Media Factsheet
Media Fact-sheet 03
1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?
The example of this is someone sitting behind a desk will not seem very important or professional yet put a screen and high key lighting and the person will seem professional. These are important as visual iconographies as they use codes and conventions.
2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?
The examples of genres are represented by Independence Day, The day after tomorrow and deep impact. The representation of this genre of heroes is a part of codes and conventions of the genre of the movies.
3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?
There is a large difference of characters ion an action movie and in a disaster movie. Heroes in action movies are mainly strong, dominant and powerful, while typically having a damsel needing saving or family to drive him forward. While in disaster movies heroes are often put into a group of people trying to stay alive with the hero taking the main role of this group along with the typical responsibilities.
4) What are the different ways films can be categorized according to Bordwell? Bordwell communicated a few ways movies could be categorized such as:
- Country or period
- Director or star
- Style
- Series
- Audience
5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.
- prior knowledge of the genre- to anticipate whether or not they are likely to enjoy a text.
- compare a text through its shared characteristics with another
- They use their knowledge of genres to reject a text.
6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.
- Attracting an audience-loyal fan-bases of past material
- Marketing texts- film trailers or other types of promotional material.
- Production-which means to look at successful examples of genres and replicate them within their film or TV series. They don't have to invent things from scratch.
7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?
The genre that is used as an example is the Gangster Genre which has evolved, The genre typically focuses on groups of criminal and their lifestyle the movies often focus on the violence of the gangs and the implications it can have. We are also shown rivalries within two or more gangs or conflict amongst police and gangs. Example of this is Scarface.
Read Media Fact-sheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:
1) List five films the fact-sheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.
The X Men Franchise (7 Films since 2000 – 4 more planned)
2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?
At each period of time, we can see the superhero offers slightly different narratives. He faces different villains, has to overcome different obstacles and has different types of relationships with the women in his life. The superhero genre has to fit in with the dominant values of the day if audiences are going to be able to relate to such a fantastical story. Genres replicate cultural myths and fears and by addressing them within stories a culture is able to play out those fears and concerns. Genres offer ideological reassurance when the narratives offer a resolution that addresses these fears and especially when the fears are overcome. Conventional superhero texts tend to show the hero defeating the enemy so this is often seen as one of the more reassuring of genres.
In the 1940s, Superman was shown needing to battle European bad-guys who threatened the peace and security of Metropolis. Even though he only wanted to live a quiet life, he was forced into conflict for the greater good. WW2 began in 1939 and the US people saw it at first as a European issue. As the war got underway, the US government saw that they might have to get involved – even if many of their population did not want to. Episodes of the early Superman serials can often be seen reinforcing the need for America to be prepared to fight to protect its culture and values
Superman battles against Lex Luther who is a wealthy businessman and media magnate. This character appears first in the 1930s and then again in the 1978 film. It is also significant that Superman was raised in the rural community of Smallville. This sets him up in conflict with greedy, city values. Both timeframes suffered economic depressions. In the 1930s, the blame for the Great Depression was put on the greed of capitalists and the media was identified as being untrustworthy as wealthy capitalists ran it.
One of Batman’s enemies in the 1995 film Batman Forever is Two-Face and the on-going internal battle for the superhero is the tension between his light and dark sides. This binary plays out in a number of ways in the 80s/90s series. The latter half of the 20th Century saw the secure knowledge and understanding of previously stable binaries become eroded. Ideas of good and evil/hero and villain/ right and wrong become less clear and less certain. Comparing the 80s/90s Batman to its 60s version or the 70s version of Superman shows that the idea of ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ was being challenged and questioned in the later films
In X Men (2000), Mutants are outsiders who are seen as freaks by ‘normal’ people - so much so that many mutants seek to hide their difference. However, some join with other mutants to react violently to discrimination whilst others try to work with humans in an attempt to fit in. Superhero films are often seen as reactionary and conservative. The first X Men film has quite progressive values and foregrounds tolerance, community, and communication. The series is based on a collective rather than an individual so will inevitably deal with problems differently to the more conventional ‘lone wolf’ superheroes. The problems the mutants face are often seen as metaphors for the intolerance of racism and/or homophobia. Although things for non-white/straight groups were improving in the 00s discrimination of all types was (and is still) an issue in western culture.
