Category Archives: Theory

Filters

Author:
Category:
Moving Image, Theory

Narrative structure

Leave a comment

Todorov

Stories have a beginning, middle and end or as Todorov describes; equilibrium, disruption, new equilibrium

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium– hero tries to find a solution, main part of the story
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

 Links with Freytag’s Pyramid– exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement

Vladimir Propp

stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories

Suggest that all stories draw on familiar characters performing similar functions to provide familiar narrative structures.

the way in which CHARACTERS FUNCTION TO PROVIDE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

‘these are not separate characters, since one character can occupy a number of roles or ‘spheres of action’ as Propp calls them and one role may be played by a number of different characters’

Stock character’s roles can be organised into

  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

Claude Levi-Strauss (Binary Oppositions)

Levi-Strauss examined the nature of myths and legends in ancient and primitive cultures. ”myths were used to deal with the contradictions in experience, to explain the apparently inexplicable, and to justify the inevitable”

NARRATIVES (=myths) are STRUCTURED around BINARY OPPOSITIONS eg: good v evil

can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society (reactionary) or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society (radical)

Think about individual texts as a set of binary opposites. Construct a scale chart around key themes and concepts in film (use polarising concepts eg. poor and rich)

Narrative, Notes, Theory

Internal Structure Analysis

Leave a comment

Narrative Structure – Key Words & Theories

Linear/chronological – when a story is told in the order it happens

Sequential – when one event comes after the other chronologically

Circular structure – when a story ends how it begins

Time based –

Narrative arc – refers to the chronological construction of the plot in a story

flashback – when a chronological sequence is interrupted by an event that happened previous to the specific moment in a narrative

flash forward – when a chronological sequence is interrupted by an event that happens after the specific moment in a narrative

Foreshadowing – when an event that occurs in a narrative is hinted at earlier on

Ellipsis – a device which excludes a portion of the sequence of events

Pathos – when a narrative is written in order to generate and appeal to an audiences emotions

Empathy – when an audience is able to share a feeling or perspective with a character or moment

diegetic – refers to the internal world created by the story that the narrators/characters themselves experience and encounter

non-diegetic – refers to the things we see and hear in a narrative that come from the external world of a story which do not actually experience and encounter the story

slow motion – a motion picture where that action has been altered to make it appear to have occurred slower than it actually did in order to create dramatic effect

fast motion – a motion picture where that action has been altered to make it appear to have occurred faster than it actually did in order to create dramatic effect

Freytag’s Pyramid:

paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.

  • exposition – the background information that is given at the beginning of a story about the characters, setting etc…
  • inciting incident – the narrative event which launches the main action
  • rising action – the bulk of the plot which builds up to the climax
  • climax – the turning point or crisis in a narrative which is often the highest point of interes
  • falling action – when the climax begins to resolve
  • resolution – when the climax is resolved
  • denouement  – when conflict in a plot is resolved and the plot concludes

Tztevan Todorov – Tripartite narrative structure:

Beginning / middle / end – the most basic organisational framework of a story

  • Equilibrium – when all forces or moments acting upon a narrative are balanced
  • Disruption – when an incident or trivial story disrupts the narrative flow
  • New equilibrium – when order is restored
  • plot/sub-plot – a narrative often has as overarching master plot accompanied by a series of sub-plots
  • multiple equilibrium/ disruption sequences – when a narrative deploys multiple equilibrium/disruption sequences in order to produce a roller coaster effect
  • flexi-narrative –
  • condensed equilibrium – when a narrative propels a moment of immediate disruption to instantly hook the audience rather than building up to it

Aristotle:

Poetics –

  • Peripeteia – the turning point in a narrative after which the plot moves steadily to its denouncement
  • Anagnoresis – the moment in a narrative when a character makes a dramatic revelation
  • Catharsis – a moment of emotional release as a result of a resolution being made

The 3 Unities –

  • Unity of Action – a tragedy should have one principle action
  • Unity of Time – that action of a tragedy should occur over a period of no more than 24hours
  • Unity of Place – a tragedy should exist in a single physical location

Seymour Chatman – Satellites & Kernels

  • Kernels – key moments in the plot/narrative structure – the narrative would not work without them
  • Satellites – embellishments, aesthetics, and developments in the plot/narrative structure – the narrative would be able to work without them

Roland Bathes – Proairetic and Hermenuetic Codes

  • Proairetic code: action, movement, causation
  • Hermenuetic code: reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
  • Enigma code: the way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information

