The Lacanian Psychoanalysis theory is a term coined from renown, French psychoanalyst; Jacques Lacan. Lacan conducted research into the theory 'Freudian Psychoanalysis', focusing largely on the deep structures and infant sexuality aspects of Freud's work, later publishing his own updated interpretation on Freud theory.
Lacan suggested that during the ages ranging between six and eighteen months, the infant experienced the 'Mirror Phase'. During the mirror phase the child sees its own reflection; generally in a mirror, and somehow realises that what they are seeing is themselves. Lacan believed that an infant's ability to identify with their reflection, is a factor behind the infant's emerging perceptions of selfhood. However, due to the fact that the infant's overestimation of their strengths projected to them by their reflection; creating a 'perfect image' interpretation of themselves, does not match with their real life physical vulnerabilities and limitations, the child struggles with their first identity crisis.
This 'perfect image' causes envy and dislike as the child can never truly aspire to the 'hyped-up' fantasy. A sense of separation occurs due to the child taking in the reflection and looking at its actual self. The infant contrasts what it is, with what it sees in the 'ego ideal', later casting itself as inferior. This further agitates the difference between the two and cements the trauma of self-loathing and the desire to become this unattainable fantasy.
The child's reflections deceives them. One way is that the reflection does not reflect the child's feelings, causing further confusion in the child as this reflection does not represent their emotional vulnerabilities. The reflection also fails to highlight the child's lack of independence. In the mirror, the child stands as its own entity, falsely projecting independence the infant does not yet have.
The motivation to feel connected with this ego-ideal, represents a tension between non-identity and identity; one may argue that this draws comparison to Freud's life and death drive theory.
Lacan believed that the child would continue to progress, eventually reaching a stage where this ego-ideal emerges as a 'unconscious construction'. Lacan called this the 'hommelette'. Lacan then suggests that even in adulthood, discomfort can be brought around by thinking of themselves as 'whole individuals'. Self-imagination continues throughout their lives, contributing to a narcissistic fascination, or discomfort from the thoughts that 'this ego-ideal still does not look like me'.
Thursday 26 January 2017
Wednesday 25 January 2017
Freudian Psychoanalysis
Within this theory, Sigmund Freud uses utilises the analogy of a iceberg to describe the three factions of the mind. Freud compares the surface of an iceberg to the conscious aspect of the mind. Freud describes that the conscious mind entails the the thoughts that are currently the focus of our attention are seen as being the tip of the iceberg; a small section of a much bigger picture. The pre-conscious consists of thoughts that are not actively in use, however can be retrieved from the memory.
Freud draws further comparison by comparing the unconscious mind to the bummock of an iceberg (The submerged mass of an iceberg). Freud outlined that the unconscious mind is the most significant; within this faction resides the process responsible for most of our behaviour. Similarly to the hummock of the iceberg, the most imperative section to the structure is hidden away. According to Freud, the unconscious works as a repository for primitive wishes and animalistic impulses that are kept at bay.
Freud later developed the structure model for this theory, adopting three new terms for the structure of the psyche; the Id, the ego, and the super-ego. Freud assumed that the 'Id' operates at a unconscious level, and comprises of two biological instincts; Eros & Thanatos.
Eros is believed to be a life instinct; responsible for ensuring survival through life-sustaining activities (e.g. breathing). Thanatos on the other hand, is described as being a death instinct; responsible for destructive forces that when exerted outwards towards others, can be expressed in violence and aggression. Freud believed that our ability as the human race, to survive rather than self destruct is a reason as to why Eros is more powerful than Thanatos.
The 'ego' is said to develop from the Id during infancy, and operates at a conscious and unconscious level. The ego's role is to satisfy the primitive demands of the Id, however in a socially-acceptable manner.
The 'super-ego' develops during early stages of childhood, when the child is able to identify to a same sex role model. It is responsible for moral standards are adhered to. The super-ego works as a moral compass and is utilised to motivate us to handle situations in a socially-acceptable way.
The basic conundrum that is generated, is that each of these three elements are not compatible with the other two. This ensures that inner conflict will occur. An example of this is the superego may make someone feel guilty for stealing water to quench dehydration, however the Id will drive them to do so. The conflicting goals of these two sections of the psyche structure are refereed and mediated by the ego.
Tuesday 24 January 2017
Mulvey's 'Male Gaze Theory
Laura Mulvey; born 15th August 1941, is famous for her her theoretical research into the art of film; particularly her studies into the theory of 'Male Gaze'. The male gaze theory depicts objectification of women that appeal to the sexual attractions of the male species. Within this theory, she outlines that objectification of women can come in many forms; such as fragmentation shots that show off promiscuous features of the female body, lingering on the curves of an attractive women. In all instances of the male gaze, the audience is positioned in the perspective of a heterosexual male. Women are displayed as being sexual objects; both for the characters within the film, and the audience watching. This is one reason for the concept being adopted within feministic film, media studies, as well as cultural and photography studies. The theory promotes a sense of patriarchalism within the film industry, outlining that because the film industry is male-dominated, representation of women is presented in a misogynistic light. The male gaze phrase originates from her 1975 essay; titled 'Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema'.
