This unit focuses on analyzing two fictional media texts through film. Students will learn how narratives are constructed in films and how audiences respond to and interpret them. They will study concepts like narrative structure, characters, mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, sound, and more to understand how all of these narrative elements work together to shape the audience's experience of a film. Students are asked to analyze examples from films and explain how different narrative techniques are used and their effects. The goal is to understand how narratives are crafted through various production and audience elements.

1. NARRATIVE Unit 3 – Area of Study
1

2. NARRATIVE
For this outcome you will study two fictional media texts
in film. You will learn how these texts are constructed
and how audiences respond to them. You will learn and
use the language of narrative and be able to apply this
language in the discussion of any narrative text.

3. NARRATIVE
What is it worth?
Unit 3 Outcome 1 is marked out of 40 and contributes 8%
to the study score for media. This area of study is also
examined in the end of year examination.

4. NARRATIVE
What is narrative
The media tells stories; funny stories, real stories, scary
stories, old stories and new ones. Stories with morals and
stories that show us about ourselves – how to be and
how not to be.

5. NARRATIVE
This area of study is about stories; about how the media
tells them and how audiences read them. While narratives
can be found in all medi forms and most texts, this
otucome deals specifically with the language and
construction of fictional media narratives. But narratives
are more than just stories. They are about people, places
and events and the world we all inhabit.

6. NARRATIVE
The suspension of disbelief
An emotional and psychological state that audiences
allow themselves to enter in order to engage with the
world of the narrative journey created by a director.
When we embark on a narrative hourney we want to
suspend disbelief. There is nothing more disappointing
than sitting in a darkened cinema thinking – That’s so
fake, it would never happen!

7. NARRATIVE
Diegesis
The world of a narrative. Everything that would ‘naturally’
appear in this world – including places, characters and
sounds – is diegetic. Non diegtic elements are those that
are ‘added’ by the director, such as narration, musical
soundtracks and special effects.

8. NARRATIVE
Reception context
The circumstances in which a text is consumed including
physical location, method and quality of broadcast or
reproduction, reason for consuming the text, impact of
other audience members on the consumption of a text
and any other factors that may alter an audience’s
reading of a text.

9. NARRATIVE
Theories of narrative
 Classical narrative cinema. Classical Hollywood cinema
 Psychoanalytic theory
 Auteur theory
 Feminist film theory
 Postmodernism
 Queer theory
 Postcolonial theory
 New narrative

10. Adding Up the Narrative Equation
In your workbook, create a tale listing the elements
that make up the narrative equation. Add to this list as
you discover new elements. When you understand how
each element works, tick it off!

11. Story Elements Production Elements Audience Elements
Setting
- Function and Effect
Camera Techniques
- Shot Types
- Movement
- Focus
Expectation
- Advertising
- Reviews
- Word of Mouth
Period in Time Technologies
- Qualities of film stock/video, lenses,
sound
Experience and Knowledge of
- Genre or Style
- Director
- Actors
- Production Values
Narrative Structure
- Opening
- Narrative Possibilities
- Development
- Resolution and Closure
- Impact on Narrative Progression
Lighting
- Naturalistic
- Expressive
- Types
Reception Context
- Location
- Purpose for consuming
- Cost
- Reading
- Effect of narrative organisation on
reading by different audiences
- Ways in which audiences may
appreciate narratives
- Effects of reception content on
audience.
Characters
- Establishment
- Development
- Relationships
Mise-en-scene
Multiple Storylines
- Function
- Links Between
- Effects on each other
Acting Sound
- Diegetic
- Non-Diegetic
- Dialogue
- Music
- Sound Effects
Structuring of Time
- Order, duration, frequency
- Contraction and expansion
- Linear and/or non-linear
Editing
- Vision
- Sound
- Design
- Style
Cause and Effect
- Character and motivation
- Narrative progression
Special Effects
Point(s) of View
- Character
- Other
Genre and/or Style
- Function
- Impact
- Referencing of other texts.

12. During this area of study you will build a resource for
your texts on the previous slide. For each element in
the narrative equation, find an example and note the
following:
• Name the story, production or audience element,
• Explain how the element works,
• Record what is happening on screen in the example
– what do you see, hear and understand?
• Analyse how the element or technique is used in this
example,
• Explain why the director has chosen to construct this
element in this way,
• Note the effect on the audience.
Once you can demonstrate your knowledge of each
element and how it works, try explaining how
combinations of elements work interdependently to
construct a narrative.
Not the following:
• In this area of study, it is sometimes easer to explain
how a narrative element works by sketching it,
• Point form is a good way to demonstrate your
knowledge.