Integrated Theory & Practice - Production & Outcomes
Chosen principles - Interpretation & Delivery
This weeks lecture was about the development of ideas and structure in moving image. The first principle I am going to talk about is the three act structure. As you can guess, the theory states that within a film there are 3 acts, usually using the ratio of 30:60:30 minutes when talking of a standard two hour long film. I am going to use the film The Lion King to give an example of the three different acts. During the first act is where we establish things, and it’s not a true 3 act structure without a protagonist, in this case, Simba. It is established that Mufasa, King of the Pride Lands is the father of baby Simba and that due to his birth, Mufasa’s bitter younger brother, Scar, will now not get a chance to rule. The first act follows Simba as he starts to grow and learn about the Kingdom he will one day rule. It also follows Scar and his plotting to kill Simba in hope of returning his place in line of the throne. The end of the first act occurs when the protagonist makes a commitment that leads to the main action of the movie; acts 2 and 3. In this case it is where Simba, after being tricked into believing that it was his fault that his father died in the Wildebeast stampede in the gorge, decides to run away from the Pride Lands and not return in shame of what he has done.
Left-right: Simba's birth, Simba growing up, the deadly stampede, realising his fathers dead
In act 2 there is always a crises, it’s not always bad, it can be something new coming in or a change of rules. In this case, after making the pride believe that Simba had also died in the stampede and not ran away, Scar became King. Another crisis comes when after a few years of Scar ruling and letting the Hyeena’s hunt on the Prides Lands the food sources were dangerously low. This prompts Rafiki, a mystic monkey to go and find Simba realising he’s alive and persuade him and his new found friends Timon, Pumbaa (Meerkat and Hog) and Nala, a young Lioness to come back and take his rightful place as King. The end of act 2 comes when something happens to disturb the new equilibrim that has formed after the initial crisis’. In the example of The Lion King it is when Simba returns and fights Scar until the death.
Left-right: Scar over hunting in the Pride Lands, Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa all together
Act 3 is where the original equilibrium and order is returned, in this case Simba claiming his right to be King, replenishing the food sources and banning the Hyeena’s back to the Outlands. In Act 3, an ‘inner story’ also accompanys the main ‘outer story’ and this is usually something emotional or romantic to do with the protagonist. In this case it is Simba and his new found love Nala. The film closes with Rafiki holding up Simba and Nala’s new cub.
Left-right: Simba and Nala falling in love, Simba and Nala's baby
When applying this to films that you have now watched yourself, remember the 3 Acts don’t always have to be in this order. For example there are non linear films such Pulp Fiction, and trilogy’s which may split the acts of a number of films, such as the Star Wars saga.
Another principle of the lecture was how films, books and TV show’s in today’s society use multiple types of platform to engage their audience. A film example would be that of the Harry Potter. Using this example is sort of starting in the middle. The films were originally books, then taken and adapted to the screen to give the novel’s audience something extra to engage in, something physically visual apposed to the imagination (Not arguing that screen is better, the imagination is an amazing thing!) of the readers. After the films came the video games, these are roughly one video game per film and are available on PC, Xbox, PS, Nintendo WII and Nintendo DS, a wide range of video consoles to reflect the vast audience this series has. Other ways that this series has gotten across to people is in board games, puzzles, fancy dress, models and general merch.
Harry Potter film poster
Harry Potter game cover
Harry Potter puzzle
TV series have also started doing this. At the beginning of the year the BBC created a series of 4 online PC games that followed the latest series of Dr. Who. The games were in essence an extra episode per game. This lets the reader into the TV series in a more personal way, engaging and controlling the characters instead of just sitting there watching what they were doing.
Dr. Who BBC interactive game
Another example of this is the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series, an American TV series which follows the lives of crime scene investigators, each episode solving 1 or 2 murders using detective skills and forensics. The TV producers tapped into the fact that viewers at home like to piece the crime together themselves and often have their own idea of who the killer is. With this they have created a game for the Nintendo WII which, unlike the Dr. Who games doesn’t follow a specific series, it just uses the characters the TV show does and you have to solve new crimes using your forensic skills in the game and your detective skill sin your mind. Letting the viewer engage in their own little game, as well as feeling a more personal connection to the characters in the series, ergo bringing them back to wath the latest series.
CSI console game
CSI mobile game
Bibliography of images (Top-bottom-left-right)
Image 1: http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/photo/movie_pix/walt_disney/the_lion_king/birth.jpg
Image 2: http://anhphuongart.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/lion-king-9.jpg
Image 3: http://popular100.blogspot.com/2009/01/lion-king-stampede.html
Image 4: http://www.mutantreviewers.com/rsniffle5.jpg
Image 5: http://fanart.lionking.org/Artists/Tru/Scardown2.png
Image 6: http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f386/clairvoyant_disease1/scar.jpg
Image 7: http://www.alexross.com/introductions.jpg
Image 8: http://www.lionkingpride.net/images/cardscans/lkcs021.jpg
Image 9: http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/7000000/Simba-and-Nala-the-lion-king-7096284-603-495.jpg
Image 10: http://content8.flixster.com/photo/10/27/95/10279546_gal.jpg
Image 11: http://popular100.blogspot.com/2008/06/lion-king-end.html
Image 12: http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/film_images/harry_potter_film_poster.jpg
Image 13: http://bloghogwarts.com/wp-content/gallery/videojuegos-harry-potter/HP1VideoGameCover1.JPG
Image 14: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61LNHbhzMmL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Image 15: http://www.dealspwn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Dr-Who-Adventure-Games-Logo-pic.jpg
Image 16: http://source.mobileddl.com/files/image/CSI-Vegas--The-Official-Mobile-Game.gif
image 17: http://tinypic.com/images/404.gif
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