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Adams-Bass, V. N., Bentley-Edwards, K. L., & Stevenson, H. C. (2014). That’s Not Me I See on TV . . . : African American Youth Interpret Media Images of Black Females. Women, Gender, and Families of Color, 2(1), 79–100.

The article showcases how portrayals of black women in popular media are perceived by young African-American students. The authors find that an overwhelming majority of the target audience find many images of black women in media offensive, negative and false. The study argues that such trend can have a detrimental effect on how the community views black women and may promote negative stereotypes further damaging the sense of perception of people’s own identity. I found this research highly valuable, as a media creator myself it is important for me to portray demographic groups with accuracy and respect. It is necessary to critically analyze media portrayals and their reception in order to grow and learn from mistakes and implement a positive portrayal that will be accepted by communities.

2. Balela, Majed S. and Darren P. Mundy. (2015) “Analysing Cultural Heritage and its Representation in Video Games.” DiGRA Conference.

The article sheds light into the relationship between cultural heritage and video games, analyzing how video games have become platforms to showcase various cultures and history of real life people. The authors use “Assassin’s Creed 1” as an example of how game developers approached representing the Middle Eastern culture in the game. Game development process in some instances can take years and require the help of historic specialists if the developers want to make an accurate portrayal of any culture. I believe that video games have the capacity to preserve cultural heritage and it is important to represent cultures properly and accurately.

3. Biscop, K., Malliet, S., & Dhoest, A. (2019). Subversive Ludic Performance: An Analysis of Gender and Sexuality Performance in Digital Games. DiGeSt. Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies, 6(2), 23–42.

The article explores how certain games allow their players not to conform to heteronormative roles by blurring the lines in terms of sexuality and gender. Despite broader representation of LGBTQ+ community in the game industry, the romance options still feel limited as they are usually created as part of the story narrative. The authors bring examples of The Sims video game franchise and Life is strange. They analyze how these games are fostering diverse gender performances. In the Sims, the player has the freedom of choice and can develop romantic relationships with characters of any gender. Life is Strange allows players to pursue male and female characters as well. This theme is essential for those who want to create meaningful game narratives that can accommodate feelings of a wider audience that will feel connected due to related experience.

3. Dasu, Keshav & Kuo, Yun-Hsin & Ma, Kwan-liu. (2023). Character-Oriented Design for Visual Data Storytelling. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. PP. 1-11.

The authors of this article argue that the story is told through the characters and that they are the key elements in a narrative. They have analyzed more than 160 data stories where they identified features that distinguish characters in media. It is said that story telling narrative can be expanded through the character design as the medium creator can incorporate various symbolism and meanings into that said design. As a concept artist I could relate to the ideas in the article as I focus on character design and believe that a good design carries meanings and extends the narrative.

4. EMERSON, D. L. (2019). Mythology in Children’s Animation. Mythlore, 38(1 (135)), 259–266.

This article explores the way different mythologies are portrayed in visual media for children. Some cartoons may have only subtle elements of mythology – for instance “The Little Mermaid” or “Aladdin”, where as others can be solely built around a certain mythology. The prime example of that could be the animated movie by Disney “Hercules” based on ancient Greek heroes and myths. The author argues that such experience can have a positive effect on the younger audience as mythological symbolisms in children’s cartoons pave way to teaching children more philosophical advanced themes. I feel that folklore and mythology are timeless concepts and make great media narratives for people of all ages.

5. Lynch, T., Tompkins, J. E., van Driel, I. I., & Fritz, N. (2016). Sexy, strong, and secondary: A content analysis of female characters in video games across 31 years. Journal of Communication, 66(4), 564–584

The article analyzes the way the portrayal of female characters in games has shifted within the time period between 1983 and 2014. The authors found that through the years the sexualization of female characters in video games has diminished, however secondary female characters are still often portrayed in an objectified way. It was also revealed that sexualized female characters are more present in the game genres that are more associated with being male-oriented, such as fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.The authors also conclude that sexualization is not the contributing factor of success and that there is a positive progress made in the gaming industry. As a woman, I found the research educational. As someone who wants to pursue working in the games industry I find it my mission to portray female characters in a respectful way that would foster positive portrayal and role models for people.

