{ Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Fusion of form to create story

 What elements do you see in the next two images that stand out, and connect to the current time-period? List 4 or 5. Take A Second…

VOCAB MOMENT!

 “The spirit of the time”  Something that embodies a particular period of time, not because of its content, necessarily, but in how it’s made, its priorities, and “feel.” ZEITGEIST

Zeitgeist capturing films

 Scott Pilgrim attempts to capture the current spirit through its style and content.  Assumption about its audience:  Intensive familiarity with video-games  Hyper-awareness of movie structure and norms  Understanding of social roles and attitudes

 Examining this aspect would be a critical lens: the Neo-historical lens. What does the content of the film tell us about the culture and time in which it was it was created?

  Achievers driven by in-game goals, usually consisting of some form of points gathering (eg. experience points, levels, or money).   Explorers driven to find out as much as they can about the virtual world, including mapping its geography and understanding the game mechanics.   Socializers use the virtual world to converse and role-play with their fellow gamers.   Killers use the virtual world to cause distress to other players, and gain satisfaction from inflicting anxiety and pain on others. In video game structure, story dependent on, and shaped by, the experience the user wishes to have.

Range covers a vast spectrum:  None (Tetris, Minesweeper)  Perfunctory (Super Mario Bros)  Setting-based (Left 4 Dead, Myst)  Goal-Oriented (Civilization, Metroid)  Simple plot (Halo, Ocarina of Time)  Detailed plot (Mass Effect, Final Fantasy)  Plot is central over action (LA Noire)  Action exists only to further the story (Heavy Rain) Video Game Plot Arc -

 Series of escalating “chapters,” taking the hero through a quest – often the Hero’s Journey..  Each chapter ends with a challenge – a “big boss” who must be defeated in order to advance.  Challenges become greater as the hero progresses, and the hero acquires skills/assets needed to progress. But generally follow the same central structure…

 Examining this structure would show the overlap of video game structure on cinema structure to create an absurd, yet familiar story.  Video games are “animated” worlds where things are exaggerated, and the absurd is accepted – philosophically, like animation.

 Movie: a product designed to make money by entertaining as many people as possible, or by getting a specific demographic to see it as many times as possible/purchase the film.  Cinema: a film which bears the distinctive trademark of the filmmaker. Cinema is a film which – as it exists – could only have been made by that particular filmmaker. Movies Vs. Cinema

 Some criticize the films as being all style, no substance. That it feels like a film, but is barely a movie.

So, anyway, the movie…

 The Director This is purely optional. Interesting, though. Edgar Wright is possibly the best comedy director there is right now And when I say “possibly,” I mean “definitely.”

It’s also an adaptation of a pretty great graphic novel series, and adopts many comic tropes in to its story- telling.

 Okay, so… choose a thread to follow to analyze the film:  Structure: mapping the plot & story of the film; does it adhere more to film structure or video game structure, or both equally?  Analysis of it as, philosophically, an animated film. How does it guide us to this world? How does that change the viewing?  Assumed “Code” & zeitgeist: what assumptions does the film make about its audiences’ ability to translate what’s happening?  Is this a “movie” or is it “cinema” and what evidence can you provide?  C-Option: Trace the Hero’s Journey. This will be so easy, there’s actually a deleted scene where they make fun of how it hits all the Hero’s Journey beats. Central Questions