Theory: Vladamir Propps- Types of characters in films.

Vladimir Propp

 

  In order to help me understand the some of the theory behind film-making I decided to look into the work of Vladimir Propp. 

  Propp argued that all fairy tales and other works of fiction were constructed of certain plot elements, which he called functions, and that these elements consistently occurred in a uniformed sequence. He draws on an analysis of Russian folk- tales; he concluded that regardless of individual differences in terms of plot, characters and setting. Such narratives would share common structural features. There were the functions of particular characters: 'the villain', 'the donor. 'the helper', 'the princess', 'her father', 'the dispatcher', 'the hero' and 'the false hero'. There were also 31 narrative units descriptive of a particular action. These units were;

• Absentation- A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.
• Interdiction- The hero is told not to do something or not to go somewhere, She/he is warned against some action (given an 'interdiction').
• Violation of Interdiction- This generally proves to be a bad move and the villain enters the story, although not always confronting the hero. They can appear in many different forms but will be present nonetheless.
• Reconnaissance-  Either villain tries to find the victims/money/treasure etc. or the intended victim questions the villain. The villain (often in disguise) makes an active attempt at seeking information, for example searching for something valuable or trying to actively capture someone. They may even speak with a member of the family or a friend of the hero who innocently divulges information. They may also seek to meet the hero, perhaps knowing already the hero is special in some way.
• Delivery- The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location. This usually puts the villain in a position of power, installing fear for the hero.
• Trickery- The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to      win confidence of victim). The villain now presses further, often using the information gained in seeking to deceive the hero or victim in some way, perhaps appearing in disguise. This may include capture of the victim, getting the hero to give the villain something or persuading them that the villain is actually a friend and thereby gaining collaboration.
• Complicity- Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy. The trickery of the villain now works and the hero or victim naively acts in a way that helps the villain. This may range from providing the villain with something (perhaps a map or magical weapon). Or maybe the hero is captured by the villain and/or his henchmen. 
• Villainy or 'Lack'- Villain causes harm/injury to family member in some way. Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something. There are two options for this function, either or both of which may appear in the story. In the first option, the villain causes some kind of harm, for example carrying away a victim or stealing/hiding whatever is desired (which must be then be retrieved). In the second option, a sense of lack is identified, for example in the hero's family or within a community, whereby something is identified as lost or something becomes desirable for some reason, for example a magical object that will save people in some way.
• Meditation- Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc. / alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment). The hero now discovers the act of villainy or lack, perhaps finding their family or community devastated or caught up in a state of anguish and woe.
• Beginning, Counter-Action- Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action. The hero now decides to act in a way that will resolve it, for example finding a needed magical item, rescuing those who are captured or otherwise defeating the villain. This is a defining moment for the hero as this is the decision that sets the course of future actions and by which a previously ordinary person takes on the mantle of heroism.
• Departure- Hero leaves.
• First function of the donor- Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc. paving the way for something/someone to aid them. (donor)
• Hero's reaction- Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him).
• Receipt of magical agent- Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters) (obviously this function will not be the same in all cases but can be translated to suit the genre).
• Guidance- Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search. (In modern fiction, this is the point where a twist sometimes occurs.)
• Struggle-  Hero and villain join in direct combat
• Branding- Hero is branded (hurt, marked, ect.)
• Victory- Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, banished ect.)
• Liquidation- Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revived, captive freed ect.)
• Return- Hero returns.
• Pursuit- Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, capture, undermine the hero).
• Rescue- Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life, hero defeats pursuers)
• Unrecognised arrival- Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
• Unfounded Claims- False hero presents unfounded claims.
• Difficult task- Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, and other tasks).
• Solution- task resolved.
• Recognition- Hero is recognised (by mark, brand, or something given to them).
• Exposure- False hero or villain is exposed.
• Transfiguration- hero is seen in a different way (gains respect, new garments, healed ect.)
• Punishment- Villain is punished.
• Wedding- (hero marries, 'gets the girl', is awarded/promoted ect.)

The characters were seen as stable elements from story to story, despite individual variations of appearance and/or personality. The narrative units were sufficient to describe all of the stories, although not all the units appear in all of the stories, when they do appear, they are in the prescribed order. While it might appear that such narrative structures are specific to a given genre or culture, the model has proved adaptable to other movies. They inevitably had to be translated somewhat from the original. However, the accounts do have a degree of credibility, and at the very least have the function of making the analysis of a narrative 'strange'.

Despite that, the 'proppean analysis’ does depend of the existence of a single narrative operating  in a linear way, also, Propp’s analysis fails to recognize the importance of such story components as tone, mood, characterization, and writing style. In all, I think that by studying Propp's theories I have gained a valuable understanding of essential plot components, however, due to the downfalls mentioned above, I believe that it is best to use Propp's theories only as a guiding base structure for a modern narrative.

