TTLV: Child characters in Vietnamese feature films (Through The Nightingale, Mother Is Away, Bi, Don't Be Afraid)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MASTER'S THESIS

1. Student's full name:Phan Bich Lien                         

2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: May 9, 1980

4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision on student admission No. 2998/2013/QD-XHNV-SDH dated December 30, 2013, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:

7. Thesis title:Child characters in Vietnamese feature films (Through The Nightingale, Mother Is Away, Bi, Don't Be Afraid)

8. Specialization: Theory, History, and Criticism of Film and TelevisionCode: 60.21.02.31

9. Scientific supervisor:Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Ngoc ThanhButFaculty of Literature - University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi

10. Summary of the thesis results:

Based on an interdisciplinary research approach, particularly drawing on film theories and character development, this thesis identifies the key factors contributing to the success of child character portrayals in Vietnamese feature films. Through skillful artistic techniques and the subtle use of cinematic language, child characters are developed with refined techniques and variations to create compelling characters, resulting in engaging and vibrant films. Children enter the world of cinema from real life, and then emerge from cinema into real life with specific aesthetic and artistic images. Each director must select suitable actors and create compelling plot situations and details to allow the actors ample opportunity to showcase the characters' lives. This thesis aims to comprehensively analyze all the elements that contribute to the success of child characters, especially in the use of cinematic artistic techniques in character development. From there, filmmakers will have a more accurate and comprehensive understanding when creating child characters. This is achieved through studying child characters in three films.The Nightingale, Mother's Away, and Bi, Don't Be AfraidIn this thesis, we will specifically explain how filmmakers construct child characters. We will examine the cinematic techniques used to create these characters, from staging and the use of sound and lighting to giving children ample screen time, especially avoiding dogmatism and rigidity… All of this will be detailed in this thesis.

11. Practical applications:

Films about children are receiving increasing attention as the country develops and integrates into the global community. Developing child characters and portraying them in feature films is a major issue. This is a topic that has yet to be fully explored, possessing novelty, theoretical and practical value, and is feasible for a master's thesis. Furthermore, there is currently a shortage of films about children, failing to meet demand. Young audiences lack suitable films and are drawn to a different world of childhood through foreign films, where lifestyles and cultures differ significantly from ours. From a practical standpoint, the three films studied are considered successful by experts at the time of their release, with some even considered classics of Vietnamese cinema. This research will have significant practical value and serve as valuable material for screenwriters and filmmakers.

12. Future research directions:

Recently, Vietnamese cinema has undergone significant transformations and achieved considerable success; however, in the area of ​​children's themes, the exploration of child characters remains largely untapped, especially in films adapted from children's literature. The author wishes to learn more about how to successfully adapt a film, given the rich and diverse body of children's literature that aligns well with national cultural aesthetics. The goal is to explore artistic techniques for developing child characters in adaptations, ensuring that the film not only achieves box office success but also possesses high artistic quality upon release.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

- Phan Bich Thuy (2005), Central characters from literary works to cinematic works, Master's thesis, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education.

- Bui Thi Thuy Ha (2007), Villain characters in Vietnamese feature films from 1959 to the present, Master's thesis, University of Theatre and Film.

- Vu Thi Phong (2007), Youth characters in Vietnamese feature films of the early 21st century, Master's thesis, University of Theatre and Cinemaimage.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Phan Bich Lien 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: May 9, 1980 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Admission decision number: 2998/2013/QD-XHNV-SĐH, Dated December 30, 2013 by the Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in academic process:

7. Official thesis title: Kid characters in the Vietnamese film drama (in the films: The Nightingale, Mother Away from Home, Bi, Don't Be Afraid)

8. Major: Historical and theoretical critique on Cinema - Television Code: 60.21.02.31

9. Supervisors: Assoc.Prof, PhD. Vu Ngoc Thanh, Literature Faculty - University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

10. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

Based on using interdisciplinary research methods, especially the theory of movies and building characters, the thesis points out the major factors to build children characters successfully in the Vietnamese movie films. With the artistic crafts, cinema language used in a subtle way, children characters that are built with the refinement and variations will create iconic characters as well as attractive and lively films. To build children characters from the real life entering the cinema, and also from the movie come to life with the aesthetic icon, a certain artistic image, each director should choose suitable actors and create comic situations, as well as more expensive details for actors to depict characters' life. The writer wants to go deep analysis on all the elements to the success of the children characters, especially in how to build characters by the artistic crafts of cinema in an integrated manner. From there, the filmmakers who want to build children characters will have an accurate and comprehensive look. Through understanding the children characters through three films:The Nightingale, Mother's Away, and Bi, Don't Be Afraid, we explain how the filmmakers built these children characters in a specific way as well as the cinematography crafts were used to build children characters images from the staging, sound and lighting use and creating good conditions for actors, especially avoiding dogma, hardening ... All the thesis will be shown in a concrete way.

11. Practical applicability, if any:

The films on the subject of children are increasingly concerned during the country's development and integration. Building children characters, iconic children characters in the movie film is a big problem. This is a topic without summation, newness, theoretics and practice, considerations for writing the graduate thesis. Moreover the current arrays of films on the subject of children are deficient and failing to meet the demand. Because of a lack of these films for children audiences, they have self-directed to the other childhood world through foreign movies whose lifestyle and culture is different from our country's. As a matter of fact, experts rated these 3 studying films as successes when the films were born and considered classics of Vietnam's cinema. This study will bring a great practicality and will be a reference material for the playwrights and filmmakers.

12. Further research directions, if any:

Recently, Vietnamese cinema has been taking significant steps forwards and achieving certain success, but the array of topics on children, child characters exploitation is left open. Especially the films were adapted from the works of children's literature. The writer wants to learn more about how a film is adapted successfully because literary treasure for children is very rich and also very consistent with the national aesthetic culture. Learning the artistic craft to build children characters in the adaptation movies at the cinema brings not only good profit but also gets highly artistic quality.

13. Thesis-related publications:

- Phan Bich Thuy (2005), the central characters from literature to cinema, Master's thesis, The HCM City University of Education.

- Bui Thi Thuy Ha (2007), the villain characters in Vietnam's cinema films from 1959 to the present, Master's Thesis, the Academy of Theater and Cinema.

- Vu Thi Phong (2007), the youth characters in Vietnam's the early 21^stcentury cinema films, Master's Thesis, the Academy of Theater and Cinema.