Creative Activism - Culture Jamming, Remix and Subversion

For the task, we had to take a piece of moving image and remix it in a way that subverts the original intended message. I initially wasn't too sure what to look at as I struggled to find a piece of media that made me uncomfortable until I remembered all those films that, while I thought they were very good films, did leave me angry. These include 'Gone Girl', 'The Hunt' and 'Watchmen' due to their portrayal of injustice. In order to convey this, I took the audio from the trailer of 'Gone Girl' and placed it over the visuals for the trailer of 'The Hunt' and was surprised at how well they synced up. I believe this reinforces my idea that people are made in pariahs in film quite regularly and I find it worrying that this story is seen so many times because it implies that this has the potential to be a common problem.

What hit me about 'Gone Girl' and 'The Hunt' was how fickle the general public can be and how easily swayed they are by one sided debates. The protagonists of both films can't get a word in to defend themselves from their accusations and eventually the ordeals build into having their lives threatened and being rejected from society. 'Gone Girl' runs with the idea of the press having so much more power than the protagonist, Nick, that no matter what he says, they can turn his words against him and that scares me since justice is clearly not on his side. Admittedly, the film does build up an ambiguity for the first half as there is no certain answer to his ordeal until the second half however that's still no excuse to people to blindly follow ignorance and take it upon themselves to bombard a man they no nothing about with no evidence that he's the culprit. 'The Hunt', on other hand, makes the situation more terrifying by having it no localised to the press but instead having the whole town, everyone he knows turn on him just because a child lied about him. 'The Hunt' shows characters blindly follow the idea that "children can't lie and are always innocent" which proves to be the reason that the protagonist, Lucas, can't defend himself.

There are parallels between 'Gone Girl' and 'The Hunt' that were key to splicing the trailer together using the assets from their respective trailers.

Trailer for 'Gone Girl':

Trailer for 'The Hunt':

Links to my reviews of:

Gone Girl: http://opinionmoviegoer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/gone-girl-david-fincher-2014-review.html

The Hunt: http://opinionmoviegoer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-hunt-thomas-vinterberg-2012-review.html

Creative Activism - Image Making Project

For the image making project, I actually had trouble trying to narrow down a specific issue that I had grievances with. I ultimately went with the idea of people putting faith in ignorance. In order to capture this, I had the image of someone visiting an old wise man only for him to be checking Wikipedia instead of knowing the truth for himself. The idea developed from watching the film 'Gone Girl' and seeing how people were reacting to the press in it. People weren't thinking for themselves and were instead gauging their opinions based on someone else one sided opinion. I was certain that I wanted to have the image tap into the wise man stereotype with him being a hermit in the mountains who ironically has access to the internet which gives the issue a slightly more light-hearted approach due to the absurdity of the situation.

I am aware that my issue isn't one that everyone can identify with however I could argue that it gives my image more precedence as it is therefore an issue that needs more exposure. I feel that people need to think for themselves more and relying on one person's opinion isn't a good way to create your opinions. I do feel strongly about it as it was one of the reasons that 'Gone Girl' and 'The Hunt' did hit me hard as the protagonists both became pariahs as a result of people not thinking for themselves. Ironically 'Watchmen' had a reverse of this as the only character to challenge the idea that the world needs to be rebuilt on a lie is killed for thinking so.

My image is more subtle in its meaning than others however I believe that it captures more the thought behind the piece rather than what the audience is faced with. It's comically in its approach with cartoon characters using the internet in the mountains however the point is still as valid as one made through serious realism. It's all about the thought and what the audience can take away from it.

Creative Activism - Activism and Advocacy

Creativity is a viable medium in which people are able to ignite change and promote activism. There are many methods of doing this including photography, art, films, music, digital media, ambient media in public and, commonly, advertising.

It's important to remember how powerful a simple image can be. For example, Ai Weiwei is a Chinese artist who took a simple image of him 'flipping off' the White House.

A quick photo of someone performing a simple gesture can have many implication. The obvious one being derived from this image is about one man's opinion on American politics that many people can identify with and therefore spread awareness of the public opinion on politics.

Film Examples:

The Great Dictator  (Charles Chaplin, 1940) - A satire that is a parody of Adolf Hitler's life

Gandhi (Richard Attenborough, 1982) - A film that explores the life of Mahatma Gandhi

Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008) - A biopic about Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected
official

The Interview (Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan, 2014) - A satire about the current leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un

Link to my review of Milk: http://opinionmoviegoer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/milk-gus-van-sant-2008-review.html

Music Examples:

John Lennon - Imagine (1971), Give Peace a Chance (1969), Happy Xmas (War is Over) (1971)

Bob Dylan - The Times They Are a-Changin' (1964), Chimes of Freedom (1964), Masters of War (1963)

Bono/U2 -  Sunday Bloody Sunday (1983), Bullet the Blue Sky (1987), Ordinary Love (2013)

Steve Knightley/Show of Hands - Roots (2006), Cousin Jack (1997), Country Life (2003)

Monster Project Pitch - 'Umbra' Script Extract

EXT. CORNFIELD - EVENING

We see a vast cornfield as SAVANNAH stands within it. The crops are up to her knees, just long enough to be noticed and make her feel detained. She stands motionless, almost catatonic as she stares out. The camera cuts to her point of view where we see her staring towards a lone tree centered. BLAKE runs up to the wooden, slightly dilapidated fence.

