{"id":26,"date":"2026-02-25T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediastudies.pinehurst.school.nz\/alina-zhang2026\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2026-09-17T17:48:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T05:48:27","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mediastudies.pinehurst.school.nz\/alina-zhang2026\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Research Task 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Research Task 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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 Analysis of \u201cI\u2019m Not a Robot<\/strong>“\/ “Ik Ben geen Robot”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Key Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Title: I\u2019m Not a Robot<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Year of release: 23 September 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Director(s):Victoria Warmerdam<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Production Company\/label: OAK Motion Pictures, The Y-House, Bulletproof Cupid<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Genre: Science fiction drama<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Target audience: Young adults and fans of really conceptual films.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    Narrative structure<\/strong><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    The narrative structure follows Todorov\u2019s narrative theory, with the equilibrium being that we are introduced to Lara at her job, where she seems to be just an ordinary office worker. She is disrupted by CAPTCHA tests for an update on her music app, telling her there is an 83 per cent chance that she might be a bot. Lara slowly became obsessed with the idea that she might be a robot, determined to prove the customer service person she called wrong. The film slowly reveals personal details about her life, making her question reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


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    Themes and messages <\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    The short film explores social themes, such as the inequality between men and women, especially evident in Lara\u2019s treatment and the dismissal of her feelings. Furthermore, Lara\u2019s existence in this film is controlled by others and by portraying a woman in the role of a \u201cRobot\u201d, it feeds into the stereotype that men control women in our society. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    Character Types <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    Lara – The main protagonist <\/strong><\/td>The short film follows her perspective and emotional journey; the audience sympathises with Lara more because the film uses a retrospective narrative, meaning we only know what she knows, which creates tension and confusion alongside her actions. Her character is also contradicts what the media presents AI as; a lot of media shows AI as a robot with no thought process to itself, along with no emotional depth, but that is not the case with Lara because she shows empathy, fear and vulnerability to her situation.<\/td><\/tr>
    The boyfriend – The controller <\/strong><\/td>Lara\u2019s boyfriend functions as a controlling role who knows \u2018knowledge\u2019 that Lara does not have; his calm reaction to Lara finding out that she is a robot contrasts greatly with Lara\u2019s emotional distress, which can raise questions about trust and gender imbalance within a relationship. This can also connect him to patriarchal authority because he partially controls Lara\u2019s identity and understanding of herself.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Visual style<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    The short film follows a cold and muted colour palette, such as grey, white and pale blues, which creates an artificial atmosphere, reinforcing the sci-fi theme of the film. The spaces where the scenes were shot are modern and uncluttered, with the setting often looking highly organised and almost unnatural, which feeds into the plot of the film. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    Camera techniques<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    Close-up shots are also frequently used to capture Lara’s emotions, while lots of wide and establishing shots are used to set the scene of the office. There are a lot of smooth camera shots where we follow Lara\u2019s movement in the film, making the story feel continuous as well as building suspense for the audience successfully. 
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    Sound techniques and Editing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    Sound and editing also play a significant role in shaping the audience\u2019s understanding. The dialogue of all the characters feels very clear and natural, as if we are watching it play out in real life; however, the dialogue is in Dutch, which can reinforce the vibes of Eastern European countries to the audience since our generation has the perspective that European countries have a cold, looking feeling to the infrastructure and overall atmosphere. The subtle background music can also enhance emotional moments and increase tension when necessary. Furthermore, the editing style is smooth, maintaining a steady pace as it builds toward the climax. 
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