1. FILM NARRATIVE PART 2
L/O:
-to understand the role in time in narrative
-to know (and give evidence of) how to identify and
discuss narrative in a clip

2. Starter
• Think of the film slumdog millionaire we watched
• Write a short/quick response as to how the film has
• 1) Conventional linear narrative structure
• 2) Unconventional non-linear narrative structure

3. Key words
• Time
• Story Time
• Discourse Time
Summary
Ellipsis
Scene
Stretch
Flashback
Flash-forward

4. Time
How is time edited? How is time shown and/or manipulated to communicate a
narrative?
• How is time shown/represented?
• Is there a manipulation of time? How? Why?
TYPES OF TIME
• STORY TIME: time of the events (ex a film over 50 years ….)
• DISCOURSE TIME: time taken to narrate the event (how long to tell the
story? i.e. 2 hours )

5. More types of time
MORE TYPES OF
TIME
COMMENTS
Example
Summary
-discourse shorter than story
A film takes place over 50 years but shown in 2
hours
Ellipsis
-establishing discourse time rather
than story
-shot 1: man out of bed….
-shot 2: man in shower…..
-shot 3: man getting dressed….
-shot 4: man driving to work.
30 secs total to communicate a few hours = The
audience can fill in the gaps (…)
Scene
-story and discourse time are equal (to
show realism (real time)
Soap opera which shows a scene in 5 minutes
which is actually 5 mins
Stretch
-discourse is longer than story
Scene in race where it is in slow motion to show
a runner winning and to capture the emotion
Flashback
-character has a flash back (which is a
thought or memory in the past)
(using slow motion)
-flashbacks are often in dull colours, black and
white and altered light (to make it different than
real time)
-causes non linear narrative as you
are changing order of time
Flash-forward
-when audience are shown the future
scenes or events (often to give clues)
-causes non linear narrative as you
are changing order of time
In hunger games, Kat is thinking about Peeta at
dinner table, she has a flashback and audience
see her thoughts of her sitting outside the bakery
and Peeta throwing her bread

6. In your work….think about…..
• What is story time length?
• What is discourse time length?
• Identify all types of time being represented:
• Summary
• Ellipsis
• Scene
• Stretch
• Flashback or flash-forward