Task 1 - Narrative

1. Narrative
What is narrative?
A narrative is an account of a series of connected events. These can take the form of written text,
films, or even something as simple as a daydream can feature a narrative.
Plot
In film, the plot is the sequence of events that are tied together by cause and effect links. The plot
is usually never explored in full detail and the dialogue and events of the film allow the audience
to sometimes subconsciously connect those dots and form the entire plot.
Story, and Storytelling
There are many different ways in which one might go about constructing and
illustrating a story. Firstly, one would decide what genre they want their story
to fall under, and then build a series of events that are appropriate to that
genre. This series of events does not always need to be in chronological order,
however. In fact, it rarely is, as most stories feature some form of analepsis
which takes the consumer out of the chronological realm and in to one that is
non-linear and jumps from time to time in the order that the director (or writer)
thought was the most appropriate. An example of a non-linear film is Pulp
Fiction.
Key Terms
· Linear – The order of events in the story are chronological.
· Non-linear - The order of events in the story are not chronological.
· Restricted/Unrestricted - This refers to whether or not the story is from one
person’s perspective. For example, ‘Rushmore’ is from the perspective of the
protagonist only, so the only person we as an audience have any chance of
empathising with is him. However, ‘American Beauty’ can be argued to have
many protagonists because how much time each character gets for their own
story. An unrestricted narrative allows for a wider understanding of the world in
which the film is set.
· Open/Closed - Open narratives are those which have many characters with seemingly endless
story arcs. Closed narratives have more of a grounded sense of where you are in the story, and
they have resolutions.
· Enigma – These are questions that the audience are forced to ask about the story, that’s answers
are revealed later in the story.
· Ellipsis – This is when the film misses out or skips a part of the story.

2. · Exposition – This is background detail about the characters so that you have a better
understanding of them throughout the film.
· Multi-stranded – This is when they are many characters with their own story arc, like in Star
Wars for example.
Structure
Structure in a film is essentially the order in which the director or writer
chooses to illustrate their narrative. Quentin Tarantino chose to structure
‘Pulp Fiction’ in a non-linear way so that the films focus would be on all
of the Characters instead of the focal character being Butch.
Alternatively, a director will stick to a strictly linear structure because it
is essential to the development of the character, such as Mary Harron’s
‘American Psycho’.
Syd Field’s 3-Act Structure
This is probably the most well-known structure, even if you haven’t heard the
name ‘Syd Field’. It covers the simple: beginning, middle, end structure. The
beginning, or set-up, will set up the characters and the plot points and allow the
audience to be able to connect with the film world before the climax of the film.
The middle, or confrontation, is the part of the story in which the characters are
faced with the problem that they will spend the rest of the film solving. The
ending, or resolution, is just that, a resolution. The problems have been solved
and everything is the same, if not better for the characters than they were at the beginning of the
film. Some films that follow this structure are: The Matrix, Fargo, and Leap Year.
Todorov’s 5 stages
Todorov expanded Syd Field’s theory by adding more
stages and making them more specific and
identifiable. Firstly, an equilibrium is established
within the film world. This is a state of balance and
normality. Then comes the disruption of the
equilibrium. This can take the form of anything from a
family argument to a new fascist regime being
inflicted upon the protagonists world, but the effect of
it has to be that the character is uncomfortable with the change, so much so that they will spend
the rest of the film fixing it. The next stage is the recognition of disruption, which is fairly self-

