more canon musings
ideas for the canon post...
Original list posted 2/25/06. Ideas from comments added 2/26/06. Thank you thank you everyone for lovely suggestions
1. where is the line between straight canon and interpretation, or theorizing. Are there degrees of "canonness"?
2. Are all interpretations of canon equally valid? Or are some more valid than others? where do you see that line?
3. how does authorial intent play into this? Do author commentaries (including actor commentaries) influence canon?
3a. How does the viewer experience the form of the story - the logical progression of the story that we've been "trained" to follow.
Do they accept it at face value or reject it and insert their own understanding?
3b. How does this effect viewer understanding of what happens "off screen"?
3c. How do viewer expectations colour their understading of canon? Do viewers see only what they want to see, regardless of author
intent? Does it even matter?
4. How does the background of the viewer effect her understanding of canon?
Does the manner of introduction to the source matter - in other words, if a fan sees the source first, then reads fanfic, does she see canon differently from a fan who reads the fic before viewing the source?
5. What happens to canon when the source text contradicts itself or is inconsistent ?
6. Is there a difference between "on screen" action and canon?
7. How do body language and actorly nuances complicate canon? How does viewer experience of "chemistry" between actors effect canon?
8. How does POV effect canon, especially if the text uses manipulation of POV? How do viewers know when a character is remembering something correctly? And how do viewers know a character is telling the truth? (also involves analyzing authorial intent?)
I'm (still)looking for more topic suggestions...
Original list posted 2/25/06. Ideas from comments added 2/26/06. Thank you thank you everyone for lovely suggestions
1. where is the line between straight canon and interpretation, or theorizing. Are there degrees of "canonness"?
2. Are all interpretations of canon equally valid? Or are some more valid than others? where do you see that line?
3. how does authorial intent play into this? Do author commentaries (including actor commentaries) influence canon?
3a. How does the viewer experience the form of the story - the logical progression of the story that we've been "trained" to follow.
Do they accept it at face value or reject it and insert their own understanding?
3b. How does this effect viewer understanding of what happens "off screen"?
3c. How do viewer expectations colour their understading of canon? Do viewers see only what they want to see, regardless of author
intent? Does it even matter?
4. How does the background of the viewer effect her understanding of canon?
Does the manner of introduction to the source matter - in other words, if a fan sees the source first, then reads fanfic, does she see canon differently from a fan who reads the fic before viewing the source?
5. What happens to canon when the source text contradicts itself or is inconsistent ?
6. Is there a difference between "on screen" action and canon?
7. How do body language and actorly nuances complicate canon? How does viewer experience of "chemistry" between actors effect canon?
8. How does POV effect canon, especially if the text uses manipulation of POV? How do viewers know when a character is remembering something correctly? And how do viewers know a character is telling the truth? (also involves analyzing authorial intent?)
I'm (still)looking for more topic suggestions...