7. Marie-Laure Ryan. (2015). Transmedia Storytelling: Industry Buzzword or New Narrative Experience? Storyworlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies, 7(2), 1–19.

The research in this article explores transmedia storytelling. The author mentions such popular media as “Star Wars” by George Lucas, “A song of Ice and Fire” by G. R. R. Martin and “Lord of The Rings” by J. R. R. Tolkien and says that these well known works are immensely successful and can serve as proof of transmedia storytelling being the most crucial form of storytelling. However, the author argues that the expansion of a medium should be dictated by the necessity in storytelling rather than marketing strategy. She believes that the audience will be more interested in continued form of media rather than something new – for example comic book fans are more excited about a new comic book issue rather than a TV show based on that. The article is highly relevant as today the media space seems to be dominated with big franchises whose narratives transcend various forms of media, such as Marvel.

8. Nyssen, L., & Harris, R. P. (2018). Storytelling in Siberia: The Olonkho Epic in a Changing World. The World of Music, 7(1/2), 215–219.

The article explores how the Native Siberian Sakha people are keen on maintaining their epic folklore Olonkho despite Russia's policies to erase native peoples of their identities. The epic is an ancient set of poems of great heroes that existed in oral form. Nowadays, successful revival attempts have been made: the epic Olonkho has been adapted across different forms of media, such as cartoons, written novels and even games. The author argues that the deliberate attempts of such a small-sized nation implementing cultural elements in their day-to-day lives have played a signifcant role in maintaining the sense of identity and helped to preserve the unique Arctic culture. This research is extremely important to me as a Sakha person, I believe that the traditions and culture of native people are underrepresented in media and maintaning them in forms of different media is essential for shaping the sense of identity for future generations.

9. Przybylski, A. K., Weinstein, N., Murayama, K., Lynch, M. F., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). The Ideal Self at Play: The Appeal of Video Games That Let You Be All You Can Be. Psychological Science, 23(1), 69–76.

The article questions the reasons behind immense popularity of video games and asks what the driving factors behind their appeal are. The authors of the article argue that due to immersive nature of video games people are able to visualize the idealized version of themselves and accomplish things in the virtual environment that they are not able to do in real life. Thanks to direct interaction with the in-game world players are able to fully immerse themselves and develop a strong affective connection with the narratives portrayed in video games. The study conducted in this article is conclusive, tackles relevant issues in the gaming industry and gives coherent answers.

10. Totten, C. W. (2017). Game Levels as Works of Art, Architecture, and Design. In T. Funk (Ed.), Video Game Art Reader: Volume 1 (pp. 11–18). Amherst College Press.

In this article the author compares intricately and skillfully designed game levels in video games to architecture. He introduces the concept of “architecture as affect", stressing that architectural decisions are capable of invoking emotional response from people and adding to aesthetical pleasure arguing that some game levels have advanced to a point where they can possess the same qualities. Therefore, game levels could be viewed as work of art. What makes this form of art stand out from other traditional art media is that the viewer or the player in this case is able to directly interact with space environment in level designs sometimes even changing and altering it. I found the article interesting as my specialty lies in the intersection of game levels design and can be helpful to better understand how to implement concepts that are found in more conventional forms of art into my work.

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Critical Analysis

Balela, Majed S. and Darren P. Mundy. (2015) “Analysing Cultural Heritage and its Representation in Video Games.” 

I have decided to analyze the text from the paper “Analysing Cultural Heritage and its Representation in Video Games” which was written in 2015 by professors at University of Hull Balela Majed and Mundy Darren. I will be analyzing pages 3 to 5. The research is mainly focused on the intersections of culture and video games. The aim of the study conducted in the paper is to facilitate better consideration among game designers towards cultural impact of their games.