BLAKE

SAVANNAH!

BLAKE climbs over the fence and leaps into the abundance of yellow crops. As he runs towards her, she recoils and screams at him.

BLAKE

Wow wow! What is it?

SAVANNAH

The walls...the walls...

BLAKE

What?

BLAKE looks at her in confusion as she collapses onto her knees into the crops. BLAKE moves closer towards her but stops when he realises what's happening. As the conversation had progresses, the area had grown darker as a shadow had been cast across the field. BLAKE looks around before getting closer

BLAKE

It's the shadows! They're making everyone go nuts!

SAVANNAH

NO! NO! GET BACK!

BLAKE

Savannah...fight it!

SAVANNAH clutches her head as she stands back up and steps backwards in an unpredictable and erratic way.

BLAKE

I know you. You wouldn't let this stop you.

SAVANNAH stops, still holding her head.

BLAKE

You still have MAYA to care for. She needs someone.

The shadows darken and intensify around her. As BLAKE waits for a response, SAVANNAH turns to him, crying.

SAVANNAH

No...

She grasps her holster and pulls her pistol out before quickly pulling it up to her head.

BLAKE

NO!

We see BLAKE's reaction as a bang is heard off screen, followed by SAVANNAH collapsing to the floor. BLAKE slowly starts walking towards in horror unaware that he's crossed the shadow's threshold. As he mourns, lighting strikes the tree, setting it ablaze and spreads quickly. He panics and instantly sprints away and clambers over the fence. Out of the shadow, he looks back and sees the tree as normal.

Monster Pitch Project - 'Umbra' Presentation

Some words to consider…

•       The word ‘Umbra’ is the Latin word for shadow.

•       The word also comes from the three distinct parts of a shadow – the umbra is the darkest section.

•       Oneirophobia – the fear of dreams.

•       Sciaphobia – the fear of shadows.

The Umbra:

The Umbra has no distinct shape, form, size or species. You could say that it is merely a shadow…but the Umbra is much more than that.

It targets people when they’re asleep, vulnerable and unknowing, and causes them to have horrific dreams about their innermost fears. These dreams will repeat night after night, gradually becoming more nightmarish and unbearable.

The victim will think that they are safe during the day – that they can only be exposed to these images whilst asleep. Though the dreams are just the beginning.

During the daylight hours, the victims start to see manifestations of what they fear in the shadows.

Did you just see a spider out the corner of your eye?

Do the walls of that open room seem like they’re closing in around you?

Was that an image of your loved one, burnt and dead in the corner?

No, it wasn’t…but you defiantly saw something.

Most victims will simply blame it on their mind playing tricks on them; blaming it on the light or that lack of sleep. However they soon start to see more and more of these images in the shadows. Despite their best efforts, in the end they simply can’t ignore it.

The victims slowly start to feel their sanity slip away. They are unable to sleep due to the dreams. They cannot stand being awake in case they see the shadows.

The Umbra causes them to become paranoid and in a state of constant fear. Eventually the victims either go insane or refuse to live any longer in this reality.

The Umbra, however, does not kill. It is unable to touch it’s victims. Whilst the Umbra drives people to the brink of their minds, it does not technically harm them. In the end, the only harm done is by the victims themselves.

The Film:

Set in modern day Michigan, USA. A town named ‘Tautin’ prides itself on it’s low crime rate. That is until a man is found in his house, completely insane beyond saving. A woman’s dead body is found in the same room. The local police force quickly pin the ‘murder’ on the man, but there are still more questions than answers.

Local reporter Blake Massey is looking for his big break, and believes unfolding the true story behind this case to be the key. With the help of policewoman Savannah Romero, a woman who was thrown off the case after she raised her own doubts, offers to assist him.

As the two struggle to make sense of the mysteries, a sudden suicide offers them a new lead. One phrase keeps reappearing – ‘the shadows’. Blake and Savannah start to wonder if their answers could lie in the paranormal.

They eventually learn about the Umbra. Though as yet more people start to become influenced by the monster, it becomes a race to find a way to beat the menace. Though that’s only if they can avoid becoming victims to the monsters themselves.

Characters:

Blake Massey

Aged between 27 – 32.

A journalist working for the local paper. He hopes to move away from the town and is looking for an opportunity to make a headline breaking story.

Determined but prone to selfish motivations. He is truly dedicated to this work. Blake is conflicted between the limited opportunities in his town and loyalty to the only place he has ever truly known.

He sees the police case as his chance to prove his worth as a writer. Although as time progresses and his reality is threatened to change, Blake starts to become less selfish and more concerned for others.

