Genres Must Adapt In Order To Survive, Discuss.
Introduction
introduce the main text i will be looking at which is Texas Chainsaw Massacre, give introduction into the story line and plot and ten talk about the time it was made in. talk about why genres need to change to survive where i will link theory of the zeitagist, also a brief look into the genre life cycle.
Para 1
in this paragraph i will talk more about the genre life cycle at what it means to the films, making refrence to my main text i will talk abot how the the texas chainsaw massacre first started with the early horror style. Also i will include audience expectations of genre and what they include and what they expect from the genre.
Para 2
look at another reason of why the genre might adapt or change, introduce the idea of new technology and how this has played a important part in the change of the genre
Para 3
another change which could have forced the genre to change is changes in society, different views on certain things, for example how the audience has become desensortised and now expect films to be more gorry and horific.
Para 4
this will be the other side of the argument and show how some genre conventions have stayed the same as it has proven to be succesful before, will talk more about horror genres and how they still use similiar techniques that are shown in earlier horror films.
Conclusion
give final answer that genres have to adapt over to time to attract audiences becuase the new audience expects different things, and if they were to stick to the same as before then it would not be effective becuase the level of entertainment has changed and what pople used to find entertaining they may not now.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Essay Question Plan II
Can we determine genre from Mise - en - Scene ?
Introduction
to introduce the topic i will explain what mise en scene is, i will explain how it is possible that genre is able to show the genre of films.
Para 1
in this task i will explain how mise en scene can effect genres, for example certain settings fit with certain genres, for example texas and deserts are common to the genre of westerns and dark subarabs are usually settings of horror films.
Para 2
In this paragraph i will show the other side to what was being said in the first praragraph and explain how some genres use settings from other films but have different meanings, for example a dark suburb area could be a horror genre or a thriller or maybe even a action movie.
Para 3
talk about spoof's and how they play on genres settings so it is impossible to say settings make genre becuase spoofs will use genres from all kinds of films so the audience cannot make up the genre of the film just based on.
Conclusion
conclude on the different ideas presented in the essay, talk about my own opinion of weather i think thay the mise en scene can determine the genre of a film or not.
Introduction
to introduce the topic i will explain what mise en scene is, i will explain how it is possible that genre is able to show the genre of films.
Para 1
in this task i will explain how mise en scene can effect genres, for example certain settings fit with certain genres, for example texas and deserts are common to the genre of westerns and dark subarabs are usually settings of horror films.
Para 2
In this paragraph i will show the other side to what was being said in the first praragraph and explain how some genres use settings from other films but have different meanings, for example a dark suburb area could be a horror genre or a thriller or maybe even a action movie.
Para 3
talk about spoof's and how they play on genres settings so it is impossible to say settings make genre becuase spoofs will use genres from all kinds of films so the audience cannot make up the genre of the film just based on.
Conclusion
conclude on the different ideas presented in the essay, talk about my own opinion of weather i think thay the mise en scene can determine the genre of a film or not.
Essay Question Plan
Compare two examples, from different decades, of any media genre of your choice. Describe and account for the major differences and similarities between them?
Introduction
To start of the essay i will introduce my two chosen texts which are the oringial texas chainsaw massacre 1974 and then the more contemporary version of the film which was released in 2003. i will talk about the general plot of the film and give instituion details such as directors, and summerise the differences of both films.
Para 1
in this paragraph i will talk about the difference in representation, this will feature a detailed explanation about how the representation of teenagers have changed, i will look at how the use of marijuana and drug culture has effected the representation.
para 2
Talk about and state that the same generic codes such as both films have a final girl, Leatheface the killer, same murder weapon, group of friends, "the slaughter house" Leatherfaces home
para 3
Discuss and show how the technology has adapted a lot since that decade, such as how the mask of Leatherface has changed more and also the props used such as the chainsaw the meat hooks and more help to touch on this wider context issue, thus showing and emphasising the zeitgeist in the texts and difference between both eras thy were both filmed in.
para 4
Whether changes in the genre and films reflect the zeitgeist , and see what social factors could be responsible for the differences in the films.
conclusion
talk about how the spirit of the age is responsible for the difference in the texts, also what other things may impact the change like social issues or econimical issues, also the use of special effects may have contributed to the difference.
Introduction
To start of the essay i will introduce my two chosen texts which are the oringial texas chainsaw massacre 1974 and then the more contemporary version of the film which was released in 2003. i will talk about the general plot of the film and give instituion details such as directors, and summerise the differences of both films.