Friday 13 January 2017
French New Wave Design Brief
Post analysing the French New Wave movement, and conducting research into the films of famous nouvelle vague directors such as Francois Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, etc. I have decided that for my own French New Wave short film, I plan on detailing people's lives away from the light, showing what people are like when they are away from sight. I intend on showing a sort of rebellious side to the characters to conform to the New Wave genre.
My intentions are that the short film is recorded as soon as possible after the planning period. I believe this will be useful as it will encourage more 'natural' acting from my characters, thus aiding the narrative in sounding less pre-established; another French New Wave convention, another method I intend on capturing my footage in a natural, outdoor location; a location my actors/actresses are accustom to and know well. I would like to utilise the 'breaking the fourth wall' technique, although this may clash with no-dialogue structure i hope to implement into my film. In order to incorporate the breaking the fourth wall technique into my film without the use of dialogue, I will have to explore unorthodox methods within the French New Wave genre. One method that comes to mind, is having the actors/actresses communicate directly to the audience through body language and physical movements. My reason for not including dialogue in my French New Wave film is the opportunity of adopting my own unique filming style is an offer I feel cannot be left beckoning.
My intentions are that the short film is recorded as soon as possible after the planning period. I believe this will be useful as it will encourage more 'natural' acting from my characters, thus aiding the narrative in sounding less pre-established; another French New Wave convention, another method I intend on capturing my footage in a natural, outdoor location; a location my actors/actresses are accustom to and know well. I would like to utilise the 'breaking the fourth wall' technique, although this may clash with no-dialogue structure i hope to implement into my film. In order to incorporate the breaking the fourth wall technique into my film without the use of dialogue, I will have to explore unorthodox methods within the French New Wave genre. One method that comes to mind, is having the actors/actresses communicate directly to the audience through body language and physical movements. My reason for not including dialogue in my French New Wave film is the opportunity of adopting my own unique filming style is an offer I feel cannot be left beckoning.
French New Wave Film Evaluation
I have produced a short film, inspired by the French New Wave genre I have been researching into over the course of the last couple of months. I have implemented some conventions commonly found within French New Wave film, and adapted to suit my own cinematic style. My short film details a few hours of a drug user's high, delivered in a New Wave-styled format.
The most important feature in which I have attempted to adopt from this genre's culture, lies in the theme. French New Wave films were infamous for their rebellious nature; being a genre that rose to prominence during the 1960s or the 'golden age' for drugs, I felt it was important to project a sense of anarchistic rebellion to connote this the drug user is engages in an illegal activity, whilst paying homage to the culture behind the French New Wave movement.
The next convention to draw similarities with French New Wave genre is the freedom my footage was able to utilise; stemming from the camera's liberation from the tripod. This allowed me more creative freedom to move around the camera in a manner I saw fit. I also feel it conveys a sense of liberation as just like the camera, the film's protagonist is not limited in what he does. The same sense in which the camera does not conform to Hollywood filming styles, the protagonist does not conform the expectations society forces upon him.
To add to these conventions, I have attempted to keep editing minimal as French New Wave films were usually independently-created (Produced without a producer backing up the project). Jump cuts are encoded into my video instead of smooth transitions to remove any unwanted comparisons to Hollywood movies. However, I have included instances in which I break this genre stereotype. For example 36 seconds into the short film, I have applied a gaussian blur effect to add emphasis to the lyrics 'And I can't see at all'. This is also done to remind the audience that this is the drug user's experience, the gaussian blur effect helps the audience to empathise with the drug user's high, and the 'wavy' experience he is encountering.
Another convention of the French New Wave genre embedded in my short film is the occasional reminder to the audience is that the film is a film. Although this is usually achieved by other films by breaking down the fourth wall. However, in my video it is executed through first-person shots that encourage the audience to empathise with the drug user. I also feel that by applying forms of editing in small doses, I am able to remind the audience that what they are watching is a film.
In this scene from Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film piece; Breathless, the actor looks directly into the camera. In this film, this technique is utilised as a concession that causes a dislodge in the audience's comfort zone, thus provoking a reaction. It's a technique that can be used to epitomise the importance of a moment or the tension in the atmosphere. The 'breaking the fourth wall' technique has also been incorporated in various Hollywood TV series and film, for example directors of the 90s hit TV series 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air', often had characters breaking the fourth wall by looking directly at camera, and in various instances, running through the live audience. An example of this occurs in Season 5 Episode 6 titled 'Will's Misery'.
In this scene Carlton breaks the fourth wall by running past the live audience and through the set, all of which is captured by the camera. This is implemented into the episode to empathise Carlton's shock and disbelief by Will's false account of what had happened that night, whilst delivering the scene with a humorous twist.
