag.
Task 5: Plot a graphic to visualize the arc for another film with a non-linear narrative
In small groups (two or three) research, identify and independently screen (watch together) a film with an unconventional and/or non-linear narrative. After screening collaborate to create graphic narrative maps and charts demonstrating the different ways that the narrative in the film can be understood and represented.
Other films dealing with temporal transitions and retellings, virtual or otherwise:
Donnie Darko, Pans Labrynth, Pulp Fiction, The Arrival, Memento, and Ground Hog Day, Twelve Monkeys, Reservoir Dogs, Akiro Kurosawa’s Rashomon [1950], Krysztof Kieslowski’s Blind Chance [1981] and his "color trilogy," Groundhog Day [1993], Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction [1994], Sliding Doors [1999], The Lovers of the Arctic Circle, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Last Year at Marienbad[1961], The Exterminating Angel [1962], The Killing [1956]
Task 6: Research and summarize each of these film theories using the text attached below. At least one paragraph and one cited image for each.
Psychoanalysis: Freudian/Lacanian
Marxism
Structuralism
Deconstructuralism
New Criticism
New Historicism
Feminism
(LGBT Studies) and Queer Theory
Race Criticism
Post Colonialism
Use this text book to help you, it is another excellent resource.
Task 7) Create an extended study on one of the film theories, pick one that really interests you. Complete at least one page of research, collect at least 4 cited with images, two quotes, two additional sources for information, cited in a bibliography.
Task 8) Use that lens to explore the film you mapped last lesson - be ready to present this next class for feedback.
Task 9) Complete bibliography and tick list (attached to the right)
The word “genre” is a common one, encountered in the disciplines of art, literature, music, theatre and film. At its most basic, “genre” means grouping similar kinds of styles and expressions together. Genres can change over time, evolve, mutate into sub-genres or join with other genres to establish hybrid forms or even completely new styles and modes of expression. Film scholars and theorists sometimes even contest the idea that “genres” even exist. The Film guide does not, however, go that far.
“Genre” is a useful term that can help students understand how the internal components of a film (such as its mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing, sound, and so on), the kinds of stories they convey, as well as the types of effects they seek to provoke can provide an opportunity to organize our exploration of global film.
As another film focus, the study of genre relies on students to research and construct supported arguments that justify why we might consider two or more films as related to one another. These films could come from radically different time periods or geographical regions but the power of genre can link them together. Film scholars have developed many tools to help in this process of association and, in the following activity, students are challenged to consider how best to assign “a fact” (or, in this case, a film) to its “correct place”.
Below is captures our thinking on emerging genres and what we feel the contextual backgrounds for these might be:
Task 10) In teams explore one new genre and one sub-genres outlined in the document to the left or identified in the starter or two from the list to the left.
a) Gather as much information about this genre and sub-genre as possible, including the names of associated directors, actors, production personnel and studios as well as the titles of at least three films that best exemplify the chosen genre or sub-genre.
b) Create an online (or analogue) dossier that showcases the emerging genre or sub-genre, including the previously gathered information as well as images and screenshots from the chosen film titles that highlight specific techniques, codes and conventions and connect each of the chosen films to the emerging genre or sub-genre.
c) Extend your research and dossier by linking your chosen emerging genre or sub-genre to at least three historically significant and/or major genres in film (such as the Western, the musical, the screwball comedy, and so on). Specifically, consider how the codes, conventions and styles explored in your dossier have changed, revised and evolved over time with direct reference to evidence in the form of film images, screenshots, promotional materials, film clips, and so on.
Task 11) What genre is our film? How can we know?
Please outline the qualities that make your film a specific genre, link it to other films in the genre include images and screenshots from the chosen film titles that highlight specific techniques, codes and conventions and connect each of the chosen films to the emerging genre or sub-genre.
Provide a lesson for small groups or pairs to present their findings to the whole class.
List of Movements supplied by the IB
Please use the document here to capture your thoughts
Next we will do a very cheeky pop into film movements, but more on this later!
Task 12)
In small groups or pairs, consult online research resources (including Wikipedia and the Berkeley Media Resource Center) to discover and explore two film movements that are associated with either a contrasting geographical region or time period (or both). Ensure that you do not replicate the same movements as your peers to allow for the greatest diversity of results for the entire class.
Gather enough information about each film movement so that they can identify the cultural contexts that gave rise to, or influenced, the movement, as well as important names, film titles, images, methods and filmmaking techniques related to each movement. Groups or pairs should also provide an explicit justification for their choice of each film movement.
Provide an opportunity for the small groups or pairs to compile and reproduce basic course materials (excerpts from relevant readings, handouts, short class activities, selected scenes or sequences, and so on) prior to their scheduled lesson.
You will lead a session on these movements through discussion, presentation and exercises.
Task 13) What is Cultural Context?
A) Research each of the Economic, Geographical, Historical, Institutional, Political, Social, Technological contextual frames.
B) Now create analysis of the film you selected using at least two of these descriptors.
C) Now we must pick another film: one from a DIFFERENT cultural context: Economic, Geographical, Historical, Institutional, Political, Social, Technological
Check In: Will your study work?
DOES IT FIT IN ANY OF THE FILM FOCUS BELOW?
• Film movements (such as French New Wave, German expressionism, Third Cinema, and so on)
• Film genre and film style (such as film noir, romantic comedy, science fiction, Western, and so on)
• Film theory (such as auteur theory, feminism, Marxist film theory, and so on)
Make them think a bit too. After all, it's an IB course and if they don't do even the basic research to justify the choice, how to expect them to do a 10 minutes comparative study on that?
Here is an overview of the Comparative Study with assessment criteria and examples to inspire and guide you.
Please use this to map out your comparative study and document your process as you plan your approach to this complex task.
Task 14: Editing with Premium Pro
Lets start with a teaser! X-men to the ready!!! Click on the button and let's go!
Task 15: Sound Editor
Lets start with a nice easy sound project just click on the button and follow the instructions!
All that goes up