MANGANMEDIA
Media curriculum and student gallery
Film Study Bladerunner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.The film depicts a dystopian Los Angeles in November 2019 in which genetically engineered organic robots called replicants, which are visually indistinguishable from adult humans, are manufactured by the powerful Tyrell Corporation as well as by other "mega-corporations" around the world. Their use on Earth is banned and replicants are exclusively used for dangerous, menial, or leisure work on off-world colonies. Replicants who defy the ban and return to Earth are hunted down and "retired" by special police operatives known as "Blade Runners". The plot focuses on a desperate group of recently escaped replicants hiding in Los Angeles and the burnt-out expert Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who reluctantly agrees to take on one more assignment to hunt them down.
Film Narrative:
In our introduction to film narrative we briefly examined the story and production elements typical of all films
:Story elements include: The opening: Character: Setting: Storyline: Structure of time: Cause and Effect: Point of View and Closure
Production elements include: Camera: Lighting: Actor: Editing: Visual Composition and Sound These elements are very important to our understanding of film narrative and will be examined in detail in our study.
We will also examine key themes and issues that film makers explore through the narrative
FUTURE WORLDS
The theme of Future Worlds is explored in the science fiction film Blade runner. The film also examines issues surrounding what it is to be human, the impact on the environment and technology. These are the typical conventions explores in the Science Fiction genre in film.
You will be required to complete a film analysis of Blade runner that will examine both story and production elements used in the film and themes represented in the storyline.Each student should have a separate folder on your laptop (Year 10 Media: subfolder: Film Narrative) or in your exercise book or journal to take notes during the film and note evidence about the theme of future worlds.
In your exercise book or journal you could also do the followingKeep notes from class discussions and brainstormingRecord ideas and observations relating to the texts you study for the theme.Record your answers to written questions
To commence our topic on future worlds lets begin by viewing visions and interpretations of the future through the film text Blade Runner
Write down the main topic heading Blade Runner then a sub heading underneath your main heading called Film Narrative
Predictions.
1. As we view the opening scenes list elements of the future presented in the film. This could relate to The environment: Technology : The Power of Corporations: Human interaction and occupations
Q1 Summarise what kind of future is predicted from the opening scenes of Blade Runner
e.g. The sky is dark. There is an absence of sun. Factories spit pollution and gases into the sky suggesting man has damaged the environment. New colonies have been created on other planets. Flying cars show technological advancement.A major corporation appears very powerful.Robots have been developed to provide labour but have turned against their makers and pose a dangerous threat to earth.Blade runners are special police whose job it is to find and terminate the robots.
Q2. Now using some of the references or ideas from the texts write (100-150 words) write your own prediction or vision of what the world may be like in the future. You could refer to the visual appearance of cities, technology, science, communication, travel or social groups.
My prediction or vision of the future is a world where ..................................