Setting. Each story will have a macro-setting, the space and time covered by the entire story –...
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Setting. Each story will have a macro-setting, the space and time covered by the entire story – This can be centuries and wide ranges of solar systems,
Each story will have a macro-setting, the space and time
covered by the entire story This can be centuries and wide ranges
of solar systems, galaxies, etc. Micro-settings: Individual scenes,
episodes, etc. occur within much more limited time and space
constraints A given evening at an office A crime scene A childs
bedroom at bedtime
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Law and Order
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Conditions Audience members expect certain things to be true
about the narrative context when they are made aware of the setting
Time and place determine weather, technology, social structure,
culture, major events, social etiquette, etc.
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Consider: Egypt, 1375 B.C. Pearl Harbor in December 1941
Contemporary Louisville Contemporary Paris Los Angeles, 2030
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Realistic v. fantastic settings Realistic settings either are,
or follow the rules of, actual physical places and times where real
people could be found Historical events may be a significant part
of the narrative Characters may not be realistic, though
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Realistic settings The depth of detail provided and the
accuracy of that detail affects the audience experience of realism
Some directors/art directors are obsessed with providing realistic
presentations of historic or contemporary settings 1945 Japanese
submarine toilet seat
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Exotic settings Real places far removed from audience
experience can seem fantastic Rwanda Middle Ages Audiences must
learn the crucial rules of the setting to understand the plot and
characters
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Fantastic settings Fantastic settings are those that do not
follow the laws of physics, etc. as we understand them They are
often, but not always, inhabited by fantastic characters Magic
Science unknown to us (future advances)
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Rules for fantastic settings Even if magic is possible, dragons
exist, etc. there must be rules that define how events can happen,
what characters exist, etc. The rules cannot be contradictory to
each other Once set, the narrative is bound by the rules Fantastic
settings, carefully drawn and with compelling rules, can seem
realistic
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Setting and exposition The more psychologically distant from
the audience the setting is, the more exposition will be needed to
allow the audience member to follow the narrative Germany during
the Dark Ages may well demand more exposition for a contemporary
audience than does the surface of the Moon
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Setting and plot a setting delimits the possible actions in a
narrative. As such, the setting is connected to the plot (Talib,
Narrative Theory) Actions and events that generate protagonist
motivations (plague outbreak) Available choices to satisfy
motivations (no guns) Consequences of various actions (explosion
breaks dike) Chance factors (tornadoes, traffic accidents)
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The most significant requirement is that rules must be
consistent Magic must have limits and magical powers must follow
rules Too much magic, fantasy, etc. will strain the audiences
acceptance even of a fantastic setting
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Setting and character Certain characters are appropriate for
certain settings Character types that are naturally found in one
setting would be out of place in another Behavior that is
appropriate in one setting would be unacceptable in another
Features of the setting may provide clues to the character
personality
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Social rules of custom and ethics determine what the characters
can do and say without social sanction Victorian novels often are
based on class conflicts and appropriate behaviors
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Settings may determine the tone of the narrative CSI, CSI: New
York, CSI: Miami Metropolis v. Gotham City The Shining Gladiator
Heroes Brothers and Sisters ER A History of Violence
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Stereotypical settings Common, stylized settings are typical
for some genres Western saloon Hospital emergency room Battlefield
Haunted house Fraternity house
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Time and space Characters exist in, and move through, time and
space Discourse time and space v. story time and space Time and
place prior to, and after, the main narrative Flashbacks and
flashforwards Backstory and epilogue
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Representing time and space Setting information is conveyed
both visually and aurally Establishing shot VO Narration Dialogue
Discourse time is usually much shorter than story time so
conventions must be used to indicate time passage to the audience
When locations change, means to indicate new locations must be
provided to the audience