I have chosen to analyze this text as I believe that culture is an integral part of our lives. My sphere of interest lies in the gaming industry, which is why I found the topic of the text intriguing and relevant to my own work. With the emergence of modern technologies, many argue that video games have become part of cultural heritage with a big impact on modern day cultures and vice versa.

The text discusses the way cultural heritage is the key aspect of human experience. According to the authors, cultural heritage can be divided into two spheres: tangible and intangible. The tangible sphere of culture includes man-made works of art, such as musical instruments, artefacts, traditional costumes, cultural jewelry, poetry, dancing and other forms of art. The intangible sphere implies such concepts as oral traditions, customs, folklore, mythology and cosmogonical beliefs as stated by UNESCO. The text emphasizes a strong connection between culture and heritage as culture narrates the way of living, behavior. The authors cite Barwick (2010), who defined heritage as something intangible that the history passes down to next generations. It is said that it is essential for countries to preserve their cultural heritage and history including through the means of digital media platforms such as film and video games.

Further, the abstract discusses that in the recent years video games have taken the role of cultural aspects as they too involve symbolic depictions and narratives. However, not all cultural aspects can be easily implemented into video games as intangible items may prove difficult to convey accurately and coherently, which can lead to misrepresentation and distort certain cultural aspects. The authors find it essential for game designers to be responsible for portraying cultural aspects in their games right.

Next, the text discusses topics of representation and cultural heritage in the video game “Assassin’s Creed I” released in 2007 by a Canadian game studio Ubisoft. The story is set in the late XII century in Middle East. The game was praised for a vibrant portrayal of Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures, the team made a significant effort in creating historically accurate visual designs in terms of characters’ clothes, environment and props. At that point of time, Muslim representation was rarely found in popular media, this game was a breakthrough in representing this region and demographic. “Assassin’s Creed I” is still a beloved title among the fan base whose success inspired the expansive franchise of Assassin’s Creed game series.

Based on the text, one can conclude that culture is not just the source of heritage and knowledge but it can also prove fruitful to be a successful engaging video game. Implementing cultural elements into the gaming environment can lead to visual enjoyment of the player but also let them delve deeply into historic, sociocultural or mythological contexts. Not to mention, culture can be a source of inspiration for game developers and help them develop a truly unique and memorable product. Unique storytelling narratives can be found in the folklore of underrepresented cultures, which can be a breath of fresh air for the gamers as certain tropes in games have become too common.

Under the right approach, game designers are able to create games that educate players, broaden their horizons about various cultures and traditions, which is very relevant in our highly-globalized society. I also believe this is a great opportunity to foster more acceptance in the gaming community as it has been notoriously known for cases of extreme ignorance, racism and xenophobia. The way to battle such negative aspects of any community is by educating people. Video games that are rich in historical and cultural contexts are a great way of casually improving the knowledge of a huge number of people around the world.

In conclusion, I think culture and video games are growing more and more interconnected and games can truly be classified in the same range as cultural background. I believe that accurately portraying cultures in video games is a great way to preserve culture in a way that is engaging for a wide audience of people. An accurate portrayal can be achieved through collaboration with historians and specialists that are able to advice game developing team in the initial stages of producing a game. This method is proven successful as the history-rich game series “Assassin’s Creed” analyzed in the text is a popular title that stays relevant to this day and is renowned for its accurate portrayal of cultures. Many players have discovered themselves learning a lot of valuable history knowledge through completing these games.

Overall, the text is valuable for me both as a concept artist and as a member of ethnic minority.  Native Siberian cultures are not well known in popular media, yet the Sakha culture is rich in mythology and folklore which I believe can be masterfully represented in a video game. Implementing cultural aspects of underrepresented culture into a video game has the capacity to make it stand out from other products in the highly competitive video games industry and also it can intrigue and captivate a new audience. However, it is worth noting that any digital media product whether it is a film or a game that is heavily based on an existing culture should be well prepared and analyzed for the correct and accurate portrayal in order not to offend people from that culture and reinforce inaccurate stereotypes. My personal goal to represent my culture in my work, spread awareness about it and immortalize my cultural heritage through digital forms of art.

