Kate Domaille and the 8 forms of narrative

Kate Domaille is known for her theory of the eight forms of narrative. Her theory suggests that every story told can be fitted into one of these eight narratives shown below.

Achilles - The fatal flaw that will eventually lead to the destruction of the 'flawless' for example 

                   Superman.

 Candide - This is the story that the indomitable hero cannot be put down. Examples are James 

                   Bond, Rocky etc. 

 Cinderella - This story is when dreams come true and it's happy, more seen in romantic 

                       genre's such as Pretty Woman. 

 Circe - This is about a chase, hero versus villain. A battle between the good and the bad. 

 Faust - This narrative story is more about 'selling your soul to the devil' and becoming better off  

              but will ultimately fail and your soul will belong to the devil. 

 Orpheus - In this narrative, something personal or loved becomes lost or taken and therefore 

                    the narrative follows the journey in order to retrieve what has been lost. An example 

                   would be 'Taken.' 

 Romeo & Juliet - This is the 'love story.' A romance between two characters. An good 

                               example is 'Titanic' and possibly 'Dirty Dancing.' 

 Tristan & Iseult - Yet again more often seen in romantic genres, a love triangle. When a 

                                character loves another however they are already spoken for or a third party   

                                becomes involved. 

The form of narrative that my product will be seen as is the Circe narrative as it is often featured within the science fiction genre, especially if it includes superhuman powers.

Blumler and Katz uses and gratifications theory

Tim O'Sullivan media text theory

Barry Keith Grant and Steve Neale's evolving genre

Barry Keith recognized how all genres feature a sub genre within them, this means that a media text can be divided up into more specific categories. He suggests that these sub genres allow audiences to identify a product by their familiar and recognizable characteristics. Sub genres are identifiable sub-classes of a larger category for example biopics, chick-flicks, disaster films and many more.

As Barry Keith Grant writes in the introduction of his genre reader, “the work of defining film genres is surprisingly difficult and complex’” [1] because “…recognition of the importance of genre in the cinema is a relatively recent development….although chronologically it narrowly predates the early work of auteur criticism.” [2] Grant takes notice that until the late 1940s and early 1950s – when Robert Warshow and genre pioneer André Bazin wrote the first significant essays on film genre (about gangster movies and about the Western) – films were only distinguished by a phrase (for example, ‘a war movie’) “used as a convenient label to give one an idea of what the story was like, what to expect generally from a film.” [3] As before in literature, in painting and in other forms of art, “genre became a critical term, providing another conceptual framework for understanding movies.” [4] A genre classification can also double as a precise commercial study because it evokes certain audience expectations and therefore it allows one to establish classifications, comparisons, balance-sheets, valuations for the future and so on. Although it has been helpful for cinema studies, classifying films in accordance with their genre remains a difficult and risky endeavor because genre ‘impurity’ is by now, some twenty years after the solidification of genre study, a constant characteristic and a usual practice of the cinema as art and as industry.

Some films trailers within the same genre but display Barry's concept of sub genres are:

Thor the movie is classed as an action, adventure and fantasy

Whereas Jumper however is seen as an action, adventure, science fiction. This is due to the sub genres within the film and the mise en scene within the film. Although both protagonists from both films have similar conventions as they are both 'heroes' the narrative within the film can categorize the films in separate genres.

Steve Neal then begins to explain how genre further processes as it is a form of systematization as it changes over time. This is from new conventions forming and culture changing. An example of this would be horror movies, in the early days of cinema horror movies would have been terrifying however since the audience became familiar with the conventions and cinematography they would now be seen as more of a comedy.

Within my product I am going to use current conventions in order appeal to the audience and make my product more consumable. In terms of sub genres I plan to use the diegesis to represent more of a superhero movie as my protagonist will be very selfless and heroic.

Laura Mulvey and the male gaze theory

The male gaze theory is the representation within the media of how women are portrayed. Laura Mulvey states that women are portrayed within the media as objects and aesthetic products, meaning they are there to be looked at. This is done by the way the camera portrays them through shot types and movement as within numerous products the camera focuses on women's assets and they are composed and choreographed to sexually appeal to the audience.
She refines this by looking at how men view the women within those images as the product and reason for the women used in these videos is to appeal to a male audience. In terms of female portrayal the women are often idolized and seen represented as the perfect image as in order to appeal they must attract. This is why the women featured in these media products are often models and very sexually appealing. The media creates the ideology of a perfect image and essentially create the conception of the subject in this video is what men want and what women should look like.
Mulvey suggests that these media products emphasize the curves (assets) of the female figure, they refer to them as objects and not people. The way the display the women is how men think women should be perceived in order to be classed as appealing. She also says the female viewers view the content through the eyes of a man, thus creating the sense of this is what I should look like in order to be appealing. Women are often sexualised and seen as objects and are portrayed specifically sexual desire and the way they look.
This theory describes how the audience or viewer is put into the perspective of a heterosexual male as the camera lingers over the curves of a woman's body. Mulvey states the within film women are typically the objects, rather than the possessors and this is displayed by the composition and control of the camera and cinematography in turn creating an idealistic view that women should follow. As this is a theory it is all subjective and an opinion as some women may disagree and say that this view of women within the media is empowering and liberating as they are seen as what men desire meaning they have the power.
Mulvey concluded that typically within the media the man is portrayed as a powerful character and is far more dominant and women are passive to the active gaze from the man.
Mulvey also states that the female gaze is the same as the male gaze as women view themselves through the eyes of men, objectifying themselves whether they view themselves as attractive or not and whether they conform to the media perception of attractive.

