POP GENRES group 2 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Week 10
Week 11
It can be a difficult proposition explaining the differences between documentaries and reality TV, but once both are viewed it becomes clear which genre displays fact, and which displays an illusion of the truth. Documentaries have helped the Reality TV genre grow because they share many similar properties. Biressi and Nunn (2005) explained with their work how John Grierson who first “coined the term ‘documentary’, happily acknowledged the role of aesthetics in the genre, describing the documentary process as the ‘creative treatment of actuality.’” This clearly shows us which themes a documentary will often have. The viewpoint of a documentary is often seen by just one perspective, which unintentionally means the documentary will have a somewhat bias view on whatever issue is being presented, intentional or otherwise. However, the documentary will try to portray the information it is delivering in a factual way, in an attempt to deliver unbiased information, but unless they cover a wide range of conflicting viewpoints then this very rarely happens. So the documentary genre is almost the pre-reality TV genre simply because reality TV couldn’t exist if documentaries were never created. Reality TV however is full of biased viewpoints put in by the media to help portray any given situation in a certain glorified light. It is a genre that is guilty of having one sided views for nearly any situation. An example of this is when the cast is arguing over food and water in survivor, when the participants are making gourmet dishes on Masterchef, or when the bad boy criminal is being taken down by the righteous cop on Cops. The handheld cameras, subtitled dialogue and the character voiceover narratives are but the tip of the iceberg of the techniques used to add the stench of reality and the dirt of actual characters facing off against eachother that only reality TV can provide.
Biressi, A. & Nunn, N. (2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. Reality TV: Realism and Revelation. (page 35-58). London: Wallflower.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Week 11- Anita Ibell
What signifiers of reality have emerged from the documentary genre? How have they constructed out conceptualisation of reality? (or at least what we recognize as being real on a visual level...)
The intorduction of realism began with Grierson who coined the term 'documentary' and defined it as the 'creative treatment of reality' (Biressi & Nunn, 2005) which, essentially gives realism structure and conventions. However, on a visual level, I would say that reality tv has many stylistic features owing to the pioneers of cinema vérité and its subsets (Direct cinema, Free Cinema and Candid Eye.) According to Leacock, cinema verite was all about wanting what you've got, rater than looking for what you want.' D.A Pennebaker made another interesting point in the documentary we viewed in class. He said that 'Life is a kind of drama when you find the right story..' which I think is extremely relevant when comparing cinema verite with reality tv. Both genres are concerned with the spontaneous and inclusive depiction of real life- but not in a way that it should necessarily be viewed as the whole truth. The filmmakers behind cinema verite were not disillusioned with their aim. Their films were the product of naturalistic filming techniques combined with careful editing in a way that would raise human consciousness and present the subject matter as provocative. Reality TV places an emphasis on the representation of ordinary people and allegedly spontaneous moments of unmediated reality, often the shows are filmed using the fly on the wall technique and shaky, hand held camera work that was first brought about in cinema verite. This technique helps the viewer to feel as though they are sharing an intimate space with the subject and promote realism.In the 60s, a significant development in technology came about with the invention of smaller hand held cameras, which in turn allowed for filming to move from the studio into the great outdoors, scenes that depict landscapes help to 'authenticate the fiction' Andrew Higson is quoted as saying in Biressi and Nunn (2005) these techniques are often employed in shows like 'Keeping up with the Khardashians' and 'Jersey Shore' where the viewer is subjected to all the activities that the subjects take part in over their day, we get to follow them around- I think by feeling like we are with these people in various locales, we can put ourselves in the frame and realistically feel empathy for the characters and see through an eye at their level.... it's important to the objectivity of the program
Another visual construct of realism employed by the documentary genre and reality tv is the depiction of time passing as an observational technique in order to 'foster a sense of unmediated connectedness between the pro-filmic event and the film shoot' (Biressi & Nunn, 2005). They show a flow that is removed from the fast paced dramatization of theatre and in doing so are another signifier of reality. I am not a big consumer of reality tv, or tv in general actually, but I have watched a few episodes of Survivor and Keeping up with the Khardashians- maybe a couple of Jersey Shore as well. I think a way in which these shows keep people entertained lies in the creative treatment of reality- the verisimilitude of dramatic scenes and exciting adventures, coupled with the mundane activities of everyday existance that we can relate to and in turn think of as 'real'. I think much of this is thanks to the developments in the documentary genre that happened with the Cinema verite movement.
References:
Biressi, A. & Nunn, N. (2005). Real Lives, documentary approaches. In Reality TV: realism and revelation. (pp. 35-58) London: Wallflower.
Week 5- Anita Ibell
The ancient high culture of Japan still lives, it's just been transformed by modern influences and shown through anime as re-thought tales of folklore. The hyperactive pop culture of japan might look like something from the future but really, it has its roots in traditions that create themes much deeper.
Week 6- Anita Ibell
Narrator: In ancient times, the land lay covered in forests, where, from ages long past, dwelt the spirits of the gods. Back then, man and beast lived in harmony, but as time went by, most of the great forests were destroyed. Those that remained were guarded by gigantic beasts who owed their allegiances to the Great Forest Spirit, for those were the days of gods and of demons...