Psychological Thrillers...

As part of my research I decided it would be useful if I did some research into my chosen genre. By doing this I could gain some understanding of the codes and conventions of a psychological thriller which would help me to create my own trailer accurately. 

Ok, the first thing I realised whilst doing my research was that a 'psychological' thriller is actually just a sub- genre of 'thriller'. This is helpful to me as it means that I can more accurately nail down exactly what makes a psychological film different from the other sub-genres of thriller movies. The other thing I realised was that a psychological thriller, unlike the other sub-genres, will often include certain elements from other genres. These other elements can range from drama and mystery all the way to romance and tragedy. The trick with this bit is finding the perfect balance of genre elements that will make my trailer come across the way I want it to. 

---

As part of my research into the sub-genre of psychological thrillers I decided to watch a few so that I could gain some insight and understanding into the different themes that make up a psychological thriller. The films I watched included; Black Swan, Shutter Island and Donnie Darko. After watching these films my understanding of psychological thrillers are that the main themes to include are; the state of the main protagonists’ mind- often the main character will have some kind of problem which sets them apart from the other characters. Their mind is usually used as the setting for narrative conflict which forces the audience to experience what the character is experiencing. Also, the character will often perceive the world around them in an abnormal way. This is how filmmakers can include the 'scarier' elements in the film such as ghosts, hallucinations, death ect. Despite this, an element of reality is crucial in a psychological thriller as it makes it more believable, the more real something potentially scary is the more of an effect it will have on the audience. 

The last main theme I decided was essential in a psychological thriller is the issue of identity. The protagonist will usually be confused as to who or what they are and will either fight to find out, or succumb to the madness...

Film Classifications

In order for me to decide upon the age range I wanted to target with my film trailer I did some research into the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). My hope was that I would better understand what content I should (or shouldn't) include in my trailer in order to meet the requirements for my chosen age-group.

   

Before properly researching the different certificates I knew that I wanted to appeal to an age group of at least my own age. Because of this and also because I do not wish to include strong violence or sexual activity in my trailer, I decided that in order to save time it would only be necessary to look into the information behind the age 15 certificate.

After reading up on this certificate I understand that as a whole, an age 15 film may not encourage or endorse discriminatory language or behaviour. Also, drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole cannot be seen to promote or encourage it. In addition to this, the misuse of easily accessible drugs is unacceptable in an age 15 film.

On the issue of imitable behaviour, there must not be too much detail on incidents such as self-harming, hanging or suicide as it could be copied. The same goes for the glamorization of easily accessible weapons such as knives.

An element of horror, threat and/ or menace is permitted, unless it is sadistic or sexualised.

In a certificate 15 film, the use of frequent strong language is permitted. However, the stronger terms such as 'c**t' are only permitted if justified by the context. Also, it is unlikely to be accepted as a 15 if the language is repeatedly used and in an aggressive manner.

With the exception of strong detail, nudity is permitted in a certificate 15 film. Sexual activity may also be portrayed, again with the exception of strong detail.

Without dwelling on the infliction of pain and injury, (strong) violence is permitted. Despite this, it is likely to be unaccepted if the violence is sadistic or sexualised without the justification of context. Also, the strongest of gory images is likely to be unaccepted.

Now that I have an accurate understanding of exactly what an age 15 film should and should not include, I can begin to think about the angle I want to take with my own film trailer.

Film Trailers: Where do they appear?

Okay, so, after I did some research into the different kinds of film trailers and what makes them what they are, I thought it might be a good idea to find out about what kind of places one would expect to find a film trailer.
The first place I thought of when I asked myself this question was, of course, the cinema. The cinema is the number one place people go to when they want to watch a new film, so, it would only make sense that trailers and advertisements for other films would be shown there.

   Usually, the type of trailer shown at the cinema is a teaser trailer. This is mainly because they're short and don't take up too much time. But also because a trailer shown in the cinema to a large number of people is likely to have a significant impact, this makes cinema audiences ideal for receiving a 'tease' for a new film. because of where they are, they can immediately begin to talk about the film being advertised, and, as a result, their anticipation for it is heightened even more.
     Another place film trailers are commonly found, is the internet. With hundreds of thousands of people using it everyday, the internet is an ideal place to advertise a film. During my research I discovered many different ways a trailer can be advertised on the internet. Some of the most successful methods are as follows;
- YouTube - a website specifically designed for the sharing and viewing of videos is perfect for audiences to hear about new films.

- YouTube advertisements- sometimes, at the beginning of a youtube video, an ad will play before the video, this is also a good place to advertise a film because if that video is popular or 'viral' then there will be a high amount of people that will inevitable be exposed to the advertisement, in some cases users have no choice but to watch the ad as their video loads.

