This is the one we're all familiar with. The Clueless Newbie- the character that enters a world completely unfamiliar to them, and we are introduced to it along with them. Harry Potter is the clearest example of this. In the first book/film, Harry finds out about wizards, witches and Hogwarts, and has everything explained to him by Hagrid and other characters. This gives us all the exposition that we need without feeling like it's forced in for our benefit, because it's information that Harry needs. This audience surrogate is also important emotionally- we as the readers or audience experience a sense of awe and wonder at the wizarding world that we see reflected in Harry, making us empathise with him and feel included and welcome in the world. The Mockumentary CrewThis is for mockumentaries like the brilliant and hilarious vampire film What We Do In The Shadows. In this genre of film/TV, the characters introduce themselves, their world and the other characters to the camera crew and audience, giving it the illusion of reality even when we know it's completely fictional (particularly if the characters are vampires and werewolves). In this situation, the camera itself is the audience surrogate, and it's as if we ourselves are being directly addressed by the characters and invited into the world. This means that everything is explained to us to give us proper introductions to the characters and exposition. Unlike with the Clueless Newbie, the exposition is explicitly for us, but isn't forced, as it is when implausible-dialogue-between-characters-who-should-already-know-everything-that-they're-conveniently-repeating-for-the-camera is used for exposition. The exposition is natural, and is part of the storytelling of the mockumentary form through character interviews and introductions. The Rational Central CharacterThe Rational Central Character, for example Jane the Virgin's Jane, provides a focus of calmness and rationality when everyone else around them is being ridiculous and everything that happens is crazy. Because of this character, the plot can get as wild as it wants to and the audience accepts it because they see their own confusion mirrored in the rational character. Most of the characters can take actions that seem wildly emotional/irrational/crazy, but as long as we see that someone in the story is aware of how crazy it is (so we know the writers are also aware of it), we go with it. Implausible, wildly far-fetched plots are hard to relate to and enjoy on more than a shallow level (soap operas, 'reality' TV- not that these formats don't have value, but they're certainly not as emotionally affecting as something more plausible). Grounding the plot in a point of rationality makes it more real, plausible, and relatable. The narrator in Jane the Virgin also serves a similar purpose- at one point when a plot twist occurs, he says 'wow, I did not see that coming!', reflecting our own reactions and heightening the drama by highlighting how unexpected the event was. Or it makes us feel clever if we did actually see it coming. So to summarise, audience surrogates are important for making us feel included in the world, for giving us required exposition, and for reflecting our reactions to the story so we can identify with a character. Are there any types I've missed, or reasons they're important? Let me know! Image from http://www.thewrap.com/15-harry-potter-magical-facts-sorcerers-stone-15th-anniversary-photos/
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"It's ABOUT Facebook. But it's not about Facebook. Know what I'm saying?"That quote is about The Social Network, and is from a video by Jack Howard (YouTuber, filmmaker, one half of comedy duo Jack & Dean) called My Favourite Films. I really recommend this video, by the way: there are lots of good recommendations, an infectious amount of enthusiasm for films and some interesting discussion of the different reasons we have for picking favourite films and stories. But the idea here is one that particularly struck me when I first watched it (and actually was the thing that got me to watch The Social Network for the first time) and is one that is still in my brain whenever I watch a film or watch/read/consume any kind of story. That idea is that films are really about more than what they seem to be about.
For example, Howard also says in this video "ultimately, [Jurassic Park is] about a man who's learning he's ready to become a father." On the surface level, Jurassic Park is about an island theme park where a bunch of dinosaurs escape and pose a threat to the people there. But when you look beyond that, the story is really about something much more meaningful, and that's what makes it worth telling and listening to. In his work on dreams, Freud talked about 'latent content' and 'manifest content'. Manifest content is the obvious, what-it-says-on-the-tin content- in the case of Jurassic Park, Grant having to protect the kids from the dinosaurs. But the latent content is what goes beyond that, what the meaning behind it it- which here, as Jack Howard says, is Grant learning he's ready to be a father. The manifest content is the basic factual stuff, the latent content is up for interpretation. What's The Social Network really about? Friendship. Rivalry. Betrayal. What's Beauty and the Beast really about? Embracing difference. Seeing beyond appearances and first impressions. Thinking for yourself. What's the musical Hamilton really about? Doing the best you can with life to not just take opportunities but to make them for yourself- to "not throw away your shot." Side themes of love, rivalry, parenthood, fighting for the rights of yourself and others. The 'what it's really about' could also be rephrased as the 'why it matters', or just the themes of the story, or what I like to think of as the emotional core. It's the thing that makes the story worth telling- that makes it human, emotional, relatable (not that films always have to be those of course; they can make you think rather than feel). Most of all, it's what makes a story memorable. Something can be eloquently told or completely hilarious, but if there's nothing human, real or meaningful at its core then there's nothing to make it matter. |
"After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world."- Philip Pullman Archives
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