A look at how narrative and representational theory is used in my short film 'After Hours'.

1. REPRESENTATION IN
‘After hours’: theory revision
SECTION 1B

2. representation

3. Medhurst - Shortcuts
Medhurst’s theory suggests that filmmakers use shortcuts to
represent characters so that they can avoid wasting time on
back-stories, flashbacks or lengthy introductions. These
shortcuts come in the form of stereotypes shown through
mise-en-scene and character traits.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
Don Walters is a white, middle class male who is struggling
with a mundane job and a recent divorce. However, he still
lives in a large house in a well established area and has a
well paying and well recognised job. This concept drawing
shows how Don’s appearance somewhat determines his
character traits: His tie is loosened, his shirt is
creased, he stands with his arms folded and he is frowning.
These elements are the shortcuts we have used to tell the
audience about Don’s character, personality and backstory.
More specifically, these elements suggest that Don is
living with all the privileges of middle class life, yet he
does not fully appreciate them, moreover the folded arms
suggests that he has a closed personality and this is
perhaps why he is unable to live happily.

4. THE CONSTRUCTIONIST
VIEW
The Constructionist View is a set of ideologies which are created by bodies
like the media. These views may not be true, but they tend to be created to
benefit a hegemonic system. This is the idea from which Postmodernism was
formed: whilst the constructionist view suggests that we follow a set of
disciplines like going to school, waiting until 16 to have sex, getting
married in our late 20s, having children in a heterosexual relationship,
Postmodernism suggests that these ideologies are simply social
constructions which put in place to benefit hegemony.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
Don suffers from the pressures of constructionist views. He doesn’t ‘fit
in’ to his own social ‘category’ because he is divorced, lonely, unhappy
and he fails to maintain the promoted look for men of his age and social
standing. His relationship with Rick Stoker shows this tension as Rick fits
perfectly into the constructionist view, he is successful, popular and
handsome. It is not until Don finds out about Rick’s illness that we begin
to understand that these constructed views is simply an illusion, held up
by a smile and a friendly persona.

5. MULVEY - THE MALE GAZE /
LEVI – RAUNCH CULTURE
Laura Mulvey suggests that men have the dominant view point and therefore
women’s presence only exists in the media to satisfy male enjoyment.
Equally, Ariel Levi’s theory of ‘Raunch Culture’ is suggestive of how women
are objectified in the media, with increasingly over-sexualised images of
women in media texts.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
The female characters in After Hours tend to support this theory, Jennifer
Walters in particular. Jennifer, Don’s ex-wife, fits the stereotypes of the
‘money-grabbing, cold-hearted ex’ that is often represented in the media to
make the male protagonist look innocent and victimised.
In some ways, Libby and Anna Flowers also support this theory,
albeit in a much more innocent fashion. These two women give Don
the drive to get up in the morning, they are what spurn
his jealousy and dislike towards Jennifer, Jennifer’s
new boyfriend and Rick Stoker. In this way these two
characters are objectified by Don, despite his good
intentions, there is an argument to suggest that they
are ‘prizes to be won’.

6. Gamman and marshment – the
female gaze
Gamman and Marshment suggest that , equal to Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’, there is
such thing as a ‘female gaze’. Hereby suggesting that men are objectified
in media texts.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
This can be seen in After Hours through the reactions of women surrounding
Rick Stoker. Rick’s appearance is somewhat objectified, he is tall,
muscular, slim, well dressed and well groomed: he is the ‘ideal man’.
Moreover, before we even meet Rick, he is seen to have some sort of control
over the women surrounding him. He talks to a female teacher in the
background of the scene where Anna talks to Don. She appears to be
flustered and blushing. When Rick comes over to talk to Anna, she
too appears to blush and become shy in his presence.

7. TODOROV’S NARRATIVE
THEORY
Todorov suggested that stories all fit into one structure:
Equilibrium
Disequilibrium
Recognition
Reparation
New Equilibrium
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
Whilst writing the narrative of ‘After Hours’, we focused on Todorov’s
narrative theory and therefore our film fits into the structure perfectly:
Equilibrium: Don is stuck in mundane, repetitive lifestyle
Disequilibrium: Don falls asleep and gets locked in the school
Recognition: Don tries to escape but fails to do so, he decides to take
his anger out on Rick by destroying his possessions
Reparation: Don finds out the truth about Rick and
begins to understand that happiness is a
choice, he goes around the school finding
ways to enjoy himself
New Equilibrium: Don has found an understanding of happiness

8. BAUDRILLARD -
HYPERREALITY
Hyperreality is the inability of consciousness to distinguish between
reality and a simulation of reality. When a place is represented in the
media so often or so vividly that that representation becomes real in your
mind. For example, the 2006 film ‘The Holiday’ is a typical example of how
both LA and England are represented in contrast. The film represents
England to be extremely small, quaint, rural, lonely and cold, whilst LA is
represented to be large, bustling, warm, expensive and filled with
celebrities.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
The setting, in our film, is an extremely suburban area in the north of
England. Our hyper-real image of this setting is extremely boring,
repetitive, mundane, but also friendly and particularly normal. The setting
really has no defining features and the audience will develop a indifferent
attitude towards it.

9. Dyer’s STAR THEORY
The star theory is one which suggests that celebrity endorsement is
important for media texts to become visible in the eye of the audience. Big
companies use celebrities to attract attention to their product or at least
make their product memorable – ‘that advert with Jeremy Clarkson in it’.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
As our short film has an extremely small budget, it is impossible for us to
endorse our film with celebrities. Nonetheless, on a more personal level,
using teachers as actors will attract a local interest from the students in
our school or previous students who have interacted with these teachers.

10. POSTMODERNISM
This is the theory that older theories applied to the media are out dated
and can no longer effectively discuss modern day practices. For example the
hypodermic needle theory which suggests that people will believe what they
see in the media, is disputed by postmodernism due to the fact that
audiences are more active today, not necessarily believing everything that
they are told. Moreover, this concept can relate to the style of your film
and it’s use of intertexuality, self-referentiality and parody.
IN RELATION TO AFTER HOURS
After Hours contains postmodernist material. The fact that the film
challenges the constructionist view through the way that Don is unhappy
with himself; feeling the pressures of societies expectations, with a final
revelation that this is not important that that we make our own happiness,
it is not dependant on other people’s views of us. The film’s revelation
conflicts with modernist ideologies which suggest that we all have to
conform to a certain path. The film instead puts out the message that you
can be free from societies expectations as long as we embrace ourselves
fully and allow ourselves to be happy.
Additionally, we use intertexuality by paying homage to ‘The Breakfast
Club’ frequently throughout the film.