Para 1
in this paragraph i will talk about the difference in representation, this will feature a detailed explanation about how the representation of teenagers have changed, i will look at how the use of marijuana and drug culture has effected the representation.
para 2
Talk about and state that the same generic codes such as both films have a final girl, Leatheface the killer, same murder weapon, group of friends, "the slaughter house" Leatherfaces home
para 3
Discuss and show how the technology has adapted a lot since that decade, such as how the mask of Leatherface has changed more and also the props used such as the chainsaw the meat hooks and more help to touch on this wider context issue, thus showing and emphasising the zeitgeist in the texts and difference between both eras thy were both filmed in.
para 4
Whether changes in the genre and films reflect the zeitgeist , and see what social factors could be responsible for the differences in the films.
conclusion
talk about how the spirit of the age is responsible for the difference in the texts, also what other things may impact the change like social issues or econimical issues, also the use of special effects may have contributed to the difference.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Comparison Points
Iconography
1974- the main iconography from this version of the film is that of the famous mask which is used by the character leatherface.
2003- the same mask is used however with the use of make up more detail was put into the mask and also the same chain saw is used, but it is used more often in the newer film compared to the older film
Setting
1974 - the setting of the film is in America, Texas the film is based in the desert with other scenes featuring the house of leatherface and different shots of the outdoors in that area.
2003 - the film features in the same area of texas, the film shows all other bits of the old film but inside the house it is quite different, in the older film they didnt go into leatherfaces headquaters as much but in the new film characters are acctually shown moving about.
Narrative
1974 - narrative of this movie follows the narrative of a classic slasher movie/ kids get stuck in the middle of nowhere looking for shelter and get killed one by one
2003 -The narrative in this movie is the same/ kids in a van get trapped in the middle of nowhere where they look for shelter and go into the wrong place and get killed
Characters
1974 - final girl
main male character
other members of their group
leatherface
leatherface family
2003 - final girl
main male character
other members of their group
leatherface
leatherface family
Girl who kills herself and her brother
People who lived in the caravan
Themes
villain vs. hero ( both)
final girl/ good vs. Evil (both)
1974- the main iconography from this version of the film is that of the famous mask which is used by the character leatherface.
2003- the same mask is used however with the use of make up more detail was put into the mask and also the same chain saw is used, but it is used more often in the newer film compared to the older film
Setting
1974 - the setting of the film is in America, Texas the film is based in the desert with other scenes featuring the house of leatherface and different shots of the outdoors in that area.
2003 - the film features in the same area of texas, the film shows all other bits of the old film but inside the house it is quite different, in the older film they didnt go into leatherfaces headquaters as much but in the new film characters are acctually shown moving about.
Narrative
1974 - narrative of this movie follows the narrative of a classic slasher movie/ kids get stuck in the middle of nowhere looking for shelter and get killed one by one
2003 -The narrative in this movie is the same/ kids in a van get trapped in the middle of nowhere where they look for shelter and go into the wrong place and get killed
Characters
1974 - final girl
main male character
other members of their group
leatherface
leatherface family
2003 - final girl
main male character
other members of their group
leatherface
leatherface family
Girl who kills herself and her brother
People who lived in the caravan
Themes
villain vs. hero ( both)
final girl/ good vs. Evil (both)
Comparing Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Texas chainsaw massacre is a popular slasher film which was released in 1974, the film is a icon for the genre, the birth of the genre started with Hithcocks Psycho but was really devloped during this film, the film was based on true events which happened in america, since the oringial many sequals have been made to recapture the spirit of the film, the film which is being compared in this essay is the 2003 version of the film. The original and the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre have many similarities and differences which are shown through the iconography and the setting of the both films The similarities we see in both films is the same psycho killer which is “Leatherface” and the final girl, however other differences are shown like the the difference in some characters, and the difference in representation of the main female.
As said before the main similiarty between the texts is the setting, the setting for both films is in the same location, in a desert in texas. the film also starts in the same way with a group of teenagers who are traveling to certain places, in the older film they are traveling to see a grave but in the new version they have gone to collect marijuana, this shows the change in represention assisiated with teenagers, in the older film the link between teenagers and drugs may not have been as common as it is now, another point for this change could be to do with the fact that the drug culture has grown and horror movies have always beena genre that wants to show societys views, for example they may show them doing drugs so people are aware that bad things happen to people who do drugs, in this instance the characters end up dead, and the only character which does not die is the one which did not take the drugs.
