The document discusses the elements of dramatic structure and storytelling in filmmaking, emphasizing the relationship between audience knowledge and character knowledge. It examines narrative elements such as protagonist motivation, narration types, and plot events, encouraging filmmakers to analyze their narratives critically. It also introduces a formula for constructing stories and poses questions to guide the storytelling process.

1. Dramatic Construction
& Telling the Story
from On Filmmaking by
Alexander Mackendrick

2. Drama = tension

3. What does
the audience
know & what
does the
character
know?

4. Willing
suspension
of disbelief

5. Elements
of
dramatic
structure

9. Once upon a time there
was ___. Every day, ___.
One day ___. Because of
that, ___. Because of that,
___. Until finally ___.
The Pixar story formula according to
Director and Pixar storyboard artist
Emma Coats

10. QUESTIONS TO ASK: Elements Of Narrative
Who is the movie’s protagonist? What factors and
needs motivate or complicate their actions? Can you
characterize each of them according to their depth
(round characters versus flat) and motivation?
What is the narration of the movie? Does it use a
narrator of any kind?
What are the differences among omniscient, restricted,
and unrestricted narration?

11. Carefully reconstruct the narrative structure of the
movie. What is the inciting incident? What goal does the
protagonist pursue? How does the protagonist’s need
influence that pursuit? What obstacles does the
protagonist encounter, and how does she engage
them?
Keep track of nondiegetic elements that seem essential
to the movie’s plot (voice-overs, for example). Do they
seem natural and appropriate to the film, or do they
appear to be "tacked on" to make up for a shortcoming
in the movie’s narrative?
Are the plot events presented in chronological order?
What is the significance of the order of plot events?

12. Keep track of the major and minor events in the movie’s
plot. Are any of the minor events unnecessary to the
movie overall? If these events were removed from the
movie, would it be a better movie? Why?
Are you given all the information about the underlying
story that you need in these scenes to understand what
has happened in the elapsed story time?
Do any scenes use real time or a stretch relationship
between story duration and screen duration? If so, what
is the significance of these scenes to the overall
narrative?

13. Is any major plot event presented on-screen more than on
How do the setting and the scope of the narrative complem