- Ads by Google - more often than not, a website will include a space somewhere entitled 'ads by google'. These spaces sometimes contain pictures or posters of a new film that, when clicked on, link to a trailer for the film.
- Website for the film - Whenever a new film is released, there is always a website to accompany it. These websites are also perfect for a film trailer as they are already committed to advertising that film in any way they can.
Facebook (and other social networking sites) - these websites are ideal for people to view and share film trailers as not only are they a way for a trailer to spread rapidly throughout cyberspace, but they also allow people to discuss the it, thus generating even more publicity and interest in the film.
As a way of demonstrating this I have posted a trailer for 'The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' on my Facebook profile, a screenshot can be found below. 

The third main place that film trailers are shown is television. Usually found on the main channels such as BBC, ITV and Channel4, the film trailers shown on t.v are usually the theatrical ones, which are longer and more detailed. Film companies can afford to broadcast their trailers across television because they are reaching out to a much wider audience.
    Other ways that film trailers can reach an audience are;

• Extras on DVD's
• iTunes and iPod applications
• PS3/XBOX Advertisements
• Email

Film Trailers: What are they?

So, what exactly is the difference between a theatrical trailer and a teaser trailer?

In order to fully understand my task I decided to do some research into the two different types of trailers (teaser and theatrical), this is what I found...

        A theatrical trailer is almost always a lot longer and in more depth than a teaser trailer, paying more attention to detail such as the plot and exact release dates. A teaser trailer is a lot shorter and more concise, usually being released weeks or even months before the film. Also, a teaser trailer is usually made available to the audience long before a full length theatrical one.

       The main aim of a teaser trailer is to, well, 'tease' the audience. It does this by only showing brief clips of the film that do not reveal much of the plot line. This is a way of engaging the audience and grabbing their attention, generating interest in the film. Usually lasting around two minutes, a teaser trailer is a lot shorter than theatrical one that can sometimes last up to four or five minutes.
       Below are two trailers for the same film (one a teaser and one a theatrical). I watched these several times so that I could accurately distinguish the differences in each version and thus know what to include and what not to include in my teaser trailer.

Teaser Trailer:

Theatrical Trailer:

Research continued...

In addition to my earlier email to Richard Goodwin, I also decided to contact Elstree studios. My hope was that they could offer me some advice concerning my current task. a screen shot of the email can be found below. I have yet to receive a reply, but will update this post if ever I should get one!





Research And Preparation

As part of my preparation into the production of my promotion package I chose to contact someone within the industry and seek advice from them. The person I contacted is Richard Goodwin. He is known for the following;

A Thousand Kisses Deep (2011) (first assistant director)

Game of Thrones (2011) (TV series) (first assistant director -    4 episodes);

– Fire and Blood (2011) (first assistant director)

– Baelor (2011) (first assistant director)

– The Kingsroad (2011) (first assistant director)

– Winter Is Coming (2011) (first assistant director)

2011 Your Highness (second assistant director)

2010/I The Way Back (key second assistant director)

2010 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (second assistant director)

2009 Journey to Mecca (second assistant director)

2008 Easy Virtue (key second assistant director)

2008 Bones (TV series) (second assistant director: UK - 1 episode)

– The Yanks in the U.K.: Parts 1 and 2 (2008) (second assistant director: UK)

2008 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (first assistant director: re-shoots - uncredited)

2008 Mamma Mia! (second assistant director)

2007 The Golden Compass (second assistant director)

2007 Mourning Song (short) (second assistant director)

2006 Eragon (key second assistant director)

2006 Sixty Six (first assistant director: second unit)

2006 Children of Men (additional second assistant director, first assistant director: second unit)

2005 Syriana (second second assistant director: overseas)

2005 Goal! (second assistant director)

2005 Match Point (second assistant director)

2005 Kingdom of Heaven (second assistant director: second unit)

2004 Alexander (co-second assistant director)

2004 Wimbledon (co-second assistant director)

2004 Hellboy (third assistant director)

2003 Cold Mountain (third assistant director)

2003 To Kill a King (additional third assistant director)

2003 Johnny English (third assistant director)

2002 Die Another Day (additional third assistant director - uncredited)

2002 The Four Feathers (third assistant director)

2002 Thunderpants (assistant director)

2002 The Gathering Storm (TV movie) (third assistant director)

2001 Band of Brothers (TV mini-series) (third assistant director)

A few weeks after emailing Richard Goodwin, I was lucky enough to receive a reply that contained advice and also offered constructive criticism regarding my final project for last year’s AS portfolio which I had attached in my initial email. I have included screenshots from both emails below.