Over the past weeks, Nigel has given us an overview on the theoretical framework for film studies. In addition, he has also facilitated tools to develop our own critical research topics.
Developing Critical Thinking
I truly cherished the activities in which we have had to analyze short films and experimental animations, as it helped us further our critical skills. Since I do not come from the film industry, the sessions have been useful as they have given me considerable tools to analyze the technical aspects of an animation.
In addition, it has been an enormous challenge to develop critical thinking skills in a foreign language. However, it has been rewarding as I have had the opportunity of being exposed to new vocabulary and new ways of presenting ideas.
Developing a Research Topic
Furthermore, we have had many tutorial sessions to develop our own research topic. Sharing our ideas and research topics with Nigel and our classmates was useful, as we received valuable feedback to clarify our ideas.
Further Thoughts
Developing our own research topic has been extremely beneficial exercise, as we are going to need those tools and skills we have learned for our thesis investigation.
This week we got an overview on how to reference using the Harvard style and we also focused on the planning of the structure of our report. What follows next is a general outline of the topics I am planning to include in my research.
Critical Report Structure
Title / Subtitle:What role do game narrative and character development have in player identification and gender representation in the videogame Last of Us?
Abstract: The paper explores and analyses which key aspects of the game narrative and character development can help to achieve player identification and gender representation in videogames. It is specifically focused on the analysis of the videogame sequel Last of Us and should set an example for game designers as to how to rethink their game production from a more diverse and inclusive perspective.
Key Words: Gender representation – Player identification – Character Development – Game Narrative – Last of Us
Contents Page: I will add this section at the end.
Introduction: I will talk about the purpose of my report, the scope of my research and how it is relevant in the field.
Literature Review: The following will be divided into three major aspects: The purpose of the game narrative; the connection between the player and the character; and gender and representation studies in the gaming field.
Chapters for main discussion: The following will be divided into four chapters: A brief summary of the videogame Last of Us; the player identification with the character; the female narrative; and gender identity and sexuality.
Conclusion: I will talk about the outcome of my research and its implications on the field.
Bibliography:
Adams, E. (2010) Fundamentals of Game Design. 3rd edn. Berkeley, Calif.: New Riders
Bateman, C. (2021) Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury.
Brown, J. (1996) Gender and the Action Heroine: Hardbodies and the “Point of No Return”. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022)
Butler, J. (1988) Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022).
Calleja, G. (2011) In-Game from immersion to incorporation. London: The MIT Press
Naughty Dog (2014) Last of Us: Part I. Sony Computer Entertainment.
Naughty Dog (2020) Last of Us: Part II. Sony Computer Entertainment.
Shaw, A. (2015) Gaming at the Edge. Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. London: University of Minnesota Press.
This week we got some advice on how to write introductions and conclusions. Whereas the introduction should define the research topic and inform the reader the purpose of the critical report, the conclusion is supposed to describe the outcomes of the research.
Another topic we talked about was the literature review, which should present the sources and also the concepts we are going to critically analyze in our research.
Since I have already chosen the academic papers and bibliography list I would like to explore on my report, I can now start working in my literature review.
Literature Review
What follows next is a brief description of the concepts I am going to analyze in my literature report.
Performative Gender: In her studies of gender and performative acts Butler (1988, p. 523) states that gender is not predetermined and it can be perceived as the reflection of cultural and sociological traits.
Action Heroine: In his studies of gender Brown (1996, p. 53) argues that the female character can be defined as the action heroine when she has an active role. However, when they fight alongside men this can be interpreted by some critics as a gender transvestite.
Affective Involvement: In his studies of digital game involvement Calleja (2011, p. 135) explains that the player can get an emotional engagement with the character due to the absorbing nature of games.
Purpose of Story: In his studies of game writing Bateman (2021, pp. 6-7) describes there are three techniques to create a connection between the character and the player: immersion, reward and identification. The first one is linked to how the fictional game setting becomes the new reality of the player. The second technique is related to how the player is awarded after overcoming challenges and achieving in-game goals, which should motivate him to keep on playing. The third one has to do with how the player identifies himself with the game protagonist.
Identification: In her studies of sexuality and gender in the gaming field Shaw (2015, pp. 72-73) argues that players can establish two types of connections with the game character. The first one is linked to the physical aspects and the second one to the emotional one.
Reference List
· Bateman, C. (2021) Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury.
· Brown, J. (1996) Gender and the Action Heroine: Hardbodies and the “Point of No Return”. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022)
· Butler, J. (1988) Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022).
