Film Chapter 4

Film Narrative

Character pursuing a goal

How and why do we distinguish between the story and the plot of the movie?

Story -Implied events and explicitly presented events -all the narrative events that are explicitly presented on-screen -all the events that are implicit or that we infer to have happened but are not explicitly present in the movie Plot -Nondiegetic material and explicitly presented events -the specific actions and events that the filmmakers select and the order in which they arrange this events to effectively convey the narrative to the viewer -includes nondiegetic elements -Specific events and elements are selected and ordered to present the cause-and-effect chain of events that enables the audience to experience the narrative Overlap and interact Filmmakers use plot to tell us a story Story exists as a precondition to the plot, and the filmmaker must understand what story is being told before going through the difficult job of selecting events to show on-screen and determining in what order to present that. Story Duration -amount of time that the implied story takes to occur Plot Duration -elapsed time of those events within the story that the film explicitly presents Screen Duration - running time on-screen

Camera Narrator First-Person Narrator Third-Person Narrator

Camera Narrator -primary narrator -consists of the many visual elements it captures and arranges in every composition in every shot -camera tells the story -the filmmakers and their creative techniques First-Person -Character in the narrative who typically imparts information in the form of VOICE OVER NARRATION, which is when we hear a character's voice the picture without actually seeing the character speak -allows audience to hear one narration while watching the camera's narration Third-Person Narrator -Voice-Over narrator isn't in the movie

What is the climax and how does it relate to the protagonist's pursuit of a goal?

Climax comes when the protagonist faces a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, will be the deciding factor in whether or not they will reach the goal -usually the protagonist must take a great risk, make a significant sacrifice, or overcome a personal flaw -goal is either gained or lost

What is meant by the diegesis of a story? What is the difference between diegetic and nondiegetic elements in the plot?

Diegesis -Total world of the story, -Events, characters, objects, settings, and sound that form the world Diegetic -Elements that make up the world that the story takes place in Non Diegetic -Things we see and hear on the screen that come from outside the world of the story -Score music, titles and credits, third person voice over narrator

What are major and minor events each supposed to do for the movie's plot?

Major Events -Points in the plot structure that force characters to choose between or among alternate paths -Crucial to the plot Minor -Add texture and complexity to characters and actions but are not essential elements within the narrative -Less crucial to plot

What is the difference between narration and narrator?

Narration is the act of telling the story Narrator is who or what tells the story Narrative = Story Camera is the primary narrator The narrator delivers the narration that conveys the narrative.

What are the differences between omniscient and restricted narration?

Omniscient -it knows all and can tell us whatever it wants us to know -unrestricted access to all aspects of the narrative -any character's experiences and perceptions Restrictive -limits the information it provides the audience to things known by a single character -Rear Window -audience identifies with the character's singular perspective -can be unreliable

Protagonist Antagonist

Primary character who pursues the goal Person, people, creature or forces responsible for obstructing our protagonist

Can a major character be flat? Can a minor character be round? Explain.

Round character - numerous traits that can change significantly over the course of the story -display complexity -see them as more lifelike Flat Characters -few distinct traits and do not change significantly as the story progresses Different types of stories call for different approaches to character traits, behavior, and development Can a major character be flat? -Yes. Different types of stories call for different approaches to character traits, behavior, and development Ex. Pirates of the Caribbean = Jack Sparrow -Doesn't change -Doesn't develop but still adds to the narrative

Which of the following is the most common relationship of screen duration to story duration: -summary relationship -Real time -Stretch time

Summary Relationship is most common Summary Relationship -Screen duration is shorter than plot duration Real Time -Screen duration corresponds directly to plot duration Stretch Relationship -Screen duration is longer than plot duration

Which is the difference between suspense and surprise? Which one is more difficult for a filmmaker to create?

Surprise -being taken unaware, can be shocking, and our emotional response to it is generally short lived Suspense -more drawn-out experience -is the anxiety brought on by a partial uncertainty

Hitchcock on surpass and suspense

Suspense -the bomb is under the table and the public knows it -aware that the bomb will go off at 1 and there is a clock

Setting

The time and place in which the story occurs