DEFINING BASICS OF NARRATIVE The minimal criteria for determining the presence of narrative include: a series of events in some cause-effect order.

Causality suggests: 1. temporal 2. spatial 3. thematic links Story is a series of: 1. represented events, characters, and actions out of which the: 2. audience constructs a fictional time, place, and cause-effect world, or diegesis.

Narrative is generally accepted as possessing two components: 1. the story presented 2. process of its telling, or narration.

VISUAL STORYTELLINGTelling visual stories has been around for thousands of years. Early rock paintings were used as a form of storytelling and communication.

Over the last century, visual storytelling has been taken to new heights with the emergence of photography, television, film, and computers.

Graphic illustrations such as photographs, comics, and magazines communicate their message without motion.

Movies and animation are linear forms of visual storytelling where the audience listens and watches passively.

Games and multimedia applications, on the other hand, are interactive programs where the user both actively views and manipulates the program.

VISUAL STORYTELLINGAlthough the means and the methods of storytelling may have changed over time,

the storyteller’s purpose has pretty much stayed the same - to communicate a message to an audience.

A storyteller’s effectiveness is based on drawing an au-dience into the story and capturing their attention.

This is often accomplished by the message that the story and the visuals deliver.

storytelling is key to graphic design they are one in the same

VISUALS VERSUS THE STORYShow me. Don’t tell me. This happens to be the basis of writing visual content. If you tell a story, you try to entice the audience into imagining its content. However, if you are going to show the audience, you must rely less on telling and more on showing. Think of it this way: when you show a story, you are molding the message into visual imagery. Let’s look at a couple examples.

Telling Example Jake, who was considered the bully of the neighborhood, stood on the corner of Tentl, and Main in his blue jeans, black T-shirt, and a cigarette pack rolled lip in his sleeve. The rest of the kids avoided the corner where Jake stood. They were intimidated by the high school dropout who derivedpleasurefromflickingtheburningembersof hiscigaretteintothehairof anykidwho crossed his path.

The above example tells the viewer what Jake’s demeanor and personality is like. It is up to the audience to imagine the expression and actions of both Jake and the children.

Showing Example Jake; a burly teen with pock marks on his cheeks and skull tattoo scrawled across his bicep, kicks a scuffed military boot in the dirt. The dust circles his feet as he pulls a cigarette from behind his earandslipsitbetweenhislips.Hiseyesdarttoseveralschoolchildrenscurryingsinglefile down a dirt path. He settles his gaze on a pint-sized boy with a Space Rangers backpack slung over his small shoulders. Jake smirks as he takes a long drag from his cigarette and quickly steps forward toward the boy.

Now the audience is able to see Jake kick the dirt up as he pulls a cigarette from behind his ear. When writing visual content, you want to show the actions of thecharacters, the aesthetics of locations, and how the characters feel.

ELEMENTS OF A STORYMost stories start out as an idea without structure. They often begin as abstract images that take form over time, as structure and order are later added to the mix.

Let’s take a look at a very simple example:

There are three images: bridge, boat and bicyclist.

Alone they are no more than words without meaning or interest to an audience. But what if you gave those words meaning through structure. Stories need to be about something.

Therefore, we could take our bicyclist and put him in a situation where he had to get across the bridge to deliver a package within the hour. We are now beginning to structure our story with an action or goal on the part of the bicyclist.

But wait. All good stories need conflict. What if the bridge goes up to let a boat pass, makingitdifficultforthe bicyclist, to reach his goal in time? Using a time element, or ticking clock, raises the stakes for our bicyclist.

Questions that the story raises are:

Will the bicyclist make it in time? What will happen if he doesn’t?

Theauthormusthavethesequestionsansweredbytheendof thestoryif theaudienceistowalkawaysatisfied.Oncetheproblemissolved - and the package is delivered in time (or not) - the story is resolved.

ELEMENTS OF A STORYDramaticstructureisusuallydefinedasthebeginning, middle, and end, or if it is a screenplay, act one, act two, and act three. No matter what you call it, the purpose is the same, which is to structure the flow of a story to give it meaning.

Plot Structure Graphic Organizer

Falling Action

RisingAction

Climax

Introduction Resolution

THE BEGINNINGThebeginning,oractone,infilm,television,andanimation,iswherethestorytellersetsupthe characters, location, and conflict of the story.

QuestionsSeveral questions that need to be answered include: Who are the characters? Where are they? When does the story take place (the future, past, or present)? Why are the characters there?

HookDynamic stories may begin with a hook that grabs the audience’s attention, such as: Murder Kidnapping Action sequence Couple breaking up A character receiving an eviction notice

The hook should leave the audience asking questions. Why did the woman get evicted from her apartment? Who kidnapped the girl? What caused the couple to split apart?

If the audience is hooked, they will undoubtedly want to know what happens next and keep watching.

