Narration – speaking happening over what is happening on screen which adds more information into the sequence.

Unreliable narrator –  an untrustworthy storyteller, most often used in narratives with a first-person point of view. 

Backstory – a history or background created for a fictional character in a film or television programme

Flashback – a scene in a film, novel, etc. set in a time earlier than the main story.

Flash forward – show events that will happen at a later time than the main story

Linear narrative – a story in chronological order.

Non-linear narrative – any narrative that doesn’t follow a traditional, chronological order from beginning to end

Ellipsis –  omitting a portion of the sequence of events, allowing the reader to fill in the narrative gaps

Framing devises –  a story that is different from the main story, comes at the beginning and end of it, and adds to it in some way.

Cliff-hanger – a situation or part of a film that is very exciting or frightening because you are left for a long time not knowing what will happen next. 

Closed ending – when a TV show or a film end with no confusion

Macguffin – an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance.

Foreshadowing –  hinting about what is to come during later events.

Alignment – the way in which we are oriented towards the characters in a narrative in terms of information

POV – point of view – which character the narrative is being told from

Causality – cause-and-effect relationship between events

In media res – in the midst of things, a story that begins partway through its plot, with the missing events filled in later through dialogue, flashbacks, or other techniques.

Masterplot – “skeletal” stories that recur again and again

Subplot – a secondary plot used in film and television that receives less screen time and emphasis than the main plot.

Narrative hook – what grabs the viewer’s attention.

Plot twist – an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go.

unreliable narrator. a narrator who misleads readers Deliberately or unwillingly

Backstory: a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot  

flashback: a narrative technique of interrupting the story or plot to interject events of earlier occurrence. The earlier events often take the form of a memory

non linear narrative: any narrative that doesn’t follow a traditional, chronological order from beginning to end. Non-linear stories can employ techniques like flashbacks, flash-forwards, multiple points of view, or a non-sequential structure that rearranges the order of events.

ellipsis: movement and action unnecessary to the telling of a story will often be removed by editing.

framing device: a narrative technique in which a story is surrounded by a secondary story, creating a story within a story, often through Separate Scene Storytelling. The inner story is usually the bulk of the work.

Cliff-hanger: a dramatic and exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and anxious not to miss the next episode.

McGuffin: An object or device in a film or a book which serves merely as a trigger for the plot.

foreshadowing: hinting about what is to come during later events. It creates expectations about how things might play out

alignment: The way in which we are oriented towards the characters in a narrative in terms of information

causality: when one even in a story leads to another vent and so on. this continues until the story reaches a conclusion.

In media res: A Latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things.” Writers in the world of film use it to describe a movie scene that begins with a protagonist at a later point in the narrative. By this point, a good deal of action has taken place.

master plot: The main story that recurs again and again in the film

subplot: a secondary plot used in film and television that receives less screen time and emphasis than the main plot. Subplots may never intertwine with a story’s main plot, but to be effective, work to enhance the main plot of a film.

narrative hook: what grabs the viewer’s attention, preferably in the first 5–10 minutes

plot twist: an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go.

•Narration/Unreliable Narrator – Narration is a voiceover in the film that explains or shows events. An unreliable Narrator is someone who tells the story but without any credibility and misleads the viewer.

•Backstory – A story/reason previous to the current events on screen in the main story/plot. These can both be shown or not.

•Flashback/Flashforward – An interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time to a previous event which is usually significant to the current plot now.

•Linear/Non-Linear Narrative –  In a linear film, scenes are arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line of a story. In a non-linear film, scenes aren’t arranged in a linear structure but are shown out of order, such as through flashbacks and etc.

•Ellipsis – When a portion of scene is skipped in a portion of an event, but allowed the reader to interpret and fill in the gaps what happens in the narrative.

•Framing Device – A story away from the main story that goes from the beginning to the end and ties into the main story somehow.

•Cliffhanger/Closed Endings – A plot device that leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat in suspense.

•Macguffin – A plot device that is used to establish the character into motion and drive the story that will often lacking intrinsic importance.

•Foreshadowing – A hint as to what’s to come later on in the narrative.

•Alignment/POV – Alignment is the process of a film putting us into relation into the characters to understand what they feel. POV shows what the world looks like from a characters eyes.

•Causality – The cause-and-effect relationship between events in a film.

•In Media Res – The term used for a films beginning to begin in the middle of the narrative rather than the very start.

•Masterplot/Subplot – Masterplot is the ‘Skeletal’ stories that re-occur again and again. Subplot is the portion of events that occur within a film that are not in relation to the main plot, but eventually feed into it.

•Narrative Hook Plot Twist – a narrative tool used in storytelling to create an unexpected change in the direction or outcome of the plot.