· Calleja, G. (2011) In-Game from immersion to incorporation. London: The MIT Press
· Shaw, A. (2015) Gaming at the Edge. Sexuality and Gender at the Margins of Gamer Culture. London: University of Minnesota Press
This week, we worked in groups, met the people from the VFX course and shared our research topics. We also talked about which books and academic papers we were going to use as a reference.
Tentative Research Topic
Tentative Title: How game narrative and character development in the videogame Last of Us can play an important role in gender representation.
In other words, I would like to analyze which key elements of the game narrative (as in purpose and structure) and character development (for instance, traits, personality, appearance, gender and sexuality) in the Last of Us can help to achieve gender representation in videogames.
Tentative Bibliography
Bateman, C. (2021) Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames. 2nd edn. London: Bloomsbury.
Brown, J. (1996) Gender and the Action Heroine: Hardbodies and the “Point of No Return”. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022).
Butler, J. (1988) Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893 (Accessed: 29 November 2022).
The authenticity of a documentary is ‘deeply linked to notions of realism and the idea that documentary images are linked to notions of realism and the idea that documentary images bear evidence of events that actually happened, by virtue of the indexical relationship between image and reality’
Horness Roe. A. (2013) Animated Documentary. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Paraphrased Paragraph
Honess Roe (2013, Animated Documentary) argues that the authenticity of a documentary relies on the conception of realism, insomuch as images can be perceived as a reflection of events and can prove their existence.
For this week’s assignment we have to choose an animation and elaborate on how it would or wouldn’t be classified as a documentary.
Sinking of the Lusitania (1918)
According to Honnes Roe (2013, pp. 7-8), Sinking of the Luisitania is considered to be the first commercially animated documentary and it is a clear example of how animation can reconstruct a historical event when there is no record of it. In this sense, animation can be a useful tool to portray, illustrate and clarify a non-fictional event and help the audience to witness one moment in history.
Nonetheless, on the other hand, it can be argued that ‘any animated work dealing with reality-related topics will appear intrinsically fictional in form’ (Formenti, 2022, p.13). This implies that animated documentaries are created in an artificial way, and therefore, they can be influenced by the director’s lens of reality. For this reason, it can be questioned to what extent animated documentaries represent reality in an accurate manner.
To wrap up, Sinking of the Lusitania can be considered an animated documentary insomuch as it represents a historical event that happened. However, since there does not exist any live action material, the director had to reconstruct the events and therefore his animation is influenced by his interpretation of reality and values.
Reference List
Formenti, C. (2022) The Classical Animated Documentary and Its Contemporary Evolution. Bloomsbury Academic & Professional.
Honess Roe, A. (2013) Animated Documentary. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nichols, B. (1994) Blurred Boundaries; Questions of Meaning in Contemporary Culture. Indiana University Press.
For this week’s assignment I had to analyze an abstract film of my choice focusing on its categorisation, form and function, process and formal elements.
Synchromy No. 4– Escape
I decided to analyze Mary Ellen Bute’s Synchromy No. 4– Escape, which is a 16mm color film with music developed between 1937 and 1938 (Whitney Museum of American Art, 2022).
Mary Ellen Bute (1906-1983) had a background in painting and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, United States. Her artistic work focused on the movement, rhythm and synesthetic form which was part of the European Avant Garde before World War II. She was also part of the visual music inventors and musicians’ community from New York in the 1920s and early 1930s (Betancourt, 2013, p. 83).
Categorisation
Synchronomy No. 4 – Escape falls into the genre of abstract film insomuch as it ‘abandons the premise of making a picture of something’ (Dickerman, 2012, p. 13). Artists no longer follow the conception that their artwork ‘should function like a view through a window’ (Dickerman, 2012, p. 29).
In this sense, abstract film makers mark a turning point in the traditional conception of art known until the nineteen-twenties and Mary Ellen Bute’s film reflects the new ideals of abstraction of the European Avant Garde insomuch as her work tries to make music and rhythm visible.
Form and Function
The film tells the story of a red triangle that at the beginning appears to be behind a grid and at the end bends the lines in order to free itself. In a way, the grid can be perceived as prision bars and the triangle as an individual who is trying to break free.
In addition, it can be argued that there exists a parallelism between what is happening in the story and the historical background due to the fact that abstract films break with the traditional artistic rules. In this sense, the triangle can also be interpreted as the abstract movement trying to defy the laws of traditional filmmaking.
