Group Task- Birthday Party Scene

In groups we were set the task to create a scene of a birthday and apply a genre to the scene. My group and I decided to go for a horror genre, we had a variety of idea that lead to us using a variety of props and even and even creating our own. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to plan ahead, we really only had time to collect any props that we thought would be useful. We were the last group to take our shot, that gave us the benefit of the doubt as we had more time to figure out how we were going to set up the shot and what the could potential narrative could be.

At first we were all coming up with different ideas, before we all agreed that there should be one main focus to the shot and that like any film of the horror genre we can use effects to get the narrative and genre across better. Meaning in the end we decided to keep the scene as simple as we could. Therefore a member of our group volunteered to play the 'victim' and be the scenes main focus. We took multiple shots, some of just him against the blue screen (in case we wanted to add a background) and then we came up with the idea to add a balloon in front of the lens. This was better than using red lighting or just a red filter as it added more of a symbolic code that danger lied within the scene.

On the original picture you could see the outline of the balloon, as we all had to edit the images individually while still sticking to our chosen genre, I decided to keep the outline of the balloon and use it as a prop for my edited version of the scene. 

I first took the balloon and cut around the edges and added it to a black background. I believe this helped it stand out and it would be able to help with the mise-en-scene of the scene. The main characters body language shows how he is trapped and confined, as he has been tied up his body takes up very little room in the image. The decor when we took the actual shot we tried to keep it as plain as possible not only allowing us to edit it, but to also allow audiences to have a clear idea that there is nothing around to save the victim. Props we used to clearly signify the idea of a birthday party is the pointed hat we created before we took the shot as it is traditional to wear those especially at children s birthday party's. When it came to the lighting we first tried using no lighting and creating a dark and curious scene so that the audience would get the idea that something unexpected was going to happen. However when the images came up it was not visible to see enough detail, then we decided to place a spot light on the left hand corner next to the camera, this showed more detail within the image meaning more of a story could be told and it created a significance to the victim bringing up the idea that he was in trouble for whatever reason. Costume wise we did not prepare to bring in a certain costume, however we did work with what we had and as he was dressed casually it could mean that our character was just going on about his day before being violently dragged away from that and being placed in an unexpected situation that could lead to him being in trouble. When it come to performance our character didn't have to do a much as our use of props did most of the work, as he is being contained and unable to make any actions of his own. With our camera angle we went for a long shot this would allow use to make any individual changes when it came to the editing process, although our main idea was that with a long shot it can be shown how the character is isolated and nobody else seems to be around, which is a key convention before a victim in a horror narrative has something awful happen to them.

Audience Research

After we had created and edited our images, we were then set the task to send our individual images out onto social media websites and ask people what they believed was to genre it fits into and what they would believe is going on in the photo. Unfortunately when it came to this task I did not receive any answers on Twitter, although I did receive answers on Facebook I did not receive the 10 i required and there was also a lot of inappropriate answers given. Therefore I asked my teacher if there was any other alternative and she said that I could do it like a survey and asked people face-to-face, just as long as it was mixed gender and I asked people I was not friends with. Which was reasonable as this meant I would get fair, honest answers that would I clearly would not turn into biased ones. For this I went round the colleges social area and showed people my edited image and asked them to write down on a sticky note what they believed the genre and the narrative was. Here are my findings:

From these answers I can tell that me and my group applied the right conventions to help the genre of horror come across. Also with my edited image I did try to make it look like a trap and that the victim within the image was in some sort of trouble. I think the audiences could tell that with the red filter it signified danger and that added with the black background is a traditional convention when it comes to a horror genre representative. The audience also suggested that the character is positioned and represented in away that suggests that they are not in a situation that can be enjoyable and that they are about to be treated in away that someone or something is going to attack or torture them. I believe that this is a correct reading of the image as with any other horror film poster audiences are given the idea that something awful shall happen to the characters, while only giving them little hints that could give them a whole range of ideas and from my research I believe that I have created a similar image, however on a more ammeter level as when it did come to the editing I did come to some difficulty when trying to add in certain features such as the hands around the balloon. But over all I believe that the image is readable as a horror as it contains horror conventions that audiences will be able to identify.

Introducing Narrative Ideas

What is narrative and why is it important?

The way in which a story, or sequence of events, is put together within a text. All media texts have some sort of narrative, from a single photographic image to a sports report to a feature film.

Narrative may be reduced to one simple equation which is:
                              
                                   equilibrium-disequilibrium- new equilibrium

When you sit down to watch a film the narrative structure helps define the story. It needs to be structured to help the viewer understand the message contained within, giving the film meaning throughout. However you need to keep in mind that the narrative structure only applies in the way in which the story is told, not the actual story itself, meaning the narrative structure is the chronological stages or steps that progress from one to the other throughout the story.

Todorov

The conventional narrative structure pointed out by Tzvetan Todorov as a rule is broken down into 3 stages, equilibrium (a beginning), disequilibrium (disruption to the equilibrium- middle) and new equilibrium (resolution). What I mean by equilibrium: it's simply a state of balance, normality in which the characters find themselves at the beginning. These 3 acts are broken down into five stages:
Stage 1: A state of equilibrium is defined.
Stage 2: Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.
Stage 3: The characters recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve problem.
Stage 4: The characters attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.
Stage 5: Reinstatement to equilibrium. Situation is resolved, a conclusion is announced.