Vladimir Propp – Stock Characters

  • Villain – causes some form of misfortune, damage or harm, their evil action will, of course, lead to a fight or another form of struggle with the hero
  • Victim/Victim Hero – the character who is taken, harmed, injured, or killed by the villain
  • Hero – the major character who is the person around which the story is told. There are two types of hero’s: the seeker hero relies agrees to liquidate the misfortune suffered by another character, the victim, and so heavily on the donor to perform there quest, whereas the victim-hero directly suffers from the action of the villain and therefore needs to overcome a weakness to complete their quest
  • Helper – usually accompanies hero on the quest and aids them in struggles encountered on their journey
  • Dispatcher – Sends the hero on the quest
  • Donor – provides hero with with a magical agent or advise to help him defeat the villain
  • Princess – usually represents the reward of the hero’s quest
  • Princess’s Father – often set’s the hero difficult tasks to prevent them from marrying the princess
  • False Hero – a character who appears to be good but it quickly becomes obvious they are corrupt once they are unmasked (usually towards the end of the narrative)

Claude Levi-Strauss – Binary Opposites

  • The idea that we need binary opposition to create drama and interest in a narrative structure
  • This creates a dominant message (ideology) – So in this way audiences are encouraged to make a judgements about characters, groups, places, history, society etc.
  • texts can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society, which would make it a reactionary text ,or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society, in which case it could be seen as a radical text.
CONCEPTstrongly
agree		agreeneutralagreestrongly
agree		OPPOSITE
CONCEPT
GOOD✔BAD
REACTIONARY✔RADICAL
FEMALE✔MALE
IN CONTROL✔OUT OF CONTROL
WHITE✔BLACK
URBAN✔REGIONAL
RICH✔POOR
HAPPY✔SAD
ROCK✔REGGAE
QUIET✔LOUD
NEA, Production, Theory

Moving image NEA

Leave a comment

Internal Structures

actorsbackstage crew
settingcamera equipment
stylistsscript
a storydirector
editorcinematographer
set designergreen screen
sound mixerboom mic
lightprops
protagonist antagonists
synopsisflashbacks
T – things you need to do a filmC – things you have to have to create a film
set, build, or goa storyline
stylistssynopsis
director
editor
props
sound track
lights

Key terminology

  1. Linear
  2. Chronological
  3. Sequential
  4. Circular structure
  5. Time based
  6. Narrative arc
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnoresis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. slow motion

Task 2

An American girl moves to a British school because of her father’s new job. Once the new girl always the new girl. All of sudden all the attention goes to you. People talking behind your back, chattering about how you are different. Always getting picked on, well not for to long, what will happen when they find out that you were brought up by a family of thief’s, or will she hide it and brake in to their house. Will she change herself to fit in or will she continue to be who she truly is.

Task 3

the stage of equilibrium

the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium

the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium

the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

A drama is then divided into five parts, or acts, which some refer to as a dramatic arc: introduction, rise, climax, return or fall, and catastrophe. Freytag extends the five parts with three moments or crises: the exciting force, the tragic force, and the force of the final suspense. The exciting force leads to the rise, the tragic force leads to the return or fall, and the force of the final suspense leads to the catastrophe. Freytag considers the exciting force to be necessary but the tragic force and the force of the final suspense are optional. Together, they make the eight component parts of the drama.

Moving Image, NEA, Theory

Moving image nea

Leave a comment

In a film there are Tangible and Conceptual items that make it up

Tangible
Actors
Equipment
Set
Props
Costumes
Crew
Scenes
Dialogue

Conceptual

Plot
Soundtrack
Synopsis
Structural Devices
Pro/Antagonist
Emotional Attachment
Character Development
Empathy
Linearity
Sequential
Flashback(s)

A Synopsis is a short sentence about the film’s plot

Gustav Freytag

Peripeteia – A change in fortune
Anagnorisis – A moment of dramatic revelation
Catharsis – Realising yours’ and societies’ virtues

TODOROV

Tztevan Todorov states that most media has a beginning, middle and end. He calls these the “equilibrium”, “disruption” and “new equilibrium”. This is similar to Freytag’s pyramid, which also has the beginning, middle and end structure but instead calls them “Exposition”, “Climax” and “Denouement”.

Anachronic Devices – Flash forwards/flashbacks
These subvert traditional linear storytelling techniques and can provide moments of disequilibrium before equilibrium or can be used to disrupt the predictable nature of the three act structure.