Princess Mononoke is set in 14th Century Japan and, despite not being based on any particular historical event, is a meditation on Japanese History of the Muromarchi period; though this is done through a counter-narrative to some 'pivotal myths' of japanese culture and society. The film defamiliarizes it's historical setting by putting the marginals of society in focus and by taking place In a mythical place, located somewhere other than reality. The landscape of the forest is away from zen inspired landscape gardens, tea ceremonies, samurais, Lords and peasants and other icons of high culture that would normally characterize films set in that time period. It is inhabited by the forest gods- Kami and the doll like spirits called kodama (Napier, 2005). Illustrative of the defamiliariazation of history is the fact that three of the key characters of the film are female and have powerful, gender neutral roles that are unlike traditional female characters.Placing females in these roles creates interest in what might be a fairly straightforward and stereotyped story. That their overtly traditional female characteristics have been suppressed in favour of stronger, more masculine and mythical traits such as Lady Eboshi's military prowess, Moro's fierce protection of San without soft maternal affection and San's unstoppable rage, destruction and inability to connect to the human race all serve to offer an alternative and thought provoking discourse on difference, especially because 'cuteness' and the shojo are often aligned with the female and considered important in contemporary japanese culture- yet none of the female protagonists really embody these ideals at all.
A key theme that is underlying Princess Mononoke is that of what Napier (2005) dubs 'environmental apocolypse'. Depicted in the film is a nature/technology divide, which begins with the wild boar that rushes into Prince Ashitaka's village with a bullet in him and places a curse on the prince as he dies bitterly. The iron factory that the formidable Lady Eboshi runs is responsible for the bullet that caused the boar to die- as well as diminshing forests and the subsequent suffering and uprising of the forest spirit due to this. The lines of good and evil are complicated in the story as Eboshi has created the industry to help the outcast men and women under her care, but in doing so has disregarded nature. The film shows that there will always be a price to pay for technological progress. The destruction of the forest scars both Prince Ashitaka and San as well as the land. The message of this perhaps is that that the separation of civilisation from nature can cause harm. There is also evidence of a power struggle and dominance taking a leading role in the film's thematics too- San doesn't just want the forest and weapons factory to exist in harmony- she wants it to be destroyed in the same way that Lady Eboshi wants dominance over the forest. In the end, neither are completely successful and neither have directly failed.
References:
Napier, S. (2005). Anime: from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan
Friday, October 21, 2011
Week6
Princess Monaoke seems to be set in 1500's in Japan, the fantasy that delves, despite the literal nature "god" and magic. This film is complex mixture of tradition Japanese spiritualism, class concern and the prospect of change is on offer in Japan. Princess Monoake appears brilliant on social concerns and progressive at that time (still the most concern today) of men domination of nature, technology and the increasing loss of spiritualism to the touch. In contrast to the mythical ideal of harmony, progress and the non homogeneous problem, the government elite patriarchal, this vision of culture dissonance, loss of spiritual and environmental apocalypse offers.(Cavallaro, 2006). For example some films such as Samurai and Aristocratic classes focus on more common people who ignores in Japanese history. Although it is strange that the director chose to portray the Japanese society is divided head strong female character in way that almost seemed to be responsible for the cooapse of society, this is open to interpretation. Furthermore the character of lady "Eboshi" (militaristic strong material) definitely seems to be responsible for some of the major atrocities carried out in this film, to achieve a form of demonisation regardless on intention.
References:
Cavallaro, D. (2006). The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki. London: Macfarland and Company
Napier, S. (2005). Anime: From Akira to Howl's Moving Castle. Hampshire: Plgrave Macmillan
Thursday, October 20, 2011
week11
According to Hill (2005), there is no definition of reality TV. People has describe this genre of several ways. A number of competing definitions of reality has been called style. This is because the reality television's based on genre and other genres or documentary style. After reading these definitions, is the Hill (2005) sources. Furthermore, Hill (2005, p.42) defines "Reality TV" that "perhaps the most traditional entertainment industry for reality TV is real." However, I note that there are over six different categories reality TV is that can fall under. One of the examples of Hill (2005) is "The ship" (documentary of Captain Cokkk sailing around the cast of Northern East coast of Australia), respectively. The use of documentary style filming and the use of "ordinary people as part of the experiment." (Hill, 2005, p. 42).
As well BBC launch its history and education, "made is difficult to classify as a documentary as a documentation specialist." (Hill, 2005, p.108)
Meanwhile, the early 1990s scientists have also dined TV is reality TV. For example Steve Neale points out the reality TV inculdes all aspects of general culture. Hill (2005, p.47) states "for Nichols, the reality TV shows, which include all those who already have serius accidents, usual situations or the real police, they often re-enact aspects of the assistance we win and sometimes arrest criminals still at large. "I tend to define Bazalgette as the reality TV, actual television programming which deals with human life and human situations that are familiar with our lives.
Reference:
Hill, A. (2005). The reality genre. In A. Hill, Reality TV: Audiences and popular Factual Television. (pp.14-4o). Oxon: Routledge.