Remember that media texts exist in a web. They relate to one another and link to one another. They even refer to one another. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes just because.
We call this intertextuality: when one media text makes a reference to another.
Last time, we looked at indirect intertextuality - and if you haven't already read that post, do so, as this post makes direct intertextual links to that one! We learned that indirect intertextuality can be accidental and unconscious. At its strongest, it’s a media creator being inspired and influenced by media texts they’ve seen before. I didn’t make my Western film with a six-shooter showdown at the end because of any particular film. I made it because lots of films have done that. Direct intertextuality is a lot more deliberate and obvious. It’s where a media creator wants you to know that they’ve watched/played/listened to/read a specific media text. They make a reference to that text that will only be understood by audiences who have also consumed that media text.
One of the most common is narrative links between films in the same series. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is famous (perhaps even infamous) for this. This Media teacher tried to watch Avengers: Infinity War without watching any other MCU films. I found it much harder to understand the film’s events or enjoy the appearances of its characters because I hadn’t seen the other films to which direct intertextual references were being made. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time, but I didn’t have anywhere near as good a time as my MCU-fan friends.
Star Wars’ TV offerings similarly assume that audiences have watched not only the nine main films, but even watched the animated series, read comic books and novels or played the video games. The Rise of Skywalker drew criticism from fans as some of its key plot points only made sense after reading the far lesser known companion book. As a big fan of the franchise, though, I love these direct intertextual references, with events from old comics being mentioned in the films or characters from the animated series appearing in live action TV. At the same time, I watch the TV series with someone who hasn’t consumed all of these media texts, which means their enjoyment and understanding isn’t the same. This can be the problem with very direct intertextual references. It can leave audience members ‘not in the know’ feeling left out and confused. Equally, however, audiences who do get those references feel included, 'in the know' and satisfied by their knowledge of that media text's world or universe.
Sometimes, these direct references can be a much gentler nod or suggestion and it matters less if you miss them. Media creators sometimes like to make a direct reference to another text to show their appreciation or love for it. Remember in my last post I invented a Western film called Showdown at Farside. Let’s say that a big fan of the film becomes a film director herself one day. She makes a sci-fi film with a desert world called Farside as a mark of love and respect for my film. Equally, I might make a chocolate box advert of a man in a suit sat between two women in red, all of them deciding what chocolate to eat next. A clear and direct reference to the Quality Street advert. We call these direct references out of love, respect or appreciation homages, and they can be done in lots of different ways. Much like indirect intertextual references, these could be through mise-en-scene, camerawork, soundtrack, narrative and more. You lose nothing in the above examples if you haven’t seen Showdown at Farside (and I stress again, it's not a real film, just one I invented!) or the 1956 Quality Street poster (which is real!), but have a lovely moment of realisation if you have seen them.
Strangely, we can show our love for something through mocking and making fun of it, taking a serious media text and recreating it in a way that instead provides comedy and laughs. Star Wars has been parodied in this way extensively by productions such as Spaceballs and Family Guy’s three Star Wars parody episodes. They tell very similar stories with very similar characters, but do so for comedy. The Austin Powers films are a great example of a parody of the James Bond franchise. The Despicable Me films similarly parody the espionage genre as a whole.
One of my favourite examples of parody is in the end credits for most Pixar films, where a blooper/outtakes reel is shown. In a CGI film, the ‘actors’ can in theory make no mistakes since they’re not real, and yet Pixar creates these outtakes as you would have on the bonus features in a film with live actors. The best parody of all, however, comes at the end of Cars, in which Mack watches a number of other Pixar films. Not only do these already parody the films by imagining that cars now play the roles, but it also suggests that Pixar’s other films are part of the universe. What’s funnier is that Mack notes that the same voice actor has been ‘lazily’ used for different characters in different films The punchline? Mack is himself voiced by the same voice actor, John Ratzenberger! Check it out below.
Another type of direct intertextual reference is the Easter egg. These are tiny details included in media texts and are often so small and fleeting that they can be easily missed. Part of the enjoyment in Easter eggs is hunting them down and spotting them (like in an egg hunt, hence the name) and media creators often include them on purpose to create this little game for their audiences. There is absolutely no impact on the viewing experience if audiences don’t spot it. Easter eggs aren’t plot critical. Quite often they are objects, but can also be names or numbers and more besides that are ‘hidden in plain sight’.
A great example is the number 1138 in George Lucas’ works, an Easter egg he put in his works as a direct reference to his first film, THX-1138. In A New Hope, Luke lies to an Imperial officer that Chewie is a “prisoner transfer from cell block 1138, while in The Phantom Menace, one of the battle droids has the number stencilled on his backpack. Even more sneakily, ‘Rogue 11’ in The Empire Strikes Back’ is sent to ‘Station 38’. Lucas would take this even further. His headquarters is called Skywalker Ranch (after the famous family in the films) and he even developed a special sound and vision technology company to edit and process his films. Its name? THX. Nothing at all is lost if you don’t spot these references, but they’re geeky bragging rights if you do.
Pixar films are full of Easter eggs too – brands like Pizza Planet, Al’s Toy Barn, Eggman Movers or B&L pop up all over the films, and have the added (and lovely) side effect of making these films all feel part of a bigger universe.
There’s an even stranger sort of Easter egg. Media texts can make references to other media texts that haven’t even been released yet. Teasers can be placed in one media text to hint at the contents of the next. In the first Iron Man, Rhodes looks at the Mk. 2 suit and declares “next time, baby,” hinting at his becoming War Machine in the sequel. Pixar often hide references to future films in their current releases. Technically, 1995’s Toy Story sets up a teaser that would last over 25 years, with Andy’s favourite film being Lightyear. He has posters for it all over his bedroom wall, and we finally got to see the film in 2022. The post-credits sequence, often waited for by audiences at the ends of films, is a great example of this. These have been particular popularised by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with patient audiences rewarded with a strong hint of what’s to come if they stay for the credits.