Savannah Romero

Aged 30 – 34

A policewoman who was thrown off the case of the murder after she openly questioned her higher-ups judgment.

Brave, tough and authoritative. She is a believer in justice and dedicated to her town. Being a single mother with a full-time job has meant that life hasn’t been easy, but she came through her struggles a stronger person.

Although at first reluctant to work with Blake, she soon finds an ally in an unlikely place. Despite her tough exterior she has a strong love for her daughter and certain fears of her own she would rather remain hidden.

Maya Romero

Aged 10

A young girl who is largely unaware of the recent events in town. She is the daughter of Savannah.

Although she may be young, Maya has a big heart and is surprisingly tough (a trait she inherited from her mother). She sees the pressure her mum is under and supports her however she can.

Maya’s presence acts as a motivator for Savannah, and later Blake, to find a way to combat the Umbra and restore life to normal.

Monster Project Pitch - 'Umbra'

For our second assessment, we were assigned to pitch a film idea based around a particular monster. In groups, we had to come up with the monster, the film and how we were proposing to pitch it. Initialy, we liked the idea of a darker version of someone being brought life be it through physical change or their dark side actually becoming a separate being altogether.

Wander, the protagonist of the game 'Shadow of the Colossus', physically changes subtly as the game progresses due to exposure to darkness.

The idea of a person's dark side was something we did dive into a bit more with examples drawing from the idea of dark doppelgangers, also drawing video games.

Link, Protagonist of 'The Legend of Zelda', with two dark doppelgangers.

Ultimately, we dropped the idea of the doppelganger when we looked deeper at the doppelgangers and noticed that they could be drawn from shadows. We began to think about what forms of media had used shadows effectively for horror and since we had video games in mind already, we foudn that many horror games made great use of shadows. The first thing that came to mind was an indipedent game called 'Limbo' which is displayed entirely in silhouette with no detail or colour at all.  

It's interesting that we would look at 'Limbo' as the main antagonist of the game is a giant spider who stalks the protagonist. We had the idea that a shadow could morph itself into any form based on what its victim fears. The spider in 'Limbo' captures this idea as it is concealed in shadow and embodies a very common fear that even I have with arachnophobia being one of the most commonly occurring phobias. Now that we knew we were looking for shadows, we looked up evil, sentient shadows and I instincly thought of the Beast from the animated series 'Over the Garden Wall'. It is often debated whether the series is a metaphor for limbo with the Beast representing Death.

After looking for inspiation, we finally came up with our film idea. We dubbed our film 'Umbra' which comes from the name we gave our monster, meaning it would be an eponymous title. The term 'umbra' comes from one of three distinct parts of a shadow (the other two being penumbra and antumbra). Importantly, the 'umbra' is the innermost and darkest part of a shadow. The 'Umbra' as a monster would only be seen physically as a shadow. Any other time someone would see it is when it has already transformed into its victim's darkest fear. An example we had of this was a character standing in an open field yet believe that they are in a claustrophobic environment. A close film example would be the antagonist, Pitch, from the 2012 Dreamworks film 'Rise of the Guardians' who has an ability very simpler. He can turn dreams into nightmares (both figuratively and literally as he is followed by demonic horses) as well as consume anything in darkness. The difference being is that Pitch does have a physical form that he uses to interact with other characters.

We prepared a power point presentation after discussion of how to turn this idea into a film. Our plot involved a reporter (who we envisioned being played by Jospeh Gordon-Levitt) who follows a trail of murders and suicides caused by insanity. He partners up with a cop (Zoe Saldana) and the narrative goes away from the generic crime film into an actual horror film with the focus being solely on the Umbra and how it affects the protragonists. The climax would see the cop killing herself out of fear and the reporter facing his fears and burning down a building where he, and presumably, the Umbra are killed. The ending would reveal that the Umbra has simply moved on instead of perishing in the fire reinforcing that you can't kill fear.

Auteur Theory

Auteur -  a filmmaker whose individual style and complete control over all elements of  production give a film its personal and unique stamp 

Auteur Theory is the study of a particular auteur's style and, inherently, what makes them qualify to being considering an auteur. We need auteurs in order for films to have differentiation from each other as well as developing a good variety of films to pick from. It allows film to be taken seriously as an art form with people creating shots the same way an artist can create a painting. The 'norm' behind an auteur is that they take the responsibility of the film as a whole even if that isn't necessarily the case which promotes the auteur as an individual. The increase of behind the scenes footage being released also promotes the role of the auteur as does interviews with the film directors in order to help promote a film alongside the stars. Another way that auteurs are exemplified and brought to public attention is through cult followings and fan communities who go out of their way to promote the works of a particular director and spreading their awareness.

