Macro study refers to the big picture – the big ideas surrounding the whole film.
Genre, Narrative & Representation
You will need to come to some quick and early conclusions about your chosen film as a whole under these three headings. Here is a copy of a document similar to one which you will get to complete immediately after watching the films.
Genre
- Which genre(s) best describes the film?
- What features of other films within that genre are similar?
- What features of other films within that genre are different?
- How does genre shapes the audience’s expectations about how to read the film?
Narrative
Is the study of stories & not just a description of plot / story.
- What is the narrative structure of the film
- How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?
- Is there a narrator and can they be trusted? Do they have an agenda?
- What is the protagonists narrative journey and what is their epiphany?
- How do conflicts drive the narrative and shape the themes?
- Does the film use motifs (sound and visual) as key moments in the narrative?
Representation & Ideology
- The ideas and issues surrounding a character, place or event
- An image and an idea
- How a character is representative of a wider group
- What the film suggests is ‘normal’ behaviour
Task:
Create a Quizlet which tests you on the following macro terms:
Genre
- Repertoire of Elements
- Convention / Conventional
- Generic
- Predictable Pleasure
- Audience Expectations
- Iconography
- Filmic Technique
Narrative
- Binary Opposition
- Narrative (audience) Positioning
- Untrustworthy Narrator
- Exposition
- Denouement
- Climax (Act 2)
- Character Narrative Journey
- Narrative Range
- Motif
- Theme
Representation
- Ideology
- Stereotype
- Archetype
- Subverting Expectations
- Verisimilitude
- Realistic
- Expressive