By looking at three music videos I shall determine whether they comply with Mulvey's theory. The videos that I have chosen are the top three current tracks from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart/singles.
The first is Meghan Trainor, All about that bass:

The song focuses on  the subject of women's figures and how the media has created the concept of the perfect figure as really slim, often said to be size 6-8 and how more recent debates and controversy of artists within the media beginning to re-shape the ideal figure to larger (size 10) however ideally many people believe there shouldn't be an ideal figure and you should only conform to your own ideology of perfect and you should look how you want. With many current artists focusing on this, much like this artist they talk about their own figure as an example however in today's society they would still be classed as slim to many people but by classifying themselves within the "plus size" category can just create more controversy.
Regarding Mulvey's male gaze theory this video is a very good example as it mainly focuses on figure and more specifically curves as the lyrics refer directly to the whole concept and idea of women appealing to men. In terms of cinematography and camera movement the video shows many pans and tilts going down a women's body following her hands as they exaggerate curves. The video also featires some subjects dancing in a provocative manner "twerking" is one of them. In terms of outfits within this video many of the dancers, which are predominantly female are wearing leotards which fit around the body tightly and again emphasis the curves of the dancers figures.

The second video is Ed Sheeran, Thinking out loud:

This video featues an intimate dance between a male and female the male is a suit, whereas the woman is in a one pice outfit that shows both her legs and upper torso. Instantly you see Mulvey's theory within this video although it is more subtl and not as loud as it is in the first music video the camera still moves in a similar way as it follows the female in the opening scene and focuses on the lpower half of her body. Her legs are completely exposed as it is claessed as very sexual and since media has evolved things such as this become less vulgar and unexpected as there was a time when women couldn't show their ankles as it was too suggestive. The video shows a series of shots that emphasise the womens figure as well as her dancing ability.

The third music video that I looked at was Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Niki Minaj, Bang bang:

This song is a prime example of Laura's theory and not only through the video but the lyrics also. The lyrics within some popular music currently are very vulgar and talk and refer to sex directly there are many lyrics within this song that prove this. Here is a video that I found which highlights many of these lyrics and they comment on how they are portrayed to an audience:

Regarding the music video to this the majority of women in this video are dressed to appeal to men, this is even displayed within the video as the three main singers are dressed in revealing clothing that emphasise their curves and the camera shows men linger around them and are represented as though they desire the women.

Within film trailers the theory is less more prominent but can still be featured especially as a subplot as typically films include a love interest. The trailer that I am going to look at is Chronicle (2012)

With a film lead with male characters, especially teenage ones there is bound to be love interset somewhere as relationships within film are very conventional in terms of subplots. The first shot that Mulvey's theory applies is a quick pan across a football field were a group of cheerleaders are practicing, this was clearly added to appeal to a male audience as the conventional stereotype of cheerleaders are athletic and pretty also by using found footage for this shot as the teenage boys film them connotes how men find such things appealing due to the conventional cheerleading outfit can be somewhat revealing and in the actual film they filmed them numerous times. The only other scene within the trailer that relates to the theory is around 1:06 as there is the protagonists girlfriend/ love interest who is topless and in her underwear the reason for this is to establish a sense of maturity to the film maybe say a viewership of 15 as its target audience is teenagers. By showing her half naked and through the perspective of the handheld camera connotes that she is an object and meant to be looked for entertainment.

Within my film trailer I plan to feature a love interest for my protagonist as a sub-plot as this has became a convention for most films not just specific genres. However I don't think I am going to use a female character in order to appeal to my audience as I only plan to show shots to imply that there is a love interest.

Stuart Hall's reception theory

Christian Metz development of genre (Film trailer History)

Christian Metz looks and the characteristics of genres and the development stages that can be applied. His theory looks at the four developmental stages that can be applied to genre; Classical, experimental, parody and deconstruction.
The classical characteristic is an original piece of work which developed the initial codes and conventions of the chosen genre, essentially this looks at texts that become seen as iconic and then create the genres conventions.
The experimental stage is all about the progression of the formed conventions of the classical stage. By developing new conventions you then influence future products for an audience, the seismology would be seen as experimental.
The third stage is the parody stage, the codes and conventions within genres are mocked and expected by the audience as it appeals far less.
The final stage from Metz's theory is deconstruction this consists of picking effective and key features and generic elements from numerous genres to form a hybrid genre.

For my film trailer I aim to connote deconstruction by applying conventions from action, thriller and Sci-Fi. My trailer will feature intense action scenes with violence resulting in climactic and thrilling suspense for the audience. By demonstrating supernatural powers and escapism to my product. I feel as though by doing this the genre of my product will be evident.

Below are some examples of films within the Sci-Fi genre that follow Metz's theory:

In 1927 the first ever feature length science fiction movie was released called Metropolis.

This is seen as the classical stage as it managed to capture the optimistic and advanced technology of the speculated future. They used mise en scene heavily within the trailer as this is a great connotation that the film is set in the future as the machines shown in the trailer would have been very impressive and absurd in 1927.

The next trailer that features the experimental stage is Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A space Odyssey released in 1968.

This film began a new era of Sci-Fi as the experimental idea of space and an achievable future appealed to a mass audience. So much that it gave new life to the genre and is the reason why Sci-Fi is so popular today. The film speculated the future of space travel and landing on the moon which since has became somewhat of a convention of science fiction.

Thirdly there is the parody stage Austin Powers is a well known parody with elements from the Sci-Fi genre.

Austin Powers International man of mystery (1997); This movie uses bizzarre technology often seen in Sci-Fi movies set in the future but in this film set in the 1960's. It then moves on and features a large number of other absurd scenes and weapons.

The final trailer applies to the deconstruction stage the well known 007 series, a high action fast paced movie.

This renowned series uses advanced weaponry, with a Sci-Fi element in order to emphasise the action scenes and create a larger sense of escapism and adrenaline. The films often feature a weaponised vehicle with missiles and many other forms of explosives.