Applying Auteur Theory to Guillermo Del Toro, we can see that he does in fact fit the definition. This films have a very distinct style and he creates far out worlds and creatures to fill his worlds with. He uses an almost fairy tale style with a very dark edge to it with the most prominent example being his 2006 film 'Pan's Labyrinth' which acts as a dark fairytale-esque story about a girl travelling between strange places and encountering horrifying monsters along the way. The first thing that came to mind when looking at the film was 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll which features the same idea except less horrifying and more whimsical. If we were to look at his other works too, we can see the use of childhood, violence and political agendas. His 2013 film 'Pacific Rim' features all these elements as he get a flashback of certain characters origins, strong violence with the manned robots fighting against giant monsters and

Examples of monsters in Guillermo Del Toro's works:

The Pale Man from 'Pan's Labyrinth'

A Kaiju from 'Pacific Rim'

Abe Sapien from 'Hellboy'

What's important to remember about Auteur's is that they have drawn influence from somewhere. Del Toro's influence clearly lie with Francisco de Goya, an Spanish artist whose style clearly is reflected in Del Toro's work. De Goya's paintings have dark colours and a generally dark tone and topics. 

Francisco de Goya - 'Yard With Lunatics'

De Goya dealt with surreal imagery that always had some meaning behind it. Some of his pieces such as 'The Madhouse' and 'This is Worse' depict some horrific imagery which, despite being surreal as it subverts what we expect from art, it still has a real feeling. 'This is Worse' depicts a mutilated corpse and 'The Madhouse' features a hoard of people left to fester in their insanity. There is truth behind his bizarre vision, just like Del Toro.

'The Madhouse'

'This is Worse'

Introducing Monsters - Learned Cultured 'Norms'

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:

Written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll, 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' challenged what was deemed as "normal" in culture as it saw a young girl travel to a bizarre world filled with oddities and a blend of strange people that were seemingly unexplainably and defied all logic. The story has seen many adaptations most prominently in film such as Disney's animated version, Alice in Wonderland, in 1951 and the live action retelling and continuation of the story by Tim Burton in 2010. Because film is a visual medium, the strange things that Alice sees on her adventure can be conveyed easily and allows the creator to have some freedom with how they interpret Lewis Carroll's writings. This explains why the two films are so different from each other with Disney's being a bright and colourful travelling film and Tim Burton's being a dark and gritty action film. Because 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' was so bizarre, it really can reach out to many medium be it music, art or even advertisements.

Bluebeard:

Another tale by Charles Perrault, 'Bluebeard' featured three distinct elements that stand out. The idea of having a secret chamber, the exploration of curiosity and the use of keys. The story is a shocking tale about a serial killer who keeps the remains of his victims behind a secret door and gives the key to his next victim with a vow not to open the door to see if she caves into her curiosity. Ultimately she does however she is saved before Bluebeard has a chance to murder her.

Just like The Big Bad Wolf, Bluebeard appears in Bill Willingham's comic 'Fables' and the video game prequel 'The Wolf Among Us' where, like the wolf, he is played differently. In the comics he is a straight up villain hiding behind a facade of helping the community when actually he plans to kill the wolf and Snow White before being killed by Prince Charming. In 'The Wolf Among Us', while he does have a position of power, he still comes off as abrasive and authoritative which can tie into how he is characterised in the original story as he manages to win over women in order to kill them.

The Other:

A common trope applied to monsters in fiction is the idea of difference. Monstrous difference stems from areas such as culture, politics, race, economy or sexual activity and people's intolerance can drive propaganda against a certain group. For example, the treatment of the Jews during World War II caused a misinterpretation of their culture and a spread of xenophobia. The Nazis went out of their way in order to dehumanise them. Another example would be the native americans who were deemed savages because of their culture by Europe so that they could expand to the west with no regard for their land or way of life.

A difference in political opinion can cause monstrous representation in culture such as how history remembers Richard III as being physically deformed and monstrous a swell as being a hypocrite. William Shakespeare's play about him didn't help matters as this is where the physical deformity were exemplified as well as playing him as a machiavellian villain.

Monsters:

Monsters have had a very presence in popular culture and it's important to note the strong variety that exist. It is entirely possible to categorise them as follows:

1. Story telling

This is the traditional style of monster. They can derive from fairy tales, myths and folk lore and are made to act as binary opposites to the protagonists. This is normally seen as the basis for most other monsters and has had influence on many forms of art and media spanning across them such as novels, films or video games.  Examples include the classic monsters from the works of Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault which have seen adaptation into films, songs, art, video games and many other forms of creative mediums.


2. Metamorphosis/The Body/Body Horror

An act of 'body horror' is when the human body physically changes into a form of a monster. The most common example of this would be werewolves which see humans transform into, depending on the source material, an anthropomorphic wolf or a feral wolf. He see this happen in popular culture for both protagonists and antagonists. Protagonists change in order for them to come to terms with their inner selves and have an obstacle to tackle. An example would be The Incredible Hulk who is constantly having an inner battle between his human self, Bruce Banner, and his monstrous Hulk form. The villain can change in order for a cathartic sense that the character is becoming their true monstrous self physically.