[alisaiakovleva]

blog post 10

In this blog post I am going to analyze the portrayal of the character Harley Quinn through the lens of "male gaze".

In the movie "Suicide Squad" Harley Quinn's character is heavily objectified. The camera shots linger on her form, stripping the character of her personality and reducing her to a visual object. The way the heroine behaves is also catered to the male audience, e.g. the scene of her stripping in front of men and acting clueless about it. The outfit choices also emphasize the male gaze, the character is seen wearing revealing shorts and a tight top with no to little functionality or personality. Not to mention, Harley Quinn develops a strong toxic relationship with Joker.

In the movie "Birds of Prey" directed by a female director Cathy Yan, the male gaze is narratively and visually distrupted: Harley Quinn broke up with Joker, stating herself as an independent woman. The costumes she is wearing throughout the whole movie are also a bold statement and challenge to patriarchy as they do not cater to male audience, instead the outfits are extravagant, bright and unique, highlighting Harley Quinn's vibrant persona. Her portrayal in this movie is multi-dimensional and is not associated with any romantic interests, making Harley her own character with her personal goals and motives.

References:

Birds of Prey. (2020). United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Suicide Squad. (2016). United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.

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blog post 9

In this blog post I am going to analyze how the gaming experience can be taken to a next level thanks to VR technology.

What is Virtual Reality? VR can be defined as "the use of computer modeling and simulation that enables a person to interact with an artificial three-dimensional (3-D) visual or other sensory environment" (Lowood, 2024).

Phasmophobia is a paranormal multi-player horror game. The player is in the first-person view and has the task to investigate a haunted house and identify the type of the ghost through various means.

Having played this game both on my personal computer and using VR set, I can state that these two are completely different experiences. With the former game style, I got to sit at the comfort of my house not worrying that much about any evil spirits trying to kill me. I cannot say the same about the latter: VR version fully immersed me into the game, making me feel as if I was truly a paranormal ghost specialist investigating a creepy haunted house.

VR tricks our brains into thinking that in-game world is the real one blurring the lines between our reality and VR, which offers a spine-chilling experience. I think that the invention of VR has truly taken gaming into a next level allowing anyone escape our real world and immerse themselves in the world of games.

References:

Kinetic Games. (2020). Phasmophobia. [Video Game]. Kinetic Games.

2. Lowood, H. E. (2024, January 8). virtual reality. Encyclopedia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/virtual-reality [Accessed 9 Jan. 2024].

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blog post 8

In this blog post I'd like to analyze the video game "Assassin's Creed 2" from affective point of view.

But first, we need to determine what affect is. “Affect as potential: a body’s capacity to affect and to be affected” (Gregg and Seigworth 2009: 2). Using affect is a great way to tie the player to the game as it has the power to resonate emotionally and make for a truly touching immersive experience.

In the game, the main character is Ezio Auditore and the player is able to witness the hero's life story from the very beginning - in the intro we witness a woman giving birth to a child. The player is even faced with the necessity to push the appropriate buttons to facilitate the child birthing process. That newborn turns out to be the main hero.

As a player, we are exposed to "growing up" with the main character. We are introduced to his family - there are a lot of touching and bonding scenes between Ezio and his family members. This way the game developers encouraged the player to develop an emotional connection to the characters. When Ezio's family gets suddenly executed, a lot of players experience distraught in real life. As a child playing this game, the affective intensity of this moment had an unforgettable effect on me. This event made me feel empathy in Ezio's pursuit for vengeance and made the gameplay more enjoyable and coherent.

Affect cannot be underestimated as it plays a crucial role in any medium. Affect in video games can add to the players' immersion multiplying the enjoyment.