The film offers a not too hidden metaphor for the conflict the US found themselves in during the 00s. Wars had been fought in desert regions with the main prize being the control of oil. The binary opposition between good and evil is still a theme that is present in the genre.
3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?
1) List five films the fact-sheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.
The X Men Franchise (7 Films since 2000 – 4 more planned)
The Avengers and its franchise including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk etc. (11 Films since 2000 – 3 more planned)
Spiderman (5 Films since 2000)
Guardians of the Galaxy
Agents of Shield (TV Series)
2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?
At each period of time, we can see the superhero offers slightly different narratives. He faces different villains, has to overcome different obstacles and has different types of relationships with the women in his life. The superhero genre has to fit in with the dominant values of the day if audiences are going to be able to relate to such a fantastical story. Genres replicate cultural myths and fears and by addressing them within stories a culture is able to play out those fears and concerns. Genres offer ideological reassurance when the narratives offer a resolution that addresses these fears and especially when the fears are overcome. Conventional superhero texts tend to show the hero defeating the enemy so this is often seen as one of the more reassuring of genres.
In the 1940s, Superman was shown needing to battle European bad-guys who threatened the peace and security of Metropolis. Even though he only wanted to live a quiet life, he was forced into conflict for the greater good. WW2 began in 1939 and the US people saw it at first as a European issue. As the war got underway, the US government saw that they might have to get involved – even if many of their population did not want to. Episodes of the early Superman serials can often be seen reinforcing the need for America to be prepared to fight to protect its culture and values
Superman battles against Lex Luther who is a wealthy businessman and media magnate. This character appears first in the 1930s and then again in the 1978 film. It is also significant that Superman was raised in the rural community of Smallville. This sets him up in conflict with greedy, city values. Both timeframes suffered economic depressions. In the 1930s, the blame for the Great Depression was put on the greed of capitalists and the media was identified as being untrustworthy as wealthy capitalists ran it.
One of Batman’s enemies in the 1995 film Batman Forever is Two-Face and the on-going internal battle for the superhero is the tension between his light and dark sides. This binary plays out in a number of ways in the 80s/90s series. The latter half of the 20th Century saw the secure knowledge and understanding of previously stable binaries become eroded. Ideas of good and evil/hero and villain/ right and wrong become less clear and less certain. Comparing the 80s/90s Batman to its 60s version or the 70s version of Superman shows that the idea of ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ was being challenged and questioned in the later films
In X Men (2000), Mutants are outsiders who are seen as freaks by ‘normal’ people - so much so that many mutants seek to hide their difference. However, some join with other mutants to react violently to discrimination whilst others try to work with humans in an attempt to fit in. Superhero films are often seen as reactionary and conservative. The first X Men film has quite progressive values and foregrounds tolerance, community, and communication. The series is based on a collective rather than an individual so will inevitably deal with problems differently to the more conventional ‘lone wolf’ superheroes. The problems the mutants face are often seen as metaphors for the intolerance of racism and/or homophobia. Although things for non-white/straight groups were improving in the 00s discrimination of all types was (and is still) an issue in western culture.
The film offers a not too hidden metaphor for the conflict the US found themselves in during the 00s. Wars had been fought in desert regions with the main prize being the control of oil. The binary opposition between good and evil is still a theme that is present in the genre.
3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?
Innovation: The visual codes for the superhero genre were largely established via the comic books. As soon as film and TV began to use the comic book characters other codes and conventions regarding the presentation of the genre in moving image were set. This can be seen in the early superhero shorts of the 1940s.
Classical: By the 1950s the superhero genre could be seen to be in its classical stage with the codes and conventions being replicated in the film and TV programmes of the time.
Parody: Batman (1966) was intentionally funny and camp and wouldn’t let its audience take the superhero too seriously. It had an ironic tone that flagged up the daft nature of the genre and allowed the audience to enjoy the awareness of that. After Batman, the classical and parodic versions of the genre were largely located in children’s animation, from Spider-Man whose animated adventures were on TV from the late 1960s,
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