Process
Synchronomy No. 4 – Escape is a 16 mm audiovisual film, with an aspect ration of 4:3, that uses Johan Sebastian Bach’s Toccata as a soundtrack.
When it comes to the musical aspect, Betancourt (2013, p. 84) suggests that ‘the organization of the visual material is provided by the music’ in that ‘it determines the development, arrangement, and in many cases, the form of the visuals accompanying it.’ In this way, the triangle, the grids and the background move according to the sound and rhythm of the music.
Furthermore, even though I have not found any information on the making of the film, we can assume that it was made by means of bipack matte filming in that the triangle, the grids and the background were separated into different layers.
Formal Elements
When it comes to the formal aspect of the film, there are three main elements during the animated secquence: the triangle, the grids and the background.
The grids play a pivotal role insomuch as they divide the space between the inside and outside, which can be interpreted as an analogy to the concept of imprisionment and freedom.
Moreover, at the beginning of the film, the grid is formed by rigid horizontal and vertical lines. In this way, the triangle appears to be trapped behind the bars.
However, they gradually start to bend following the rhythm of the music until they finally turn into a spiral. It is at this moment when the triangle finally breaks free.
Furthermore, the blue background also plays an essential role during the film. At the begenning, the background is extremely gloomy which depicts the idea of being trapped in a small place.
Nonetheless, at the end of the film and when the triangle escapes the grid, the blue background seems clean and more spacious. In this sense, the triangle has more freedom to move around the space.
When it comes to the music, Johan Sebastian Bach’s Toccata adds a dramatic tension to the visual images. The triangle follows the rhythm of the music and starts to move faster until finally escaping the bars.
Reference List
Betancourt, M. (2013) The History of Motion Graphics: from Avant—Garde to Industry in The United States. United States of America: Wildside Press
– Pick up a movie you like. – Breakdown the story arc (what are the 8 stages). – Breakdown the characters into their archetypes. – Create a timeline for the main character starting before the film.
Introduction: Nightmare Before Christmas
For this assignment I decided to analyse Tim Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” because I consider it as one of my most iconic childhood movies.
The plot revolves around the misadventures of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, and who one day decided he wanted to take control over Christmas by kidnapping Santa Claus.
In this way, the audience is invited to join Jack onto his journey towards becoming the next Santa Claus and travelling between both Halloween and Christmas Town.
1. Story Arc
The following analysis is based on Nigel Watts’ 8-Point Story Arc:
1. Stasis: Jack Skellington is living in his comfort zone and fulfills his role as the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town.
2. Trigger: He gets bored of his daily routine, wants to resign his job as the Pumpkin King and aspires to become the next Santa Claus of Christmas Town.
3. The quest: Jack needs to travel to Christmas Town in order to learn the skills on how to be a successful Santa Claus. In addition, this implies entering into a completely unfamiliar situation.
4. Surprise: Even though he was putting an enormous effort into learning Christmas crafts and traditions, he realizes his Halloween nature is intact. In other words, instead of getting into the real “Christmas Spirit”, Jack is turning Christmas into an unpleasant and terrifying holiday.
5. Critical Choice: Despite of his flaws and in hope of becoming the next Santa Claus, Jack sends Lock, Shock and Barrel to get rid of the characters standing in his way. Therefore, they kidnap his enemy – the real Santa Claus -, putting into danger the Christmas holiday.
6. Climax: When Christmas comes around, Jack fails to fulfill his duty as Santa Claus. Instead of bringing joy to the children, they start to get scared of him. In this way, the character pays a heavy price for his actions, and he realizes he needs help.
7. Reversal: Jack travels back to Halloween Town in order to save Santa Claus from the Oogie Boogie and in hope of saving the Christmas holiday.
8. Resolution: After being saved, Santa Claus returns to Christmas Town and brings joy to the children once again. Jack learns from his mistakes, accepts his fate as the Pumpkin King and starts appreciating Halloween even more than before.
2. Characters and Archetypes
Hero: Jack Skellington can be considered as the hero of the story. Even though he was responsible for almost ruining the Christmas holiday, he actually had harmless intentions and wanted to make a change for better.
Mentor: Sally is the character who tries to talk Jack out of his plan of becoming the next Santa Claus. Not only does she provide motivation, but also tries to advise him and talk sense into him.
Threshold guardian: The mayor of Halloween Town is responsible of guarding his world and wants to make sure that everyone there has a peaceful life. For this reason, he is the first one to be skeptical when Jack wanted to become the next Santa Claus instead of being the Pumpkin King.