References:

Gregg, M. and Seigworth, G.J. (2010). The affect theory reader. Durham: Duke University Press.

Ubisoft. (2009). Assassin's Creed 2. [Video Game]. Ubisoft Montreal.

[alisaiakovleva]

blog post 7

In this blog post I will analyse an animated TV series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" taking into account politics and race.

The fictional world of Avatar is inspired by Asian and Native American cultures.

The Fire nation: based on imperial Japan.

The Earth Kingdom: Chinese influence is evident.

The Water tribes: based on Inuit culture.

The Air nomads: inspired by Tibetan monks.

In 2010 a live action movie "The Last Airbender" was released. The casting choices drew in a lot of criticism. A lot of characters were played by white actors, for instance Katara and Sokka from the Water Tribe, even though the costumes and landscape were still heavily inspired by Inuit culture.

Some people think that an actor's backrgound is insignificant and the only decisive factor for casting should be their acting skills. I disagree with this point of view and believe that fictional characters inspired by real-life cultures should be portrayed by representatives of said cultures, otherwise it will be deemed as erasing those people and making a poor job at authentic immersion. Not to mention that Native Americans are underrepresented in media and a positive portrayal of Inuit actors could have brought a positive influence.

References:

Avatar Wiki. (n.d.). Avatar: The Last Airbender. [online] Available at: https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender [Accessed 9 Jan. 2024].

The Last Airbender. (2010). United States: Paramount Pictures.

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Blog post 6

Representaion plays a crucial role in media. Feeling represented helps with shaping a stronger identity.

It is not a secret that Hollywood dominates the global media market and its products have found their way into every household across the globe. Due to the origin of the movies, the most common way of living portrayed there has been the western lifestyle. I can say that even a decade ago it was incredibly rare to see other cultures represented, and even if they were shown, they could have a lot of misconceptions, non-authentic feautures or even harmful stereotypes.

Due to western actors dominating the Hollywood movie industry, people around the world have gotten used to seeing eurocentric facial feautures, while ethnic facial feautures were rarely seen. This in turn led to idealization of "western" feautures. Lack of diverse representation has resulted in many people of color feeling insecure seeing light-skinned actors and actresses portrayed as attractive heroes and heroines.

Lately I have noticed a shift where movies are becoming more inclusive and are not afraid of showcasing different cultures in a respectful and authentic way. For instance, In "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Mumbattan is a vibrant and colorful depiction of India. Spider-Man India, a.k.a. Pavitr Prabhakar, has inspired a lot of young Indian boys who felt joy seeing their hero portrayed with feautures that they themselves have.

Good representation has the capacity to change lives for many people, make them fall in love with their own identity. In my work I often design Native Siberian characters to celebrate my culture and spread awareness about peoples who are not well known by the general public.

References:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). Directed by Santos, J. D., Thompson, J. K., & Powers, K. [Feature film]. Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

[alisaiakovleva]

Blog post 5

In this blog post I am going to analyze the names of characters from a TV show "Game of Thrones" and reveal hidden parallels that contribute to the narrative.

Sandor Clegane: can be derived from the name Alexander, means protecter. This character plays out a role of a protector for two Stark sisters - Sansa and then Arya.

Tyrion Lannister: derived from Tyr - Norse god of law and justice. Ironic, considering that Tyrion's character arc is tied to the injustice he has had to face all his life due to his dwarfism.

Bran Stark: the name "Bran" stands for "raven" in Celtic languages. In semiotics, this is a very obvious nod to his character arc that concludes in him becoming the "Three-Eyed raven".

Cersei Lannister: in the Greek mythology Circe was an enchantress who killed her husband. In the show the character of Cersei does a similar thing - she comes up with a plot to take down her husband Robert during a hunt.

Jaime Lannister: derived from the name Jacob. In the bible Jacob is born holding his twin brother's foot, just as Jaime did with Cersei.

