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Examples of sci-fi hybrid genres: Sci-fi western comedy – e.g. Cowboys and Aliens (2011) Sci-fi first contact action adventure – e.g. Independence Day (1996) Sci-fi alien invasion comedy – e.g Mars Attacks (1996) Examples of sci-fi sun genres: AI (Artificial Intelligence) – AI (2001) Classic Sci-Fi – War of the Worlds (1953)Creature Films – The Blob (1958)Dystopic or Dystopia - e.g. Cyborg (1989) Time Travel – e.g. Back to the Future (1985)
A full list • Action or Adventure Sci-FiAlien InvasionAliens, Extra-Terrestrial EncountersAnimeAI (Artificial Intelligence) Atomic AgeClassic Sci-FiCreature Films Disaster - See Greatest Disaster Film Scenes alsoDystopic or Dystopia End of WorldExplorationFairy TalesFantasy Films50's Sci-Fi"First Contact" Futuristic (or Future Noir) Galactic Empire Lost WorldsMad ScientistsMilitaristicMonsters and MutantsMythic Fables or Mythology Natural Horror • Near Future Other DimensionsOuter SpaceParallel (or Alternate) Universe Post-Apocalyptic (or Apocalyptic) Pre-historicPsychological Sci-FiPulpPunk Sci-Fi (i.e., Steam Punk, Nano Punk, Atom Punk, Cyber Punk, etc.) Religious or Theological Robots, Cyborgs and AndroidsSci-Fi ComediesSci-Fi Horror Sci-Fi ThrillersSpace OperaSpace or Sci-Fi Westerns SpeculativeStar TrekSuper-Hero Films (e.g., Supermen and Others)SupernaturalTech-NoirTime or Space TravelVirtual Reality
Demographics • Definition: Demographic information is used in media marketing to classify an audience into age, gender, race and other categories. • Demographics are broken into bands depending on peoples jobs or status. • This is shown in this table.
Psychographics • Psychographic segmentation divides the market into groups based on social class, lifestyle and personality characteristics. It is based on the assumption that the types of products and brands an individual purchases will reflect that persons characteristics and patterns of living.
How the theory developed… • Strauss was a French anthropologist who lived in the early 1900's. He believed that the way we understand certain words depends not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but much more by our understanding of the difference between the word and its 'opposite' or, as he called it 'binary opposites'.
Examples… • Our understanding of the word "villain" depends on the difference between that word and the opposing word "hero". Within the media field, binary oppositions are used very frequently in films, especially in the horror genre. Many horror films include sets of binary oppositions in their plots. Particularly good and evil, sane and insane, rational and irrational and human and supernatural.
Producing binary opposites in your own work… • Make sure you include binary opposites in your work relating to the genre. These can be multiple opposites within two characters, for example good VS bad but also young VS old.
History of binary opposites… • Binary opposites used to be very simple and easy to spot in films, such as good VS bad in traditional fighting films. However in recent years they have become more complex and unusual. For example, the recent twilight films have had a complicated plot in slowly revealing vampires VS werewolves, and this binary opposite is difficult to spot in the first film.
AVATAR -Another example… • These oppositions reveal the structure of media texts like posters, television and film. For example, Lévi-Strauss suggested that if we look at the genre of Science-Fiction we can draw a series of Binary Oppositions. The themes of ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ seem to contrast with each other, the same with: Humans and Aliens, Past and Present, Normal and Strange, Known and Unknown. If we look at the film Avatar, for example, we can see a clashing of themes. The fundamental idea is that the film is an opposition between aliens and humans. Even though these aliens (called the Na’vi) have, some would argue, human characteristics, there is still a confronting of races displayed. The native, animalistic qualities of the Na’vi contrast with the seemingly adapted and highly intelligent humans. This is seen, while war wages, in the high-tech weaponry of the humans, juxtaposing with the tribal ‘sticks and stones’ weaponry of the Na’vi. The naked aliens only covered with scraps of material juxtapose with the human’s strong, unyielding armor. • By noticing these types of binary oppositions, we subconsciously create a contextual background of films, engrossing us more and allowing us to understand contrasts and differences in the narrative, consequently creating an understanding of the ‘big picture’.
Symbolic Codes involve all symbolic elements in the film, even those a part of the above codes; lighting is or can be used symbolically, as can text in titles, colour of settings, costume, props etc; symbolic codes play a very significant part in our reading of film meaning. WE EXPLAIN USING THE WORDS CONNOTE OR CONNOTATIONS • Genre: Sci- FiGenre Codes: – Low Key Lighting is used.-Sound effects are used (techno etc)-Green screens are used • Conventions: – It is used to create a sense of tension– It creates suspense– It gives a sense of reality • The key signifiers in this poster are Will Smith, the robots in the background, and the text “i,robot”. They all signify different things as each signifier has a different meaning and can be interpreted in may ways. Will Smith signifies the main character and from his body language and facial expressions we can gather that he is a inquisitive character as his facial expressions shows that he is intrigued/confused. Some may also say that his facial expression shows determination. The robots are position within ranks almost as if to show they are an army. However as the are standing behind the main character it can also be said that they are his army. Also the title I robot is the film title and can give us a clue as to what the film is about. In this case we can gather that it is about robots. The fact that there is only one man within the picture, who is enlarged compared to the robots, may represent that ‘one man’ is the strongest. The ‘army’ of robots in the background can inform us that a battle of some sort will occur etc. The poster gives the audience a sense of what the concept of the film is and who the main character is. This poster shows us that robots play a main part of the film from both the background, which is full of robots in stand, and from the title “i,robot”
Symbolic codes in ‘Aliens’ RIPLEY Only smiles for the child (Newt) Shows she is maternal as well as tough. the Exosuit, the military version of the P-5000. – symbolises Ripley’s iconic status as a female action hero There is a scene at the end where Ripley threatens to kill off its offspring and the beast backs off. That shows a certain level of kinship. They are both mothers, after all. XENOMORPHS (The Aliens) Acid blood – connotes terror – if you wound them, it hurts you Big long heads (They have elongated, cylindrical skulls) – binary opposition to their human enemies – connotes mystery and otherworldliness humanoid hind limbs – shows they have been spawned using humans parasitically – connotes horror
Narrative metaphors: Avatar has aliens representing 3rd world people and humans=s representing 1st world people, destroying the environment and destroying cultures District 9 has aliens representing immigrants and the black and white people of south Africa are united in their hatred for the aliens – it's a big metaphor for apartheid and how wrong it is – since the aliens are not dangerous
