Theories

Question 1

Reception Theory

Answer 1

. Stuart Hall
. Text + Reader = Meaning
. Communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences
. 3 positions from which messages can be decoded: Preferred, Negotiated, Oppositional

Question 2

Reception Theory - Preferred Reading

Answer 2

. Producer’s intended message

Question 3

Reception Theory - Negotiated Reading

Answer 3

. Audience understand the message but adapt it to suit their own values

Question 4

Reception Theory - Oppositional Reading

Answer 4

. Audiences disagree with preferred reading

Question 5

Narrative Equilibrium

Answer 5

Tzvetan Todorov

1. Equilibrium
2. Disruption of Equilibrium
3. Recognition of Equilibrium
4. Attempt to repair damage (complications)
5. New Equilibrium

Question 6

Binary Opposites

Answer 6

Claude Levi-Strauss
. Meaning in narrative depends on binary opposites
. The interplay between opposing ideas or values creates narrative momentum
. Clashes can reflect/be influenced by culture anxieties
. So, within narratives, myths (often heroes) are created and can be seen to resolve tensions between opposites

Question 7

Three Act Paradigm

Answer 7

Syd Field
- Act 1: First quarter of film, Set up:
. Inciting incident
. Plot point 1: Hero takes on problem, leads to…
- Act 2: Next two quarters of film, Confrontation:
. Midpoint: main character reaches lowest point
. Plot point 2
- Act 3: Final quarter of film, Climax:
. Climax: max tension, followed by denouement, where a state of equilibrium returns

Question 8

Character Types

Answer 8

Vladimir Propp
. The Hero: seeks something
. The Villain: opposes/actively blocks hero’s quest
. The Donor: provides object with magical qualities
. The Dispatcher: sends hero on quest via a message
. The False Hero: disrupts hero’s success by making false claims
. The Helper: aids the hero
. The Princess: reward for hero, object of villain’s plots
. Her Father: rewards hero for his effort