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Narrative codes and stylistic codes genre assignment

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The document discusses the narrative and stylistic codes of the horror and superhero genres. For both genres, the narrative typically involves an equilibrium being disrupted by an antagonist that the protagonist must defeat to restore order. Examples provided are The Nun and Venom. Key stylistic elements of horror include dark settings, hidden faces, jump scares and mystery. Superhero films feature costumes, powers/weapons, and high-stakes action to resolve problems and return to happiness. Comparisons are drawn between the narrative structures and visual conventions of these genres.

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Nathan Lukeman Horror The genre of a horror is all about trying to make you scared. Your supposed to feel fear, you can tell the film is a horror by the setting like a dark mansion where no house is near, the setting would be like a stormy night where its pitch black with no moon to give any light and it’s just pitch black this is low key lighting which they use to hide stuff from you to create more tension also helps with jump scares also they use stings to increase your fear, a sting is a short musical phrase, primarily used in films as a form of punctuation stings are often used in horror films to accentuate jump scares, but are common in all genre. The Editing in horrors are used in death scenes as its quite common in horrors they use sound effect editing and cut as they need to be perfect for the horror theme like when they are stabbing someone they will need to get blood and make fake stabbing sounds all these need quick cuts to get it right a good example of this is in phyco when she is getting stabbed in the bath, to really get a horror experience you need to have timed cuts and not a quick fast paced short clips as then it will disorient the audience you only use that when there’s a lot going on and more than one perspective to see but horror, Here are a few examples one is the scene in the nun
You see in this scene that it is very dark and that the character’s face is hidden and this happens often in horrors so you it creates tension when you see who the antagonist is your supposed to get a shock but in this specially the props used is a very old lamp which suites the scenery of an old chapel it also does this shot where you can see what’s behind her and she can’t see it. The clothing wore between them is the one with the face you can’t see is all black which blends in with the darkness because of the low key lighting but the one holding the lamp is in white so you can see her perfectly this makes us concentrate more than her rather than what the nun is doing in the background. It’s also ironic as she’s looking for her and that she’s right behind her also they will introduce a sting but it’s just the fact you waiting for it is the reason it scares you. The narrative code in horror is always that there is something strange is going on and someone has to investigate it and they end up in some spiritual problem where they have stop it/escape in the nun it’s the same they got a problem where a nun killed its self so another nun investigates and there trapped and have to kill the other nun this narrative code is used in loads of horrors loads slightly different each time though
this scene is like the nun yet again the antagonist is in black and the protagonist is in white in a dark setting also in the scence it’s another shot where we can see the antagonist and the protagonist can’t also the character’s face is hidden this from happy death day is all about finding out about who it is just like in the nun you got to find out who the bad nun is and kill it but it’s obviously going to kill you. Scenes like this like to use very high pitch and slow music as it creates tension and the movement of what’s happening is no rush to make something to happen you could be using a tracking shot and the antagonist could follow her for 2 minutes until they decide to introduce a sting which you were expecting but they dragged it on for too long that you still get a shock also seems like most of these scenes always happen at night these are all conventions of this genre to the low key lighting hiding the face the shots of seeing the antagonist all of it is in this genre and is used in multiple horror films. The narrative code in this is slightly different to the nuns though as there’s no investigation it’s about finding the killer and making sure you kill it which is similar as again there’s always an antagonist you have to kill or escape from there’s always a lot of mystery in horror as well, she is trapped In a cycle where she keeps on dying until she finds her killer and kills it which in the nun it’s about finding the nun which is a killer and killing the nun.
Superhero Venom Narrative theory is basically when you seem to be living a happy life everything is fine but then something disrupts it and then you have to basically solve it to get the balance back this is most popular in action films as there’s always got to be an fixed plan where someone will save the day then get there life back an example of this is in Venom Eddie Brock was living a normal life then all of a sudden it changes when he discovers some secrets and loses his job and realized that something was going on and eventually became one with venom that when his life got disrupted and he realized that him and venom have to save the word from being invaded by their species what gives the story is the fact he was a normal guy with an alright life and then there’s a bad guy he’s got to stop happens in every superhero film it’s the same equilibrium every time. The stylistic codes are there’s always the same sort of super hero costume and a villain costume as well as there being certain props like a weapon or an ability these are all what makes a film a superhero film they wouldn’t use it in a horror genre as it just wouldn’t work as horror has low key lighting whereas superhero films will be high key lighting as they are for younger audiences and for horrors are for older audiences and want to create fear also super hero scenes are fast paced and a load of cuts and editing as well as being higher budgeted.