3. Scientific Inquiry/Taxonomy

Science can play a strong hand in the creation of monsters. Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' sees a scientist make an attempt at creating a man made human comprised of other human parts. As a result, it becomes an abomination with no identity nor anything to relate to and ultimately becomes an outcast and hunted down by everyone else. New exploration into scientific discoveries can warrant a realm of possibility for monstrosities and most can come from our own hands as human design and manufacture.

4. Difference and Others

Going back to the idea of difference creating monstrous imagery, this group is where physical difference can be applied to create a physically monstrous person whether or not they are really a good person as explored in the like of  'The Elephant Man' and the traditional idea of 'The Freak Show' which involved gathering deformed people and exploiting their difference for attention and personal gain. This group is easily the most immoral as it stems from humans intolerance and judgement.

5. Gendered Cyborgs/Science Fiction

This sees 'The Other' represented as female. The most common example of this is the 'Alien' franchise, specifically the second film 'Aliens'. The dominant leader of the aliens is labelled as Queen in an attempt to mirror the way that bees work around a Queen. This theory can have the threat of castration pulled in and the idea of a female domination is explored in other films such as the remake of 'The Wicker Man' which sees an island entirely comprising of women in a murderous cult or the video game 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' which features a race known as the Gerudo who are all women and all are thieves who attack the hero.

Aliens in general act as a common threat to humanity in fiction and as the science fiction genre as gained interest, they have become one of the most common form of monsters around.

6. When technology turns bad

One of the most explored tropes in modern popular culture is the exploration of how science and technology will eventually turn on us. The film 'The Terminator' depicts a robotic uprising that causes a traumatic war between humans and machine in the future. This also affects the past when a robotic assassin is sent back in time to a point where the eradication of a specific person, Sarah Connor, will change the future and allow robots to win. Likewise, the humans do that same to protect that person. We also have '2001: A Space Odyssey' which features HAL 9000, the onboard computer who creates its own imperative to wipe out the life onboard the ship and does so very easily. It's scary to think about the power that we as humans are giving to machinery and can tie into scientific enquiry because we are the ones responsible for creating these monsters.

Certain other media has also dived into extraterrestrial technology restricting humans. 'The Matrix' features a whole synthetic world made for us created by an outside source however when people begin to break out and understand the real world, machines are sent in to exterminate those who have broken out to keep the integrity of the fake world alive.

7. Disturbing the neighbourhood

This group of monster is arguably the most relatable and, as a result, could be seen as one of the scariest. This category represents the monsters who threaten homes and the integrity of a normal life. The main genre this is affiliated with is the slasher genre featuring the likes of 'Friday the 13th', 'Nightmare of Elm Street' and 'Halloween' which all feature serial killers going after innocent people in their homes or establishments. 'Nightmare of Elm Street' takes it a step further and has the killer, Freddy Kruger, invade the dreams of teenagers and kill them there. Ghosts are also another common monster in this group as they normally invade the homes of people and upset the equilibrium of their lives. The worst part about this is that there normally isn't any permanent closure as the monsters normally come back or take on someone else instead.

Introducing Monsters - Fairy Tales

Little Red Riding Hood:

'Little Red Riding Hood'  was written in 1697 by Charles Perrault in his anthological story collection, 'Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals. Tales of Mother Goose.' and already it subverts what has been established in popular culture by the Brothers Grimm version of the tale from 1812. The Parrault original acted as much harsher tale with no redemption nor was there a happy ending. The eponymous girl and her grandmother are eaten by the Big Bad Wolf who comes out of the story as the victor. The 1812 interpretation challenges this by having a much happier ending featuring a hunt-mans emerging to cut open the wolf and free Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother no doubt to aim at a younger audience and deliver redemption that was lacking in the original. The original can be seen as a seduction tale that is trying to teach girls to stay chaste.

The elements explored in all interpretations include some variation on the red hood that Red Riding Hood wears, her mother sending her to give food items to her grandmother, her meeting with the Big Bad Wolf and ultimately the wolf eating them both. The fact that her hood is red is a clear sign that it's acting as a warning for her. Red is often associated with violence and seduction which the 1697 original conveys with the wolf eating her and his seduction undertones.

The tale of 'Little Red Riding Hood' has be brought into the world of film many times. Most recent of adaptations is the 2014 Oscar nominated musical 'Into the Woods' which, while not solely focusing on this tale as Cinderella and Rapunzel also feature prominently. 'Into the Woods' version of the tale features a humanised version of the Wolf played by Johnny Depp however this is the only major change as the story still ends the same and plays out in a similar fashion. The change was most likely done in order to make him stand out more as a character rather than just having a wolf on screen.

'Hard Candy' is a very interesting take on the story. The poster implies that it is a modern adaptation played straight however the film itself is the complete opposite of the story. The protagonist, Hayley (who wears red hood so the audience can instantly get an idea of what the film is signifying), is actually the one going after the older, more suspicious man as she suspects he's a paedophile. She goes to his house and tortures him after he denies her accusations so he still have the idea of a young, red hood clad girl going into house where the male adult is however she does this knowingly and willingly. It's interesting to see the story turned on its head even if it is very loosely. 

