Intertextuality
The shaping of a film’s meaning through references to other texts or media.
Intertextuality
Definition
Intertextuality refers to the process by which films derive meaning by referencing, echoing, or responding to other texts—literary works, previous films, or cultural artifacts.
Theoretical Foundations
Coined by Julia Kristeva in the 1960s upon Mikhail Bakhtin’s dialogism, intertextuality frames cinema as a network of signs that converse across time, genre, and medium, inviting viewers to detect homages, parodies, and thematic continuities.
Forms and Functions
Intertextual practices include direct quotations, stylistic pastiches, genre mashups, and Easter eggs. They engage audiences in active interpretation, foster fan cultures, and can critique or celebrate cinematic traditions. Such dialogic referencing shapes collective memory and cultural identity within film discourse.
Related Terms
In-Betweening
The traditional animation process of drawing intermediate frames between key poses.
Blend Shape
A technique using target-based vertex deformation for nuanced facial expressions and morphs.
Onion-Skinning
A 2D animation technique that overlays adjacent frames to guide smooth motion.
Layout Artist
A production role responsible for translating storyboards into preliminary scene compositions.
X-Sheet
An exposure sheet that outlines timing, camera moves and sound cues for each animation frame.
Storyboard Artist
An artist who visualizes a script by sketching sequential panels to plan cinematic storytelling.
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