Två filmer baserade på samma manus borde rimligtvis inte kunna innehålla så stora skillna-der. Trots detta har de mottagits totalt olika. Jag tänker i denna uppsats studera ett av filmers främsta element, nämligen den av karaktären. Genom att göra en komparativ jämförelse mel-lan karaktärerna i The Wicker Man (1973) och The Wicker Man (2006). Med hjälp av Jens Eders Karaktärsklocka och Robert McKees teorier om karaktärsgestaltning undersöker jag vilken skillnaden i karaktärsgestaltningen mellan de två filmerna är och hur det påverkar dem. Svaret är att det spelar en stor roll och har troligtvis varit avgörande i hur filmerna har tagit emot av publiken.

Modern populärkultur verkar under de senaste åren ha framfört en trend i att gestalta sina antagonister som flerdimensionella. Men är komplexitet det enda sättet att göra en antagonist intressant på? I denna fallstudie undersöks antagonisterna i BioShock och Heathers: The Musical, för att förstå den tematiska funktionen av en komplex och en enkel antagonist. Det sker med ett scenurval som identifierar berättelsernas tematik och förtydligar antagonisternas karaktärsdrag. Scenerna förtydligar om antagonisterna är runda eller platta, hur de bedöms inom moral och makt samt framför vad de har för funktion i berättelsernas tematiska mål. Resultatet visar att den enkla antagonisten förespråkar en ytlig ideologi som den sprider och ger komplexitet till andra karaktärer, medan den komplexa antagonisten ger tillfälle till reflektion inom moralen av sin egen ideologi. Slutsatsen av studien blir att de två antagonisttyperna fyller användbara funktioner beroende på hur djupgående en berättelse är villig att utforska ett problem eller ideologi.

Internationally, there is concern among judges and organisers of documentary film festivals pertaining to the lack of a proper storyline in documentary films. According to certain documentary film producers and theoreticians, however, there is a solution. They are of the opinion that the three-act structure that was originally applicable to fiction films can also be applied to documentary films. The three-act paradigm serves as a guideline for the writing of successful fiction film screenplays. Should the three-act structure be applied to documentary films, the three-act paradigm could possibly achieve the same measure of success. Therefore, the research questions are, firstly: What are the basic elements of successful screenplay writer, Syd Field’s three-act structure? Secondly, to what extent do the three selected films by Michael Moore namely Bowling for Columbine (2003), Sicko (2007) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) adhere to the requirements of Syd Field’s three-act structure? The research for this study was performed by means of a literature overview of Field’s three-act structure; secondly, by means of semi-structured interviews with four South African documentary film producers; and thirdly, a qualitative content analysis of three of Michael Moore’s films. The interviews consisted of semi-structured questions about the problem pertaining to story structure in documentary films, and how Syd Field’s three-act structure can make a contribution to the success of the documentary film. The study entails a qualitative content analysis of three selected documentary films by Michael Moore. The three-act structure of Syd Field was analysed by means of a literature study and seven main elements were identified as the important elements for a three-act structure. The three films by Michael Moore were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis based on the seven elements to determine whether the three films adhere to the three-act structure elements. The findings of the study are as follows: The three documentary films by Michael Moore, namely Bowling for Columbine, Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11, possess all seven elements of the analysis framework that was composed according to Syd Field’s three-act structure. The conclusion can therefore be drawn that a large part of the success of the three selected films by Moore is based on the three-act structure elements that can be found in all three films. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Internationally, there is concern among judges and organisers of documentary film festivals pertaining to the lack of a proper storyline in documentary films. According to certain documentary film producers and theoreticians, however, there is a solution. They are of the opinion that the three-act structure that was originally applicable to fiction films can also be applied to documentary films. The three-act paradigm serves as a guideline for the writing of successful fiction film screenplays. Should the three-act structure be applied to documentary films, the three-act paradigm could possibly achieve the same measure of success. Therefore, the research questions are, firstly: What are the basic elements of successful screenplay writer, Syd Field’s three-act structure? Secondly, to what extent do the three selected films by Michael Moore namely Bowling for Columbine (2003), Sicko (2007) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) adhere to the requirements of Syd Field’s three-act structure? The research for this study was performed by means of a literature overview of Field’s three-act structure; secondly, by means of semi-structured interviews with four South African documentary film producers; and thirdly, a qualitative content analysis of three of Michael Moore’s films. The interviews consisted of semi-structured questions about the problem pertaining to story structure in documentary films, and how Syd Field’s three-act structure can make a contribution to the success of the documentary film. The study entails a qualitative content analysis of three selected documentary films by Michael Moore. The three-act structure of Syd Field was analysed by means of a literature study and seven main elements were identified as the important elements for a three-act structure. The three films by Michael Moore were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis based on the seven elements to determine whether the three films adhere to the three-act structure elements. The findings of the study are as follows: The three documentary films by Michael Moore, namely Bowling for Columbine, Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11, possess all seven elements of the analysis framework that was composed according to Syd Field’s three-act structure. The conclusion can therefore be drawn that a large part of the success of the three selected films by Moore is based on the three-act structure elements that can be found in all three films. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014