The story has also been seen in more than just film. The story has had a very strong influence on the comic book series by Bill Willingham, 'Fables' and its video game adaptation 'The Wolf Among Us'. The protagonist of the comics and games is Bigby who is, once again, a humanised version of the Big Bad Wolf however his character is very different than previous versions. Bigby acts as the sheriff of Fabletown and can actually transform into his true wolf form if provoked. It's interesting that Willingham decided to make one of the most famous and widely spread fictional villains as the main protagonist of his works. While Little Red Riding Hood does show up in the comics, she is a much smaller role and doesn't seem to recognise that Bigby is the Big Bad Wolf.

Pinocchio and How it Has Been Reinterpreted

Carlo Collidi's 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'

In 1883, Italy, Carlo Collidi released the children's novel 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'. The basis of the novel follows a wooden marionette named Pinocchio crafted by a woodcutter named Geppetto from a piece of talking wood given to him. While it is dubbed as a children's novel, I argue that it is worthy of the title 'Fairy Tale'. The most obvious example for this is the fact that it features a fairy dubbed as 'The Fairy with the Turquoise Hair' and the idea of a sentient, talking piece of wood existing is purely fantasy. Fairy tales also tend to have morals behind them. Compared to another children's book like J.R.R Tolkein's 'The Hobbit', Pinocchio is trying to convey a warning to children while 'The Hobbit' is simply a grand adventure being conveyed to the reader. The moral is about discovering who you are as signified by the ending which sees the fairy turn Pinocchio into a real boy when he understands himself and life. However, this ending was only added to lighten the incredibly dark tone of the original novel. One of the many famous ideas the story presents is the idea that Pinocchio's nose grows whenever he lies and this only adds to the moralistic sense that the story has. It is warning children that they will get caught if they lie. The argument could be made that, especially based on the title, the story is simply an adventure however the morals I have brought up along with the whimsical and

Walt Disney's 'Pinocchio'

The most obvious example of Pinocchio being reinterpreted is the 1940 animated film adaptation by Walt Disney. What is fascinating about the film is the contrast in tone compared to the original story. Disney's 'Pinocchio' is a much lighter story as the character of Pinocchio is much more naive and likable. In the original, he is made out to be quite an arrogant, destructive and irresponsible puppet. One big example of this change being made is the use of Jiminy Cricket. In the film, he acts as Pinocchio's conscience and guide throughout the film and yet in the story (where he is unnamed), he is killed quite early on by Pinocchio after scolding the puppet for his ignorance.

"Because you are a Marionette and, what is much worse, you have a wooden head."

At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a fury, took a hammer from the bench, and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket.

Perhaps he did not think he would strike it. But, sad to relate, my dear children, he did hit the Cricket, straight on its head.

With a last weak "cri-cri-cri" the poor Cricket fell from the wall, dead!

(Death of the talking cricket, Chapter 4 of 'The Adventures of Pinocchio')

The Fairy with the Turquoise Hair's name is simplified as The Blue Fairy and has much more of a god-like appearance. She is the one responsible for bringing Pinocchio to life and tasks him with earning the wish of being a real boy rather than rewarding him for his life discovery.

The story is simplified much more. The film does cover many scenes featured in the book, such as the puppet theatre and the climax at the ocean, however due to the length of the film in contrast to how much the book can cover, many of it is glossed over and the book provides a deeper look at certain places and situations. One of the most iconic scenes of the film, the boys being taken to Pleasure Island and being turned into donkeys, is one of the many dark scenes taken straight out of the original novel. Two elements that are greatly altered however are the climax and the use of the characters Honest John and his henchman Gideon, who are the Fox and Cat, mentioned in the story. As expected of Disney, the two are anthropomorphised to make more child friendly as well as more identifiable as actual characters. The only animals that aren't altered are the donkeys in which the boys are turned into. The climax features some possibly symbolism that could be applied to both the book and the film, although it is more obvious in the film. In the original story, Pinocchio (as a donkey) is thrown into the ocean in an attempt to be drowned. Upon turning back into a puppet, he is eaten by a giant fish. In the Disney film, since we have to see the fish, it is specified as a whale dubbed 'Monstro'. The visuals of Gepetto living inside the whale on a wrecked ship brings about the idea of Jonah from the Bible and begs the question as to what the idea behind this symbolism could imply. I feel the message being conveyed is that there is a parallel between the two. In the Bible, God speaks to the giant fish that ate Jonah and requests Jonah be given a second chance to fulfil the word of God. In 'Pinocchio', the puppet is killed in the escape whereon he is brought back to life by the Blue Fairy, who we've established is a god-like figure, and therefore given a second chance at life following the example laid upon by the fairy.