Deadpool Another superhero film with the exact same narrative everything is fine he meets a girl and is extremely happy then he is diagnosed with cancer which means he goes to get cured where a man says we can make you into a superhero and it happens and he has to stop the antagonist and then its balanced again what makes superhero films special is the setting and props they are always only special towards the film like venom the suite that appears out of his skin and dead pool can never die as his body repairs also with the setting its always busy where everyone can see and so it’s more hectic whereas horrors it makes it more intense when the person is just by them self without anyone to help the way the narrative codes are the same in the superhero as its always a hero and a villain to kill or stop every time just like it is in Deadpool and Venom but in Deadpool it’s a bit different it’s more comedy than a serious fight but every film has to be different somehow the difference between this and horrors is that in superhero films it’s all about having happy ending and that everything is going to be fine but horrors they aren’t always happy its got a dark setting it’s all about evil and how it is but super hero is that there’s light so they are like opposites in a way but also the same as there’s always a antagonist that needs to be stopped. Comparison of the Action/superhero narrative code Every super hero film starts with the same narrativecode of them being at an all-time low then they get there superpowers and becomea hero to sortthere life out and savethe world as example in venom, Eddie Brock had an amazing job and lost it when he became too nosy for his own good and snooped in his girlfriend’s files, when he got caught and messed up the interview, he not only lost his job but his girlfriend as well and that’s when he gets to his all-time low, which then he forms with venom and aims to take down the evil organization and hopefully get his girlfriend back which he does. Deadpool 1 has a similar start again he’s happy ended up proposing and with the love of this life when he hit’s the all-time low and finds out he has cancer which then someone comes up to him says he can cure it, he then leaves his girlfriend and goes on the mission to sort his life out and becomes a super hero Deadpoolwhich he then fights the villains and gets his wife back as well as try to see if the DR could fix his face
which he ruined turning him into a superhero everyonehas their goal but in superhero film’s it’s not justsaving the world but themselves as well That’s how you define a super hero film. Tzvetan Todorov'snarrative theory suggests that all narratives followa three-part structure where they beginwith equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored. This theory is a way to explain the superhero’s narrative story. Comparison of thestylistic codes of thesuperhero/action genre Firstway you can tell the stylistic codes of a superhero film is to look at the mise en scene, the first partis the clothing each superhero has their own super suite it’s called it’s their own unique clothes they wear throughoutthe film it’s their signature clothing to hide their identity which is a mask to hide their face. Also, a superhero has their props with weapons Deadpoolhas his sword’s but in venom he is the weapon with his stretchy arms and shielded skin. Another thing to look at is the character’s physicality as there not going to be weak and puny usually they are well built and have enough muscles to defend themselves as this is industry standard for whatyou should look like to be super. Another example will be captain America when the boy was too weak to
join the army he got given muscles through an experiment to become super. Another example of stylistic codes of a superhero film is that you might know a superhero but whatabout a villain how can you tell. One way is that they have an evil lair as example in Venom the evil lair is a science lab they uselow key lightning to indicate that its dark so it makes it more intense as well as it being very dingy and out of the way off society Another example would be the evil place in Deadpoolwhere he gets turned into a superhero. The place had low key lighting it was dirty and filled with deformed people well there test subjects also you can tell a super villain by their clothing it will always be dark and stands out to representevil here are examples of whatI justsaid. These are examples of what a villain should look like both wearing black and what gives off that vibe also you got to consider the sounds used in these films when the villain shows up they always play quite dark music that is not cheerful and more intense where as they play happy music or enjoyable they are usually non-diegetic sounds where only the audience can hear the music but I gives that more of a action vibe when the villain and the hero fights. Here are examples of the villain’s lair, as you can see low key lighting to create
mystery and tension with strange activity going on. Mise en scene is used well in both these pictures. Horror Narrative code comparison Horror more than likely has to do with death or the supernatural, the way it starts it the characters either hear a rumor of strange activity or they experience it and have to stop it one of the big things about the horror genre is that usually in films the protagonist always win but with horror films it’s a mix between the 2 as sometimes the antagonist wins so you can never predict the ending of it which is great. With the 2 examples I picked the protagonist win both times but still there were times when you thought the villain was going to win the way the narrative goes is they always explore situations and see what’s going on the nun is a good example as she goes to the chapel where apparently something is down where she discovers the supernatural and in the end kills the evil nun but for happy death day
