Narrative Structure in Film

How Films Tell storiesLO: To identify key narrative technques

What is Narrative Form?What is Narrative Form?

Narrative form is the structure though which movies tell stories.

When we speak of ‘going to the movies,’ we almost always mean that we are going to see a narrative film – a film that tells a story.

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Narratives appear throughout media and society – in novels, plays, comic books, television shows and even commercials.

Narratives are most common in fiction film, but appear in all basic types of film

Narratives are EverywhereNarratives are Everywhere

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A narrative is an account of a string of events occurring in space and time.

Narratives do not unfold randomly, but rather as an ordered series of events connected by the logic of cause and effect.

This logic of cause and effect ties together character traits, goals, obstacles and actions.

Events Occur in Space and TimeEvents Occur in Space and Time

In Groups:

Think of a film you all know: write out all the

key events (around 10)

The Narrative Structure

The Narrative Structure•Set Up/Exposition – meeting the characters, establishing the setting, setting the tone – establishing the normal of the film world

•Rising Action – the central conflict is introduced and the tension between the protagonist and the antagonist begins to mount, many events will happen and the stakes get higher

•Climax – The climax is the turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonist’s future.

•Falling Action – The major action has happened. This is the aftermath . This is the sorting out of the major conflict’s resolution.

•Dénouement/Resolution – the creation of the new normal. The conflict is resolved

The Narrative Structure

Your Turn

Draw a graph of the action in your chosen film and see if it follows the path

Tzvetan Todorov

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Typically a narrative begins with one situation (Exposition).

A series of changes occurs according to a pattern of cause and effect.

Finally a new situation arises – through character choice and conflict – that restores equilibrium to the world of the story and brings about the end of the narrative.

The new story equilibrium almost always results in character change.

How Narrative UnfoldsHow Narrative Unfolds

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1. The Star Wars films begin with the protagonist (hero) Luke Skywalker hiding from the Empire.

2. The Empire find and kill his family3. Luke Skywalker realises that he must stand up to the Empire.4. Story changes that result from conflict and character choice force him

into a climactic showdown with antagonist (villain) Darth Vader and the Emperor.

5. Skywalker, Vader and the rebels triumphs and equilibrium is restored.6. Though Luke loses his father, he changes by becoming wiser and

more humble, he is a very different man by the end

ExampleExample

CharacterCharacter Narrative films generally focus on human characters and

their struggles. Characters are typically responsible for cause and effect

in narrative.

Characters

Think of some of your favourite films Who would you describe as ‘flat’ characters Who would you describe as ‘rounded’

characters

So what do we mean by these words?

Film Flat Round

Characters

Storytellers use different types of characters to tell their stories Flat: minor characters who do not go through

any substantial change throughout the story or have much substance to them (think stereotypes)

Round: More fully developed characters who may experience a change during the story

Developing Characters

How do writers develop round, dynamic characters?

Through conversations with other charactersThrough group associationsThrough direct description of that characterThrough reactions to conflict

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Character TraitsCharacter Traits

Traits are attitudes, skills, habits, tastes, psychological drives and any other qualities that distinguish a character.

Traits in opening scenes are relevant to later scenes; this is related to cause and effect.

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ExamplesExamples

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke’s character traits are introduced early on and pay off in later scenes.

They include his knowledge of the Force, his survival skills, his ability with a light saber, and his impetuousness.

Character Traits

Think of the rounded characters you came up with before.

What character traits did they have and how did these traits ‘pay off’ later in the film.

Character: Goals and obstaclesCharacter: Goals and obstacles Goals might include locating treasure, choosing

a foster parent or looking for love. Characters encounter obstacles in pursuing

these goals – the collision of goals and obstacles create conflict and thus drama.

Character: ChoicesCharacter: Choices

Characters create cause and effect through choices that lead to conflict and consequences.

These patterns are designed so that the viewer clearly sees and understands them.

Characters posses traits, face conflicts, make choices and undergo changes that enable or hinder pursuit of a specific goal.

Characters – Goals, Choices, Obstacle

Characters – Goals, Choices, Obstacle What goals and obstacles did your characters

face?

Conflict – central to any narrativeConflict – central to any narrative

Relational Conflict - This is conflict between characters over goals and how to achieve goals. Inner Conflict - This is conflict within a character. It could be concerned with their self esteem, insecurities or uncertainties. Societal – This is conflict between a person and a group. This group could be a government, a gang, family, the army, or a country for example. Situational – This is conflict that develops as a result of a situation. Disaster films use this style of conflict a lot. Cosmic – This is conflict between the main character and a supernatural force e.g. God or a universal Good vs Evil idea.

Conflict Conflict Relational Conflict

Inner Conflict

Societal

Situational

Cosmic

Conflict

Choose one character/ film you have been working on and make a list of all the conflict they have been involved in.

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Diegetic vs. Nondiegetic ElementsDiegetic vs. Nondiegetic Elements

Diegetic elements are everything that exists in the world that the film depicts – including everything implied off-screen: settings, sounds, characters, events.

Nondiegetic elements are elements within the film, but not within the film’s world, such as credits, music or voice-over narration.

Characters are unaware of these elements. A director can use nondiegetic elements to

suggest narrative

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“Filmmakers use non-diegetic elements for several reasons: they may draw attention to

aspects of the narrative from a position outside the story, they communicate with the audience

directly, and they engage viewers on an emotional level.”

Pramaggiore and Wallis,” Narrative Form”

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ExamplesExamples

Examples of non-diegetic narrative elements include: The voice-over in The Shawshank Redemption The opening “crawl” of text in Star Wars The opening credits of Seven