FANTASY FILMS
Fantasy films differ from scientific films because
in the former there is some form of scientific truth in then. Fantasy films are
based on aspects of magic, mythology and supernatural events that do not exist
in reality. They have high unlikelihood of occurring but are still bound to
some forms of human possibilities and laws that exist in nature. They are
mostly associated with fairy tales and eras that only exist in legendary and
mythical worlds. They usually have a great sense of wonder because of their
association with magic and the supernatural world. Their contexts are mostly
bound by aspects of imagination, storytelling, hallucinations, and dreams and are
limitless in terms of the possibilities the realities can present. Fantasy
films and literature deviate from the real world and into a mythic world that
depict their own form of realities associated with wonder, magic as well as
improbable events that give audiences a sense of awe. Fantasy films are
important because they elicit within audiences desires associated with wishes
and dreams because of having a glimpse into a world of possibilities and no
limits. Both characters, as well as the story itself, have some appeal to the
viewer that is psychological. This is done by giving audiences an experience
that elicits emotions in them caused by the glorification associated with magic
and other supernatural aspects of fantasy films. Fantasy films are very popular
in the cinematic world of today (VADEN, 2016). The advancement in film
technology has managed to allow filmmakers with the ability to construct visual
worlds that depict fantasy world for which audiences can watch and enjoy.
Technology has enabled films to reconstruct stories in a visual and cinematic
manner. This is a research that will analyze the aspects of fantasy films. It
will analyze the work of two brothers Matt and Ross Duff who young filmmakers
that are making incredible fantasy films.
The twentieth century has seen various modes of
literature gain popularity, and fantasy has been on top of the list, and this
is a claim supported by many across the world. This is the same for movies
whereby many of the top-selling movies in the world of today are of the fantasy
genre. The question is what influences do these films have? It is clear that
fantasy films and other forms of literature have some form of power over
audiences and this is the reason that they have created such great influences
in the audiences and have attracted many from around the world. The entry of
audiences into a secondary world associated with fantasy is important because
helps people have a better understanding of their own realistic world. There
are three aspects of fantasy, and they include, moving from magical and towards
nature, form mystical and towards the supernatural and to the pity towards man
from a mirror of scorn. These are all aspects that fantasy is expected to
provide audiences and many have found it to be true. These fantasies are
associated with a secondary world with its own form of reality. For a fantasy
to be effective and enjoyable to readers and audiences, the secondary world has
to be very well constructed and described by the story. Fantasy literature and
films share the same spirit which is mostly based on the story or narrative.
The narrative is very important and holds together all the aspects of fantasy.
The story transcends through different forms of media, and it is never hindered
by differences in techniques used to develop the forms of art (VADEN, 2016).
The story which is what makes up the narrative of a
film or any other form of fantasy is usually independent of any other forms of
techniques used. It can never lose its properties when it is transcended from
one form to another. However other factors differ between films and other
forms, especially literature. One of the factors that differ between the two is
that written forms of fantasy provide different forms of images as compare to
films which provide only one form which is the visual form of images. As a
result, while a writer transports ideas from the mind to paper so does the
reader who transports it from the paper and constructs it in mind. Films, on the
other hand, do not make audiences construct the images in the mind because they
receive the visual information directly from the film. However, this does not
mean that films fall short of their ability to transfer information and
entertain audiences. As explained above the narrative is what is important, and
if it is conveyed efficiently, then it will have the same impact on a film as
it is from literature. The elements that make up a story include the plot, the
setting and the characters. These are elements that exist the same way in
different forms of fantasy media (VADEN, 2016).
Another
factor to understand is how fantasy boast of a rich history as far as
literature is concerned. Fantasy in films has inherited the world of mythology,
and it has now become technologically important to bring out the mythical
worlds of literal work through films. This has been made so because of the
profitability associated with visual splendor associated with fantasy films.
Many people are easily lining up and buying tickets to go and see the next
fantasy film on the market (Friedman, 2009).
Matt and Ross Duffer are twin brothers that have
entered the world of films with their own unique style that’s has brought
movies such as Hidden and the acclaimed television series “The Stranger
Things.†They are two filmmakers that have entered the scene with fresh
insights on the development of Fantasy films which draws influences from films
of the past as well as filmmakers that have been successful in the past. Their
latest contribution to the world of fantasy is stranger things a television
series aired by Netflix for which they wrote and directed themselves with the
help of others. The television has been successful in attracting viewership by
many and has become very popular thanks to referrals by people who have already
watched (Fienberg, 2016).
It is based
on a story of a town in Indiana called Hawkins which is fictitious. It is in
the 1980s, and it mainly focuses on the disappearance of a boy from the town
and some of his friend carry out investigations to find out where he is. The
whole town is also in the process of finding the young boy who is missing. Also
in the picture is the help of a psychokinetic girl who helps the friends of the
missing boy find their friend (Fienberg, 2016).
The
development of the series draws influences from the pop culture of the 80s that
was associated with great popular music. The two brothers also try to pay
homage to the style of supernatural and fantastic filmmaking characterized by
people such as Stephen Kind and Stephen Spielberg who developed great, movies
at the time (Fienberg, 2016).
The development of films such as the ones by Matt
and Ross Duffer express the developments in the genre of fantasy films. They
also show how popular they are and how the limits to what can be depicted in
films and television are endless. It has been hard to incorporate aspects of
fantasy in the world of today. However, there are certain underlying factors
that have made fantasy films resonate with the world of today, and they include
the nature and technology. The use of
computer generated imagery has greatly advanced thanks to advancement in film
technology. These forms of technology have enabled filmmakers to be able to
develop virtual worlds that represent the natural settings of mythical worlds
in existence even before the industrial revolution. They have enabled
filmmakers to be able to re-imagine natural event that appears real to the
audiences. The stories associated with some of the most popular fantasy films
were written as early as the 1930s and were very popular during those time. The
stories have not changed, and films have been able to re-imagine them in a
visual form that creates new worlds with their own realities and filled with
supernatural splendor presented by films for the entertainment of audiences.
The ability
to reach large audiences has been the main reason for the shift to the
development of fantasy stories into movies. The visual representation of such
stories appear to appeal more to many people, and thus such films have become
very profitable (Friedman, 2009).
References
Fienberg, D. (2016). hollywoodreporter.
Retrieved from
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fien-print/duffer-brothers-talk-stranger-things-916180
Friedman, T. (2009). The Politics
of Magic: Fantasy Media, Technology, and Nature in the 21st Century. Georgia
State University, USA.
VADEN, M. B. (2016). LITERATURE
AND FILM: FANTASY ACROSS MEDIA. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
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