G.C.S.E Film StudiesCharacter / Representation

Starter• Who are these types of people

Todays Objectives• WALT• The various characters that may exist within a text?• What is Propps theory of characters and why it is important?• What is representation and stereotyping?

• WILF• Explain the types of characters you can identify within a film and

why a film has different characters?• Apply Propps theory to a media text.• Understand and consider the impact of representation on a

media product.

Task• In groups you have fifteen minutes.

• Choose a recent film you have watched.• Name the characters in that film.• What type of character are they and how do you know?

• You could do this as a brainstorm.

• You can choose any recent film you have watched.• You are going to feedback back to the group.

Types of characters• These are some of the main characters you could have within

a film:

• Protagonist – hero of the film.

• Antagonist – Villain of the film.

• Sidekick – friend of the main character

• Damsel / love interest – object of desire pursuit.

• Do these roles match the characters you have identified?

Character Theory• Vladmir Propp analysed over one hundered texts/media and

he identified seven broad character types.

• He believed that you could adapt these types to fit the characters in all text/media.

Character Theroy• Propps Theory

• The villain (struggles against the hero)• The

donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)

• The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)• The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during

the narrative)• The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning but

emerges as evil)• The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and

sends the hero off)• The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the

princess

Thor• Who would the characters be in the film.

• Watch the trailer• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ

Thor• The villain • The donor • The (magical) helper • The princess • The false hero • The dispatcher • The hero or victim/seeker hero

• Characters are:

• Thor, Odin, Jane, Destroyer, Loki, Heimdall, Erik Selvig

Other Characters• Stories alter and change over time consider some of these

roles can you name some film examples of these roles.

• Reluctant Hero• Anti-hero• Corrupted villain – may have honourable origin or intention.• Femme Fatale• Henchman• Patriarch• Matriarch

• In groups you have ten minutes can you identfify any of these characters.

Stereotypes / Representation• Representation is concerned with the way that people, ideas

and events are presented to us.

• This could be representation in magazines, news, soap operas, films and so on.

• It may include representation of people, places, events.

• It is used as a short hand to convey meaning.

Representation• This becomes an easy way to convey meaning to the audience.

• It will suggest roles and positions of the characters to the audience.

Negatives• People can think negatively about a group of people

• People may use the media representations as the basis for their beliefs

• People may feel they are unfairly represented.

Screening• This is England

Films• This is England• Dead Mans Shoes• Brighton Rock• Atonement• Get Carter• 28 Days Later

• Film Clubs are after school on Fridays