she’s forced in a loop where again she’s got to kill the antagonist to save herself there’s always deaths in horrors there is multiple in death day but there always undone by the supernatural which is popular in horrors they like making things that don’t exists, exists. They do this to make it more interesting. They are similar with the super natural that’s what brings horror together but also helps it be unique. There always this list of narrative structure, death, murder, revenge, religious belief, survival, supernatural and curses all these are themes of a horror film, the protagonist is usually a female character which in the nun and happy death day is the case as there are stereotypically represented as intelligent and sensible but the antagonist is usually played by one of the main characters and has a few helpers to try and kill the protagonist for example in the purge and in the strangers but with the films I picked the nun and happy death day there both different as the nuns antagonist is the supernatural but in happy death day it’s her roommate by plot twist. Also, the sex appeal this is played by a good-looking woman who it usually the first to be killed e.g. cabin in the woods, there’s also the unlikely hero the character which the audience thinks the hero due to their skills and role in the film but then gets killed. Horrors stylistic codes comparison One of the first things you will notice in a horror film is the setting it can be located anywhere. However, the most stereotypical setting is usually in an abandoned or isolated setting as example in the nun its set in an abandoned chapel far away from society in a forest but it’s different in happy death day its always at night in public places but no one’s there but in both films they use low key lightning this another popular part of the horror genre as this is used both in the nun and happy death day to create tension and hide the antagonist they are used to create darkness and an eerie atmosphere. As well as this, darkness makes the audience feel tenser and more vulnerable as they are unable to see into the darkness and people are scared of the unknown which is a purpose of a horror film. Also, artificial lightning is used to create shadows and silhouettes to create enigma
for the audience so they carry on watching. They use low key lightning in both the nun and happy death day for tension and they use it for stings (jump scares) these are non-diegetic sound effects which are popular with thrillers and horror’s these are usually slowly paced piano sounds too build up then a loud sting effect to create that jumping feeling. There are multiple of them in happy death day and the Nun, You can also tell somethings a horror by the costumes used as example the nun is wearing a dark robe with a white mask so you can just see her face when the happy death day antagonist is wearing a baby mask with a suite so again the masks stand out for the low key lightning scenes also you got to consider the use of props there is a lot of fake blood and weapons to suggest violence there’s a lot of blood in the nun and happy death day as well as weapons. The mask in happy death day was also used to hide the killer’s identity.
Narrative codes and stylistic codes genre assignment

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Narrative codes and stylistic codes genre assignment

  • 1. Nathan Lukeman Horror The genre of a horror is all about trying to make you scared. Your supposed to feel fear, you can tell the film is a horror by the setting like a dark mansion where no house is near, the setting would be like a stormy night where its pitch black with no moon to give any light and it’s just pitch black this is low key lighting which they use to hide stuff from you to create more tension also helps with jump scares also they use stings to increase your fear, a sting is a short musical phrase, primarily used in films as a form of punctuation stings are often used in horror films to accentuate jump scares, but are common in all genre. The Editing in horrors are used in death scenes as its quite common in horrors they use sound effect editing and cut as they need to be perfect for the horror theme like when they are stabbing someone they will need to get blood and make fake stabbing sounds all these need quick cuts to get it right a good example of this is in phyco when she is getting stabbed in the bath, to really get a horror experience you need to have timed cuts and not a quick fast paced short clips as then it will disorient the audience you only use that when there’s a lot going on and more than one perspective to see but horror, Here are a few examples one is the scene in the nun
  • 2. You see in this scene that it is very dark and that the character’s face is hidden and this happens often in horrors so you it creates tension when you see who the antagonist is your supposed to get a shock but in this specially the props used is a very old lamp which suites the scenery of an old chapel it also does this shot where you can see what’s behind her and she can’t see it. The clothing wore between them is the one with the face you can’t see is all black which blends in with the darkness because of the low key lighting but the one holding the lamp is in white so you can see her perfectly this makes us concentrate more than her rather than what the nun is doing in the background. It’s also ironic as she’s looking for her and that she’s right behind her also they will introduce a sting but it’s just the fact you waiting for it is the reason it scares you. The narrative code in horror is always that there is something strange is going on and someone has to investigate it and they end up in some spiritual problem where they have stop it/escape in the nun it’s the same they got a problem where a nun killed its self so another nun investigates and there trapped and have to kill the other nun this narrative code is used in loads of horrors loads slightly different each time though
  • 3. this scene is like the nun yet again the antagonist is in black and the protagonist is in white in a dark setting also in the scence it’s another shot where we can see the antagonist and the protagonist can’t also the character’s face is hidden this from happy death day is all about finding out about who it is just like in the nun you got to find out who the bad nun is and kill it but it’s obviously going to kill you. Scenes like this like to use very high pitch and slow music as it creates tension and the movement of what’s happening is no rush to make something to happen you could be using a tracking shot and the antagonist could follow her for 2 minutes until they decide to introduce a sting which you were expecting but they dragged it on for too long that you still get a shock also seems like most of these scenes always happen at night these are all conventions of this genre to the low key lighting hiding the face the shots of seeing the antagonist all of it is in this genre and is used in multiple horror films. The narrative code in this is slightly different to the nuns though as there’s no investigation it’s about finding the killer and making sure you kill it which is similar as again there’s always an antagonist you have to kill or escape from there’s always a lot of mystery in horror as well, she is trapped In a cycle where she keeps on dying until she finds her killer and kills it which in the nun it’s about finding the nun which is a killer and killing the nun.
