Scifi Narrative Conventions Essay

Genre essay Discuss how and why significant features / conventions are important for your chosen media
genre. Internationally, the film industry is categorised by genre, allowing film viewers to easily get an idea of what a film will be like. Science Fiction is defined by its narrative conventions, in particular the way the development and application of new speculative science is applied and the use of unfamiliar settings, either in time or place. These conventions not only impact the narratives of science fiction films, but they also enable them to act as social commentary and create a dialogue between speculative ideas and the imagination of the audience. Throughout history, the use of speculative science based narrative content has often been used to develop the narrative of sci-fi films. The characters lives in science fiction are always impacted by the development of a new technology, a new scientific principle, or a new political system. For example, in the film Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) the protagonist, John Connor, has his life turned upside-down when a cyborg, played by Arnold Schwarzenneger, is sent back in time to protect him. The sudden appearance of cyborgs into Johns life changes his perspective hugely he realises his mother, Sarah, isnt crazy and that he really is supposed to be a future leader against the resistance against the cyborgs. For John, these realisations are all caused by the appearance of The Terminator and The T-1000 cyborgs. They were they catalysts for the narrative development. The use of cyborg and cybernetic technology in Terminator 2: Judgement Day was greatly impacted by the advancements in computer and cybernetic technology during the 1980s and 1990s. The inspiration from current technology and speculative science, such as cybernetics and cyborgs, is important in science fiction films because it creates a dialogue between the speculative science narrative content and the audience. It can make the audience consider: what if that did exist or did happen? Although already developed technology, scientific principles and political systems influence how filmmakers portray their fictionalised narrative content, the implications of this dialogue can also allow for innovation and new technology to be de veloped by broadening the audiences imagination. For example, the droids in Star War: A New Hope (1977), such as the protocol droid C-3PO, are closer to being made into a reality with robots like GRACE which specialises in etiquette and protocol just li ke the Star Wars droid. Another important narrative convention in science fiction films is the use of unfamiliar settings, both in time and place. It is common for the film to be set in any of the following situations: the future, an alternative timeline, a contradictory historical past, outer space, other worlds, or alternative versions of earth. The various possible film settings are significant in the science fiction genre because they often add to the speculative nature of the science, creating an unfamiliar element to mostly familiar relationships and social situations. For example, the setting of the dystopian societies that are present in the future of Terminator 2: Judgement Day and in Star Wars both create an acceptable platform for which the filmmakers could comment on the abuse of technology leading to disaster. In both of these films antagonists appear to control or have obtained the more advanced technology which ultimately leads to their demise (in some form) because the protagonists manage to find an exploitable fault T-1000 melting in the steel mill and Luke Skywalker shooting a critical section of the Death Star to blow it up. In comparison, the film Inception (2010) uses the scientific principles and technology involved in sharing dreams to emphasise the power one can hold with advanced technology as well as the destructive nature of that power. This is shown through the character of Cobb and the way his mind and dreams have been tainted by the memory of his dead wife, having nearly disastrous impacts on the lives of other characters in the film. One of the most important reasons that the combination of the setting these events in unfamiliar environments, such as outer space, alternative timelines, or the mind, is that it creates a strong platform for social commentary in the narratives. Science fiction films have had a long history as being used for social commentary because it creates a certain amount of distance from the audience, allowing them to view the narrative more objectively. The implication of this is that some science fiction narratives have impacted the audiences opinions and perspectives on elements on their own societies. Some studies have claimed that almost all science fiction is related in some way to the society of the films time, whether a film comments on the abuse of technology to warn society or whether it acts as a more direct commentary on social situations. In conclusion, there are two incredibly important narrative conventions in the genre of science fiction films: the development and application of speculative sciences and the use of unfamiliar or alternative realities for setting. They are important because not only do they define the genre because of the scientific basis, but they also manage to impact society. Science fiction films are commonly used for social commentary as well as having a strong correlation to scientific advancements. Science fiction has often inspired innovation and impacted the imaginations of its audience, which is perhaps the most important reason for science fictions narrative conventions.

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Genre essay Discuss how and why significant features / conventions are important for your chosen media

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