Analyzing names through semiotics in "Game of Thrones" one can reveal the symbolism and hidden meanings the author George R.R. Martin put into characters' names.

References:

Game of thrones (2011). HBO

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Blog post 4

Is realism something that needs to be implemented in a video game for it to be successful?

Hypermediacy is a visual representation style that has an objective to reminds us of the medium consumed (Bolter and Grusin, 2000). This can be achieved through exaggerated feautures such as noticeable editing.

Hypermediacy can be introduced through HUD elements, overlays. Games like "Assassin's Creed" and "Watch Dogs" use these feautures to enhance the gaming experience.

Immediacy implies the disappearance of the medium.  Immediacy can be defined as "style of visual representation whose goal is to make the viewer forget the presence of the medium (canvas, photographic film, cinema, and so on) and believe that he is in the presence of the objects of representation" (Bolter and Grusin 272-73).

Games with the first-person view, such as "Counter-Strike" or "Outlast" create a sense of immediacy by making the player feel as a direct participant in the game's virtual environment. Immediacy can also be achieved by implementing a very realistic design style.

In my personal work I do not strive for realism. In fact, many artists encourage to adapt a more stylized artstyle. One of my goals is to work on my own video game. I have always pictured it having a distinct stylization that would not go for the hyper-realistic look of many modern games. I believe that for a player/viewer to fully immerse themselves it is not necessary to adopt full realism as immersion can be made possible due to engaging storyline, relatable characters, recognizable depictions of real-life objects.

References:

Bolter, Jay David, and Richard Grusin. Remediation: Understanding New Media. Cambridge, 2000.

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Blog post 3

In our third lecture we discussed the concept of transmedia. What does the term "transmedia" imply? Transmedia can be described as the employment of different types of media to convey narratives (Polson, 2019). One of the key characteristics of transmedia is the active audience participation.

Examples of transmedia include:

The Witcher: originally a fantasy book series written by a Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, this story about Geralt of Rivia was turned into three successful open-world games and a TV show by Netflix. The title grew into a cult classic with a huge fanbase.

The Assassin's Creed: the video game series has a rich and expansive lore that goes beyond games and extends onto comic books, movies and novels.

Westworld: A TV show by HBO has an element of transmedia as there is a website "Discover Westworld" which expands the storytelling and allows viewers to learn more about the fictional history of the park.

These examples show how transmedia storytelling expands narratives by using various platforms to provide a more immersive experience for consumers.

I have noticed a trend in recent media space where a lot of titles use transmedia storytelling, e.g. Marvel with its countless shows, films, spin-offs etc. Why is this such a successful and popular phenomenon?

First of all, different media platforms can draw in more fans. Each type of media whether it's a written novel, game or movie has their own audience and by trying one form of media fans might get interested and seek for more narratives in other titles.

Not to mention, transmedia storytelling is able to maintain interest over a longer period of time as it keeps fans engaged and excited for big releases or special events.

And finally, from a purely capitalist point of view it is obvious that the higher the number of products there is the more profits will be earned.

References:

Polson, D, Cook, A, Velikovsky, JT, & L., BA (eds) 2019, Transmedia Practice: a Collective Approach, BRILL, Boston. Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 9 January 2024].

Westworld Wiki. (n.d.). Discover Westworld. [online] Available at: https://westworld.fandom.com/wiki/Discover_Westworld [Accessed 9 Jan. 2024].

[alisaiakovleva]

Blog post 2

In the second class we learnt about the concept known as "Gesamtkunstwerk" which was created by a German philosopher Karl Friedrich Trahndorff in the 19th century. The direct translation of this term is "total work of art" - which by itself implies that it is piece of art that encompasses all or multiple forms of art to produce a compelling experience.