  • 4. Superhero Venom Narrative theory is basically when you seem to be living a happy life everything is fine but then something disrupts it and then you have to basically solve it to get the balance back this is most popular in action films as there’s always got to be an fixed plan where someone will save the day then get there life back an example of this is in Venom Eddie Brock was living a normal life then all of a sudden it changes when he discovers some secrets and loses his job and realized that something was going on and eventually became one with venom that when his life got disrupted and he realized that him and venom have to save the word from being invaded by their species what gives the story is the fact he was a normal guy with an alright life and then there’s a bad guy he’s got to stop happens in every superhero film it’s the same equilibrium every time. The stylistic codes are there’s always the same sort of super hero costume and a villain costume as well as there being certain props like a weapon or an ability these are all what makes a film a superhero film they wouldn’t use it in a horror genre as it just wouldn’t work as horror has low key lighting whereas superhero films will be high key lighting as they are for younger audiences and for horrors are for older audiences and want to create fear also super hero scenes are fast paced and a load of cuts and editing as well as being higher budgeted.
  • 5. Deadpool Another superhero film with the exact same narrative everything is fine he meets a girl and is extremely happy then he is diagnosed with cancer which means he goes to get cured where a man says we can make you into a superhero and it happens and he has to stop the antagonist and then its balanced again what makes superhero films special is the setting and props they are always only special towards the film like venom the suite that appears out of his skin and dead pool can never die as his body repairs also with the setting its always busy where everyone can see and so it’s more hectic whereas horrors it makes it more intense when the person is just by them self without anyone to help the way the narrative codes are the same in the superhero as its always a hero and a villain to kill or stop every time just like it is in Deadpool and Venom but in Deadpool it’s a bit different it’s more comedy than a serious fight but every film has to be different somehow the difference between this and horrors is that in superhero films it’s all about having happy ending and that everything is going to be fine but horrors they aren’t always happy its got a dark setting it’s all about evil and how it is but super hero is that there’s light so they are like opposites in a way but also the same as there’s always a antagonist that needs to be stopped. Comparison of the Action/superhero narrative code Every super hero film starts with the same narrativecode of them being at an all-time low then they get there superpowers and becomea hero to sortthere life out and savethe world as example in venom, Eddie Brock had an amazing job and lost it when he became too nosy for his own good and snooped in his girlfriend’s files, when he got caught and messed up the interview, he not only lost his job but his girlfriend as well and that’s when he gets to his all-time low, which then he forms with venom and aims to take down the evil organization and hopefully get his girlfriend back which he does. Deadpool 1 has a similar start again he’s happy ended up proposing and with the love of this life when he hit’s the all-time low and finds out he has cancer which then someone comes up to him says he can cure it, he then leaves his girlfriend and goes on the mission to sort his life out and becomes a super hero Deadpoolwhich he then fights the villains and gets his wife back as well as try to see if the DR could fix his face
  • 6. which he ruined turning him into a superhero everyonehas their goal but in superhero film’s it’s not justsaving the world but themselves as well That’s how you define a super hero film. Tzvetan Todorov'snarrative theory suggests that all narratives followa three-part structure where they beginwith equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored. This theory is a way to explain the superhero’s narrative story. Comparison of thestylistic codes of thesuperhero/action genre Firstway you can tell the stylistic codes of a superhero film is to look at the mise en scene, the first partis the clothing each superhero has their own super suite it’s called it’s their own unique clothes they wear throughoutthe film it’s their signature clothing to hide their identity which is a mask to hide their face. Also, a superhero has their props with weapons Deadpoolhas his sword’s but in venom he is the weapon with his stretchy arms and shielded skin. Another thing to look at is the character’s physicality as there not going to be weak and puny usually they are well built and have enough muscles to defend themselves as this is industry standard for whatyou should look like to be super. Another example will be captain America when the boy was too weak to
