Motifs in Film

A motif in both literature and film is described as a repeated idea, image pattern that is throughout the film, the point of them is to help reveal the text's theme.

There are usually three steps within motif

• Identifying the recurring pattern
• track the pattern - repetitions so colours, music that is repeated throughout the film needs to be noticed.
• propose meaning from pattern or items IN that pattern - characters dress, characters phrases. Why is this happening whats the meaning. 

He gives the example of raiders of the lost ark within colours in motifs. the pop ins of red that are used in the nazi flag and monkeys vest these stand out against the grey and brown colour scheme.

Phrases is given the example in the film Speed, the phrase is pop quiz, this is very subtle due the baddy saying it at the start and also some others though out the film, this gives the audience the hint of who the bad characters actually are. The point is motifs don't have to be visual they can be audio.

Item- Jaws the fact that you can't see the shark a lot throughout the film because of technical errors but instead in the movie the barrels were created to help the false shark 'bruce' float, more barrels were added over the shooting time this also means that a audience can tell at what point the films at with the more barrels the more along the film is. 

Summary 

like my last post on the pod cast motifs are both in movie and literature, we notice patterns throughout the films which help us ask the question of why and have suspicions on characters. Motifs help reveal the theme. 

How to read a movie part 1 pod cast

The podcast opened up with the narrator talking about how the podcast would talk of the three levels of film and how to read into the differences and what exactly this term meant.

Film breaking up into different levels. the idea of asking "what do you think" is a large context of question to ask, the narrator gives the example of when someone asks after a novel there are far to many parts to analyse. The three levels are because film is so big and dense that breaking into smaller parts is easier to look at individual then connect into one when finished

the three levels of film are : This pod cast said of the three levels of film but focused on explaining literary aspects first.

• Literary Aspects- these are the things that film share in common with novels and short stories, plot, characters, setting, themes, point of view. Often a more interpreted level like a written piece the story with have a moral. Films still follow the plot elements so the beginning middle and end aspect. Storys need to be set in a time place and area, going into detailed setting so the time and what was happening when the film was made to be. Characters are what is seen within the film, characters change some are seen as static the ones that are the 'villains' mean at the start and still mean at the end. Some characters are focused on more and they are called the  protagonist and antagonist characters while some of them come in and out of the story. 

• Dramatic Aspects

• Cinematic Aspects