Classwork Genre

Here is a summary of what we have been learning about in class. We learned about different types of  genre theories, narrative theories and codes. 

・┆✦  Genre Theory જ⁀➴ ✦ ┆・

Different types of groups made for different types of written media.

Steve Neale - Genre Theory

A text must be SIMILAR enough to be recognised as a particular genre. But it must also be DIFFERENT enough to be new and exciting. 

Because:

- It provides the audience with expectations

- It provides the writer/director with a blueprint

- It provides distributors with a target audience

This gives the audience variety to enjoy, also it diversifies the financial risk for the production company.

Heres an example that my teacher taught me in class to understand the concept of Steve Neale's Theory

In this example, you can see that the theory of Steve Neale has been applied. One reason would be to create more target audiences. For example, Batwheels tells us that the target audience are young children, whilst The Batman tells us that they are more lean to young adults due to its violent contents. Another example would be how audience can expect. Noticing the colour scheme in Batwheels tells audiences that the show is fun and energetic. With the colour scheme of The Batman being dark, which is the opposite of Batwheels, tells audiences that the film is serious and would focus on crime/mysterious atmosphere. 

・┆✦  Genre Theory જ⁀➴ ✦ ┆・

David Buckingham - Genre Theory

Noticing the differences, you can tell that in Spiderman (2004) shows a very simple and more old-fashion suit. Whereas in Spiderman: Far From Home (2022), it's been shown that the suit is very high tech, more advanced, and has unique features. The reason behind these changes is explained by David Buckingham, who states that "these changes over time due to societal shifts." According to Buckingham, in Steve Neale's theory, a genre must be different media, but the changes should reflect on societal purposes.

Heres more examples that we've looked at in class that has been changed due to societal shifts. 

The Little Mermaid

The Buckingham theory was applied by casting Halle Bailey, a black actress, as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, the film changes the usual image of Ariel as white. This societal choice shows that characters we love can come from different races. It helps us understand that everyone, no matter what race, can be part of stories. This makes us more open and accepting of differences.

Hulk

According to Buckingham's theory, introducing a diverse character of Hulk, She-Hulk, helps offer a new kind of superhero such as being a strong (buff) female superhero that breaks away from traditional female roles. This helps change and reflect how society views gender and identity which helps promotes diversity in media.

・┆✦  Narrative Theory ✐ᡣ𐭩 ✦ ┆・

A story that tells about an events or experiences in a special order

Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites

Everyone understands the world in the terms of opposites. It is these opposites that conflict with one another and drive a narrative forward. 

- Good vs Evil

- Corruption vs Purity

- Emotion vs Thought 

- Monogamy vs Adultery

Which ever side prevails will tell you what the producer's ideology is, and what message they are giving the audience.

Don't be too literal (eg Avengers vs Thanos) You need to think what the characters represent, what are the themes

Heres a scene that we analysed as a class to deeply understand more of how binary opposites work.

What does this tell you about the filmmaker's ideology?

The scene shows a binary opposite. The most obvious one is those who studied and those who didn't which we can simplify as Dumb vs Smart or Studied vs Didn't Studied. The ideology behind this could be contrasting the outcomes or behaviours that are involved with each group/ It also could be used to highlight other themes such as Success vs Failure or Effort vs Laziness. 

What is the intended message?

The overall message tells audience that being unprepared leads to stress and the acts of failure. It also then highlights the importance of studying and being honest instead of trying to cheat. The scene makes it relatable because it shows how people can feel anxious and desperate during exams. The morality also concludes that studying can help you become successful.

・┆✦  Narrative Theory ✐ᡣ𐭩 ✦ ┆・

Barthes -  5 Narrative Codes

A code is an aspect of a text from which the audience can derive meaning. We can do this through decoding or deconstructing the text. The 5 narrative codes include:

- Hermeneutic Codes

- Proairetic Codes

- Semantic Codes

- Symbolic Codes

- Cultural Codes

Hermeneutic Codes

The mystery that occurs in a narrative, creating suspense and provoke the audience to seek answers.

In these examples, you can conduct the mystery and the questions the audience might be asking themselves before actually viewing the answers. For example, in The Avengers, it showcases explosions giving audience questions about "actions/war/fights". In Truth or Dare, the big red question mark tells audience that the phrase "truth or dare" can be an unsolved dangerous mystery. Lastly, in Black Swan, the use of the broken face can tell audience that it doesn't make senses (ballerinas are meant to be perfect, not broken) making deeper questions to audience questioning what the movie might be about.

Proairetic Codes

The actions and events in the story, which drives the plot forward through a sequence of decisions.

In this example, you can see how most of the proairetic codes were used. For example, the most noticeable one was when he wasn't able to fit everything in his suitcase, so the next action would obviously be him reducing the items he would need to fit in his suitcase.

Semantic Codes

Involves the use of signs and symbols to convey meaning.

In these posters, there are many semantic codes that can be seen to tell audience the meaning behind it. The colour red in Trap resembles danger and could potentially be death. The phrase "I Love You" in P.S. I Love You, tells audiences that there might be love relating to the storyline. In Alien, the colour green is usually used to represent sci-fi which aliens are very known for being science fiction characters.

Symbolic Codes

Involves deeper symbolic meanings in the narratives.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill's Walkman represents his deep connection to his past, especially his memories of Earth and his mother. It serves as a comforting link to his childhood and a way for him to escape the struggles of his life in space. This music on the Walkman also reflects his personal identity and nostalgia for a simpler time on Earth. So in this scene, it showcases to why he is so afraid of losing it and it's a symbolic code to reflect on his past.

Cultural Codes

relates to the cultural knowledge or context  that informs the narrative. It also includes references.

Donald Trump's appearances in movies and TV shows are cultural codes because they use his well-known image as a businessman, TV star, and politician to represent ideas like power, fame, and politics. These portrayals help people understand these themes easily, as they already recognise his public persona and the jokes or message connected to it.

Reflection: This task was very time consuming which made me feel very demotivated when I tried to complete it. Even though there was only a view task, but this really was hard to find examples for and to give the brief explanations to these example. Overall Im satisfied by how it looks and presented in my blog, I hope that next time I can be way more motivated to create these type of classwork blogs.