For todays lecture we looked at structural theories within films. This came looking at the 3 act structure - linear narrative structure - proposed by Syd Field who modernized and wrote about Aristotle's initial theory of narrative structure who stated that “A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end” Poetics 335BC. Field also stated that the 3 act structure doesn't necessarily need to follow Aristotle's proposed time schedule and that the middle act (act 2) is usually twice as long as act 1 and 3. In Field's Paradigm, he lays out the Acts and their structure of what happens and when. Exposition - introduced to the film’s main character(s) and situation. Inciting Incident - Complication/ incident that sets events into motion. End of Act 1 : Plot Point 1 -The event in which the character takes on the central problem. Mid-Point (Act 2) - The main character faces increasingly intense and complex problems / obstacles. End of Act 2 : Plot Point 2 - Is li
Directed by Sir Ridley Scott and written from the minds of Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett; Alien (1979) is a film full of jump scares, high suspense and restless curiosity, as stated by Roger Ebert “At its most fundamental level, "Alien" is a movie about things that can jump out of the dark and kill you.” further emphasising the menacing and hostile nature of the foreign organism. Alien (1979) not only pushes boundaries in terms of visual design, but also in subliminal messages hidden within the film that the audience will have to sit a decipher; these include woman empowerment, challenging misogynistic views and the vulnerable qualities that reside in men. (fig. 1) Fig. 1 Alien (1979) film poster This sci-fi horror conveys themes as mentioned above strongly through its character line-up; depicting a crew of seven mineral ore miners consisting of two women, four men and one undisclosed A.I. who all vary in characteristics and personality. On the first silent
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