Genre, narrative, representation and audience compared.

1. Summer Work
Analysis of 3 Film Trailers

2. Grave Encounters (Horror)
GENRE NARRATIVE
Genre theorists Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress argue that Claude Levi Strauss examined how stories unconsciously reflect
genre controls the behaviour of the producers of any form of the values, beliefs and myths of a culture. Exploring this, I
media, and that it influences the expectations of potential think it fits very well with this particular film trailer. In the
customers. This applies greatly to the horror genre in the film movie, surgical methods (such as lobotomies) are exploited
industry as producers are under a lot of pressure to make the and used to scare the viewer, by showing the negative effect
film scarier than any before it. In Grave Encounters the they could have on patients between the 1930’s and 50’s.
producers have combined different aspects of stereotypical Strauss believes narrative is effected by underlying themes,
horror to achieve something different. For example the use of and this is evident in Grave Encounters. The use of a real life
paranormal beings is widely used. In Grave Encounters this is medical procedure scares the audience as it makes the film
accompanied by the used of an old, haunted mental asylum, seem more real, as thought it actually happened. In addition to
along with simpler horror clichés such as darkness and night this, being set in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, it
vision filming. The expectations of a customer who would want enhances the sense of fear as they are widely renowned to be
to watch this film are very refined, the title in itself suggests horrible places- the type of place an evil spirit might appear.
the theme of horror and the consumer will automatically This reflects the values of modern culture: the patients were
expect to be scared whilst viewing it. treated extremely badly in a place where you’re supposed to
be ‘looked after’.

3. REPRESENTATION AUDIENCE
The Branston and Stafford theory suggests that Using the Hypodermic Syringe Model theory, we can
representation has characteristics such as categorising and directly relate to the film Grave Encounters. By just
evaluation of the group being stereotyped. This fits in watching the trailer, someone who doesn’t believe in the
particularly well with Grave Encounters, as we can see from supernatural at all may change their mind due to the many
the trailer the film is about a group of people who text pieces which are used to convince the viewer that it’s
investigate the paranormal. There is only one female, who all based on true events, making it far scarier to its
throughout the trailer is seen to be looked after by the audience. In addition to this, it could change the mind of
males, especially the main character ‘Lance’ who takes on someone who is interesting in contact spirits, and they may
the alpha male role within the group. As the trailer goes on decide that the film has fulfilled them and them no longer
we see that the physically larger man is one of the first to be have the want to do so. In contrast, it may make a
attacked by the supernatural, along with the younger, brave consumer want to attempt to contact paranormal entities
man and the older more vulnerable man. Branston and even more, to test the reliability and accuracy of the films
Stafford also believe the evaluation is often, but not always storyline.
a negative one, which applies especially in the horror genre.
9/10 times, the final moments of the film are negative,
whether the hero dies, or the villain comes back to life and
regains power, it is almost always not a stereo typical happy
ending, unlike Mean Girls- in which balance is restored.

4. The Fourth Kind (Psycho Horror)
GENRE NARRATIVE
Andrew Tudor argues that genres are only what we The narrative in The Fourth Kind can relate to the narrative
collectively believe them to be. When we think of ‘psycho in Grave Encounters through use of Claude Levi Strauss’
horror’ we automatically come to the presumption that it will theory that stories reflect the beliefs and myths of a
be a scary film that makes us think, a plays with your mind, culture. Aliens are a very controversial topic, however at
which as a result dictates Tudor’s theory. The Fourth Kind is the beginning of The Fourth Kind, a short notice is
the most recent of the ‘alien abduction’ themed films based proclaimed by Milla Jovovich in which she says that the
upon the scaled created by J. Allen Hynek- the first kind footage is all very real, and if the viewer thinks they will be
being ‘seeing’ and so on. The Fourth Kind is centred around affected by what they see, the should not continue
physical abduction but the film cleverly uses a mix of horror watching. Whether this is true or not, it completely changes
aspects to convey more psychological effect, rather than the outlook the viewer has on the movie and it’s overall
fear. Broken footage, in which an old film is crackly, jumpy narrative. If they believe it to be real, the psychological
and sometimes hard to make out is used as it seems more aspects are even more effective.
realistic than perfectly modern technology.