• Deus ex machina – meaning “Machine from god” is a plot device for when a characters overwhelming, unsolvable issue is suddenly resolved.

•Narration/Unreliable Narrator – Voiceover that explains or describes the events of a film as the events happen on screen. An unreliable narrator is somebody who cannot be fully trusted to give a credible explanation.

•Backstory – The history or background of a character that explains to the audience why they do what they do in the narrative.

•Flashback/Flashforward – Scenes depicted prior to or after the main narrative of the film, usually interrupting the chronological sequencing.

•Linear/Non-Linear Narrative – A linear narrative takes place in timeline order/each event happening after another. A non-linear narrative happens out of chronological order, leaving the audience to figure out when each part takes place in the narrative.

•Ellipsis – omitting an event in the narrative through editing, allowing audiences to interpret what has happened between sequences.

•Framing Device – When the main narrative is surrounded by a secondary story, creating a ‘story within a story’

•Cliffhanger/Closed Endings – Ending the film with no definitive ending so that the conclusion of the narrative is open to interpretation.

•Macguffin – The plot device that sets a story into motion and drives the story forward.

•Foreshadowing – hinting/teasing events that happen later in the narrative before they happen.

•Alignment/POV – When spectators are placed in the position and perspective of the characters on screen.

•Causality – how each event leads into the next, progressing the story forward.

•In Media Res – Beginning in the middle of the narrative, as opposed to starting where the plot begins.

•Masterplot/Subplot – Extra narrative strands that recur parallel to the main plot, adding additional information or depth.

•Narrative Hook – An event grabbing the attention of the audience within the first 10-15 minutes of a film.

•Plot Twist – A sudden turning point in the narrative that alters the previous and future events.

narrative devices

narration – the subjective telling of the story from a specific point of view e.g. trainspotting mark renton

unreliable narrator – a character who tells us a story without credibility

backstory – a story that tells what led up to the main story/plot e.g this is england shaun’s backstory

flashback – interrupting the chronological sequence of events to interject events of earlier occurrence

flashforward – a transition in a film or scene in the future

linear – the events of the story unfolding in the order in which they occurred

non-linear narrative – a storytelling technique in which a narrative is told out of chronological order

ellipsis – the shortening of plot duration achieved by omitting some story duration

framing device – a story that is different from the main story, comes at the beginning and end of it, and adds to it in some way

cliff-hanger – a plot that leaves the audience in suspense at the end of a scene or episode

closed endings – the character finishes their overall aim of the plot/makes it to the end of their journey

macguffin – a device in a film which serves merely as a trigger for plot

foreshadowing – be a warning or indication of a future event

alignment – the process by which spectators are are placed in relation to characters in terms of access to their actions and to what they know and feel e.g trainspotting mark renton – we are on his side

POV – a sequence that is shot as if the viewer were looking through the eyes of a specific character e.g this is england shaun – we follow his story throughout

causality – an influence by a cause contributes to an effect where the cause is partly responsible for the effect, and the effect is partly dependent on the cause

in medias res – technical term for the epic convention of beginning ‘in the middle of things’ rather than at the very start of the story

subplot – secondary plot used in film and television that receives less screen time and emphasis than the main plot e.g. trainspotting Lol and Woody relationship

masterplot – the main plot, ‘skeletal’ stroies that recur again and again

narrative hook – technique in the opening of a film that hooks the viewers attention e.g. trainspotting beginning scene

plot twist – an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely changens the direction or the outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go

Narration/untrustworthy narrator- a untrustworthy storyteller, most often used in narratives with a first person point of view

Backstory-a history or background created for a fictional character in a film or television programme

Flashback/Flashforward- They take a viewer from current moment to past or future time then return them to the current time.

Linear Plot- A linear plot has a beginning middle and end and is constructed chronologically.

Ellipsis- the narrative device of omitting a portion of the sequence events, allowing the reader to fill in the narrative gaps.

Framing Device- Provides structure and context for the central story.

Cliff-hanger- Ends a section of a story or ends the story with a complete dramatic question.

McGuffin- a plot device used in films or books that sets the characters into motion and drives the story.

Foreshadowing- a warning or indication of a future event within the story.

Alignment- The correct positioning of something.

Causality- an influence by which one event process state or object contributes to the production of another event.

In Media Res- a device used to describe when a story opens with a character already in the middle of things .

Master plot/Subplot- The main and second storyline within a film to offer different prospective.

Narrative Hook- the technique in the opening of a story that hooks the viewers attention so that they stay interested.

