Media Theory

Hello and welcome back everyone!

Today we are talking about, drumroll please....Media Theory!

Not as exciting as you hoped? Oh well, you get what you get and you don't get upset.

The media theory that i'm incorporating in my film is Roland Barthes Narrative codes. Or more specifically, his proairetic or action code. this theory says that "plot points that lead to other actions and make audience wonder what could come next.". This theory is applicable to my opening because it ends with "A" hearing her dead best friend's voice again. This makes viewers question how this is happening, what's going on, and most importantly what will happen next. This theory also adheres to the film based off of the irony in their conversations. "A" is complaining and "B" shuts her down by saying that It's not going to kill her. "A" than replies with "I wouldn't be caught dead in that...". This plot point is significant as it becomes strikingly real when "B" gets hit by a car not too soon after.

Some other theories in my opening that I would like to discuss is symbolic and semantic codes. 

Symbolic codes- signs or symbols within a production that represent opposition or antithesis.

This is incorporated in my film through the use of composition. In the beginning "A" walks in front of the camera and than lays down across from "B". This action suggests that their characters are very different from each other, and we see this in the way they interact with each other as well. We can see that "B" is far more level headed and acts as a sort of anchor and advisor to "A". While "A" is somewhat short tempered and immature. This is strikingly obvious as we notice that throughout their conversations "B" hardly ever curses. Mostly because, she doesn't need to to get her point across. While "A" just throws words around however she likes. 

Another way that symbolic codes presents itself is with the juxtaposition from the beginning of the film to the end. "A" still walks in front of the camera at the end but this time she goes to sit by herself, mourning her dead friend. The opposition in these scenes shows you how much her life has already changed, and the shift from how little her problems used to be to the gravity of the situation now.

Semantic codes- signs within a production that represent more than just the literal object.

Semantic codes can apply to my project in many forms. One that i'd like to point out would be the car. The car represents the death of innocence and how quickly life can come crashing down on you. I also want to emphasize that "B" is the last remaining part of "A"'s childhood. We can see this as she tries to express herself as being more mature through her dialect. This is important to remember because now "B"'s death means more than just the loss of a friend, but "A" losing a part of herself as well. The playground also works to show their immaturity and deep connection to their childhood as they repeatedly return to the same spot in search of comfort from when times were much easier and their biggest problems were the uniforms they'd have to wear.

I'll leave my media theory sheet down below, let me know if you see any that you think I missed!