Post Modernism

Modernism is an artistic movement during the 1890- 1930.
Modernism had taken a step to challenge traditional methods and materials like the ones in art, music, literature and architecture. It has also produced fragmented forms and collages that are apparently made up of random elements
Modernist text will sometimes refer to its own text from previous fictional or constructed nature, a process that is known as reflexivity. Reflexivity is being aware of something is a work of art and the work allows the audience to be aware of it as a work of art.
Modernism also blurs the distinctions between different genres like the ones found in poetry and novels
Previously dependable features of literature (chronological plots, omniscient narrators and closed endings) have given way to experimentation and impressionistic writing, which led to future films like Inception and Limitless and others that do not have a chronological plot order, something that I could think about using in my own product, since in a trailer the plot is not really given off, as well as to keep audience interest I will need to be able to capture it from the very beginning of the trailer up til the end.

Modernism > Post Modernism

Certain aspects of post modernism can be traced back to modernism of the last 19^th and 20^th centuries, which led to a lot cynicism about traditional beliefs. Eventually leading to a German philosopher Nietzsche who in 1882 declared ‘God is dead’.
Modernism had been the one to be often pessimistic about the idea of a world in which there was nothing worth believing whether it was Religion, Marxism or the fabled myth of scientific progress. In contrast, the era of Post Modernism enjoys the very absence of these beliefs (or Meta narratives) and finds the loss of order and rules liberating and exciting.
If a modernist sets out on a mission to destroy the past, a post-modernist will enjoy the past by revisiting it with irony, something I am trying to do by in a sense, re-creating the first ever Superhero, Super-villain fight on the 1980's of Superman and Zod
Post modernism does similar things in comparison to modernism, but in a different mood.
Andy Warhol – A post-modernist artist, he took old iconic figures and items and drew on exciting art culture to create new works of art. Like his collage of Marylyn Monroe, he mixes the old with the new.
Post Modernism places Style over Substance
Modernism rejected over-elaborate forms in favour of an austere style, but still saw itself as a ‘high’ form of art. Whereas Post modernism rejects any and all distinction between ’high’ culture (worthy, educated, important, artistic, elitist, realist...) and ‘low’ culture (popular, trivial, mass-produced, commercial...) It does and will cheerfully mix elements of both. For Post Modernism the content and seriousness doesn't matter anymore and it will be replaced by cockiness, irony, spectacle and surface values?
This means that I can apply to my own product for audience recognition, but I don't want to change the serious tone of the trailer that I am aiming for, so this might not be as useful to me alongside the fact that I could use if like the addition of surface values of friendship, brotherhood etc.

Inter textuality 
Post Modern texts have a delight in making inter textual references to other texts and in breaking the generic rules. It helps to create a relationship with the audience: it in a way compliments the audience in their knowledge of previous media texts. Hollywood films are often and most commonly hybrids of genres like Action and Comedy = Sherlock Holmes or Comedy and Horror = Scream franchise.

Even Certain big Hollywood Directors have created films with a mix of genres like -
Minority Report -Spielberg
Sci-fi, Romance, Film Noir, Murder Mystery, Bizarre Humour
Pulp fiction - Tarantino
Gangster film, Boxing, Musical, Blaxploitation, War, Romance, Art-house movie

I could use this to reference the battle between Superman and Zod from the 1980's Superman 2, also my entire product is in a way reference to that battle as well as Superman and the hard decisions that he has made to protect the world, also the 90's X-Men cartoon which was one of the first to actually inspire me and get me into cartoons, also through the physical appearance of my characters will be connected to Superman with the blue top and the red capes, but the other character will be copy of Ra's Al Ghul with the hard skin, beard and his hair, so this way my audience could feel comfortable with my production even if they do not instantly recognize the look of the characters.

Features of Post Modern narratives
Classical narrative encourages the audience to believe in the fiction world on the screen or page to 'willingly suspend our disbelief' in the artificiality of a particular text. So the audience start to think about the actors as characters and characters as real people; and the constructed sets on screen as real places. Post Modern text, being self-reflective it invites the audience to admire the stylishness and technique of the story-telling, notice and be impressed by the construction of the process e.g. it will use attention-grabbing editing or camera movements.
Besides quoting other texts and referring to other genres, a postmodern text may exhibit fragmentation by telling of the story
-from multiple viewpoints
-in broken chronological order, with a distinction between plot and story
The effect of all this self-conscious storytelling is to distance us slightly, by reminding us that the text is highly constructed

Romeo and Juliet – Baz Luman
Style over substance.
Princess's Knight in shining armour reference. Lots of fast forwards. Masquerade ball has a lot of references to Romans, Greeks, Egyptians etc. and their status in each civilisation - shows Post Modernism enjoying the diversity that Modernism rejects.
Old thing made new - Old language but in modern times and instead of using horses and swords they are replaced with cars, guns shows how the progression of time etc.
Tybalt – reference to the devil – costume, words etc. Tried to poison uncle’s mind but fails like the devil tricking people for centuries and when he tried to trick Jesus.
Juliet – Angel in the house reference, angel costume. Doesn’t get out of the house expected to be married soon,
Talking to themselves – monologue reminds the audience that they are watching a film.
Shakespeare – high culture mixed with low culture the drugs, alcohol etc.
The movement of the camera reflects hyper reality.

