Presentation script and powerpoint
Slide 1: Me and My Movies: Fantasy
Slide 2: What are fantasy films?
According to Wikipedia, it states that "Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with themes that usually include magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction films and horror films, although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary."
So to summarise, fantasy films usually include magic, supernatural events or make-believe worlds and characters. They tend to involve things which are physically impossible for human kind. In most fantasy films the main characters tend to be princes, princesses, and an evil character/“baddy” that tries to harm and/or stop the good characters. However, (in essentially every film) fails, because in fantasy films, good out rules evil. |
Slide 3: Sub-genres in Fantasy
A sub-genre is a smaller category in the genre, in this case, fantasy.
They break down these films into more specific kinds of fantasy films. This is because this genre is one of the broadest, with a variety of different kinds of films which would appeal to a wide range of people. So sub-genres make it easier for people to tell more about the film. |
Slide 4: Comic Fantasy
It is a fantasy film with humour involved. Comic fantasies tend to be parodies of other serious fantasy films.
For example: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) Directed by: Jake Kasdan Based on: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas Synopsis: Four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game's jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose. What they discover is that you don't just play Jumanji - you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they'll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves, or they'll be stuck in the game forever. |
Slide 5: Dark Fantasy
Dark fantasy involves some parts of horror so it can be classified as being scary. They tend to be about humans being under attack by species which are inhumane. In a more general sense, dark fantasy is occasionally used as a synonym for supernatural horror, to distinguish horror stories that contain elements of the supernatural from those that do not. For example, a story about a werewolf or vampire could be described as dark fantasy, while a story about a serial killer would simply be horror.
For example: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Directed and Written by: Guillermo Del Toro Distributed by: Warner Bros and Picturehouse Cast: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Maribel Verdú, Sergi López and Ariadna Gil Synopsis: It's 1944 and the Allies have invaded Nazi-held Europe. In Spain, a troop of soldiers are sent to a remote forest to flush out the rebels. They are led by Capitan Vidal, a murdering sadist, and with him are his new wife Carmen and her daughter from a previous marriage, 11-year-old Ofelia. Ofelia witnesses her stepfather's sadistic brutality and is drawn into Pan's Labyrinth, a magical world of mythical beings. |
Slide 6: High/Epic Fantasy
It is a sub-genre which are set in a parallel world. This sub-genre is defined either by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot. High fantasy is set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than the real/primary world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world.
Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around his or her heritage or mysterious nature. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, often with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child. In other works, the hero is a completely developed individual with a unique character and spirit. For example: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) Director: Andrew Adamson Based on: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures Cast: William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, James McAvoy, Tilda Swinton and Liam Neeson Synopsis: During the World War II bombings of London, 4 English siblings are sent to a country house where they will be safe. One day Lucy finds a wardrobe that transports her to a magical world called Narnia. After coming back, she soon returns to Narnia with her brothers, Peter and Edmund, and her sister, Susan. There they join the magical lion, Aslan, in the fight against the evil White Witch, Jadis. |
Slide 7: Low/Intrusion Fantasy
In contrast to high fantasy, low fantasy is characterised by being set in the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements.
For example: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Director: Alfonso Cuarón Based on: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Gary Oldman Synopsis: Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts starts off badly when he learns deranged killer Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison and is bent on murdering the teenage wizard. While Hermione's cat torments Ron's sickly rat, causing a rift among the trio, a swarm of nasty Dementors is sent to protect the school from Black. A mysterious new teacher helps Harry learn to defend himself, but what is his secret tie to Sirius Black? |
Slide 8: Heroic Fantasy
It can otherwise be called the "sword-and-sorcery" story. Heroic fantasy is yet another sub-genre of fantasy which tends to revolve around heroes trying to save someone in an imaginary land. It tends to be the hero trying to save a fair maiden/heroin. It is a story of action and adventure laid in a more or less imaginary world, where magic works and where modern science and technology have not yet been discovered. The setting may be Earth as it is conceived to have been long ago, or as it will be in the remote future, or it may be another planet or another dimension.
Frequently, the protagonist is reluctant to be a champion, and/or is of low or humble origin, and may have royal ancestors or parents but does not know it. For example: The Princess Bride (1987) Directed by: Rob Reiner Based on: The Princess Bride by Williams Goldman Distributed by: 20th Century Fox and Interaccess Film Distribution Cast: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn and Billy Crystal Synopsis: A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other. |
Slide 9: History of Fantasy Films
Fantasy films have always been magical and mystical, but they weren’t popular until around the 1980’s. Before this time there weren't many. In the 80’s equipment and filming techniques were improved, making the films more believable, so then the interest of the public increased so they became more popular.
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Slide 10: Pre-1930’s
There was the ‘silent era’ of film, as sound wasn't available because of the lack of technology. This was up until around the 1930s. The most popular films in the silent era included:
At the end of the 19th century, fantasy was mainly for adults. L.Frank Baum and Edith Nesbit were two popular children's fantasy writers in the early 1900's. They both explored a connection between the real world and a fantasy one. |
Slide 11: 1930’s
Sound on films had now been invented and one of the most popular famous fantasy films of all time was made, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (originally written by L.Frank Baum). People of all ages watched and loved this film, as it was one of the first colour films.
