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

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

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.