  • 7. join the army he got given muscles through an experiment to become super. Another example of stylistic codes of a superhero film is that you might know a superhero but whatabout a villain how can you tell. One way is that they have an evil lair as example in Venom the evil lair is a science lab they uselow key lightning to indicate that its dark so it makes it more intense as well as it being very dingy and out of the way off society Another example would be the evil place in Deadpoolwhere he gets turned into a superhero. The place had low key lighting it was dirty and filled with deformed people well there test subjects also you can tell a super villain by their clothing it will always be dark and stands out to representevil here are examples of whatI justsaid. These are examples of what a villain should look like both wearing black and what gives off that vibe also you got to consider the sounds used in these films when the villain shows up they always play quite dark music that is not cheerful and more intense where as they play happy music or enjoyable they are usually non-diegetic sounds where only the audience can hear the music but I gives that more of a action vibe when the villain and the hero fights. Here are examples of the villain’s lair, as you can see low key lighting to create
  • 8. mystery and tension with strange activity going on. Mise en scene is used well in both these pictures. Horror Narrative code comparison Horror more than likely has to do with death or the supernatural, the way it starts it the characters either hear a rumor of strange activity or they experience it and have to stop it one of the big things about the horror genre is that usually in films the protagonist always win but with horror films it’s a mix between the 2 as sometimes the antagonist wins so you can never predict the ending of it which is great. With the 2 examples I picked the protagonist win both times but still there were times when you thought the villain was going to win the way the narrative goes is they always explore situations and see what’s going on the nun is a good example as she goes to the chapel where apparently something is down where she discovers the supernatural and in the end kills the evil nun but for happy death day
  • 9. she’s forced in a loop where again she’s got to kill the antagonist to save herself there’s always deaths in horrors there is multiple in death day but there always undone by the supernatural which is popular in horrors they like making things that don’t exists, exists. They do this to make it more interesting. They are similar with the super natural that’s what brings horror together but also helps it be unique. There always this list of narrative structure, death, murder, revenge, religious belief, survival, supernatural and curses all these are themes of a horror film, the protagonist is usually a female character which in the nun and happy death day is the case as there are stereotypically represented as intelligent and sensible but the antagonist is usually played by one of the main characters and has a few helpers to try and kill the protagonist for example in the purge and in the strangers but with the films I picked the nun and happy death day there both different as the nuns antagonist is the supernatural but in happy death day it’s her roommate by plot twist. Also, the sex appeal this is played by a good-looking woman who it usually the first to be killed e.g. cabin in the woods, there’s also the unlikely hero the character which the audience thinks the hero due to their skills and role in the film but then gets killed. Horrors stylistic codes comparison One of the first things you will notice in a horror film is the setting it can be located anywhere. However, the most stereotypical setting is usually in an abandoned or isolated setting as example in the nun its set in an abandoned chapel far away from society in a forest but it’s different in happy death day its always at night in public places but no one’s there but in both films they use low key lightning this another popular part of the horror genre as this is used both in the nun and happy death day to create tension and hide the antagonist they are used to create darkness and an eerie atmosphere. As well as this, darkness makes the audience feel tenser and more vulnerable as they are unable to see into the darkness and people are scared of the unknown which is a purpose of a horror film. Also, artificial lightning is used to create shadows and silhouettes to create enigma
  • 10. for the audience so they carry on watching. They use low key lightning in both the nun and happy death day for tension and they use it for stings (jump scares) these are non-diegetic sound effects which are popular with thrillers and horror’s these are usually slowly paced piano sounds too build up then a loud sting effect to create that jumping feeling. There are multiple of them in happy death day and the Nun, You can also tell somethings a horror by the costumes used as example the nun is wearing a dark robe with a white mask so you can just see her face when the happy death day antagonist is wearing a baby mask with a suite so again the masks stand out for the low key lightning scenes also you got to consider the use of props there is a lot of fake blood and weapons to suggest violence there’s a lot of blood in the nun and happy death day as well as weapons. The mask in happy death day was also used to hide the killer’s identity.