Week 4: Three Analytical Approaches within Film

I have been introduced to the three analysis' I will be using throughout task 2. Within this task I will be choosing two films from the same director and carrying out an Auteur Study, Genre Analysis and Narrative Analysis. Last week I was introduced to the genre analysis on the film Monsters (2010). The genre analysis includes:

• Defining the genre with iconography and codes and conventions,
• Who the target audience is and
• Whether the film subverts the genre.

The narrative analysis focuses on the narrative within the film. There are several different narrative theorists some of these include:

• Propp's characters
• Strauss' Binary Opposites
• Todorov's 5 Act Stucutre 
• Barthes Narrative Codes
• Aristotle's Three Act Structure

I understand how to approach this analysis, from todays screening I watched Raising Arizona (1987) and applied some key narrative questions.

Narrative Analysis: Raising Arizona

The questions included:

• Which theorist does the film use
• The narrative structure of the film
• Is there a clear resolution
• How the genre presents the narrative.

 I have been introduced to this analysis I know what elements need to be explained within my report. I can apply these different points within my own narrative analysis.

Auteur Study: through this analysis I will be analysing the signature elements within the two films from the same director. The elements which I will be analysing within the films include:

• Distinctive Characters
• Music and Sound
• Style and Techniques: Camera, New Technology and Editing
• Cast and Crew
• Mise-en-scene: performance

I have been introduced and applied two of these analysis' to two films, Monsters and Raising Arizona. I have been able to 'test' how I will apply the analysis' to my own chosen films.

Task 2: Applying the Narrative Analysis, Auteur Study and Genre Analysis
I will be applying the above analysis' to my own chosen films. I have decided to focus on the films by Tim Burton. I have chosen Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) to carry out the analysis'.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

I will firstly carry out the auteur study on these two films, I will be highlighting the signature elements used within the two films. From this I will then carry out a genre analysis on one of the films, including the above points within the analysis. The narrative analysis will then be carried out and I will be applying the above questions in relation to this analysis within my written report.
The videos below show the trailers for these films.