READINGS
Defining a the notion of “cult”, the article refers to the (now classic) Casablanca. This film is referred to as an artefact that embodies how audiences typically might react to a piece of cinema that might not be elaborately ‘decorated’ or considered a masterpiece of its cinematic elements, however it becomes well known and loved by its audiences.
The reading introduces the idea of “frames” and “magic” that work to build this model of cult cinema. Frames referring to recognisable textual conventions that encompass typical situations, events, and actions informed by previous viewing. The latter acknowledges females which appear, separated from the “whole”. This idea informs myself and my peers of the way our current works might be informed by media texts we consume in our leisure time or whilst studying.
The idea that cult texts need not be perfect or constructed to exact detail (as with Hamlet being the result of other versions and Casablanca appearing inconsistent with character types) adds to their appeal to audiences who appreciate that elements of narrative can be deconstructed.
LECTORIAL
The lectorial centered around the idea of what narrative is, how narrative is constructed and presented. I was drawn to the idea that “Story is a way of structuring existence” as it amplifies aspects of life not just entertain us. As Dan said “Everything is story. Story is everything”
and is therefore a way of conveying the human experience. To work, narratives rely on causality which is a process of cause & effect and a logical progression.
During this lectorial I spotted an acrostic to remember three elements of narrative, CPR:
Character, plot & resolution
C Need to present situations to which character can react. How does character operate ?
P Plot is the chronological sequence of a narrative. It involves Person –> action –> person to whom it is directed (not always needed).
R Resolution “the stuff of story is alive but intangible ” – Robert McKee
I also learnt about:
Aristotle, who first critiqued literature through Greek tragedy and comedy and, Joseph Campbel who developed the notion of the hero’s journey.Heroes are not only evident in pop culture, but also in religion (prophet of Muhammad, Buddah
Overcoming the monster) who have a the quest, rebirth, voyage & return.
Additionally, narratives also consist of:
Tropes and conventions…
Which aid to identify genre and set up recurring set of patterns within texts.
Craft narrative representations which set up expectations.
Subversion is a process which defies expectations of what audiences are used to seeing. When conventions are altered we are challenged as an audience.
Adaptions – convert mediums.
The example of Red Riding Hood Cartoon demonstrated a traditional story that had been converted for the purposes of humor. The caricature was made humorous most likely due to our own familiarity with the story of Red Riding Hood.
The lecture also raised the idea of “Non narrative”, is there such a thing ? Does every film, lit, media tell a story ? The Andy Warhol clips and short film “We Have Decided Not To Die”
challenged us with the idea.
As the ideas surrounding narrative form were debunked. My mind thought of films which fit this altered medium. In my cinema studies class we have viewed and analysed several experimental films including Playtime.
Another experimental film that definitely challenged me as an audience member is Samsara. This film is classified as an “experimental non-narrative” as it lacks dialogue and entirely focuses on visual landscaped of barely touched parts of countries. With the term “non-narrartive” in mind, I thought back to Dan’ s argument that their is no such thing as “non-narrative”. I then thought how this concept might apply to something like Samsara … it did tell a story, just not a conventional one. It told me about nature and how beautiful it can remain if it is untouched by humans. It conveyed spirituality of the Hindu and Bhuddist traditions emphasised by ghostly and an uplifting soundtrack. Visually striking, it did not need “conventions” such as dialogue and plot-line to mould a narrative.
TUTE
In this week’s tute I was introduced (and others, reacquainted) with the concept of an annotated bibliography. My assignment partner and myself have narrowed down our topic of focus on mediums, to investigate Television that is made for digital portable media (tablets and smartphones). Following the areas I have gathered to research are: