Theories and texts

1. • To develop Barthe’s semic code Fiske stated “A representation of a
car chase only makes sense in relation to all the others we have
seen- after all, we are unlikely to experienced one in reality , and if
we did, we would, according to this model, make sense of it by
turning it into another text, which we would also understand
intertextually , in terms of what we have seen so often on our
screens. There is then also a cultural knowledge of the concept of a
‘car chase’ that any one text is a prospectus for, and that is used by
the viewer to decode it , and by the producer to encode it.”
• In response to Fiske’s comments it is clear with short film aspects
become such a reoccurrence that the audience can already establish
a scene based on a similar sequence or camera movement.
• Culturally, cancer is a prospect that brings solemnness and isolation
due to it’s representation in film. Examples would be the film
‘Beaches’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’- therefore by following similar
conventions in narrative structure us as producers are able to
encode this same theme. Thus allowing the audience to decode the
separate strands of the storyline.

2. • Postmodernist theory grows out of and extends modernist and
structural thinking.
• Some theorists see postmodernism beginning after the second
world war, when major ‘modern’ political movements of
Nazism and Communism were called into question by western
thinkers.
• Others date the movement to the 1960’s , notably to Marshall
McLuhan’s devising of the phrase “The medium is the
message.” By this he meant the manner in which the message
is mediated becomes more important than the meaning itself.
In an era disillusioned by political failure, the holocaust and by
the influence of religion on Western Society. This when the
mediation of message was studied, analysed to how it was
created and what representation meant.
• It was at this time we saw the revelation of the Hypodermic
Theory, the Male Gaze and the real magnification on how
representation is used to indoctrinate a message into an
audience.

3. • It would seem odd to propose that a Disney
film would include postmodernist theory as the
set represents nothing more than innocence
and fairy tale conclusions.
• However, this film highlights postmodernism
weaving it’s way through mainstream cinema.
Similar to Shrek the film is full of irony and self-
referentiality in the guise of humour for the
older audiences. In fact the whole intertextual
concept of merging a Disney cartoon with the
harsh reality of a New York lawyer is indeed
postmodern and self referential.
• The plot moves through familiar stages of the
present day world, learning from the innocence
of the past (represented by the cartoon
characters) , and the cartoon people learning
from the real world.
• There are structural conventions along side the
outlandish plot including the defeat of an evil
queen who acts as an icon of a failed marriage
and dysfunctional family relationships. Also
she can be referred to the Male Gaze as she is
acting upon the way she views another
woman- younger, more fair and therefore