Narrative – The Plot and story thicken!Chapter 2

There is an order to thingsIn any story there is a beginning,

middle, and end.The Plot – A selection and

arrangement of events from the full story.

Story Order – The chronological sequences of narrative events.◦Can be chronological – true to formula◦Or it can be a collogue (i.e. Quentin

Tarantino)

Terms to knowFlashback – A scene or in this case a

sequence of scenes that recap the past. ◦May explain why things are set the way

they are. Why a character is acting a certain way.

Flash-Forward – A scene or sequence of events that projects future events in the world of the story. Can suggest a Paranormal presence. Example – 500 Days of Summer.

The Three ActsAct 1 – Expectations are raised, the scene is

set. We are introduced to the protagonists.

Act 2 – Presents the obstacle or problem. The protagonist’s world has been turned upside down. The rest of the act is fueled by the protagonists goal to get things back to the way they used to be.

Act 3 – This is where the climax of the film ensues and a resolution is found. (The hero finds that he can defeat the enemy – not with weapons, but with knowledge.)

TermsExposition (Typically found in Act 2) –

Presentation of narrative information that provides context for the story and plot. This includes an insight into the character development.

Closure (Found in Act 3) – Resolution of problems

Deus ex machina – God is the Machine – in other words an outside force or natural force ends the story. (M. Night Shyamalan).

Structures within the ActsAct 1Opening Balance: The world is in

balance. There is a certain equilibrium among the world and characters which must be disturbed.

Opening Event: A unique moment in the characters lives. It can be an unusual event, special occasion or crises.

Act 1The disturbance: “The inciting

incident”.◦This is a plot point that disrupts the

balance and gets the action rolling. ◦Protagonist and antagonist are put

into a situation rich with conflict.

End of Act 1: Disturbance causes basic situation to deteriorate. This continues until the protagonist takes action and begins to act.

Act 1The MAJOR dramatic question –

Disturbance causes the protagonist to ask a major question: “This is the hook,” that keeps people in the theater for hours to know the answer or outcome.

Length of Act 1It can last anywhere from no

longer than the opening credits or long enough to have the audience empathize with the character.

Hollywood average – between 10 percent and 25 percent of the film.

Act 2Middle is made of roadblocks and

to ensure that the protagonists course of action is not clearly sealed.◦Always another conflict, crisis or

obstacle that gets in the way of their goal.

Act 2: Rising ActionThe world is unstable, governed by the

rising action – which makes each conflict, crisis, obstacle and complication more powerful and more important. ◦The protagonist is on the course of most

resistance.◦Some moments of an opponents success

are here but always leads to greater undoing.

◦Failure of the protagonist to reach his/her goal.

Act 2: The Dark momentEnd of an Act when the hero

totally falls and fails. ◦Quest collapses.◦Protagonist’s flaws have tripped

them up.◦Goal is now unattainable.

Act 3: Enlightenment: Occurs when

protagonist understands how to defeat the antagonist. This can come in different forms. ◦1. The protagonist can join forces

with another. ◦2. A revelation sheds a new light on

a problem.◦3. Falling into an emotional abyss

and seeing the error in his/her ways.

Character reaches enlightenment.A good enlightenment must

involve several elements:◦1. Must be something that the

protagonist and the audience would not have understood before the enduring trials and failures.

◦2. Enlightenment needs to be set up earlier in the screenplay.

Other elements of Act 3Climax: Once our protagonist

reaches an understanding he is ready to defeat the antagonist. ◦After reaching enlightenment the

outcome suddenly becomes clear to the protagonist and the audience.

◦But there is still enough doubt to maintain some suspense to keep you in your seat.

What next…Now that the climax is out – you

can’t linger around.◦The end has to come to …, well, and

end. You’ve got the audience already understanding what’s going on and understanding your main character.

◦But the ending must be somehow related to the beginning.

Act 3Catharsis: The process of

releasing or purging the character’s repressed emotions and thereby bringing relief or understanding. ◦Restores the world back to balance

and hinting what the future might bring.

Joseph Campbell and The Hero’s Journey. Details how plot structure of

most heroic quest and myth – no matter what country or what culture – are all virtually the same.

The Hero’s Journey: 12 Steps

1. The ordinary World: A myth begins with the hero in his own element.

2. Call to Action: A problem or challenge is presented that will unsettle the ordinary world of the protagonist.

3. The Reluctant Hero: Hero balks at the edge of adventure. He faces his fears.

The Hero’s Journey: 4. The Wise Old Man: Hero

acquires a mentor who helps him make the right decisions.