Multiperspective narratives
Can be used to repurpose equilibriums as disequilibriums when the story shifts from one character to another.

Vladimir Propp
Propp suggests that there are 8 “stock characters” in a piece of media
1.Hero – The character completing the “Quest” of the story
2.Helper – Usually accompanies the hero on their quest
3.Princess – Usually represents the reward of the quest
4.Villain – Fights or pursues the hero & must be defeated to progress the story
5.Donor – Provides the hero with an agent to defeat the villain
6.Dispatcher – Sends the hero on their quest
7.Princess’s Father – Often sets the hero difficult tasks to prevent the hero marrying the princess (Other adaptations may be to prevent the hero from seeing their wife, family etc.)
8.False Hero – Performs a largely villainous role, usurps the hero’s position in the story

He suggests that these characters operate in “Spheres of action” to help move the story along

Claude Levi-Strauss
Strauss suggests that binary opposites in media can create conflict and drama, binary opposites are 2 opposing things on different sides of a scale e.g. men vs women or young vs old. This creates an ideology within a piece of media, audiences are encouraged to make a judgment about characters, groups, places etc.

“explore human experience using polarised themes: birth has to compete against death, success against failure”

“Character oppositions: audiences expect villains to battle heroes.”
“Narrative oppositions: media stories… are organised to construct moments of opposition”
“Stylistic oppositions: media producers also encode products using juxtaposed stylistic presentations”
“Genre-driven binary oppositions: some binary oppositions… entrenched within genres that they become a convention or expectation of that genre”

Seymour Chatman
Chatman suggests that stories are broken down into satellites and kernels, Kernels being key moments in the plot and Satellites being embellishments, developments and aesthetics. Kernels are important to the story, and cannot be removed easily without preventing the story from moving forward.

Roland Barthes
Proairetic Code: Action, movement, causation
Hermeneutic Code: Reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
Enigma Code: The way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information.

NEA, Production, Theory

Moving image nea

Leave a comment

Conceptual and Theoretical

  1. Linear – Film narratives are usually linear. That means we see the events of the story unfolding in the order in which they occurred.
  2. Chronological – Time order.
  3. Sequential – In film, a sequence is a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit, which is usually connected either by a unity of location or a unity of time. The sequence is one of a hierarchy of structural units used to describe the structure of films in varying degrees of granularity.
  4. Circular structure – In a circular narrative, the story ends where it began. Although the starting and ending points are the same, the characters undergo a transformation, affected by the story’s events.
  5. Time based –
  6. Narrative arc –
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid – a paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.
  8. exposition –
  9. inciting incident –
  10. rising action –
  11. climax –
  12. falling action –
  13. resolution –
  14. denouement –
  15. Beginning / middle / end –
  16. Equilibrium –
  17. Disruption –
  18. New equilibrium –
  19. Peripeteia – Change in fortune.
  20. Anagnoresis – Dramatic Revelation.
  21. Catharsis – Good Virtue.
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place –
  23. flashback / flash forward –
  24. Foreshadowing –
  25. Ellipsis –
  26. Pathos –
  27. empathy –
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic –
  29. slow motion –
  30. genre –
  31. theme –

Synopsis

My film is going to be about a girl who has been shielded from the real world all her life. She has only been around her two parents and her auntie her whole life. She was never allowed to leave the house. Home schooled all her life and her parents controlled everything. They had conditioned her to believe that anything outside their home was a danger but obviously as a growing child, her curiosity grew also. The main character – the 17 year old girl – does look to escape her home as she wants to explore the outside world.

At age 10 her curiosity started to grow and she started to look more out the windows but all she ever did see were foggy skies as her house was so far up on a hill, secluded from any other civilisation. From 11, she started to notice strange deliveries during the night as she always seen a bright headlight shine through her window at exactly 1:30am. When she was younger she believed it was a star as that was what she was lead to believe.

This film will be targeting teenagers who may relate to some extent. Maybe not relate literally but can relate figuratively speaking. A viewer might feel trapped in their own life therefore would seek comfort through this film because it may or may not be a similar experience.

Examples

Todorov

Equilibrium, the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability.

Disruption, Oppositional forces – the actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity – destabilise the story’s equilibrium. Lead protagonists attempt to repair the disruption caused.

New Equilibrium, disruption is repaired and stability restored. Importantly, the equilibrium achieved at the end of the story is different to that outlined at the start. The world is transformed.

