23rd Annual Student Research Conference
Surf's Up as Narrative and Intertextuality
Stacie C. Sagaser
Dr. Elizabeth M. Clark, Faculty Mentor
Surfs Up is a 2007 Sony Pictures Animation that has received much critical attention. The film was nominated for ten Annie Awards and won Best Animated Effects and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in January 2008, but lost to Ratatouille. Although produced at the same time as other penguin movies such as Happy Feet, Surfs Up stands out and is in fact different from most animated movies. Surfs Up is noted as animations first mocumentary (fictitious documentary). Because of this unique aspect to the films genre, Surfs up reveals a unique way of developing a narrative and documentary structure. Jahns narrative model and selections of Sheila Bernards Documentary Storytelling reveal audience perceptions created by the filmic composition device. Also Surfs Up documentary format is creates reflexivity. Transtextuality also reveals the films roots and finds that the ideas behind the film are not totally unique.
Keywords: Surf's Up, filmic composition device, Reflexivity, Transtextuality, Mockumentary, narration, documentary, animation
Topic(s):Communication
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 43-4
Location: VH 1320
Time: 2:00