3. explanatory. The protagonist will see that their equilibrium is tainted, and this will be made
noticeable to the audience. The next stage is when there is an attempt to repair the damage done
by the disruption. This can be done any number of ways, depending on the nature of the
disruption, but the result of which is stage five. Stage five is when the film world has reached a
new equilibrium. This can be positive or negative, but the point is that the character’s lives are
not the same as they were at the beginning of the film. Films that follow this theory include:
WALL-E, Peter Pan, and Django Unchained.
Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey
Campbell proposed a theory which states that all hero’s go through the
same journey. I will be using Star Wars to illustrate this theory. Firstly,
the hero will get a call to adventure that will take them out of their
comfort zone. This would be when R2-D2 Shows Luke (the hero) the
message from Leia. Then, in order to embark on his adventure, he
needs some aid from an older, wiser, potentially supernatural source. In
Luke’s case, this is in the form of Ben Kenobi, and Yoda. Then Luke
will have to cross a threshold that takes him out of his ordinary world
and forces him to adapt to a new one. After becoming more
comfortable. Campbell would have predicted that Luke would go on a
road of trials, as he does when saving Leia from Jabba’s palace. Next
comes the approach. In Star Wars, this is in the form of Luke willingly
confronting Vader. Then, the ordeal that Luke must face is the climax
of everything hes been leading up to. In this case, He fights Vader, and persuades him to be on
the side of good like he once was. The next stage, the reward, comes immediately after this when
due to Luke’s overwhelming goodness, Vader turns against Palpatine and kills him, saving the
galaxy from complete ruin. Next comes the return, in which the character goes back in to their
normal world from the one they have been in, being conqueror of both. The resolution follows
when the hero has completed the quest that they were originally called to, I.E. Luke recognisably
saving the entire galaxy from evil.
Short Film structure
Most short films, due to their restrictions in length, are forced to follow the ‘Joke’ structure. By
this, I mean that they have a set-up and a punch line. An example of this ‘The Horribly Slow
Murder by the Extremely Inefficient Weapon’. This film follows the ‘joke’ structure by
subverting the audience’s expectation about what a murder/horror film will be about.
Feature Film Opening Sequence structure

4. Feature films have more time with which to explore the themes they want to,
and they also don’t need to tell you as much information as a short film,
because they have at least over an hour left to tell the story. Resultantly, the
structure of the openings of feature films vary a lot. You could stick to the
joke structure, like the opening of Pulp Fiction. Or, you could have more of a
three-act structure, like the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Characters
Characters are – obviously – integral to any story, because you need a vessel through which to
convey your narrative. However, a character doesn’t have to be a person. For example, in the
film, ‘Marley and Me’, one of the central protagonists is a dog. The purpose of a ‘character is, at
its core, to be an object that allows a written word text (screenplay) to come to live on the screen.
Propp’s character functions
Propp proposed that often, in fiction, there are several recurring character types. I will use harry
potter to illustrate this theory. The character roles will be in bold, and the function of the
character will be in italics.
 Harry Potter (The Hero) is on a quest to destroy Voldemort and safe the world from evil.
 Voldemort (The Villain) works in opposition to Harry and attempts to achieve the
opposite goal to the hero.
 The Princess does not have to be a person, as is the case in Harry Potter. The world
needs saving, which is the motivation of Harry’s quest.
 Hagrid – just one of many of this type of character in Harry Potter - (The Dispatcher)
sends Harry on his quest by introducing him to the wizarding world.
 Dumbledore (The Doner) gives the Harry items that will aid him in his quest, i.e. The
Sword of Gryffindor.
 Ron and Hermione (The Helper(s)) assist Harry on his quest throughout all eight films.
 Harry Potter is almost void of The Father character, as Harry is quite independent, but
Dumbledore occasionally rewards Harry.
 Professor Quirrell (The False Hero) is a character who appears to be aiding Harry, but
is later exposed to have evil intentions.
 An extra character that is not always relevant, but is present in Harry Potter, is The False
Villain. In this case, Professor Snape is thought to be evil for the majority of the saga, but
is later revealed as being closer to a Helper.
Levi-Strauss' Binary Opposites

