Gotcha on type 2. Yeah, I don't think I've ever approached a fic purely from a form perspective.
Breaking down the fourth wall essentially means acknowledging that what you are writing/performing/filming is a piece of entertainment, and as such, not real. The foruth wall in theatre and film is 'removed' so the audience can see what is being performed. When you acknowledge that what the audience is seeing/reading is not real, then you are breaking down the illusion that people are watching/reading through the invisible wall. In theatre, and I believe the technical term in the theatre is 'metatheatre', it is calling attnetion to the fact that what you are seeing is a play. A character may talk directly to the audience, or make a comment like, "well, in the script it says I'm sad, so I shall cry."
In a story I wrote (To Kill a Liaison (http://paynbow.livejournal.com/47061.html)) I have an entire section where the author talks to Eve.
“Sure,” replied Angel, and, priorities finally sorted out, the three super-powered heroes of light collapsed into a vanilla-scented heap-o-love in the middle of the lobby owned by the second greatest evil ever conceived by man*.
The rest of the AI crew turned away and noticed Eve sulking right where they had…well, ignored her.
“Can we get back to me?” she asked. “After all, I AM what this rather disjointed fan fiction is about!”
The author looked suitably chastised. “Sorry, Eve,” she replied, “but…well…Spike and Angel!”
See how I answer a question AND pimp my own story in one comment? I'm a little impressed *g*
I am so restraining myself right now. As a theatre student I have tonnes of information stored away on the 4th wall, it's origins, how certain directors broke it down or didn't. But I will not fill up your comments with crap about Stanislavsky and Artaud. In short, it's a huge theatrical concept that scholars argue about constantly, and I cheepen it for comic effect *g*
no subject
Breaking down the fourth wall essentially means acknowledging that what you are writing/performing/filming is a piece of entertainment, and as such, not real. The foruth wall in theatre and film is 'removed' so the audience can see what is being performed. When you acknowledge that what the audience is seeing/reading is not real, then you are breaking down the illusion that people are watching/reading through the invisible wall. In theatre, and I believe the technical term in the theatre is 'metatheatre', it is calling attnetion to the fact that what you are seeing is a play. A character may talk directly to the audience, or make a comment like, "well, in the script it says I'm sad, so I shall cry."
In a story I wrote (To Kill a Liaison (http://paynbow.livejournal.com/47061.html)) I have an entire section where the author talks to Eve.
“Sure,” replied Angel, and, priorities finally sorted out, the three super-powered heroes of light collapsed into a vanilla-scented heap-o-love in the middle of the lobby owned by the second greatest evil ever conceived by man*.
The rest of the AI crew turned away and noticed Eve sulking right where they had…well, ignored her.
“Can we get back to me?” she asked. “After all, I AM what this rather disjointed fan fiction is about!”
The author looked suitably chastised. “Sorry, Eve,” she replied, “but…well…Spike and Angel!”
See how I answer a question AND pimp my own story in one comment? I'm a little impressed *g*
I am so restraining myself right now. As a theatre student I have tonnes of information stored away on the 4th wall, it's origins, how certain directors broke it down or didn't. But I will not fill up your comments with crap about Stanislavsky and Artaud. In short, it's a huge theatrical concept that scholars argue about constantly, and I cheepen it for comic effect *g*