Lesson 2 Notes
- 1. Thursday 15th September Lesson 2 Narrative Structure In A Film How films tell stories Narrative form is the different structure ways a movie tells stories… eg it starts with a flashback. Film=Story Narratives are everywhere! They are most common in fiction films but are in all types of films. Events occur in space and time: A narrative is a string of events occurring in space and time. Narratives do not unfold randomly, they are ordered and are connected by the logic of cause and effect. This logic of cause and effect ties together character traits, goals, obstacles and actions. Taken 1. Dad is insecure about the safety of life 2. Daughter lies to go to France, Dad says be careful 3. Daughter is kidnapped… 4. Dad makes angry phone call “I don’t know who you are bla bla… I will find you and kill you bla bla bla” 5. Dad beats up bad guy 6. Dad finds daughters coat 7. Dad beats up more bad guys 8. Dad electrocutes someone 9. Dad finds where daughter is and buys her from sex trade 10. Dad kills big bad guy and is accepted by daughter Act 3 Act 2 Act 1
- 2. The Three Act Structure Act 1-Introduction Act 2- Rising action- stakes get higher Act 3- crisis- falling action The Narrative Structure Set up/Exposition- meeting the characters, establishing the setting, setting the tone- establishing the normal of the film world Rising action- central conflict is introduced and the tension begins Climax- the turning point making things better or worse Falling action- the major has happened, this is the aftermath Dénouement/Resolution- the creation of the new normal Tzvetan Todorov 1. All is good 2. A disruption of order by an event 3. A recognition of that disruption 4. An attempt to repair the damage 5. A return to the restoration, the character is changed forever Equilibrium Disequilibrium New Equilibrium
- 3. Character - Narrative films often focus on the struggles of a human character - Characters are responsible for the cause and effect in narrative A Flat character is when you know very little about them- Chewbacca A Round character is when you know lots about them even if it’s at the end when you find out- Jason Bourne Flat is a minor character who does not go through a change and are very stereotypical. Round is a fully developed character who may undergo a change in the film. Developing Characters How do writers develop round, dynamic characters? - Through conversations with other characters - Through group associations, example- police we know they will be good - Through direct description of the character - How they react to situations Character Traits - Traits are attitudes, skills, habits, tastes, psychological drives and any other qualities that distinguish a character - Traits in an opening are relevant to late scenes- this is related to cause and effect Example: In Civil War we know that Iron Man is impulsive and a bit of a rebel so we are not surprised when he doesn’t want to sign the agreement, similarly we know that Captain America loves to follow orders so we are not surprised when he signs the agreement.