RTF Blog Assignment #8- Three-Act Structure

     The adventure-comedy film, The Goonies, demonstrates the use of a three-act structure.  The first act serves as an introduction to the main characters of the film and as well establishes the goals and motives of the characters for the rest of the film.  In the first act of The Goonies most of the main characters are shown inside Mikey’s house.  Mikey later turns out to be the main protagonist of the film.  The main characters are a group of teenage friends whom are in a predicament due to each of their homes facing foreclosure.  During one of their last days of being able to spend time with one another before the foreclosure of their homes, the characters are shown hanging out in Mikey’s home.  Later on in this first act some of the characters are wondering through Mikey’s attic checking out different things.  Suddenly, they come across an old newspaper clipping about a supposed treasure in their area.  This finding takes place at the end of the first act in which plot point one occurs.  Realizing this possible treasure could save their families’ homes from foreclosure, this group of teenage friends as known as the “Goonies” are called to adventure one last time before having to move to different towns away from each other.

     In the second act of The Goonies, the treasure map found in Mikey’s attic leads the characters to an old restaurant.  Nervously entering the restaurant, the characters soon realize they got themselves into a dangerous situation dealing with alleged criminals.  In order to escape these criminals, the Goonies are forced to enter into the unknown which is an underground cavern below the restaurant.  Mikey, who has possession of their treasure map, figures out they are on the right path into finding the treasure.  After facing life threatening obstacles and traps, the Goonies arrived at the bottom of a wishing well.  Plot point number two happens in the wishing well scene.  Mikey’s companions have their mind set on getting out of the underground cavern to safety while Mikey is determined to accomplish what no one else has done before, to seek the treasure.  Mikey gives an inspiring speech to his friends at the bottom of the wishing well by stating over and over again that it is their time to do what’s right for them.  Mikey’s speech causes each of his friends to stay and help him find the treasure.  This transitioning point leads to the third act of the film which is the battle between the Goonies and the alleged criminals over seeking the treasure and making it out alive.

     The third act of the three-act film structure consists of a resolution to the story.  Towards the end of the movie, the Goonies are shown defending themselves from the antagonists.  The cavern in which they are all in begins to collapse and creates an opening for the pirate’s ship which contains the treasure, and the rest of the characters to make it out alive and into safety.  The characters are shown at the end of the film rejoicing and reuniting with each of their families.  Their homes facing foreclosure was completely out of the picture once the group of teenage friends pulled out some of the valuable treasures they found.  The criminals are arrested in this act as well.  This three-act structure the film carried resulted in a happy ending due to fight and determination put forth by the main protagonist Mickey and the rest of his friends.  Despite the several obstacles put forth, each of the characters learned what they were capable of accomplishing and capitalized on their main ambitions.

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RTF Blog Assignment # 7- Sitcoms

     TV is a shared delivery system among each of the members of our society.  It creates unification within a diverse group of individuals.  One way TV influences its viewers is through narrative fiction.  Narrative fiction can be broken down into three important aspects; serial, series, and episodic.  I would like to go into detail with episodic narrative fictions.  Episodic narrative fictions usually consist of a show that lasts for about a half hour.  A key distinction between episodic narrative fictions and series/ serial narrative fictions is that episodic narrative fictions display issues/conflicts that occur only once in each of its episodes.  In other words, you do not usually have to watch a certain previous episode in order to figure out what is happening in the present episode you are watching.  Things do not carry over.  More importantly episodic narrative fictions contain TV sitcoms.  A sitcom is short for “situation comedy.”  This means sitcoms are TV shows that have reoccurring settings and characters in order to maintain the same “situation” in each of its episodes.  The interactions among characters in these situations are comedic. 

     One specific characteristic of TV sitcoms in which I find important is the modified three-act structure.  A three-act structure consists of an introduction to main characters.  Often the main protagonist is introduced in the first act of the episode.  The second act which is the longest segment of the show deals with a main conflict that comes about, and the protagonist in this act tries to come up with ways to resolve the conflict he/she is dealing with.  The third and final act of the sitcom is the final resolution to the conflict.  The three-act structure is mainly used as a way to maintain the attention of its viewers from one episode to the next.  Comedic dialogue is often used between each of the characters during the progression of the three-act structure in each episode.  The three-act structure also allows a TV sitcom to not have episodes that are too cumulative since a new conflict is usually introduced in each separate episode.

     For example, consider the TV sitcom The Office.  The Office displays the everyday scenarios that could occur in an office work setting.  A three-act structure outlines each of its episodes.  For instance, one episode of The Office covers a series of different problems some of the main characters are dealing with.  Michael, who is the regional manager of their company, accidently hits one of his employees on the way to work.  Another character, Dwight, informed another employee that he had to kill her cat since it was suffering.  Michael then assumed that his office was cursed due to the several problems occurring all at once.  As a resolution to his problem, Michael decided to organize a charity fun run in order to raise awareness on the dangers of rabies.  In the end of the episode Michael is forgiven by the employee he sent to the hospital.  The three-act structure used in this specific sitcom helps attract viewers by resembling the lives of typical office employees, and the problems they face.  