Freytags Pyramid

Exposition, Climax, Denouement

Vladimir Propp

Character Types and Function

Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.

That is not to say that all characters are the same, but rather to suggest that all stories draw on familiar characters performing similar functions to provide familiar narrative structures.

Propp identifies the types of characters:

  • The hero: he identifies two significant types – the seeker-hero and the victim-hero.
  • The Villain: fights or pursues the hero and must be defeated in order for hero to accomplish their quest.
  • The Princess and Princess’ Father: princess usually represents the reward for the hero’s quest.

Claude Levi-Strauss (Binary Oppositions)

Seymour Chatman: Satellites & Kernels

  • Kernels: key moments in the plot / narrative structure
  • Satellites: embellishments, developments, aesthetics

Roland Barthes: Proairetic and Hermenuetic Codes

  • Proairetic code: action, movement, causation
  • Hermenuetic code: reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
  • Enigma code: the way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information.
Moving Image, NEA, Production, Theory

moving image nea

Leave a comment
  1. Linear- where events are largely portrayed in a chronological order
  2. Chronological- the order in which the events occurred, from first to last
  3. Sequential- a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
  4. Circular structure- the story ends where it began
  5. Time based-  is to watch it unfold over time according to the temporal logic of the medium as it is played back.
  6. Narrative arc-
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnoresis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. slow motion

Peripeteia– change in fortune

when javids dad ripped up his concert tickets

Anagnoresis– dramatic revelation

listening to bruce springstein for the first time

Catharsis– an emotional release

when he went to America

Synopsis–

There will be adventure to save the world and to save the world we must find the magic stone (stone of medeis) which is hidden in the forest. Ursuline took the stone for her own power but it must be restored by violet but obstacles lead her off track. The dark forest keeps a witch as its protector (Sabrina) and will manipulate violet into going to the dark side but violet must resist.

–

Todorov and Freytag–

Todorov was appointed to his post as a director of research at the French Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique in 1968.

 Freytag’s Pyramid exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement as illustrated below.

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium
  • Equilibrium
  • Disruption
  • New equilibrium

flexi narratives- long format television products deploy multiple three act structures in a similar pattern to be used as a master plot.

plot and sublots- media constructed by an overarching master plot accompanied by a series of subplots.

anachronic devices- subvert traditional linear storytelling techniques through time bending.

Vladimir propp:

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero
  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

Propp suggests that stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories. 

-narrative functions-

NEA, Theory

Internal structure analysis

Leave a comment

Keywords

  1. Linear– progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps
  2. Chronological– Following something in the order it happened in
  3. Sequential- Logical order or sequence
  4. Circular structure– A narrative where the start of the story is the end of the story
  5. Time based– Duration as a dimension revealed to the viewer overtime
  6. Narrative arc– The path a story follows
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid– Structure outlining events in a story
  8. Exposition– Background information within a story line
  9. Inciting incident-
  10. Rising action–
  11. Climax–
  12. Falling action–
  13. Resolution–
  14. Denouement–
  15. Beginning / middle / end–
  16. Equilibrium–
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnorisis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. Flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. Diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. Slow motion

Physical

What is needed to make a film?

  • Actors
  • Camera
  • Microphone
  • Costumes
  • Director
  • Sound/Music
  • Money
  • Editing Software
  • Editor
  • Props
  • Screenwriter
  • Camera Man
  • Script/Story
  • Lighting

Conceptual

Narrative Structures

  • Straight line- Chronological (In order of time)
  • Linear
  • Sequential
  • Flashbacks/flashforwards
  • Ellipsis- Skip parts of time
  • Parallel

Gustaf Freytag’s Pyramid

150 years ago came up with a pyramid

  • The start- Exposition
  • The middle- Climax
  • The end- Denouement

Todorov:

Says that a moving image has 3 parts to its structure (Beginning/Middle/End)-

  • Equilibrium: Everything is normal at the start
  • Disruption: Something happens that changes this and is usually the main part of the story
  • New equilibrium: The disruption is resolved and everything goes back to a new normal
  • Flexi-Narrative: Long form tv products deploy multiple 3 act structures in a similar pattern
  • Multiple equilibrium sequences: Rollercoaster effects for audiences by deploying multiple disruption sequences

Vladimir Propp:

Suggests that stories use Stock Characters to structure stories: which are-

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

Spheres of Action:

One character can occupy a number of roles/’Spheres of action’ and one role may be played by a number of different characters. Propp says that there are 31 different functions that play an important role in organising plots.

