The document discusses the production values and narrative structure of the film Star Trek Into Darkness. It had a higher budget of $185 million than the previous Star Trek film, qualifying it as a blockbuster. Director J.J. Abrams produced it through his company Bad Robot Productions, known for science fiction works. The narrative follows classic Hollywood and Todorov structures, with an equilibrium disrupted that is then attempted to be repaired before a new equilibrium is reached at the end.

1. CASE STUDY:
STAR TREK INTO
DARKNESS

2. PRODUCTION VALUES
In terms of production values, Star Trek Into Darkness is a
sequel built on the commercial and critical success of Star
Trek (2009) but in reality is the 12th film in a Paramount
franchise that is over 40 years old. As a result, it had a higher
production budget of $185 million compared to the $160
million of Star Trek – both figures however signify that the
film can be categorised as a global blockbuster in terms of
production values with a useful comparison being the
second best box office film of 2012, Skyfall with a $180
million production budget and the no. 1 of that year The
Avengers at $220 million. Once production budget figures go
over $150 million, the film enters the realm of the blockbuster
movie and needs to have a successful box office to evidence
commercial success.

3. JJ ABRAMS
The film was produced by the Director JJ Abrams’ own
company, Bad Robot Productions who also make, and have
made iconic science fiction television programmes such as
Lost, Fringe and Almost Human and science fiction films like
Cloverfield and Star Trek.
The distributors, Paramount brought in JJ Abrams to direct
the first Star Trek film, and also to reboot the franchise
because of his pedigree in working with supreme high
production values within the genre of science fiction but also
his ability to encode emotive representations to appeal to
broad demographic .
JJ Abrams is currently rebooting the Star Wars franchise as
Director (also Bad Robot Productions) with Star Wars
Episode VII set to be released at Christmas 2015.

4. INTO THE DARKNESS
The film conforms to the codes and conventions of
• A science fiction film
• An action film
• An adventure film
This means it is a hybrid genre

5. KEY CONCEPT:
NARRATIVE
Narrative & Story
Story = a sequence of events = the plot
Narrative = the way those events are put together = the
structure
When exploring the narrative we analyse the construction of
the story i.e. the way it has been put together, not the story
itself

6. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
Classic Hollywood structure

7. TODOROV
Todorov’s narrative structure

8. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
The narrative is single stranded, linear (an action
convention in itself) and conforms to both a classic
Hollywood three act structure but also Todorov’s four act
structure
The new equilibrium offered at the end of the film can
also relate to the idea of a sequel with the ‘things will never
be the same again’ narrative linked to the fact that the re-
commissioned Enterprise is departing on a new, five-year
exploratory mission which enables the possibility of Star
Trek 3.

9. TASK
When watching the film, makes notes on the narrative structure:
• What is the equilibrium?
• What is the disruption?
• What is the attempt to repair?
• How does the narrative resolve and establish a new
equilibrium?
• What audience pleasures are offered through this
narrative?