Pulp Fiction – Quentin Tarantino
Songs are part of the films world and during the beginning of the film gives the audience a chance to be familiar with it. The sounds are hyper real. References to cartoon-Travolta open case and a bright light shines. References to high and low culture and commercial items – banks, McDonald's, burger king, France, Sweden etc.
Mix of genre – Gangster, Boxing, Musical, Blaxploitation, War, Romance, Art-house movie, Comedy, Action. Reference to the bible. The continuity is fragmented – not traditional story lines.
Real life issues talks about the diversities of people, the change of role-ginger woman who goes from quiet good person to a tough swearing thief. Goes against religions view – it is used in an ironic way.
How Post Modern is Pulp Fiction
Does Pulp Fiction refer to other film? Greece, Famous actors etc.
References to other texts of popular culture? Famous logos – McDonald, Burger King Etc. France and other cultures and different popular consumer brands
Different genres play upon or mix? Action, Gangster, Comedy, Romance.
Mix elements of high and low culture? Arts of different culture e.g. the African masks and painting but she also takes drugs. Quotes the bible and kills someone. Dictionary definition at the at start of the film then goes to a Diner.
Effect of Mina magically drawing a square on the screen? Reflexivity refers itself as a text. Tells the audience and reminds them that they are watching a film.
Effect of giving such a number of characters equal screen time? Alienates the audience, since one protagonist provides the audience a time to relate to him/her and identify and be at the side of the protagonist. But instead the audience is pushed away from all this and barely given any time to connect with the characters.
What ways are the narrative and the sense of location and era fragmented or disorienting? Multiple Eras’s in one present and doesn’t tell you when it is set. Tarantino deliberately placed different era’s so the audience is able to tell that it is a film and be confused over when it is set.

Hyper Reality
“Everything is just a copy, of a copy, of a copy”
This quote is true especially to my own product since I have copied and referenced Superman as a starting point for my characters design work.
Text refers as much or more to other texts than they do to any secure external reality.
Increasingly we make sense of the world through reference to media texts, rather than to things in the real world: we experience the world through the actors and the events in the film.

Moulin Rouge – Post Modernism
Extravagant colours, Surreal colours, Really Bright ,Enjoy life, very stylish , tattoos, rock , modern with old times, film not in chronological order begins from the end and it is a story with a story.  At the beginning the leader of the orchestra does not act like he normally would it mixes the cultures should be seen in a theatre but we are seeing him in a film the 20^th Century Fox logo.
Challenges tradition mixes high culture with low culture – smoking, alcohol and suits, top hats, bow ties etc. The top hat signifies the high status but they are all in a Brothel.
Men dressed as women
Start dancing in the clouds, Moon has a cartoon face and sings, like a music video. The Dukes eyes glow and shine – Hyper reality
The lady falls in his arms with the walls in the shape of Hearts behind them.
Enjoys and celebrates different cultures, diversities and embraces them – Indian culture, 2 tattooed men dancing together, homosexuality.
New Modern songs in old times – 1900’s
Inter textuality mentions Tiffanies’ and other films like Gentlemen’s prefer Blond – ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ song.
Fast forwards, rewinds etc. Computer animation on the fairy.
Weird camera movements and angles.
Satin – not a clearly defined character.
They know it is a text and are reminding the audience of it, they start to tell the story of the film in the rehearsal of the song to the Duke.
Clown – very arty and modern.
Mix of Genre – Comedy, Musical, Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Period Drama.

Moulin Rouge has helped to make me realise about the uses of colours in order to present a film or trailer with a sense of extravagance and flavour to it. It has also been a great example of hyper reality, as well as what aspects I may need to avoid in order to make my own production realistic cartoon as possible if it were a live action film, as well as a bit more believable, even though it is a cartoon and increases the effects of hyper reality.

I will use this in my own production by the use of images and scenes that are present in my trailer, and it being an animated feature helps to make sure that the events are not real, but also adds to the fact of hyper reality with all the random explosions, different planets, purple skies etc. I will also have a female character with a gun, ensuring a strong position for the female sex as well as ensuring that her female appearance is quite visible. Post Modernism will also be visible through the fact that my characters will have extraordinary powers that will again ensure the audience that these are beings that do not exist and are at the same time humanised, as well as accepting the fact that they are a text. I will also try to give a clear indication of a mix of genre, through images of loss - tragedy, fighting - action, etc.