Lights! Camera! Action!

Tuesday 5th May 2020

Lo: To explore the narrative structure of a film.

How will this work?:

• this unit will focus of Film and Media Language
• you will normally have 3 media lessons every 2 weeks
• Obviously, if we were at school, we would have access to equipment and be able to do practical lessons. This will not be easy with remote learning.
• You will have 2 theory based and one practical lesson a fortnight.
• I will give you options for the practical so that you can do something with whatever resources you have.
• your work will be done as INDIVIDUL posts on your blog.
• if you cannot get something on your blog, you can always upload it to SMHW.
• Any questions or problems can be asked through SMHW too.

Can you work out the following Disney films from they're anagrams?

1. Gal Dent =
2. Hatted Millimetre =
3.  Babysat Turned Thee = Beauty And the Beast
4. A Nacho Pots = Pocahontas
5. Whites Won Handstands Fever We = Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs
6. Cleared Nil = Cinderella
7. Aid Land = Aladdin
8. An Tzar = Tarzan
9. A Bench Deck to the Fun Oh Mr A =
10. Legion Think = The Lion King

• For the next couple of lessons, you will need to use a film you have recently seen as your own case study
• Ideally, it should be a film that was released within the past 5 years, but it doesn't have to be. It can be any genre as long as its age appropriate.
• If you haven't watched a film recently, that's your first task.

Case study research

Film name: Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Writer: Screenwriters: Jeff Pinkner. Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel
Producers: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal and
Production Company (there will probably be a few):
Distribution Company:
Date released: 5th October 2018
Genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Adventure and Action.
Main actors (voices if animation): Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scot Haze and Jenny Slate.


 Plot of the film

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a famous reporter who "follows people who don't want to be followed" in his own words. He comes across the Life Foundation and in an attempt to uncover allegations the foundation received during one of his interviews, he loses his entire career. Six months later he is brought back to the foundation by one of their leading scientists but in his visit, Eddie comes across an alien known as a Symbiote. Venom, the Symbiote, choses to use Eddie as a host body, however this gets Eddie in trouble by Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), the leader of the Life Foundation. Eddie/Venom must stop Drake from continuing with his plans of turning the humans into full Symbiote hosts with help from his own Symbiote.

Most important things in the story:

The Spaceship crash and one of the Symbiotes getting out.
The Interview Eddie had with Riz.
The Break up Eddie had with his Fiancé and loosing his job.
Meeting Dr Skirth (Jenny Slate) and being able to look around the Life foundation.
'Venom' getting inside Eddie and everyone chasing him for it.
Eddies ex finding out but helps
Riz bonds with the Rouge Symbiote and wants to help with an invasion
the ending fight between venom/eddie and the rouge/Riz.

How would the story change if the events happened in a different order?

I don't really know how to change the events for the story line to change. The only way I think the story line would change is if:
First, Riz binds with the leader of the Symbiotes and agreed to help with an invasion
Then, Eddie meets Dr Skirth and she lets him look ton the Life Foundation.
'Venom' then gets inside Eddie
Eddie interviews Riz
Eddies ex finds out and helps
Riz/leader of Symbiotes and Eddie/Venom fight
Eddie looses his job and his fiancé breaks up with him
Spaceship crashes and a Symbiote escapes.

How do we know where the story takes place?

At first it doesn't tell you. You only see the spaceship crashing and the people in the life foundation. However, they do say in the facility where the spaceship crashed. A little further on in the film the focus settles on Eddie and the setting around him clearly says 'City'. Also the way people dress, the buildings around him and how almost everyone talks, clearly says New York.

Who or what is the story about?

Its mainly about Eddie, a well known reporter, who has a habit of going a bit rouge, takes things too far on an interview. And Venom then uses him as a host. Eddie eventually changes venoms mind in having an invasion and Venom wants to help Protect earth from his fellow Symbiotes.

How long does the story take in real time?

I would say about...about a weak for the main story due to the amount of night time seen and the fact that were following Eddie throughout the story. However at the end it has a time jump of about a few weeks Id say, due to the fact that eddies Ex is asking how hes been dealing with it. And after seeing someone who spent about a week in your head and knowing everything about u, almost die protecting you, she wouldn't ask that right away. And the fact that when Venom speaks at that time and Eddie still looks shocked when he hears it means it hasn't been long enough or him to get 100% use to it yet.

What do you think happened before the story began?

I think that The Life Foundation were going on expeditions to find alien life. Eddie was happy with his wife but many people didn't agree with his day of interviewing people. The Symbiotes planet was dying and they might have contacted the life foundation in some way.

What might happen next, after the end of the story?

I think that Eddie and Venom will end up helping people and...I guess 'eating the head off' of bad people. I also think they will almost be a sort of hero like superman or someone but try their best to keep a low profile so no one knows anyone's doing it. Like a backstreet hero. the life foundation will close for good because Riz is dead and I have a feeling Eddie and his Ex will get back together (I hope). Also I think Eddie and Venom will become best friends (id kinda guess since Venom is inside Eddie and talks in his head).

How does this story remind you of other stories?

As you'd guess, it reminds me a little of the other Marvel films: life's great, something happens, they help someone, they carry on helping people. This one, however, is quite a bit different because its something that's quite different. Eddies still a person, there's nothing special about him, he's only special because on venom. Superman is an alien...literally, Spiderman was bitten, ironman is a genius with a lot of metal, Batman wears the suite and is reeaallyy tall. They all wear suites but its literally just that. Its them... But with a suite on. Eddie is Eddie, he doesn't wear a suite and isn't famous for being himself anymore. He's got something inside him that makes him 'Venom'.

How would you like the story to continue?

I don't really want the story to continue because I think the ending is great as it is, Venom finds out what's good and bad, him and Eddie agree to only rip the heads off of bad people, and they seem to be getting along great. I think if there was anything else, it would ruin the story and wont be as exiting as the first. I don't think another story would really do anything because the first Venom would be better by far.

Narrative Theory: Todorov

Equilibrium: Everything in the film world is normal (Not necessarily good, but normal)
Disruption: Something happens (usually caused by the films main antagonist) to disturb normal life.
Recognition of disruption: The protagonist realises something is wrong in their world or discovers the disruption.
Attempt to solve: The main protagonist goes on a journey to solve the disruption.
New Equilibrium: The disruption is solved and a new normal occurs (things can never be the same as they were before the disruption, but a new 'normal life' is created.

When these stages occur in the same order in a film, it has a Linear Narrative. Venom is just like that and has a Linear Narrative, however something like Kung Fu Panda has a Non-Linear Narrative because the problem doesn't occur until Tai Long escapes prison.