5. Levi-Strauss proposed that fictional texts usually consist of two main
characters that are complete opposites of each other in some regard. This
can be for reasons such as: motivation (good Vs evil), age, place of origin,
skin color, or any number of things that one might consider to be
‘opposite’. Take ‘Hot Fuzz’ for example. Seargent Angel and Danny
Butterman are partners, but opposite in most ways imaginable. One is
intelligent, the other is noticeably unintelligent, one does his job by the
book, the other doesn’t especially care about his job, etcetera. Also, often,
at the end of the film, one member of the pair merges with, or joins the
other’s side. For example, when Darth Vader joins Luke at the end of ‘The
Empire Strikes Back’.
Themes
‘Themes’ in fiction refer to the larger ideas explored within the narrative and story-telling.
Themes are presented to convey a wider message about society or individuals. For example,
themes explored by Alex Garland's ‘Ex-Machina’ would include: trust, future technology,
friendship, betrayal, etcetera.
Horror
The main theme explored in horror films is fear. However, every film has a different way of
going about it. For example, ‘A Quiet Place’, deals with fear in a much more suspenseful way
and gives the audience the impression that fear is always lurking no matter where you are.
Whereas, a film like ‘It’ uses jump scares to explore the theme of fear, presenting it in such a
way that the audience feels on edge at all times. This could be to convey the message that fear is
not a constant presence, but a short, sharp pain that gets you when you’re least expecting it.
Teen
One of the main themes explored in Teen films, is the idea of ‘coming of age’. This is when a
character goes through a transition in maturity or mindset throughout the course of the film.
Again, this theme is explored in many different ways. For example, the film ‘Boyhood’, tackles
this theme in a very literal way, where the boy in the film ages to maturity. However, some films
are more abstract. For example, in ‘The Edge of Seventeen’, the protagonist starts off as a
whiney, ungrateful, ignorant teenager who goes through experiences that change her in to a
completely different person by the end of the film. The meaning of this could be that personality
and maturity are gained through experiences and interaction, not simply age.
Science-Fiction
Finally, one of the main themes explored in science-fiction films is the idea of ‘Good Vs Evil’.
And, unlike other themes, this one is explored in more or less the same way between films. For
example, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is a film in which the story is one of classic good vs evil,
represented by the Guardians, and ‘Ronan the Accuser’ respectively. The aim of exploring this

6. theme is to hit home a sense or morals and right-and-wrong in the audience, as
they either choose to support the heroes in their quest, or laugh at them when
they are thwarted by the villain. Either way, they finish the film with a
potentially new perspective on good vs evil in the real world, as they are able
to apply what they have just seen in sci-fi, to the real world in which they live.
Analysis of narrative
Drama – Siqi Song’s ‘Sister’ https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2019/11/21/sister/
This short film follows the narrative of a Chinese boy wondering what his life would have been
like if he had the sister his parents were forced to abort under Chinese law. The story is mainly
linear, but at the end, the ‘punchline’ is revealed as twist on a flash-back, in which we go back in
time to the point at which the film began, to reveal to truth about what the narrator had been
saying. The sad twist is hinted at all the way through by the unrealistic events, and the depressing
soundscape, and colour, The closed narrative that the film adopts allows the ‘Joke’ structure to
be the most effective it can be, as we as an audience have no way of expecting the twist that
comes at the end. As well as following the joke structure, I would argue that it also has a three-
act element to it, and we start rather neutrally, the tension rises between the siblings, and then at
the height of the tension, the twist/resolution is revealed. The characters consist of: the narrator,
who is also the son/brother, the sister, and the parents. All of these characters play integral roles
in the film as it is about family, and the impacts on family of Chinese law at the time. Themes
explored in this film include: family, government, politics, remorse, and most importantly, lost
potential. The narrator mourns his aborted sister and spends the duration of the film pondering on
what his life might have been like if the laws were different and he was allowed to have a sister.
One important thing to note about this film is that the visual style was clearly chosen very
specifically. Firstly, it has been made using animated stop-motion, which is likely a satirical
comment regarding Song’s opinion of the government, potentially being that they are cartoonish
and don’t know which way they are going to move next. Secondly, the majority of the film is in
black and white, however, the colour red is visible. Usually in fiction, the colour red represents
passion, and energy, and life. However, more importantly, it is the predominant colour of the
Chinese flag. This is important because his sister wears a red hairband throughout the course of
the film, even as a foetus, symbolising the sense of identity and wholeness that the narrator feels
his sister would have given him, had she been allowed to live.
Documentary – Valentin Riedl and Frederic Schuld’s ‘Carlotta's Face’
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2019/11/20/carlottas-face/
This short documentary follows the narrative of Carlotta, and her experiences and ways of
dealing with her ‘face-blindness’, a rare brain condition that makes faces unrecognisable. The
story is a linear account of what life with this condition has been like for her since she was a
child, up until the time at which she was narrating it. The main idea that this documentary
follows is that of the ‘enigma’. The audience is forced to wonder, throughout the course of the
documentary, what the narrator is talking about and why she can’t recognise faces. We are also

