HOMEWORK TASK 3

For week starting 11 October
Select a film opening of your choice and apply Barthes' 5 narrative codes.
1.  Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?
2.  Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?
3.  Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening
4. Interpret the cultural codes in the opening.  What kind of knowledge is being drawn on? social/historical/political/art and culture etc.  Highlight the 3 most important references in the opening that help with audience understanding.
5.  Identify key themes and analyse how they are presented visually/technically.

Please add the film link as usual.

Remember, codes can be visual, but also verbal and audio.
Deadline Friday 15th October 3.45pm

Lost Highway Opening Scene

Applying Todorov to David Lynch's LOST HIGHWAY

This opening sequence remains quite enigmatic about the equilibrium, but has a very effective disruption to the lives of the married couple. The dialogue contains the words "Dick Laurent is dead".

HOMEWORK TASKS 2

 FOR WEEK STARTING 27th SEPT 2010
Applying Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium and Levi-Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposites

SET TASK A: Choose one opening sequence from a film that you know well and analyse according to Todorov' theory. You should link your clip to your individual blogs and then post notes on the following:
1. Who are the agents: the protogonist (the main hero who propels the narrative forward) and antagonist (opposing agent).
2. Describe the Equilibrium. How is it represented? What kind of camera shots can you identify? (e.g establishing shots to create a sense of space or use of CUs/cutaways to emphasise particular objects/characters faces). Pick out 2 or 3 examples. Describe the mise-en-scene: what meanings to the props/costumes/lighting/framing carry?
3. Is the Disruption or Disequilibrium introduced or hinted at? (e.g the serial killer in "Seven" is introduced in the title sequence).
4. Are there any visual/verbal/aural clues that hint at what the hero's journey might be? (e.g having to solve the murders within a time-limit of seven days in "Seven")
5. From your knowledge of the film, how will the equilibrium be restored and what will be the new equilibrium?

SET TASK B: Choose another opening that you know well and analyse according to Levi-Strauss's theory of binary opposites.  Again, link your film clip and then post answers to the following questions:
1. What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?
2. Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?
3.What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?
4.  How is the narrative organised to show conflict?
YOU MUST illustrate your answers with clips from the sequence.

Deadline for this work for both groups: Friday's lesson (8th October).

Dual Narrative Point of View Videos

There's lots thats good about this and lots that could be better/clearer. What works? What should be done it improve it? How can you use the idea of two narrative POVs without making some of these classic mistakes? How will you make sure narrative comprehension is clear? How will you achieve cohesion?

And what about this one?

Shot sequence Analysis 2 - images for class

Make notes about each image. ALSO think about how the images work as a sequence. How do we read the images? What are the key differences? What is being indicated?

(All images from "Pretty Woman")

Shot (2) 1
Shot (2) 2
Shot (2) 3