Friday 28 September 2012

All about narrative and how it relates to Thrillers


Story? Narrative? Plot?
  • Narratives refer in some way to stories
  • Stories are endemic to our lives
Where we see/hear stories
  • TV
  • Novels
  • Films
  • Adverts
  • Newspapers
  • Radio
  • Internet
  • Talk, gossip and chat

What is Narrative?
  • Existed as long as humans
  • Universal aspect of human race
  • Impossible to discuss relevance to our existence
  • Thriller plays around with key narrative ideas
Openings
  • Important!
  • Grab and hold attention
  • Puzzle/enigma code
  • VERY CONFUSING

Three act structure
  • Commercial films follow this
  • It orchestrates the way the story is told
  • Many film and TV programmes follow it
  • Three separate acts with a number of different scenes
  • Beginning, middle, end


The Set up (the start)
  • Where vital info is provided
  • Includes main characters, basic storyline, location, style or genres of the film, present themes and set the rhythm and prepare the audience for the story to come
  • Red herrings

The catalyst
  • Normally within the opening 5-7 mins of a film
  • Changes situation presented
  • Sets  things going
  • Could bee a specific action or a piece of info
  • Raises central question of story, problem/situation needs resolving
Levi Strauss
  • Binary  opposition
  • Create meanings by establishing what something is not
  • Understand the world through a system of power weighted oppositions 

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