Another rule that is shown in the film is to do with sex, the rule of most horror films is that if
the two teenagers to get intimate and have sex or mess around with each other are either to die first or will eventually get killed in the films, this rule is also shown in the texas chainsaw becuase the teenagers that do have sex are the ones that end up dead first, this is not just in the new version of the film, both of the films feature the same rule which shows it was a problem before iswell.
Although, there is one other similarity between both texts, which is the ending where we see Leather face appear and wields his chainsaw in the air, which conveys him wielding his phallic symbol in the air. We also see a member of the family helping out the final girl to escape the horrors she may experience. Although as well as similarities in both texts, there are some differences in the generics of both texts
Another difference was that at the end of the newer texas chainsaw the final girl kills a member of leatherfaces family and also the female character manages to injure leatherface, this shows the stronger roles in females as in the new film the female character is able to cuase damage to leather face in the old version the character was passive and was not able to hurt leatherface. this shows the uprising of womens positions in society becuase in the first film women were seen as weak and this was represented in the film in the newer film the character is shown to be stronger which reflects womens rise in power in society.
The ending of the films is also different in some aspects, at the end of the first film the character relies on someone else to give her a lift back to safety, in the new film the final girl makes her own way back home by steeling the police car and then driving away, even though it may seem like only a minar thing the way the film ends is important in terms of females rights. Because the female character made her own way home it shows the movements of females and that they have the ability to be independent by helping herself it reflects the way women are in today’s society, that they are able to help themselves and do not need anyone to help, in the first film the person who helped was also a male character which enforces the idea that women depended on men but with the new film showing the character on her it definitely states the new independence within females.
As said before the main similiarty between the texts is the setting, the setting for both films is in the same location, in a desert in texas. the film also starts in the same way with a group of teenagers who are traveling to certain places, in the older film they are traveling to see a grave but in the new version they have gone to collect marijuana, this shows the change in represention assisiated with teenagers, in the older film the link between teenagers and drugs may not have been as common as it is now, another point for this change could be to do with the fact that the drug culture has grown and horror movies have always beena genre that wants to show societys views, for example they may show them doing drugs so people are aware that bad things happen to people who do drugs, in this instance the characters end up dead, and the only character which does not die is the one which did not take the drugs.
Another rule that is shown in the film is to do with sex, the rule of most horror films is that if
the two teenagers to get intimate and have sex or mess around with each other are either to die first or will eventually get killed in the films, this rule is also shown in the texas chainsaw becuase the teenagers that do have sex are the ones that end up dead first, this is not just in the new version of the film, both of the films feature the same rule which shows it was a problem before iswell.
Although, there is one other similarity between both texts, which is the ending where we see Leather face appear and wields his chainsaw in the air, which conveys him wielding his phallic symbol in the air. We also see a member of the family helping out the final girl to escape the horrors she may experience. Although as well as similarities in both texts, there are some differences in the generics of both texts
Another difference was that at the end of the newer texas chainsaw the final girl kills a member of leatherfaces family and also the female character manages to injure leatherface, this shows the stronger roles in females as in the new film the female character is able to cuase damage to leather face in the old version the character was passive and was not able to hurt leatherface. this shows the uprising of womens positions in society becuase in the first film women were seen as weak and this was represented in the film in the newer film the character is shown to be stronger which reflects womens rise in power in society.
The ending of the films is also different in some aspects, at the end of the first film the character relies on someone else to give her a lift back to safety, in the new film the final girl makes her own way back home by steeling the police car and then driving away, even though it may seem like only a minar thing the way the film ends is important in terms of females rights. Because the female character made her own way home it shows the movements of females and that they have the ability to be independent by helping herself it reflects the way women are in today’s society, that they are able to help themselves and do not need anyone to help, in the first film the person who helped was also a male character which enforces the idea that women depended on men but with the new film showing the character on her it definitely states the new independence within females.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Objectives
Feedback
WWW:
- Good genre theory
- Good research
- Presented Clearly
- Good Audience Theory
EBI:
- Make more reference to The Hills Have Eyes
- Cut down long sentances
- Don't keep saying "also"
- Talk more about Ideology and Narrative
Next Step:
-Introduce your film in more detail & keep linking theory back to your text
- Add page numbers on the footnotes
- Do more research - internet research especially
WWW:
- Good genre theory
- Good research
- Presented Clearly
- Good Audience Theory
EBI:
- Make more reference to The Hills Have Eyes
- Cut down long sentances
- Don't keep saying "also"
- Talk more about Ideology and Narrative
Next Step:
-Introduce your film in more detail & keep linking theory back to your text
- Add page numbers on the footnotes
- Do more research - internet research especially
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