g.c.s.e film studies

1. G.C.S.E Film Studies
Character / Representation

2. Starter
• Who are these types of people

3. Todays Objectives
• WALT
• The various characters that may exist within a text?
• What is Propps theory of characters and why it is important?
• What is representation and stereotyping?
• WILF
• Explain the types of characters you can identify within a film and
why a film has different characters?
• Apply Propps theory to a media text.
• Understand and consider the impact of representation on a
media product.

4. Task
• In groups you have fifteen minutes.
• Choose a recent film you have watched.
• Name the characters in that film.
• What type of character are they and how do you know?
• You could do this as a brainstorm.
• You can choose any recent film you have watched.
• You are going to feedback back to the group.

5. Types of characters
• These are some of the main characters you could have within
a film:
• Protagonist – hero of the film.
• Antagonist – Villain of the film.
• Sidekick – friend of the main character
• Damsel / love interest – object of desire pursuit.
• Do these roles match the characters you have identified?

6. Character Theory
• Vladmir Propp analysed over one hundered texts/media and
he identified seven broad character types.
• He believed that you could adapt these types to fit the
characters in all text/media.

7. Character Theroy
• Propps Theory
• The villain (struggles against the hero)
• The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical
object)
• The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest)
• The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during
the narrative)
• The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning but
emerges as evil)
• The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and
sends the hero off)
• The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the
princess

8. Thor
• Who would the characters be in the film.
• Watch the trailer
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOddp-nlNvQ

9. Thor
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The villain
The donor
The (magical) helper
The princess
The false hero
The dispatcher
The hero or victim/seeker hero
• Characters are:
• Thor, Odin, Jane, Destroyer, Loki, Heimdall, Erik
Selvig

10. Other Characters
• Stories alter and change over time consider some of these
roles can you name some film examples of these roles.
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Reluctant Hero
Anti-hero
Corrupted villain – may have honourable origin or intention.
Femme Fatale
Henchman
Patriarch
Matriarch
• In groups you have ten minutes can you identfify any of these
characters.

11. Stereotypes / Representation
• Representation is concerned with the way that people, ideas
and events are presented to us.
• This could be representation in magazines, news, soap operas,
films and so on.
• It may include representation of people, places, events.
• It is used as a short hand to convey meaning.

12. Representation
• This becomes an easy way to convey meaning to the audience.
• It will suggest roles and positions of the characters to the
audience.

13. Negatives
• People can think negatively about a group of people
• People may use the media representations as the basis for
their beliefs
• People may feel they are unfairly represented.

14. Screening
• This is England

15. Films
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This is England
Dead Mans Shoes
Brighton Rock
Atonement
Get Carter
28 Days Later
• Film Clubs are after school on Fridays