With the three acts the narrative becomes more comprehensive. However it's essential to remember films need to be seamless as the chain of events unfold, with all the questions raised answered and all the loose ends tied up unless you want to break the conventions, induce a cliff hangar, intentionally create doubt in the minds of the audience and leave them questioning.

Even though these stages are presented here a a linear structure there is no golden rule that it has to be this way, especially if you wish to create a non-linear structure.Should one wish to, a director can always muddle up the chronological order and have the new equilibrium at the beginning ahead of the original equilibrium. Still a film should have clear goals with believable characters if it is to maintain a sense of credibility and to help keep the audience captivated.

An example of a film that follows and has the 3 acts is the 2004 Mean Girls.

Equilibrium- New student Cady, a 16 year old home schooled girl from the bushes of Africa, has moved to America with her research zoo-eulogist parents. Where she is about to enter the more dangerous environment of high school, on her first day she is very isolated, however on her second day becomes friends with fellow outcasts Janice and Damien. While skipping class she is introduced to the reining queen-Be's of the school 'The Plastics' consisting of Karen Smith, Gretchen Weiners and the ultimate mean girl of the school Regina George. At lunch as Cady makes her way to join her new friends for lunch she is approached by a typical teenage womaniser before he is shamefully dismissed by Regina and she invites Cady to sit with her, after a little conversation Cady is joined to eat with the plastics at lunch everyday for the rest of the week. Janice and Damien take this as a choice to destroy and separate the plastics from the inside.

Disequilibrium- Just as the plan takes hold Cady develops a heavy crush for Regina's ex-boyfriend Senior Aaron Samuels. After struggling at first playing childish pranks on Regina such as giving her foot cream instead of face cream Cady, Janis and Damien decide that its time to play dirty. Giving Regina caltine bars which she believes will help her lose weight, however they are actually nutrition bars that Cady's mum gave to the children in Africa to help them gain weight. After a bit of a makeover Cady becomes a full on plastic and dismissing her true friends, gaining the loyalty of the other plastics, supposedly becoming Regina's best friend but still trying to win Aaron's heart. When Cady has succedded in taking Aaron away from Regina, making her lose her once desirable slim frame and the loyalty of the other plastics, Regina seeks revenge by taking the plastics beloved 'Burn Book' which contains photos and burning comments on all the girls in their year. Regina shows the book to the school principle blaming Cady, Gretchen and Karen and dismissing herself in the book. When all the girls in the year find pages of the book knowing what has been said about them has been seen by others break out in a violent rage. Teachers try to make the girls see sense by having the girls all apologise in front of each other of mean things they have said about each other in the past. It is here were Janice reveals to everyone how she hired Cady to pretend to be friends with the plastics when really she was trying to seek revenge on her behalf. Regina walks out in a rage before being hit by a school bus while confronting Cady, with the entire school believing Cady actually pushed her and now is the most hated girl in school.

New equilibrium- Cady tries to make everything right. Starting by joining the Mathletes in order to earn extra credit after purposely failing math in order to try and get closer to Aaron. After winning the state finals Cady goes to the Spring Fling were she is named Spring Fling Queen, it is here were she makes a public apology in front of the entire school and breaks the crown and shares it among her peers. She is forgiven by everyone, ungrounded by her parents and finally gets the kiss she has deeply desired from Aaron. It is then revealed that the plastics have broken up with Karen using her 'special skill' to do the morning weather announcements, Gretchen found a new queen-be to follow and was allowed to be more herself and Regina became a champion at sport. As for Cady she finally blended among her peers with 'girl world finally being at peace.' Although there is a threat of the junior plastics.

Propp

Valdimir Propp states there are seven 'spheres of action' which characters can be characterised to. These spheres are categorised as the Hero, Villain, Donor, Helper, Princess (though this can be changed to prince), Dispatcher and False Hero. Not all spheres of action are needed to be addressed for a film as it is also well to note characters can portray more than one sphere and vice versa; spheres can be composed of several characters.

Valdimir Propp's seven spheres of action:

Hero- Individual whose quest it is to restore the equilibrium.
Villain- Individual whose task it is to disrupt the equilibrium.
Donor- Individual who gives the Hero something; advice, an object, information.
Helper- Individual who aids the Hero with their task.
Princess (Prince)- Individual who needs help or saving.
Dispatcher- Individual who sends the hero on their quest.
False Hero- Individual who sets out to undermine the Hero's quest by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the narrative.

With the characters set with their role in the film it allows audience to have clear idea about where each character stands in the story. As without these spheres of action been made then narratives can be mis-read and characters be set in the wrong role in the film re-dfying the action made within the film.



Overall I have to conclude that Todorovv and Propp have been experimented with to help create a new generation of film. When films were first created Todrovv and Propp were used in a certain way and followed to detail. Were as now they can be remixed to create a new experince of film, that still creates a narrative that can be easily followed by audiences it can create a narrative that is silightly different but will bring the audience a different experience when watching the film by giving them something they would not expect. Propp is very relevant as if the characters did not have a certain role/roles within the film than it may be confusing for audiences to tell who it is they should be supporting while they are watching the film. Propp has changed over time, as modern day narratives have progressed further than what Propp identified in regards to character types, with the roles being switched or even mixed with one another.

Film Genre Research