THE BEGINNING cont.VisualsVisuals are extremely important to hook the audience and to set up the hero’s journey. In Fight Club,thefirstimageweseeof Jack,thefilm’sprotagonist,iswithagunbarrel inhismouthbeforeastruggleensues.Aswewatchthefilm,wewanttoknowwho Jack is, and how he got himself into such a predicament.

GoalThebeginningalsodefinesthehero’sgoal. Save the kidnapped princess Get a job Save the world Defeat the town’s evil mayor?

Examples: Intherecentfilmbasedontheacclaimedbook, The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is asked inthebeginningof thefilmtojoinhimonan“unexpectedjourney”totheLonely Mountain with a group of Dwarves to reclaim their stolen mountain home from a dragon.

In Django Unchained,wefindoutveryearlyinthefilmthatafreedslavesetsoutto rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner with the help of a German bounty hunter.

THE MIDDLEThe middle, or act two, is where the hero faces many complications and obstacles in his search to reach the goal or solve a problem. The middle contains many twists and turns, and keeps raising the stakes to keep the story interesting and the tension building.

ConflictIn Gladiator, for example, we witness Maximus go from General to slave. His family murdered,Maximus loses both his position and his name as he battles many opponents in the Gladiator ring. The stakes for Maximus become even higher as he is forced to reveal his identity to the evil ruler of Rome, who wants nothing more than to see him dead.

Twists and TurnsThe hero often faces a turning point in act two, which takes the story in a different direction. In the documentary, My Kid Could Paint That,thedocumentarianthinksheismakingafilmaboutachildprodigywhoisabrilliantabstractpainter,untilhalfwaythroughthefilm,hequestionswhethersheis actually responsible for these paintings.

End of Act IIBy the end of act two, all seems lost for the hero. In Gladiator, Maximus’s faithful servant is mur-dered, and the evil ruler imprisons Maximus. In My Kid Could Paint That, the documentarian and the audience become more and more confused and begin to distrust the girl’s family.

THE ENDThe end, or act three, is where the climax and resolution of the problem occurs: the hero’s goal is attained, the problem is solved, etc.

ActionMany endings include a showdown, or final confrontation, which is often between the protagonist and antagonist. The action becomes most intense near the end as the hero makes a last stand.

This is where: the guy gets the girl the soldier saves the princess the good guy captures the thief or the slave defeats the enemy before ultimately succumbing to his wounds.

SuspenseGreat endings sometimes include a ticking-clock, which is the race against time in order to reach the goal. A classic ending is three seconds on the clock with one down left as the football team makes the winning touchdown.

Not-so-happy EndingsNot all endings are happy endings as well. For example, Maximus in Gladiator does kill his man, however falls dead himself shortly after. In My Kid Could Paint That, the audience is left to decide for themselves whether the little girl was a true artist or a hoax and the story is left unresolved.

STORYBOARDS: visualizing the storyPlanning ToolStoryboards are a series of sketches that are used as a planning tool: visually showing how the action of a story unfolds.

Close relation to ComicThe closest visual relation to the storyboard is the comic strip minus the dialogue balloons. But whereas comic strips entertain, the storyboard is a tool that facilitates production.

Identifying ProblemsThe main purpose of the storyboard is to clearly convey the narrative flow of a story by defining the challenges and problems of a project. Therefore, understanding the ele-ments of the storytelling process is of utmost importance for the storyboard artist to his or her job.

Timing and FramingStoryboards also assist in the: timing of a sequence experimenting with camera angles movement continuity amongst the elements within the frame

Other aspects to narrative to consider:genrethemecharacterplotstructuresettingpoint-of-viewtonesymbolism

Genres: the term for any category of literature based on a distinctive stylistic criteria.Useof atermsuchasgenre“impliesthatworksof literature,films,andtelevisionprogramscanbecategorized.”

Genresarenotorganicintheirconception.Theyaresynthetic:artificialcreationsbyintellectuals.Genresineffectarenotcreatedbythoseinvolvedinthefilmmakingprocess;rathertheyarecreatedbyfilmtheorists.

genres: action, adventure, comedy, crime...

sub-genres:biopics,chickflicks,detective,disaster...

Themes: the central meaning of a textA theme or multiple themes can be found within a genre and usually relate to the time and context it was written. A theme is a broad idea, message, or moral of the story. Forexample,youcouldhaveafilmwhichisasuspensethrillerorawarmovieandthecentralthemescouldbereligionorlovewithin those genres.

What is this work about?

What evidence can you provide to reveal this is so?

How is theme expressed through character or action, scenes or language, the social and material conditions within the text?

What issues or ideas are raised? About individuals and their emotional, private or political lives? About social or racial justice?

Are the ideas limited to members of the group represented by the characters (age, class, race, nationality, dominant culture)?

Are these ideas applicable to general conditions of life?

What values are embodied in the idea?

themes: vengeance, war, love, grief, ...

