Borders and Spectra
When talking about genre in film, one often thinks about putting a film in a box. There is very little wiggle room between the idea of what a comedy is and what a drama is supposed to be. However, within the perceptions of genre the idea of a spectrum returns again and again. What if a comedy can be seen as both pure comedy and have elements dramatic enough to make it a drama? What is what by some is considered a genre is actually a style?
Genre theory has been a part of film studies for decennia, as it has been a part of literature studies and fine art studies. The concept of genre could however only become part of film when the medium moved on from being a cinema of attractions to a cinema of storytelling. The constant shift in the lines of genre started the moment stories were told through the medium. As such, genre can be considered a spectrum and borderless. However, as we have been discussing the concept of the documentary and what its base elements are, the conclusion can be drawn that there is no such thing as a genre. (This is not quite accurate, but it does make the case that the base elements of a genre can be subverted without leaving the boundaries of the genre.)
The idea of borders and spectra is thus apt when discussing issues of genre. However, genre is not really what I am interested in talking about regarding my project. Borders and spectra are far more interesting to me. The idea that there is a border to anything seems odd to me. There is no such thing as a beginning or end, only the continuum, especially when it comes to people. While we might lose a person, the objects, thoughts, ideas, and presence they left behind does not immediately disappear upon death. As such, the spectra I am talking about are not ghosts or anything like that. They are however the idea that everything in life can be perceived as being on a spectrum. There is no beginning or end, no definitives in life, nothing is purely good or purely evil. Everything is on a spectrum, mostly dictated by those who perceive the actions/objects/ideas. So the idea of putting a border around anything seems odd. A border around genre, around life, around a country. Even the sea, which can be considered the border of the land, often has a beach as an in-between space that allows for a spectrum to exist.
All this leads me to the idea of designing my media with this idea in mind. Everything is a spectrum, so nothing ends or starts. While I am interested in circular narratives, this is not something I will be exploring explicitly within my work. However, the idea of nothing leaving but instead becoming more or less part of life is what I am interested in. As such, I am also looking at making my characters and giants either have open lines as their characters design or have no borders at all. As such, I’ve been working on the character designs of my main characters, without giving them full borders. (See image below)
Genre theory has been a part of film studies for decennia, as it has been a part of literature studies and fine art studies. The concept of genre could however only become part of film when the medium moved on from being a cinema of attractions to a cinema of storytelling. The constant shift in the lines of genre started the moment stories were told through the medium. As such, genre can be considered a spectrum and borderless. However, as we have been discussing the concept of the documentary and what its base elements are, the conclusion can be drawn that there is no such thing as a genre. (This is not quite accurate, but it does make the case that the base elements of a genre can be subverted without leaving the boundaries of the genre.)
The idea of borders and spectra is thus apt when discussing issues of genre. However, genre is not really what I am interested in talking about regarding my project. Borders and spectra are far more interesting to me. The idea that there is a border to anything seems odd to me. There is no such thing as a beginning or end, only the continuum, especially when it comes to people. While we might lose a person, the objects, thoughts, ideas, and presence they left behind does not immediately disappear upon death. As such, the spectra I am talking about are not ghosts or anything like that. They are however the idea that everything in life can be perceived as being on a spectrum. There is no beginning or end, no definitives in life, nothing is purely good or purely evil. Everything is on a spectrum, mostly dictated by those who perceive the actions/objects/ideas. So the idea of putting a border around anything seems odd. A border around genre, around life, around a country. Even the sea, which can be considered the border of the land, often has a beach as an in-between space that allows for a spectrum to exist.
All this leads me to the idea of designing my media with this idea in mind. Everything is a spectrum, so nothing ends or starts. While I am interested in circular narratives, this is not something I will be exploring explicitly within my work. However, the idea of nothing leaving but instead becoming more or less part of life is what I am interested in. As such, I am also looking at making my characters and giants either have open lines as their characters design or have no borders at all. As such, I’ve been working on the character designs of my main characters, without giving them full borders. (See image below)
Comments
Post a Comment