Plot Twist- A technique used that introduces a radical change in direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction.

narration- Narration is the act of telling a story, usually in some kind of chronological order. Making up a scary ghost story and relating it around a camp fire is an act of narration. Narration generally means any kind of explaining or telling of something. It is usually used in reference to storytelling.

backstory- Definitions of backstory. circumstances and events leading up to a real-life situation. the history of a made-up character in a drama, film, or book. a creative work that relates events taking place before those of an existing work.

flashback and flashforward- For example, a character might have a flashback to their childhood to explain why they have a fear of dogs or why they have a strained relationship with their father. Flash forwards are scenes or events that occur later in the story’s timeline than the present moment of the narrative

linear and non-linear- A linear plot has a beginning, middle, and end and is constructed chronologically. A nonlinear plot contains the same components (beginning, middle, and end) but is not chronological. Toni Morrison’s A Mercy is a nonlinear plot narrative format. The events are sporadic and without any chronological order.

ellipsis- Elliptical storytelling involves omitting or withholding part of the events or aspects so that the viewer (or reader) will fill in the gaps

framing devise- A framing device is like a picture frame or a window frame, providing structure and context for the central story. Examples of framing devices are ubiquitous in literature and entertainment. A tale told by a narrator to a group of listeners, as in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, is a classic framing device.

cliffhanger and closed endings- A cliffhanger is hoped to incentivize the audience to return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma. The 1914 film serial Perils of Pauline was shown in bi-weekly installments and ended with a cliffhanger.

McGuffin- A MacGuffin is a plot device used in films or books that sets the characters into motion and drives the story. A MacGuffin is an object, idea, person, or goal that the characters are either in pursuit of or which serves as motivation for their actions. Usually, the MacGuffin is revealed in the first act.

foreshadowing- Foreshadowing is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing is useful for creating suspense, a feeling of unease, a sense of curiosity, or a mark that things may not be as they seem.

POV- Point of view shots give audiences a view from a character’s perspective by positioning the camera right where the character’s eyes would be. These shots cast an illusion of access to a character’s inner life, which makes POV shots very popular in TV and film.

casualty- Like “victim,” “casualty” means someone who has been hurt or killed, but the difference is in the cause. If that person has been harmed in a war or accident, then they are a “casualty.”

in media reis- In medias res is a latin phrase meaning “in the midst of things.” It’s used as a literary term to describe when a story opens with the character already in the middle of things—whether it’s a high octane car chase or a group of friends’ discovery of a dead body, this narrative technique captures the audience’s 

masterplot- A classic reference work for more than sixty years, Masterplots analyzes the most important works in all genres-long fiction, short fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction-throughout history and around the world, helping to define and critique the literary canon.

narrative hook- A hook is an opening statement (which is usually the first sentence) in an essay that attempts to grab the reader’s attention so that they want to read on.

plot twist- A plot twist is a sudden and unexpected change in the direction or outcome of a story that surprises and challenges the reader.

narrative- Narrative film: A fictional or fictionalized story. As opposed to documentaries (non-narrative films). Classical Hollywood narrative: A specific storytelling structure developed in early American cinema that has become the norm for narrative film.

naratology- NARRATOLOGY EXAMINES THE WAYS that narrative structures our perception of both cultural artifacts and the world around us. The study of narrative is particularly important since our ordering of time and space in narrative forms constitutes one of the primary ways we construct meaning in general.

Todorov- Todorov posited that all narratives contain equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, resolution, and new equilibrium. “Logical and artistic necessity” mandates these formal similarities. Narrative, Todorov suggests, is a language that humans are conditioned to speak.

levi-strauss- Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of ‘binary opposites’ which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.

campell heros journey- Monomyth: The Hero’s Journey. Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth, developed in Hero With A Thousand Faces, describes the common heroic narrative in which a heroic protagonist sets out, has transformative adventures, and returns home. It is a useful formula for comparing literary traditions across time and culture.

barthes narrative codes- Those five narrativecodes are; hermeneutic code, proairetic code, cultural code, connotative code, and symbolic code. This study applies qualitative research design to analyze the source of data.

Narration: a voiceover in a story which explains the plot or establishes the story.

Backstory: an explanation of a characters, location or something else’s past.

Flashback: when the story switch’s to the past in the middle of the story.

Ellipse: leaving out a part of the story for the audience to fill in the gaps.

Cliff hanger: when a story ends abruptly and unresolved.

Macguffin: an object or device that drives the plot that wasnt related to the plot beforehand.

Foreshadowing: when a plot point is hinted at earier on in the story.

Causality: the cause and effect within a story which keeps it going.

In media res: when the plot starts within the middle of the story.

Narrative hook: an interesting thing in the beginning of the plot which makes the audience want to keep watching.

Plot twist: an abrupt change in the story which changes the overall narrative.