These can be divided into these sections (Narratemes- Starting points of most stories):

  1. PREPARATION
  2. COMPLICATION
  3. TRANSFERENCE
  4. STRUGGLE
  5. RETURN
  6. RECOGNITION

Propp suggested that stories don’t have to use all the characters listed, though most are organised around the interplay of the hero, villain and princess archetypes.

Claude Levi Strauss- Binary Oppositions

Suggests that narratives are structured around binary oppositions which helps people understand key themes that underline important messages. For example, Male/Female, Good/Bad, Poor/Rich etc. This allows people to make judgements on characters, settings, history, society etc.

Semantic Differential


CONCEPT		Strongly
agree		AgreeNeutralAgreeStrongly
agree		OPPOSITE
CONCEPT
YOUNG✓OLD
MATURE✓CHILDISH
FEMALE✓MALE
STRAIGHT✓GAY
WHITE✓BLACK
URBAN✓REGIONAL
POOR✓RICH
EDUCATED✓STUPID
CRITICAL OF GOVERNMENT✓SUPPORTING OF GOVERNMENT

Seymour Chatman

  • Kernels- key moments in the plot/narrative structure: essential to the plot, movie wouldn’t work without it
  • Satellites- Embellishments, developments, aesthetics: plot wouldn’t change if this was different. Aesthetic would change slightly but not by much.

Roland Barthes

  • Proairetic codes- action, movement, doing things
  • Hermeneutic codes- Reflection, dialogue, character development
  • Enigmas- not telling the audience everything in the movie, intrigues people, ideas are raised
Narrative, Notes, Theory

NARRATIVE

Leave a comment
LinearThe events of the plot unfold in the order in which they have occured.
ChronologicalEvents are sequenced in order of time.
Sequential Events which are arranged one after the other in a sequence within in a narrative.
Circular structureWhen a plot begins in the same place or way that it ends. The characters undergo a transformation and a normal plot occurs in between.
Time basedA continuous moving image which displays a change in time.
Narrative arcThe path a story follows. Often a narrative will include ups and downs, moments of climax and resolution which is reflected in an arc shape.
Freytag’s Pyramid19th century German playwright ‘Freytag’s’ diagram of dramatic structure.
ExpositionThe background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story. Earlier events are alluded to.
Inciting incidentThe hook, the event that sets the main character or characters on the journey that will occupy the narrative.
Rising actionThe incline of a narrative arc. Often, the events that lead up to the climax.
ClimaxThe point of highest intensity or major conflict within in a narrative. The steepest point of a narrative arc.
Falling action The declining part of a narrative arc. Often, what happens after the climax and resolution of the major conflict.
ResolutionWhen an element of the plot is solved. And the exposition of the plot is revisited
DenouementThe final part of the narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
Beginning/ Middle/ EndHow linear narratives are sequenced
EquilibriumFirst stage of Todorov’s theory. The situation and characters are introduced in a normal circumstance.
DisruptionSecond stage of Todorov’s theory. A change takes place causing an alter in the norm.
TransgressionDisequilibrium is often caused by societal / moral / ethical transgression.
New equilibriumThird stage of Todorov’s theory. The change in circumstance is overcome and the situation reaches a new normal.
PeripeteiaA sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances.
AnagnorisisA character discovers their own, or another character’s true identity.
CatharsisThe process of releasing and providing relief from repressed emotions. The purging of strong emotion.
The 3 Unities: Time, Place, ActionThe 3 traditional unities of drama. The Aristotelian idea that a narrative should be set in once place, in one time frame, focused on one action.
FlashbackWhen the current narrative is interrupted by a previous event which could provide key information about a character etc.
FlashforwardWhen the current narrative is interrupted by an event that is yet to take place.
EllipsisThe exclusion of action from a narrative because it can be inferred from dialogue and other action.
PathosA quality that evokes feelings of pity and sadness.
EmpathyThe ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Diegtic soundSound that occurs within the context of the story and able to be heard by the characters.
Non-diegetic sound Sound that occurs externally to the narrative, it is not heard by the characters.
Slow motionVisual effect created either by the actors or as a special effect in the edit. Time is slowed down.
ForeshadowingWhen events that take place later on in the narrative are alluded to or hinted towards.
In Media-resThe practice of beginning a narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events. ‘In the middle of things’.
Metanarratives  Drawing attention to the process of storytelling.
Pages: 1 2
Moving Image, Narrative, Theory

narrative (Internal structural analysis)

Leave a comment

Ok in this section of the course, we will look at the way in which media productions are structured internally, for example, looking at narrative structures, themes, characters, motivations, genre etc. We will try to centre our conceptual approach towards moving image products (film, TV, music video, adverts, radio etc)

To get going . . . WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOVING IMAGE PRODUCT (FILM, TV DRAMA, MUSIC VIDEO etc).

