Proposal for a taxonomy of avatars in movies
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Abstract
In recent decades, avatars have been increasingly used in the field of cinema. That is why this research aims to analyse the different types of avatars and to present a taxonomy that serves as a reference to categorise their diverse uses and implications in narratology and characters. More than fifty films were selected and a thematically discursive film analysis was carried out. After a previous basic distinction regarding the mind-body duality to understand the applied avatar concept, the results point to three principles or factors. The first is the degree of divergence between worlds or contexts between the character and the avatar, the second is the degree of existence or self-consciousness of the avatar, and the third is the degree of psychophysical differentiation between character and avatar. It is observed that the fact that these levels are high, low or zero, entails different implications within the films that affect the characters, their plots and even the possible main and secondary themes proposed. It ends by exemplifying the use of this taxonomy and concludes that it can be of utility and reference for future categorisations and use of avatars within the wide and innovative cinematographic universe.
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