As of today, we’ll be through three of the five episodes of Torchwood: Children of Earth. What does everyone think? How does it relate to some of the readings we’ve been doing?
Monthly Archives: September 2010
Responses for 9/30
How might you further connect our readings on character with Annie Hall or Torchwood? How do the narratives draw upon both cues within the texts and extratextual elements? Are there other key narrative concepts we’ve discussed that help explain Annie Hall?
Responses for 9/28
Today’s readings explore the idea of character in narratives, ranging from how we construct characters in our minds while watching a film to how long-term serials establish character arcs. Which ideas particularly interest you? How might they relate to films and television that we’ve screened? How might games establish character in similar or different ways?
A fun link plus a thread for discussing your games
First off, enjoy this video in honor of Sixth Sense.
Next, use this space to post some thoughts on the game you’re playing and how our theories of narrative might help understand how it works as storytelling.
Responses for 9/23
Barratt applies Bordwell’s approach to The Sixth Sense, exploring how we comprehend and remember the film. Are there aspects of his analysis that you find more or less convincing? Are there other aspects of the film that you think matter in our narrative comprehension? And how might you apply such ideas to Torchwood?
Responses for 9/21
Bordwell & Herman lay out a cognitive approach to narratology, exploring how we comprehend and construct storyworlds from the narrative discourse (or fabula from the syuzhet). What ideas from this approach seem particularly productive for you? How might it help us understand any of the examples we’ve watched thus far? And are there aspects of this approach that seem less convincing to you?
Thoughts on first part of Portal
As you start playing through Portal, here’s a thread to post your thoughts, especially about the balance between storytelling and gameplay. Let’s assume that the “first part” refers to levels 1-14 or so, as things shift a bit after that point.
Responses for 9/16
After reading the Bierce and Munro stories, and their film versions, how do you see the different strategies of storytelling between the media playing out in these examples? Are there specific moments that strike you as instructive of the differences between film and literature storytelling? How might the concepts of narration, action, and description matter in these examples?
What Game are you Playing?
Please share with the class what game you plan on playing through (in addition to Portal) this semester, and (if appropriate) what platform the game is on. Also, share why you chose that game.
Responses for 9/14
In today’s readings, both Chatman and Mittell contrast some of the storytelling potentials of literature versus film. What facets of these comparisons did you find particularly helpful in thinking about these media? Are there ideas that you disagree with? Might Bordwell’s categories of diegetic and mimetic theories of narration help with these distinctions?