Task 1

CREATE A NEW POST CALLED ‘MOVING IMAGE NEA’ categories NEA, PRODUCTION, THEORY

As a starting point for theory, let’s have a look at the Ancients with a brief look at Aristotle’s Poetics (see from 3:20 – 4:51)

Think about:

  1. What is the point of art / aesthetics?
  2. What are the key elements?

Define these words and apply to Blinded by the Light, your Xmas Film, your own film idea.

Peripeteia

Anagnoresis

Catharsis

Make notes on ‘The 3 Unities’

Action

Place

Time

Use the video above from about 9:46 and use the following bullet points to help you.

  • plot vs character
  • arrangement of incidences (how do you arrange events in a story?)
  • Aiming towards a goal
  • complication and unravelling (peripeteia)
  • Recognition (anagnoresis)
  • Pathos (agony of recognition)
  • Catharsis (knowledge through purge)

Key Terminology (ie Kahoot test!)

  1. Linear
  2. Chronological
  3. Sequential
  4. Circular structure
  5. Time based
  6. Narrative arc
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. Transgression – often disequilibrium is caused by societal / moral / ethical transgression (ie challenging Aristotelian virtues)
  19. New equilibrium
  20. Peripeteia
  21. Anagnoresis
  22. Catharsis
  23. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  24. flashback / flash forward
  25. Foreshadowing
  26. Ellipsis
  27. Pathos
  28. Empathy
  29. diegetic / non-diegetic
  30. slow motion
  31. In Media Res – starting in mid-action
  32. Metanarratives – drawing attention to the process of storytelling
  33. Quest narratives

Task 2: statement of intent (400 words)

Write up a synopsis (50-150 words?) of a new film that you think you could make (2 x posters, a couple of sequences or even a trailer and a few web pages).

The synopsis should aim to communicate the ideas as well as the techniques that you are aiming to use in your production (ie the ideas and key words that we identified yesterday in class discussion).

To help you why not build your story / character around either Blinded by the Light and/or the Xmas film that you saw.

USE AS MUCH KEY LANGUAGE TO MAKE SURE YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT IS 400 WORDS AND TALKS ABOUT

  1. MEDIA LANGUAGE
  2. REPRESENTATION
  3. AUDIENCE
  4. INSTITUTION
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Institution, Notes, Theory

INSTITUTIONS

Leave a comment
Cultural industriesBusinesses included in creating, distributing and exhibiting creative productions.
ProductionThe making of a product (eg. the people involved in creating a film).
DistributionThe marketing/ advertisement of a product (eg. how a film is made public).
Exhibition or ConsumptionThe ‘showing’ of a product and the effect it has on the consumer (eg. a cinema, its workers and an audience).
Media concentrationThe ownership of many creative organisations is limited to very few people and parent companies.
ConglomeratesA company owns numerous sub-companies involved in mass media enterprises.
Globalisation (in terms of media ownership)A company operates globally, across continents.
Cultural imperialismThe idea that certain cultures dominate worldwide media productions, therefore, these cultural views begin to dominate.
Vertical IntegrationA company owns different businesses in the same chain of production and distribution.
Horizontal IntegrationWhen a company has many branches including other companies even though they are owned and controlled by one.
MergersThe joining together of creative companies.
MonopoliesLarge organisations who take ownership of all stages of production. They have control over production, distribution and consumption (or exhibition) rather than dividing out to other companies.
GatekeepersLarge companies control our consumption and guide us towards their recommendations so that they can make profit.
RegulationCompanies are monitored by the governments restrictions.
DeregulationWhen government laws become less strict.
Free marketThe price for services or products is regulated internally, by the company, not the government.
Commodification Process by which things, services, ideas, and people relations are transformed into objects for sale.  
ConvergenceThe joining together of distinct media types to create new media forms.
DiversificationA corporate strategy to enter into a new market or industry in which the business doesn’t currently operate.    
InnovationDevelopment within cultural industries.
EXAM STYLE QUESTION

Answers: A = 1, B= 3, C= 5