Herald: All the town meetings and gatherings can be considered as the Herald, since they announced what was going to happen next in public.
Shapeshifter: Jack can also be considered as a shapeshifter, since you get to meet both his good and bad intentions. On the one hand, he wants to make a positive difference at Christmas, however, this implies getting rid of Santa Claus. On the other hand, after realizing that he never would be as skillful as the actual Santa Claus, he regrets his actions and wants to restore peace to both worlds.
Shadow: One could consider Santa Claus as the shadow of Jack Skellington insomuch as he was interfering with the idea of taking his place. However, the real enemy is the Oogie Boogie, who is the only character of Halloween Town who actually has bad intentions and wanted to eliminate the real Santa Claus.
Trickster: Lock, Shock, and Barrel are playful characters and can be considered as the tricksters since they show the absurdity of the situation and announce how they want to kidnap Santa Claus.
Allies: Apart from being a mentor, Sally can also be considered as an ally, since she tries to save Jack and be a good influence on him. Dr. Finkelstein can also be seen as an ally, since he provides Jack with flying skeletons, also known as reindeers, during Christmas Night. In this way, these characters fill in the gaps where Jack is deficient.
3. Hero’s Journey
Ordinary World: Jack Skellington lives in his ordinary life and excels at being the Pumpkin King. He has earned the respect of Halloween Town and has a high reputation within his neighbors.
Call to Adventure: The protagonist is tired of his routine and wants to leave his comfort zone. He wants to be the next Santa Claus, rather than being the Pumpkin King, and therefore he travels to Christmas Town.
Refuse to the Call: Despite the fact that the Mayor and Halloween Town do not want him to travel to Christmas Town, Jack refuses to accept their warning.
Talks to Mentor: Jack talks to Sally about his ideas and how he was planning to take over Christmas. She also tries to stop him and advises him not to do so.
Crossing the first Threshold: Jack travels across two worlds: from Halloween Town to Christmas Town.
Tests, Allies, Enemies: The protagonist is being challenged and tested by Christmas Town. He has to adapt to their customs and learn how to actually get into the “Christmas Spirit”. Dr. Finkelstein is also involved in helping him throughout his mission.
The Approach to the Inmost Cave: Jack is struggling with the preparations for Christmas Night and therefore plans to kidnap Santa Claus.
The Ordeal: Jack realizes that he is overwhelmed by the responsibilities of Santa Claus and questions himself if he is ever going to be able to take his role.
The Reward: After receiving help from his friends at Halloween town, he manages to prepare all the Christmas presents for the children. In this way, he is one step closer to fulfilling his dream of becoming the next Santa Claus.
The Road Back: Jack realizes that instead of bringing joy to the children, he frightens them. In order to save Christmas, he travels back to Halloween Town and wishes to restore peace.
The Resurrection: Jack faces the final battle against the Oogie Boogie and successfully saves Santa Claus and Christmas.
The Return: The protagonist appreciates even more Halloween and accepts his fate as the Pumpkin King.
Title: How Inclusive Storytelling and Character Design can Promote a More Diverse and Equal Environment in Video Games
Key words: Representation in Video Games – Storytelling – Character Design – Gender Roles
Introduction:
Over the past decades, there has been a tendency to portray women in video games as a supporting character rather than the protagonists of their own story and not only are they prone to be oversexualized but also underrepresented.
In this context, the aim of this research it to analyze to what extent inclusive storytelling and character design can have an impact on the perception of gender roles and how they can be used to create a more diverse and equal environment. For this purpose, the main focus will be on the video game sequel Last of Us which had a controversial impact when it comes to reinforcing gender stereotypes.
Bibliography:
Wells, P., 2007. Scriptwriting. Lausanne: AVA Academia.
Wells, P., 2006. The Fundamentals of Animation. Lausanne: AVA Academia.
Fernández-Vara, C., 2019. Introduction to Game Analysis. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.
This week we had our unit introduction where we learned about the outlines of our course and also about our assignment brief.
We were also given a general explanation on how to develop a relevant research topic, how to organize our ideas and what academic resources can help us elaborate our critical report.
We also worked in groups and thought of potential fields of interest. Some of them are:
Representation in animation taking into consideration gender roles, idealization and appearance of characters.
Immersive media as opposed to real life.
The importance of animation and how it is developing for modern audiences.
AI technology and how it can be perceived as a menace to artists.