Another French New Wave convention that I have incorporated into my work is keeping the film crew low in numbers. I achieved this by only requiring one person to work as the actor, editor, film team, etc. I was able to do all of this jobs by myself, as just like more prominent film makers in the French New Wave movement, my production budget was limited, thus forcing me to set the objective of keeping production costs as low as possible, whilst maintaining the highest quality of film possible. To keep up with the French New Wave theme, my film was produced in such a way that no additional lighting was required. This was achieved by filming outdoors in a natural location, with me making the suitable adjustments to shutter speed, aperture and ISO to match the lighting. This French New Wave short film was recorded on a particularly sunny winter day, so it took a few minutes of playing around with the settings to ensure the image was not either overexposed or underexposed.
Lastly, one convention I felt was crucial my film embedded was ensuring my French New Wave short film did not follow a strict pre-established shooting script. However, being the same person that came up with the film's theme and the actor in the film; I was faced with the dilemma of how to conduct the film. In the end, I had decided the actor would not be given any dialogue, to maintain a sense of French New Wave authenticity. Everything the actor is thinking is projected through the song (Chorus of Eminem's 'Stan', 2000).
To conclude, I feel that my French New Wave short film project went well, however, if given the opportunity to work on it again, there are a few aspects I would have liked to improve upon. One of these aspects is the soundtrack used. The song in question is Eminem's Stan; initially released in 2000. Although I felt that this soundtrack was fitting to the story my short film attempts to tell, one convention in the French New Wave movement is contemporary and modern soundtrack be used. This means my film has chosen style over substance and thus this error dislodges the French New Wave theme my short film attempts to imitate. If I am able to rectify this error, I feel that the authenticity of my French New Wave short film will be improved.
The most important feature in which I have attempted to adopt from this genre's culture, lies in the theme. French New Wave films were infamous for their rebellious nature; being a genre that rose to prominence during the 1960s or the 'golden age' for drugs, I felt it was important to project a sense of anarchistic rebellion to connote this the drug user is engages in an illegal activity, whilst paying homage to the culture behind the French New Wave movement.
The next convention to draw similarities with French New Wave genre is the freedom my footage was able to utilise; stemming from the camera's liberation from the tripod. This allowed me more creative freedom to move around the camera in a manner I saw fit. I also feel it conveys a sense of liberation as just like the camera, the film's protagonist is not limited in what he does. The same sense in which the camera does not conform to Hollywood filming styles, the protagonist does not conform the expectations society forces upon him.
To add to these conventions, I have attempted to keep editing minimal as French New Wave films were usually independently-created (Produced without a producer backing up the project). Jump cuts are encoded into my video instead of smooth transitions to remove any unwanted comparisons to Hollywood movies. However, I have included instances in which I break this genre stereotype. For example 36 seconds into the short film, I have applied a gaussian blur effect to add emphasis to the lyrics 'And I can't see at all'. This is also done to remind the audience that this is the drug user's experience, the gaussian blur effect helps the audience to empathise with the drug user's high, and the 'wavy' experience he is encountering.
Another convention of the French New Wave genre embedded in my short film is the occasional reminder to the audience is that the film is a film. Although this is usually achieved by other films by breaking down the fourth wall. However, in my video it is executed through first-person shots that encourage the audience to empathise with the drug user. I also feel that by applying forms of editing in small doses, I am able to remind the audience that what they are watching is a film.
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Another French New Wave convention that I have incorporated into my work is keeping the film crew low in numbers. I achieved this by only requiring one person to work as the actor, editor, film team, etc. I was able to do all of this jobs by myself, as just like more prominent film makers in the French New Wave movement, my production budget was limited, thus forcing me to set the objective of keeping production costs as low as possible, whilst maintaining the highest quality of film possible. To keep up with the French New Wave theme, my film was produced in such a way that no additional lighting was required. This was achieved by filming outdoors in a natural location, with me making the suitable adjustments to shutter speed, aperture and ISO to match the lighting. This French New Wave short film was recorded on a particularly sunny winter day, so it took a few minutes of playing around with the settings to ensure the image was not either overexposed or underexposed.
Lastly, one convention I felt was crucial my film embedded was ensuring my French New Wave short film did not follow a strict pre-established shooting script. However, being the same person that came up with the film's theme and the actor in the film; I was faced with the dilemma of how to conduct the film. In the end, I had decided the actor would not be given any dialogue, to maintain a sense of French New Wave authenticity. Everything the actor is thinking is projected through the song (Chorus of Eminem's 'Stan', 2000).
To conclude, I feel that my French New Wave short film project went well, however, if given the opportunity to work on it again, there are a few aspects I would have liked to improve upon. One of these aspects is the soundtrack used. The song in question is Eminem's Stan; initially released in 2000. Although I felt that this soundtrack was fitting to the story my short film attempts to tell, one convention in the French New Wave movement is contemporary and modern soundtrack be used. This means my film has chosen style over substance and thus this error dislodges the French New Wave theme my short film attempts to imitate. If I am able to rectify this error, I feel that the authenticity of my French New Wave short film will be improved.
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