CharactersCharacter-driven: The main character drives the movie’s progress and is the focus of the audience’s attention. The story may explorethephilosophiesof thecharacters,orthecharacters’idiosyncrasiesmay“stealtheshow”.Thecharactersmovethestoryforward and cause events to happen through their actions. We care about the characters and action is secondary to the character’s development and growth.

How are ideas in the work expressed by character?

What actions bring out important traits of the character?

Is this character realistically depicted? If not, is the character supposed to represent an idea, belief, or value system?

How is the character described? Why is this important?

To what extent do the traits and the character’s actions permit you to judge him/her?

Is the character consistent or inconsistent?

Believable or not? Are they a major, minor, of marginal character?

Dimensional or stereotypical? What is the amount of complexity?

Has the character changed in any way from the beginning of the narrative? How?

Example: Shawshank Redemption, Citizen Kane, Slumdog Millionaire, Napolean Dynamite, Its A Wonderful Life. The personalities and choices of the main characters dominate their respective movies.

Plot and StructureSelection and arrangement of incidents that give a story focus. How and why do certain events happen.

Plot-driven: The events of the storyline drive the movie. The characters do not create situations or events themselves.

Plot: Aretherecharactersthatcomeintoconflictwitheachother?Oristheplotdrivenbyinternalmotivationand/oroutwardcir-cumstances? If theconflictstemsfromcontrastingvaluesoridea,whataretheseandhowaretheybroughtout? What dilemma does the protagonist deal with? How does she deal with it? What obstacles do the characters overcome? Do they realize their goals? Is there resolution in the end?

Plot-driven examples: Horror films, James Bond, Mission Impossible, The Indiana Jones movies: (However, In “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” we actually care about Indiana Jones as a person. In “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull,” Indiana Jones is just a caricature who goes from one action sequence to another without any character development whatsoever.)

Plot and Structure Selection and arrangement of incidents that give a story focus. How and why do certain events happen.

Structure: Istheworktoldinflashbackordoesitproceedchronologically?Whateffectdoflashbackshave? Are there different narrative threads or interlocking narratives used? Are there stories within stories? How do they reverberate, highlight, respond to themes in the main narrative? Is there a climax, a high point of the story, that leads to resolution? Wheredoesthetensionlieinthestory?Betweencharacters?Betweenconflictingperspectives? Between contrasting values? Does the work withhold any crucial details until the end? How does the work end? Open-ended or closed?

Example of unique structure: Memento

Setting: cultural, social, physical context of story’s action.

Types of settings: Natural world: weather and climate, geography, animal life, seasons and conditions. Objects of human construction and manufacture: personal effects, interiors and exteriors, possessions, buildings. Historical and cultural conditions: perceptions and values of society, assumptions, prevalent ideas or trends.

Howdoessettinginfluencecharacter?Createmood?

What cultural, religious, and political conditions are assumed?

How do objects take on importance and symbolic meaning?

How important are sound or silences?

How do weather conditions highlight themes?

Example: Film Noir, The Artist, The Impossible, Back to the Future, Schindler’s List

Point of View: who is telling the story and how does that affect how it is told

Is one character telling the story? Or are there multiple perspectives?

Does the narrator disclose anything about him/herself that he/she doesn’t know through actions or mannerisms or dialogue?

Is there an authorial voice? One that is separate from the character’s point of view? One that is different in language or tone, that jars or intrudes into the narrative?

Does the point of view shift at all? Do we get to see the interior lives of one or all of the characters? Or do we rely on their actions, responses, and dialogue to understand them?

What is the speaker’s level of language?

Doesthespeakerornarratorexplainthingstothelistener?Isthereavoiceoverinthefilm?

Is the point of view constructed toward making you think a certain way? Or does it allow for reader interpretation?

Examples: Black Swan, Annie Hall, The Notebook, GoodFellas, Fight Club...

Tone: how writers and directors reveal attitudes/feelings through use of elements Writer uses techniques and modes of presentation such as humor and irony.

Lookatdialoguetofindsuggestionsfortheauthor’sattitudetowardshis/hercharacters.Whatpartsof theworkare funny? What kind of humor is being used? Satire or slapstick?

Is there humor based on miscommunication or incongruity?

Whatironiesdoyoufindinthestory?Istheironyconnectedtophilosophiesof marriage,family,society,politics,religion?

How do the characters come across to you? If you don’t like one, why not? What about them is giving you a negative impression?

Examples: movies by Alexander Payne, Wes Anderson, Jud Apatow, Farrelly Brothers...

Symbolism (visual and verbal)

The ways that writers use language to express complex ideas via imagery

Theuseof thesensestoevokeideasthroughmentalpicture,andfigurativelanguage

Use of language that is connotative, that alludes to some other meaning than what it is. Examples are metaphors and similes, allusions and references.

What objects or images in the works are symbolic and why?

What meanings do they have?

What types of imagery prevail and why? Imagery of imprisonment or of freedom.

Are references made that you don’t understand?

Examples: Hero, DaVinci Code, Magnolia, Oh Brother Where Art Thou