NARRATIVE (the plot)

1
NARRATIVE (the plot)

• People are always building narratives
• Narratives have always existed
• Narratives come in three major forms
• A) written
• B) verbal
• C) visual

2
Narrative more than a story

• Narrative is more than just a story.
• As novelist E.M. Forster said once The king died
  and then the queen died is a story. The king
  died, and then the queen died of grief is a plot.

3
Narrative Structure

• Every narrative uses some sort of structure.
• Even films like Memento and Pulp Fiction use
  narrative structure, though the viewer has to
  work hard to figure out the real sequence of
  events.

4
Classic Hollywood Structure

• 1. Equilibrium is established
• 2. Equilibrium is disrupted
• 3. Equilibrium is restored

5
Story/Narration/Text

• Story Content the events, the characters, the
  settings
• Text Presentation HOW is the story told?
• How does it deal with time?
• How are the characters created?
• Who sees, perceives, judges the events?
• Narration Telling HOW the story is told and
  by whom
• Is there a narrator? Is the story limited to one
  persons perspective? Is the narrators POV
  reliable?

6
MUSIC AND NARRATIVE

• SETS THE TONE AND ESTABLISHES AN ATMOSPHERE
• CAN IMPACT EMOTION
• CAN LIMIT EMOTION
• CAN FORESHADOW TYPES OF EVENTS

https//www.youtube.com/watch?vvihnAK114N8
7
YOUR TURN

• Think about a favourite film and break it down
  into 6-9 KEY scenes.
• Focus on the characters and what they want.
• Now, come up with an idea for a structure based
  on one of the following
• Days of the week
• Common experience
• The year
• The seasons
• Nature such tree branches, layers of rock, the
  growth cycle, metamorphosis, etc.

8
Archetype and Primary Plots

• Plots often follow primary story patterns called
  ARCHETYPES.
• Archetypes reflect BASIC HUMAN EXPERIENCES such
  as growing up, facing challenge, love, loss, etc.
• By tapping into this COMMON CORE OF EXPERIENCE,
  the filmmaker engages the audience in a powerful
  way

9
Seven Primary Plots

• 1. ACHILLES overcoming obstacle, hero has weak
  spot
• 2. CINDERELLA transformation, character rises up
  despite odds

10
Seven Primary Plots contd

• 3. JASON quest,
• hero must seek and find, against the odds
  (archetypal hero journey)
• 4. FAUST temptation
• character risks all, putting self into
  anothers hands

11
Seven Primary Plots contd

• 5. ORPHEUS
• great loss
• journey to reclaim what is lost
• 6. ROMEO AND JULIET love triumphs lovers come
  together despite odds

12
Seven Primary Plots contd

• TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
• love defeated
• lovers meet, but one is already taken

13
Archetypal Hero Quest

• a. Mysterious Birth b. Call to adventure
• c. Refusal of call d. Encounter with mentor
• e. Cross threshold / Leave known world
• f. Meet helpers g. Decent into darkness
• h. Road of trials i. Supreme test
• j. Wisdom/ Goal attained k. Journey home
• l. The Return Knowledge shared / Order restored

14
YOUR TURN

• Apply the Archetypal Hero Journey plot pattern to
  a movie you know. For each element of the heros
  journey, identify moments from the movie. How
  many movies can you list that follow this plot
  pattern?
• For TWO of the other Seven Primary Plots, list at
  least two movies youve seen.