7. forced to beg the question, ‘how will she overcome this’. In a way, Carlotta follows the Hero’s
journey as she is forced through a series of tests in a world that is unfamiliar to her, and comes
out as the champion, having figured out a way to cope with her condition. The characters in this
film include Carlotta – the narrator, and various people in her life, such as previous schoolmates
and teachers. This helps convey the narrative as she can explain what having this condition
means for her life, and how it has impacted her throughout it. Some themes that are explored
include: bullying, exclusion, mental health, and how to cope in unfamiliar situations. This
inspires a message of hope and wholesomeness as Carlotta has not let herself succumb to her
condition, and has instead found a way to cope with it that works for her. The diegetic sound in
this documentary is not very important, as it is minimal and is only in place to compliment the
animation. The non-diegetic sound, however, is of paramount importance as it consists of
Carlotta narrating the documentary and essentially explain her life story regarding her face-
blindness in five minutes. The colour and visual style is just as, if not more important than the
narration, as it allows us to see the world from Carlotta’s perspective. The conclusion of the
documentary is that Carlotta has dealt with her face-blindness by drawing self-portraits while
touching her own face to feel what it looks like. Therefore, the only way that we as the audience
could empathise to any reasonable extent with this obscure condition, is to have it visualised
similarly to the way in which Carlotta views the world.
Comedy – Lena Tsodykovskaya’s Luisa and Anna’s ‘First Fight’
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2019/09/30/luisa-and-annas-first-fight/
This short comedy follows the narrative of two high-school ‘nobodies’ searching for a much
talked-about fight. Throughout the course of the film, one of the girls spreads rumors about the
both of them, trying to give them ‘street-cred’, as it were, and heighten their status among their
peers at school. The story is linear, but laced with subtle expository detail that allows the plot to
be subconsciously developed in the minds of the audience. This film also heavily features ellipsis
to make it seem fast paced and action-packed. The film’s narrative is unrestricted which, again,
makes the film full of information that you barely have time to process because the next piece is
thrown at you. Arguably, the film has elements of Todorov’s theory present as the film begins
with the girls being seemingly inbetweeners in social standards (setting the equilibrium), and
ending up infamous high-school girls who cause, and get in to fights (ending the film with a
different equilibrium). The characters in the film include: the two girls – Luisa and Anna, and
some miscellaneous high school students that the girls interact with. There are many of these
characters, which is important for the open narrative that the film has adopted. Some themes that
are explored include: social status, violence, teenage society, and friendship. Friendship is
ultimately the most important theme as the two girls find a way to cope with the daunting world
of high school with the help of each other's company. The non-diegetic music used in this film is
helpful in conveying the tone of the piece, as it is upbeat, in a major key, and clearly aimed at a
teenage audience. The colour used in this film attempts to give it a vintage effect, like a memory.
This is because it is precisely that, Tsodyskovkaya wrote a short film about a memory of hers
from when she was that age, and likely filmed in with an old camera to replicate the technology
that would have been available to her when she was that age.

8. Conclusion
In conclusion, narrative is one of the most important words in all of storytelling, because it is the
basis around which all stories are created. You can not have a plot, or a story, or have any
foundation on which to structure an idea without having some form of narrative behind it. It is
the first thing that needs to be thought about when anything creative is taking place, otherwise
you will just be writing with no purpose or meaning.