THEORY FLASHCARDS
What is Todorov’s theory? – 3-5 stage narrative structure
What is Propp’s theory? – 7-character archetypes (princess, hero, donor, villian,
dispatcher, false hero, helper)
What type of theory is Todorov’s and Propp’s? – narrative
What is Claude Levi Strauss’ theory? – every film has binary oppositions
What type of theory is Strauss’? – structuralism
What are the different types of coding? - Hermeneutic codes (withholds information
from audience to leave a plot point unexplained), proairetic codes (plot points caused
by previous events and lead to other actions), semantic codes (signs that carry
connotations beyond their basic definition), symbolic codes (battle between
contrasting signs through colouring, costuming, lighting)
What type of theory is Barthes’? – semiotics
What is Steve Neale’s theory? – genres contain instances of repetition and difference
What is Rick Altman’s theory? – said that there are 3 approaches to understanding
theory (Semantic, Syntactic, and Pragmatic)
What is the semantic approach? – Focuses on what a genre looks like, and the
common visual and stylistic elements that define a genre
What is the syntactic approach? – Focuses on how a genre works, and the narrative
structure and themes that define a genre
What is the pragmatic approach? – Focuses on how audiences and filmmakers shape
genre
What type of theory is Neale’s and Altman’s? – genre
What is John Sanders’ theory? - blockbusters are genres in their own right. They
include simple storylines, universal themes, relatable characters, SFX, spectacle
What type of theory is Sanders’? – blockbuster
What is Andre Bazin’s theory? – directors have signatures and are the sole authors of
a film
What type of theory is Andre Bazin’s? – auteur
What is Yvonne Tasker’s theory? – wrote an essay called Action Women: muscles,
mothers and others that says that women are always softened
What is Laura Mulvey’s theory? - traditional cinema is structured around the
objectification of female actresses, characters, and audience members
What type of theory are Tasker’s and Mulvey’s? – feminist
What is Roland Barthes’ theory? - the directors encode messages which the audience
decodes through polysemy and semiotics.
What is the Hypodermic Needle Theory? - Implies that the media has a powerful
indirect and direct impact on its audience.
What was an open text? - A text where the reading is encouraged to create a wide
range of meanings.
What was a closed text? – A text that limits ambiguity and promotes one meaning
over another.
Types of text within Barthes’ theory? – Open and closed.
What was Stuart Hall’s theory? – Says that there are 3 hypothetical positions from
which messages within films might be encoded and decoded.
What type of theory is Hall’s? – Receptionist
What is the dominant position? - encoders meaning is fully understood by the
audience.
What is the negotiated position? – the audience partly agrees with the message but
may interpret some parts differently
What is the oppositional position? - encoders message is acknowledged but the
decoder disagrees with it.
When was André Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto published? – 1924
What is Todorov’s theory? – 3-5 stage narrative structure
What is Propp’s theory? – 7-character archetypes (princess, hero, donor, villian,
dispatcher, false hero, helper)
What type of theory is Todorov’s and Propp’s? – narrative
What is Claude Levi Strauss’ theory? – every film has binary oppositions
What type of theory is Strauss’? – structuralism
What are the different types of coding? - Hermeneutic codes (withholds information
from audience to leave a plot point unexplained), proairetic codes (plot points caused
by previous events and lead to other actions), semantic codes (signs that carry
connotations beyond their basic definition), symbolic codes (battle between
contrasting signs through colouring, costuming, lighting)
What type of theory is Barthes’? – semiotics
What is Steve Neale’s theory? – genres contain instances of repetition and difference
What is Rick Altman’s theory? – said that there are 3 approaches to understanding
theory (Semantic, Syntactic, and Pragmatic)
What is the semantic approach? – Focuses on what a genre looks like, and the
common visual and stylistic elements that define a genre
What is the syntactic approach? – Focuses on how a genre works, and the narrative
structure and themes that define a genre
What is the pragmatic approach? – Focuses on how audiences and filmmakers shape
genre
What type of theory is Neale’s and Altman’s? – genre
What is John Sanders’ theory? - blockbusters are genres in their own right. They
include simple storylines, universal themes, relatable characters, SFX, spectacle
What type of theory is Sanders’? – blockbuster
What is Andre Bazin’s theory? – directors have signatures and are the sole authors of
a film
What type of theory is Andre Bazin’s? – auteur
What is Yvonne Tasker’s theory? – wrote an essay called Action Women: muscles,
mothers and others that says that women are always softened
What is Laura Mulvey’s theory? - traditional cinema is structured around the
objectification of female actresses, characters, and audience members
What type of theory are Tasker’s and Mulvey’s? – feminist
What is Roland Barthes’ theory? - the directors encode messages which the audience
decodes through polysemy and semiotics.
What is the Hypodermic Needle Theory? - Implies that the media has a powerful
indirect and direct impact on its audience.
What was an open text? - A text where the reading is encouraged to create a wide
range of meanings.
What was a closed text? – A text that limits ambiguity and promotes one meaning
over another.
Types of text within Barthes’ theory? – Open and closed.
What was Stuart Hall’s theory? – Says that there are 3 hypothetical positions from
which messages within films might be encoded and decoded.
What type of theory is Hall’s? – Receptionist
What is the dominant position? - encoders meaning is fully understood by the
audience.
What is the negotiated position? – the audience partly agrees with the message but
may interpret some parts differently
What is the oppositional position? - encoders message is acknowledged but the
decoder disagrees with it.
When was André Breton’s Surrealist Manifesto published? – 1924