Other Reinterpretations

While many will point to 'The Wolf Among Us' for fairy tale modernisation, I looked to the comic in which it was based on 'Fable' for no other reason than Pinocchio not being featured in the video game adaption and stuck with the source material. We are introduced to Pinocchio in the first volume of 'Fables' where his, like everyone else, is a twist on the classic fairy tale character living in the mundane real world. Pinocchio is a human boy, just like he always wished he would be, however he is still a boy. After many, many years, he has not aged as the fairy apparently took his wish to literally. As a result of being restricted to a young body, he has grown bitter and brash which is contrasting to the happy-go-lucky version Disney established.

Purely for comedy's sake, Pinocchio is one of many fairy tale characters introduced in the film franchise 'Shrek'. Only briefly seen in the first film trying to defend himself from being sold by Geppetto, he is promoted to a more prominent character in the second film where he joins the ensemble fairy tale cast with saving Shrek from incarceration using his strings to parody a scene from 'Mission Impossible'. While nothing is too out of the ordinary in terms of adaption, it's worth noting a scene from 'Shrek The Third' which seems him challenged by a question which he wishes to lie to. In order to get around this, he constantly dodges answering and leaves with a convoluted and goes around in circles until the villain, Prince Charming, gives up on asking. It's an interesting way of countering the classic Pinocchio idea that proves that 'Shrek' is all about parodying classic fairy tales. 

'Pinocchio' applied to robots

Arguably the most prominent example of a modern interpretation of 'Pinocchio' is Steven Spielburg's 2001 film 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence'. Part way through the film, the robotic child David (played by Haley Joel Osmont) discovers the story of 'Pinocchio' and it quickly becomes his favourite story no doubt because it follows the idea of a non-human boy eventually finding his self worth and becoming human. David's discouragement from his human brother and his abandonment only drives him to find the 'Blue Fairy' from the story and get his wish. As the plot progresses, David does find the fairy however his wish isn't granted by it as it is instead done by aliens which is a sign of the modernisation of the tale. Another interesting alteration is that David doesn't necessarily want to be a real boy but simply wants to be treated as such as his wish is to be with his mother again.

'A.I' brings about the concept that robots can be compared to the classic tale as many forms of media featuring robots will eventually have them grow so advanced that they wish to be on our level. Chris Columbus' film 'Bicentennial Man' features a story of an android built to follow orders (played by Robin Williams) who spends so much time around humans that he wishes to be on himself and ultimately does so. Two upcoming films also feature the idea of robots paralleling humans. Neill Blomkamp's 'Chappie' is about a robot who is treated like a human from his 'birth' and grows like a human does as he is a robot that can think and feel. Following 'Chappie' we are also made aware of the next film in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe'

The most recent example of 'Pinocchio' being used in modern media is the trailer for the upcoming film 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'. The trailer's music is a slowed down, haunting cover of 'I've Got No Strings' from Disney's adaption which is in reference to the film's antagonist Ultron who is seen as a dark parallel to Pinocchio's character. Ultron, also being an A.I., appears to be trying to become more human like as the film progresses judging by the trailer as he compares himself to being free of his control. Tony Stark builds Ultron to help fight for the Avengers however his mind is so advanced that he breaks free from his bonds, or his 'strings',  We see him as a broken wreck of one of Tony Stark's Iron Man suits but, by the end of the trailer, has reached the uncanny valley by being a humanoid robot and states "Now I'm free, there are no strings on me", the abstract strings being symbolic of his enslavement.

Psychoanalyses and Film

In 1895, the first films began to be shown publicly were released and, on the same year, Sigmund Freud and Josef Brueur published their book 'Studies on Hysteria'. Literary and political movements have been the basis of many film analysis theories however the psychoanalytical theory of film only came about as a result of science and medicine being able to understand why people can be refereed to as 'mad'.

At the time, people with hysteria were ridiculed and either locked up, exorcised or burnt. They considered to be liars, deviants and lazy. Many theorists such as Jean-Martin Charcot and Sigmund Freud aimed to change this idea through the use of psychoanalytical theory.

Sigmund Freud's later book, 'The Interpretation of Dreams' (1899) brought on the idea of dreaming being a form of hallucinating wish fulfilment and not just nonsense. Dreams are full of meaning and logic in dreams changes from that of conscious thought hence the need for interpretation. The are significant and relevant because they can reveal symptoms of illness and also be used as a way of driving creativity. As they can identify illness, they can be used as part of a cure.

Bringing the use of Psychoanalyses round to film, we have the theory of the Id, Superego and Ego.

Id - Instinctive impulses such as desire for food, warmth. Fears/Wishes. Non-Moral impulses
Superego - Moral conscience able to impose guilt. Responds to rules and laws
Ego - The conscience. Strives to be moral by acting between Id and Superego.

Link to tvtropes page about applying the Freudian trio to film characters - http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FreudianTrio/Film

For example the three main protagonists of 'Ghostbusters'
 - Peter Venkman: Disinterested, Deadpan Snarker (Id)
 - Egon Spengler: Rational, stoic (Superego).
 - Ray Stanz: Intellectually driven, though very passionate (Ego).