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RTF Blog Assignment # 6- The Shawshank Redemption

     A phenomenal film, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robins and Morgan Freeman displays a variety of camera shots in which help the viewers perceive certain qualities of the characters.  One of the most influential camera shots used in the beginning of this film is the close-up.  A close-up is a shot that mainly serves as an introduction to an important character in a film.  The shot frames a character showing his/her details of appearance and emotion.  This shot as well signifies the importance of the character in the movie.  One of the first scenes in The Shawshank Redemption is set in a courtroom.  Tim Robins’ character, “Andy” is being accused of murdering his wife and her lover.  Due to the substantial evidence presented in the case Andy is plead guilty and has to serve two life sentences.  The close-up shot is used in this early scene of the movie as the judge gives Andy his punishments.  The camera zooms in on Tim Robins’ character and shows the audience his reaction of disbelief.  The use of this camera shot was a great aid in introducing his character in the film because it gave the audience an idea of what obstacles his character would have to face in the rest of the movie.

     Another camera shot used in this film was a low-angle shot.  A low-angle shot is a camera angle which the camera is pointed upward at an object or person.  This shot gives a person power and also creates a psychological effect on its viewers.  The viewers may develop a sense of insecurity and fear as the low-angle shot can portray power onto a particular character.  In the very beginning of The Shawshank Redemption during the court case as I described earlier, the prosecutor is explaining his theory of what happened during the murdering of Andy’s wife and her lover.  A low-angle shot is used on the prosecutor as he explains what he thought went through Andy’s mind during the murdering he supposedly committed.  Therefore, this low-angled shot gave power and dominance towards the prosecutor in this scene.  This power exerted on the prosecutor eventually led him to persuade the jury that Andy was in fact guilty.

     After the court scene a long-shot is used in order to give a big picture of the Shawshank prison.  This camera shot allowed the audience to observe massive size of the prison and as well several prisoners walking and talking amongst themselves from far away.  This shot may serve as an introduction as to what Andy will be dealing with once he begins his sentence in the Shawshank prison.  This shot also establishes the main setting for the rest of the movie.

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RTF Blog Assignment # 5- The Star System

     The misfortunes of the Great Depression in the early 20^th century strengthened control of a few big film studios due to the elimination of small independent producers.  In doing so, these few remaining studios were economically stronger and were in the hands of a small number of studio executives.  Thus, the creation of the studio system emerged.  There are a number of aspects by which the studio system functioned.  One aspect that I feel is crucial to the contribution of success in the studio system is the star system.  Throughout the development of films in this time period certain stars began to attract various viewers of different genres.  These stars eventually became the best representation of what studios accomplished.

     The use of the star system affected the types of films studios produced in a number of ways.  Certain stars began to associate with specific genres and studios.  Therefore, stars in gangster films are likely to appear in future gangster films.  This same concept applies to comedies, horrors, suspense and ect.  Moreover, stars carried a consistent set of character traits. Later on films started to lure viewers no matter what the film was about due to certain stars appearing in these films.  According to professor Tait’s lecture, stars were tangible products of immaterial production.  These stars are then paid to sell the studio’s products/films.

     Consider the example, actress Judy Garland.  Judy Garland was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM star who appeared in works like the Andy Hardy series, The Wizard of OZ and Babes in Arms.  Throughout her success she carried a consistent set of character traits, associated with different genres and even promoted other MGM stars.  Judy Garland was therefore a clear representation of the MGM studio, and contributed greatly to the success of the MGM studio.

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RTF Blog Assignment # 4- "All in the Family"

     The TV series “All in the Family,” contains differences and similarities with a contemporary family-based TV situation comedy.  Consider a scenario in which a person contains a certain ideology, and this person’s family and friends do not necessarily agree with his/her ideas.  Moreover, the character Archie Bunker plays the role of the father in the TV show, “All in the Family.”  The show tends to focus on his views of the world, and the problems that evolve whenever his views are challenged.  In doing so, “All in the Family” covers controversial topics that were common in the previous decades when the show was aired.  The theme song of the show was played before every episode.  This theme song is about Archie missing the times when the people in power’s views matched his world views.  In contrast, contemporary family-based TV sitcoms don’t tend to joke about society’s concerns of serious issues, and opposing world views.  TV sitcoms today try to relate to the audience in terms of what events are occurring today in the twenty first century.   Such as how much more open-minded our society has become through the media.  The episode our classed viewed of “All in the Family” dealt with the issue of sexuality.  Today’s family sitcoms do not oppose and ridicule as harshly on views of an individual’s sexuality.  Instead, today’s shows are more open-minded about this topic and while in “All in the Family” Archie portrays his opposing views on the issue. In addition, the family sitcoms today do not necessarily demonstrate the “correct” way to function as a family.  There are now more diverse family lifestyles in different sitcoms.  Unlike “All in the Family” where it showed the father as the head chief while the other family members played their typical roles, the family sitcoms today may demonstrate completely different lifestyles and roles of each family member.

     There are as well some similarities between “All in the Family” and today’s family sitcoms.  Families shown in today’s sitcoms, and the family in “All in the Family” both contain a series of flaws.  These numerous flaws within the family provide access into relating with the audience of each show.  It is hard to seek a perfectly functioning family in today’s world.  Therefore, “All in the Family” and family sitcoms today both learn to deal with common, real life problems/conflicts that arrive in their episodes.  In return, the audience of these shows can receive whatever lesson is given at the end of each episode and use it in their daily lives.

     One of the issues that “All in the Family” deals with in which family sitcoms today don’t is the use of racism.  “All in the Family” used slang terms in order to target and represent specific races or stereotypes.  This includes the terms “fags” for homosexuals and other slang terms for specific races. Even though “All in the Family” intends their slang remarks to be jokes, in today’s sitcoms there is a much lower level of racial slurs and prejudice remarks.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_in_the_Family