The 1939 film boosted Baum's books popularity and children's fantasy in the US. Along with books, the popularity of fantasy magazines grew. These magazines included short stories and articles, giving aspiring authors a chance to get noticed. |
Slide 12: 1940’s
Slide 13: 1950’s
Slide 14: Continuation
Slide 15: Popular 1950’s Authors:
During this time period there were two authors that towered over fantasy and became extremely popular. These were:
J.R.R Tolkien
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Slide 16: C.S Lewis:
C.S Lewis
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Slide 17: 1960’s
One of the most important publishing events in the 1960's was the paperback publishing of The Lord of the Rings. This cheaper version of the book allowed more people to read it, opening a wider audiences eyes to the genre of fantasy.
An important author of the 60's was Andre Norton who wrote the Witch World series. The strong female characters in the books were uncommon for the time. |
Slide 18: 1970’s
Slide 19: 1980’s
Quest fantasies were the dominant sub-genre in the 80's. The difference between quest fantasy and sword and sorcery, is that quest fantasies usually have a closed ending and involve the healing and restoration of the setting. While sword and sorcery fantasies usually end more open, leaving room for more stories.
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Slide 20: 1990’s
Slide 21: 2000’s
This was the era where fantasy series were a big thing, with the release of Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone.
Many consider the Harry Potter series to have revived fantasy in many ways. It gained popularity for its concept of a magic school and because there was a small amount of fantasy like it at the time. |
Slide 22: Continuation of previous slide
Slide 23: 2010’s
Slide 24: How have Fantasy films changed over time?
To summarise my previous points:
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Slide 25: From Book to Film
Audiences will have changed from when the original book was published to when the film was made. This is by viewers being more accepting to the themes and ideas used in the fantasy genre. In addition, through the modification of technology, through 3D and CGI filmmakers are able to create more of the book’s storyline.
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Slide 26: Narrative Theories
Slide 27: Narrative
The majority of films of the fantasy genre follow a linear narrative. This follows Todorov's Narrative Theory, which has 5 stages. Using the example of Cinderella (released in 1950) I will explain the theory.
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Slide 28: Propp’s Character Theory
Propp suggested that every narrative has 8 different character types, these character types are:
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Slide 29: Example: The Lord of the Rings
Using the example of The Lord of the Rings (due to it being part of the fantasy genre), I will demonstrate Propp’s character theory. Point at character when talking about them.
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Slide 30: Why do audiences watch Fantasy films?
Slide 31: Why is the Fantasy genre so popular?
The reason that fantasy is so popular for both adults and children alike is that they offer escapism from work or school into a different world. If you’re reading/watching films about elves or magic then the worries of business, homework or housework are forgotten and everyone can let their imagination run wild. This is probably the reason that fantasy is such a broad category and unites almost everyone, from the elderly to those just starting to read, or to take an interest in films.
The fantasy genre is often memorable to children and adults, who want to read/watch and reread/re-watch their favourite stories. |
Slide 32: Uses and Gratifications Theory – Blumler and Katz
In media, this theory is important to determine which audience applies to what category. There are 4 different sections to the theory, created in the 1940’s: surveillance, identification, entertainment and escapism/diversion.
With the fantasy genre, audiences will watch these films for entertainment and escapism. Entertainment - they will be excited and/or stimulated by the media they consume Escapism - they will use the media to get out of their head-space and forget worries |
Slide 33: Postmodernist Theory of Faction
There are elements of postmodernism within the fantasy genre. The theory of faction is the mixing of actual historical events with fictional events without clearly defining what is factual and what is fictional.
Fantasy will fit this theory more in the future, with the development of realistic CGI and 3D, and the emergence and progress in Virtual Reality. |
Slide 34: Hypodermic Needle Theory – Katz and Lazarfeld
Can also be called the ‘Hypodermic Syringe Theory’. The theory suggests that the media injects its passive audience (Stuart Hall’s Audience Reception Theory) with ideas, messages and beliefs that attempts to make an audience see a certain film or piece of media a certain way which correlates with the director’s intentions.
This may not always be applicable for this genre of film, but with the advances in technology and hence realism - audiences are more likely to believe what they see on the screen. |
Slide 35: What do my peers think of the genre?
Peers: Ages 18-19
For a younger audience they would presumably be interested in the fantasy genre because of the great amounts of imagination in the story. If a child is struggling to find an interest in reading, the fantasy genre is one way to solve this. I think the majority of people my age enjoy the fantasy genre due to the realistic special effects that are used. In addition, they would also use it as a sense of entertainment and escapism. “I like the genre because of the nostalgia and because it appeals to the childlike imagination we all possess.” Peer aged 19 |
Slide 36: My Favourite Fantasy Film
Slide 37: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
I have previously mentioned the cast and synopsis of the film when talking about the high/epic fantasy sub-genre. I will reiterate the production notes:
This is the adaptation of the beloved children’s story The Chronicles of Narnia which came to the big screen in 2005. This second of seven books from the series authored by C.S. Lewis over 50 years ago, creates the substance with which this film, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mystifies, mesmerizes, enlightens and entertains anyone who is willing to embrace it. Doors to your imagination will unavoidably be opened. Reading the book as a child, I was immediately intrigued to watch the film. Luckily for me the film had already been out a while and was already on DVD. It was an instant hit! The effects in this movie are so skilful that the animals look about as real as any of the other characters, and the critic Emanuel Levy explains the secret: "Aslan speaks in a natural, organic manner (which meant mapping the movement of his speech unto the whole musculature of the animal, not just his mouth)." Another one of my favourite aspects of this film, in addition to the spectacular use of CGI and special effects, and the gripping storyline, is the soundtrack, which was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. |