5. REPRESENTATION AUDIENCE
The Fourth Kind is a very interesting and different film, and The Two Step Flow theory could be used to explore
defies almost every representation theory as it’s filmed in a aspects of The Fourth Kind. The Two Step Flow suggests
clever, indirect way. It especially opposes the Branston and that raw media does not flow directly into the minds of
Stafford theory- which Grave Encounters abides by almost the viewer, but it is filtered by opinion leaders who then
perfectly. The hero of The Fourth Kind is a strong willed communicate it to the viewers. Saying this, it could
woman from what we can tell in the trailer. Unlike most suggest that within the film, the audience is only seeing
horror, or subgenres of horror, in which its most likely that what the producers want them to see, and that each
the hero is male. Also, we can see that the group is not piece of ‘real footage’ has been chosen specifically to
stereotyped, a mix of people are affected by the ‘aliens’, and influence how the viewer feels and thinks about the
are changed from normal people into the stereotypes to fit particular subject. What if there were more solid
the theme. This in itself should be as its own representation evidence of ‘alien’ life and the audience weren’t being
theory in which ‘normal’ people are transformed into the shown, to avoid the media wanting to know more.
stereotype of the film, for example, a zombie film would fit Throughout the trailer no actual ‘alien life’ is shown,
into this theory. only the affects of it, this leaves it up to the audience to
decide whether they believe it or not.

6. Mean Girls (American Teen Comedy)
GENRE NARRATIVE
Comedy as a whole is hard to produce specific theories about, Just by watching the trailer, we can already tell that Mean Girls
as it’s such a wide, vague genre in itself. However Mean Girls is taking on Vladimir Propp’s narrative theory, in which
is sub-categorised into ‘American Teen Comedy’ which begins characters can be classified into roles and functions throughout
to put a limit on the films potential. This begins to sound like the text. In the trailer we see Regina George being lifted by the
John Hartley's genre theory, in which he argues that genres stereotypical American jocks, symbolising her importance, and
are agents of ideological closure; but I think Mean Girls the voice over reads ‘and evil takes human form in Regina
relates better with the Andrew Tudor theory, just as The George’ so immediately notified of her stature and relevance in
Fourth Kind does, too. Both are small categories belonging to Propp’s theory as the villain, but with a comedic affect.
a larger ‘umbrellas’ of genre, and are more restricted as to Characters introduced as Janice and Damien take on the role of
what they can be about, or based upon. Tudor says that friends of the main character, as in the trailer they give her
genre defines a moral and social world, and this is more than advice about the high school and take it upon themselves to
identifiable in Mean Girls. The American teen comedy genre is ‘look after’ her. In addition to this, the love interest makes an
almost definitely going to include students of a typical high appearance as Cady Heron (the main character, or hero)
school, with obvious social status being detected and makes her attraction to him obvious to her new found friends.
highlighted throughout the trailer.

7. REPRESENTATION AUDIENCE
As with the other two trailers analysed, the Branston and Every viewer of this film will be able to associate
Stafford theory can be applied in some way. It actually themselves with at least one character in the film, just by
defines Mean Girls accurately through the idea that watching the trailer. The mix of people shown dictate the
representation has characteristics such as categorising and audience that the film is targeted at, and this means the
evaluation of the group being stereotyped. In the first half of consumer is more likely to watch it, as they will be able to
the trailer we are already presented with a clear split in relate to the age group and situations the characters face.
groups within the high school setting of the film. The The Hypodermic Syringe Model theory can be applied, in
character Janice begins to list off some of the groups such as: the way that the consumer is vulnerable from consuming
‘Cool Asians, Burnouts, Jocks, The Greatest People You Will media texts and are easily manipulated. For example, in
Ever Meet…’ In addition to this, evaluation of the group being the trailer we see that the main character Cady Heron
stereotyped is applied heavily within Mean Girls. The ‘popular begins to hate Regina (the villain) after she takes the love
group’ as seen in the image above is automatically seen as interest, once the audience realise that Cady hates Regina,
rich, snobby, and loved by all, whereas the group Janice and they will hate Regina too, as they want to be on the side of
Damien are in, is instantly seen as weird, artistic and good.
different.