5. Into the Special World: Hero makes decision to undertake the adventure and leaves his own familiar world behind to enter a special world of problems and challenges.

The Hero’s Journey6. Test, allies and enemies: The hero

confronts allies of his and opponents as well as his own weaknesses. He takes action while dealing with the consequences of his actions.

7. The Inmost Cave: Hero enters place of great danger. World of the antagonist.

8. The Supreme Ordeal: A dark moment occurs. Hero must face a crucial failure, defeat – which he will achieve the wisdom to succeed in the end.

The Hero’s Journey. 9. Seizing the sword: The hero

gains power. With his new knowledge or greater capability he can now defeat the enemy.

10. The Road Back: The hero returns to the ordinary world. There are still dangers and problems as the antagonist or his allies pursue the hero.

The Hero’s Journey. 11. Resurrection: The hero is

spiritually or literally reborn and purified by his ordeal.

12. Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world with the treasure that will heal his world and restore balance.

Examples of Hero’s JourneyBatman ReturnsStar War’s Luke Skywalker. The HobbitLord of the RingsHarry Potter

◦Also another common theme – most of these hero’s have been orphaned in some way or grew up raised by somebody else.

A story often has subplotsYou have Story A (The main story in which the

hero/protagonist is trying to set their world back in order)

You have Story(ies) B,C and D within A. I

Example – Bonnie and Clyde.◦ You have the main story – Bonnie and Clyde, outlaws,

are out on a crime-spree. Will they get caught?◦ Then you have the love story – Bonnie is looking for a

man, maybe Clyde’s the guy. But Clyde tells her he’s not a “lover boy.”

◦ Throughout the film the A and B story take turns showing precedence over each other.

◦ In the end the A story remains dominant.

Parallel Stories – Tarantino Style

These stories have multiple plots that tie together somehow.

There is no priority.“Sin City.” “Pulp Fiction.” Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic” follows 3

narratives/stories. ◦ Story of two Mexican detectives negotiating the drug world

in Mexico.◦ The story of two American detectives who arrest a drug

Kingpin then watch as his wife takes over the business. ◦ Story of a politician committed to the party line fighting the

drug war until his daughter becomes an addict and teaches him the drug war may not be so easily won.

◦ These stories interweave within one another to deliver a message to the audience – The war on drugs is complicated.

Narrative Time Filmmakers are constantly battling the time

restrictions to show a film.◦ Typically 90 to 120 minutes. ◦ Some go longer. ◦ Time is money.

Within this time frame the filmmakers have to cover and consider the following:

Story duration: Time span encompassing the entire story.

Plot Duration: Time used only those stories selected for the plot (key scenes that move plot along.)

Screen Duration: Running Time of a film.

Narrative Time continued…Backstory – Story that the characters bring

with them to the film. Ellipses – omission of significant chunks of

story time that we as an audience fill in. Intertitle – Used to transition and allow the

audience to be in the know that a certain amount of time has past. ◦ Provided dialogue in silent films. ◦ Set the scenes.

Nondiegetic – Term used to denote material within a film that comes from outside world of the story. (What an intertitle is).

Characters Without characters to relate to we wouldn’t have

movies. Each character – especially our main characters –

have to have some form of motivation. ◦ Why they behave the way they do. ◦ We observe their actions, their expressions to see what

kind of a character they might be.◦ The saying goes, “Everybody wants something.”

Some characters may go through an entire movie and simply act on impulse – then it’s up to us the film goers – to figure out why they act this way.

It may also be a message that the director/screenwriter/producer wants to send to the film goers.

Character TypesHeroNemesisGood versus EvilCharacter Types: need to be recognizable

and relatable. The VirginThe VixenThe womanizerThe good country boyThe sidekick The list goeso n.

Character’s DialogueDialogue offers insights into the characters and

the story. Sometimes characters don’t need dialogue and

can just say a whole page worth of lines in “one look.”

Dialogue – although a fantasy within the film – has to be believable.◦ You don’t want your character to act or say something

that isn’t in line with their personality. Voice Over narration helps as well in moving the

plot along. First Person Narrator – The character tells the

story.Third Person Narrator – An outsider tells the story.

Movie Stars and their filmsOften times we associated a

character with the actor that gives it life.

Harrison Ford IS Indiana Jones – there is no other.

Luis Guzman will always play a supporting role.

For TuesdayReview this week’s lecture.Finish reading Chapter 2 –

Narrative and Genre.

Complete your weekly journal.

Next week – We will continue with Genre and step into the 1930s. (into the 40s).