1919 saw the start of the idea of the 'Uncanny'. The uncanny is the idea that seemingly normal objects are made unfamiliar to us and arouses the idea that the objects are made frightening strange and yet somehow secretly familier. 
The ideas are
 - Deja-vu (Clash between familiar and unfamiliar) Example: 'Mr. Nobody' (Jaco Van Dormael, 2009)
 - The Double (Twins and doppelganger) Example: 'The Matrix Revolutions' (The Wachoski Brothers, 2003)
 - The automaton (Unsure if character is real or not) Example: 'The World's End' (Edgar Wright, 2013)

Practises in Looking

Identifying the differences between 'Seeing' and 'Looking'

- Seeing is an arbitrary concept that we do on a regular basis without thought

- Looking is a choice we are aware of and involves a sense of purpose. 

Philosopher and literary theorist Roland Barthes explained that an image has two levels of meaning. The is the Denotative meaning which is when an image to denote specific truths and indicate an idea of documentary evidence of objective circumstances while the Connotative meaning of an image connotes a more culturally specific meaning. 

There are circumstances in which we ourselves are the ones being look at with the most prominent example being the use of CCTV. CCTV plays with power as there is nothing we can do to stay out of their view and we have no say as to whether we wish to be watched by unseen surveyors or not. We are given no input and yet we tend to ignore them as they are background elements. Even we our minds let us forget that we are being watched, we are still being observed which brings about the idea of voyeurism as there are times when we are unaware that we are being watched at all. 

Michel Foucault

Another philosopher who declared that modern societies are designed in a way that makes people take part in self-regulating behaviour and are willing to obey laws as well as conform to dominant social values. His idea claims that modern societies do not work through coercion but instead work through cooperation as a society.

Using the idea of being watched, Jeremy Bentham designed a prison dubbed the 'Panopticon' which was designed in a way that the guards can see every prisoner without even moving and prisoners can see each other as the building was designed in a circle with the guard tower in the middle.

This meant that prisoners acted differently then they would when out of sight in other prisons. The tower was designed so that the prisoners couldn't tell if someone was in or not. I bring this up because this displays that people act differently when being observed and even more so when they aren't even sure if someone is even watching at that moment in time, similar to CCTV cameras. A CCTV camera may not even be on but there is no way of telling so we still acknowledge the possibility of being watched. 

Poster and Explanation of Theme - 'Rise of the Machine'

For the poster project, I have decided to go with the theme of Modernism and the rise of machines. I made this choice because I felt that there is so much potential for a poster as a result of the sci-fi genre being very popular and having the potential to have a lot to work with. Another reason is because the idea of robotics is so broad meaning that there would be a lot of content, ideas and quotes to use to construct the poster.

The idea behind the rise of the machine is that, as we advance in technology and science, we are allowing machinery more access to skills and what we can accomplish. The media has taken this idea and created many different products with the idea of advanced artificial intelligence (‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ featured HAL 9000 as the antagonist for example) to the point that Iasac Asmiov introduced the idea of three laws that robots must follow in his 1942 short story ‘Runaround’ featured in his short story compilation ‘I, Robot’. The laws involved not injuring humans or allowing them to be harmed, obeying orders given by humans and projecting its own existence as long as it doesn’t contradict the previously stated rules.

The way that robots are portrayed in the media varies depending on the source. Some films such as ‘The World’s End’ portray them as trying to make the planet a better place by replacing all the humans while on the other hand, a film such as ‘The Terminator’ implies that the advancement of technology and awareness of artificial technology will lead to a war between humans and robots. What I find fascinating about the theme of rise of the machine is that it plays a lot into morality. ‘The World’s End’ makes it debatable as it whether or not they are wrong. Characters mentioned that the replaced people are friendlier and make Newton Haven a better place yet, in essence, people are still being killed in the process.

Rise of the machine can also see technology outside of robotics advance too with life imitating such as the use of mobile phones first seen in ‘Star Trek’ or devices very reminiscent of iPads and the use of touchscreens seen throughout the sci-fi genre. Now, these ideas that were simply dreamed up for fiction are a part of our everyday lives which will instantly display how far with technology we have come.

For the final poster, I had to come up with what actors to use based on their previous works or what they were working on recently. For example, Jared Leto, Jaimie Alexander and Chadwick Boseman are all involved in comic book films with Alexander and Boseman being part of the Marvel Studios films and Jared Leto being cast of the Joker for the next Batman film. Since comic book films clearly have a strong hold on Hollywood, it therefore made sense that these would be names that sci-fi fans would be familier with and would ultimately want to see based on actors alone. I picked Andrew Lincoln for his work as the protagonist on 'The Walking Dead' which is the most popular post-apocalyptic series at the moment and Alan Tudyk for his sci-fi works such as the TV show 'Firefly' and starring as the main robot, Sonny, in 'I, Robot'.