Auteur Criticism

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Auteur Criticism

• February 15, 2006
• Prof. Nick Burnett

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So whats this auteur stuff?

• Strongly influenced by film studies, the
  director/writer as author
• David LynchTwin Peaks, Wild Palms
• Steven BochcoHill Street Blues, LA Law, NYPD
  Blue
• Aaron SpellingDynasty, 90210, Melrose Place
• Norman LearMaude, All in the Family
• David E. KelleyThe Practice, Boston Public, Ally
  McBeal, Picket Fences, Chicago Hope

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Definitions?

• Draws from a view that art is a manifestation of
  the emotions, experience and worldview of the
  individual artist
• What do they look at? A close visual and textual
  examination of two aspects of the work 1) the mis
  en scene (all the means available to a director
  to express her attitude toward the
  characterpacing, camera movement, cuts, angle
  and distance of the camera, content of the shot,
  etc.), and 2) the pattern of thematic motifs
  across an authors entire work

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Questions that auteur critics might ask

• How does this work differ/share similarities with
  previous works?
• Is there evidence of growth, evolution, or
  regression?
• Is this an homage?

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Auteur criticism caveats

• The intentionalist fallacy
• TV isnt really an individual artistic creation,
  TV is the quintessential team productionwhos
  the auteur?
• The writer?
• The director?
• The executive producer?
• The network?