Tim 22/09/11

22/09/11 Tim

Narrative

Aim – To understand how narrative works in film & Tv and the terminology

Propps Theory - suggested that characters take the roles of the narrative spheres of action

Tzvertan Todorov's – believed that narrative came in five stages

1. Equilibrium at the outset
2. Disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. A recognition of the disruption
4. Attempt to repair the disruption
5. The statement of the equilibrium (it is restored)

Allan Cameron's Theory – Believed there was four types of modular narrative

1. Anachronic
2. Forking paths
3. Episodic
4. Split screen

Narrative	Is a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time (Bordwell&Thompson 1980)
Diegesis	Is the word we use to describe the internal world created by the story that the characters themselves experience and encounter
Verisimilitude	The believability
Story	All events referenced both explicitly in a narrative and inferred including back story and how the character develops
Plot	The actual things we see happen in the film or tv show
Unrestricted narration range	Has no limits and can cover anything
Restricted narration range	Only offers a minimal information I.e thriller
Subjective character identification	Given unique to what a range of characters see and do
Objective character identification	The viewer given access to a characters mind, dream and memories
Narrative theory	Conventional narrative theory can be explored through russian formalist in the 1920's
Hero	Usually male, has a quest to restore the narrative equilibrium
Victim hero	Centre of the villians attention
Seeker hero	Aids the villains victims
Villain	Creates the narrative disruption
Donor	Gives the hero an object, information or advice
Helper	Aids the hero in his/her task to restore equilibrium
Princess	Victim or object most threated by the villain
Father	Gives the princess away to the hero at the narrative conclusion
Dispatcher	Sends the hero on his/her task
False hero	Appears to be good but at the end turns out to be a villain
Modular narrative	“Articulate a sense of time as divisible and subject to manipulation
Anachronic modular narrative	Use flashbacks and flash forward but neither takes presidents over the other
Forking paths modular narrative	Juxtapos shows alternative version of ta story (outcomes are changed by single events)
Episodic narrative	The film doesn't actually have a narrative (series of short tales which are disconnected and random such as the Simpsons)
Split screen narrative	Based on spatial rather than temporal lives (shows more than one thing) events in the same visual field