In early December I visited an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts which was dedicated to the work of a renowned perfomance artist Marina Abramovic. The way it was organized instantly made me think of Gesamtkunstwerk as I thought that Abramovic's work can fit under that term - her work is interdisciplinary and includes various forms of art and visuals - on the display you can see different objects that are associated with her upbringing in Yugoslavia such as her father's military medals and retro photographs and in the same room you can hear an audiotrack of a young woman singing a song in the Serbian language: it is a recording of Marina Abramovic herself, she is singing a song from her childhood. This experience has the ability to fully immerse visitors and help them transcend through time and space and visualize what it was like growing up in the Balkans under the communist regime.

The concept of Gesamtkunstwerk can also be clearly observed in the modern gaming industry. Let's take a look at the games produced by the Supermassive Games studio - House of Ashes, Until Dawn, The Devil in Me. Some people think of these titles as interactive films - the player has the ability to influence the outcome of a plot by their own choices. Going through behind the scenes footage for these games you can see how much the development process reminds of that in any movie - there are real actors whose likeness and perfomance are captured by motion capture. The player experiences the best things that two forms of media (cinema and games) can offer - on the one hand, you get to witness visually pleasing cinematography with music score, acting, intricate plotlines; on the other hand, you shape the ending of the "movie" by actively participating and making choices.

All in all, both in traditional and contemporary fields of art the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk continues to stay present and inspire.

References:

Marina Abramović: Exhibition: Royal Academy of Arts (no date) Exhibition | Royal Academy of Arts. Available at: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/marina-abramovic [Accessed 8 January 2024].

Roberts, D 2011, The Total Work of Art in European Modernism, Cornell University Press, Ithaca. Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 8 January 2024].

Supermassive Games. Available at: https://www.supermassivegames.com/ [Accessed 8 January 2024].

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Blog post 1

During the first session we learnt the basics about Narrative Theory, where we also discussed the work of Vladimir Propp, who came up with the 8 main archetypes found in folklore, tales and stories.

The book saga "Dune" written by Frank Herbert has been renowned for its complex narratives and it has even been thought to be impossible to adapt the books into the movies due to the complicated nature of plotlines and narratives. However, in 2021 Denis Villeneuve managed to capture the brilliant sci-fi story and make a critically-acclaimed movie with a compelling plot.

Here I would like to analyze the movie's characters and identify whether or not Propp's theory can be applied to that piece of media.

Hero: Paul Atreides is the main character and his story arc will play a significant role in the world of Dune.

Villain: Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the main antagonist, brutal and merciless, he is striving to destroy all that is left of the Atreides bloodline and colonize the planet Dune and its native people.

Donor: Duncan Idaho is a loyal servant of the Atreides family, who had a direct effect on Paul's character, actively training him to become a great warrior.

Helper: Lady Jessica is Paul's mother who is the only surviving Atreides family member besides Paul. She accompanies her son after the attack on Arrakis and helps him in various way such as training his mental and physical capabilities.

Princess: Chani is the main love interest of Paul, she has a deep connection to the main character as Paul would often see her in his dreams before even meeting her in person.

Dispatcher: Stilgar's character can be interpreted as the dispatcher as he can be seen providing the main hero with crucial information on how to adapt in the new environment.

False Hero: this certain archetype could not be explicitly identified in the movie, however, in the books there is a character named Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen who will be present in the sequel movie coming out this year. He is the same age as Paul and acts as his rival. His character serves as a foil to the main hero, showcasing what kind of person Paul could have become if he were as cruel as Harkonnens.

Father: Leto Atreides is the father of Paul Atreides, a strong father figure who played a crucial role in the main hero's upbringing and personality.

Vladimir Propp's archetypes can be used in a unique way of analyzing characters and transcend decades of various forms of media as they can be found in modern age films proving their timeless relevance.

References:

Dune [film] (2021). United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Palumbo, DE 2018, A Dune Companion : Characters, Places and Terms in Frank Herbert's Original Six Novels, McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, Jefferson. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 7 January 2024].

Propp, V, Martin, AY, & Martin, RP 1984, Theory and History of Folklore, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Available at: ProQuest Ebook Central. [Accessed 7 January 2024].