NARRATIVE STRUCTUR

ES

LINEAR (OR SEQUENTIAL)

NON-LINEAR (OR NON-SEQUENTIAL)

FLASHBACK

REALISTANTI-REALIST

ENDINGS

OPEN CLOSED

Narrative Structures • STORY- Whole diegesis (story world)• PLOT- Arrangement of story units and the cause of and effect of relationship between the units.• NARRATIVE- How s&p are represented and communicated. The narrative includes everything

including the film devices

In productions, particularly in movies there is a narrative in which the film follows, a narrative is a storyline or plot the film utilizes as a basis of its story line which has an effect on its audience. Linear (sequential) and non-linear (non-sequential) are the two core types of narratives. Both are typically recognised and are very effective. In film the narrative includes: The story content; The plot- The particular ordering of story units; All the technical and stylistic elements that are utilized to deliver the story content.

A linear narrative run in a straight line, providing events in a chronological order, a perfect case of this is a soap opera. Soap opera doesn’t jump around in time, either forwards or backwards. Majority soap aim at actuality. Representing real life as it is lived and experienced. It contains a rough basic beginning, middle and end. The linear narrative is very typical and very predictable. The effect linear narrative has on the audience changes. People think that when a film or production is based on a linear the excitement levels of isn’t as entertaining when compared to the non-linear, as the audience will have the basic idea of what will take place within the next couple of scenes. Here are a few cases of linear productions:  Cars Cinderella Shrek

Uses and Gratification Theory: Case 1-Introductions of most films tend to begin with everything within the film running just fine, characters carrying on with their day to day things without any changes to disrupt their schedule. Todorov has stated this to be the Equilibrium due to the fact that it is the first stage and life within the film is normal at this point in time. For instance, in Cars it begins with Lighting McQueen (protagonist- a NASCAR), he is known for his speed and winning mentality. This indicates how things in life is before any changing in events.

Case 2-When going further into the story a problem comes up for McQueen and life changes for him. This alters everything within the film until further change takes place. The problem starts when Lighting McQueen accidentally slides off his trailer whilst they were traveling to another racing event. McQueen gets left behind and oblivious to the fact that his truck/resting place has left him and ‘wakes up’ in middle of the highway. He then gets lost in attempt to find his way back to his track and instead finds himself in a small town arrested for destruction of property.

Case 3-The lives of the characters and events soon interweaves which results in tension being built throughout the section creating a lot of suspense and worry for the plot. This is known as recognition. McQueen is then forced to remain in Radiator Springs and repair the road he destroyed when he was finding his way back to his truck.

Case 4-Suspense is quite similar to recognition as it still being developed which gets pressure yet repair this is the highest point of suspension and tension within the film and this might be the most action-packed part of a production as several events begin their maximum capacity of suspense. McQueen then gets saved by the News as his vanishing was intense as he is outstanding in the city yet his bond with cars that kept him has developed and he has grown to cherish them yet he is still forced to leave in a rush. As soon as he reaches his race and everything is going great yet he seems to be distracted as he misses it back in Radiator Springs, this eventually leads him to proceed with the race yet one of the other character have a crash which causes McQueen to choose from helping or going ahead to win the race for himself. He then helps the other character by pushing him over the finish line.

Case 5-This is the new equilibrium where everything has backpedalled to the way it was before or the anticipation and tension has finished leaving the characters to start off with back to original form. This theory connects to the audience as it provides suspense and a touch of excitement, the normal start from the equilibrium moving towards the disruption and afterward on to the suspense and tension develop to engage the audience and keep them intrigued and needing to discover more, this is an effective theory as far as getting individuals and the viewers to discover the production quality at a higher standard. Finally, towards the end of the film Lightning McQueen is offered an agreement to sign with a new team, however declines the offer as he’d rather stick with his new companions and by religiously following the conventions of a typical kid’s animated movie the story closes on a happy note.

Non-Linear: A non-linear doesn’t run in a straight-line, in a step-by-step fashion. It tends to present events in an order that is not in chronological one. For instance, in a crime plot a writer may place a story’s ending before the beginning and the middle acts. The story plot typically contains some sort of flashback or flash-forwards to create an effect which in the end all comes together. This process of narrative is very much gratifying to the audience as they are oblivious to what will come next, this is an ‘edge of seat’ factor and a good production will need apply this. Here are a few examples of Non-linear films:  The Grudge Memento Kill Bill

The effects these 2 types of narrative have on audience vary, as previously stated some believe linear films tend to be very predictable yet still entertaining. With non-Linear the unexpected is inevitable which also develops tension, anticipation and excitement.

A case of a film that has a nonlinear structure is the film ‘Focus’. It is a with a cluster of con artists who trick the public around them earning however much money as possible. There are several scenes where the scenes entwine

with others to show how everything links up with the other. This empowers the audience to gain a better understanding of the film to see a better picture. A case of this within the film is the point at which they were at the Football game the protagonist Nicki (Will Smith) and his accomplice Jess Barrot (Margot Robbie) are both betting

against a rich Asian man. They are come to know as the scam starts and somehow successfully win over the 4.1 million dollars they lost initially, they then clarify how this was finished by using flashback to clues and evidence indicating how the ultimate result of the bet was at first made. This was exceptionally smart as the audience didn’t

know about it so throughout the scene it kept them guessing.

Another case of where the film didn't take after the linear structure is when Nicki is talking about how he swindled and faked his trust with Jess and there were flashbacks to prior stages within the film when their friendship was very private and he elucidated on all the seemingly insignificant details they done which in actuality appeared as the major

picture and made more sense. This impact on the audience would have been effective as they also wouldn’t have excepted that. Meaning that throughout the whole film they were kept on the edge and this instantly gained points to the film. In this way, the story switches up between the good and bad feelings. The film blended it up to make the

impact that we were being misled this entire time as well.

Non-Linear and Linear films both are extremely successful however as far as the diversion, I believe that a film that is Non-Linear has much more assortment as far as excitement. Albeit both sorts of narratives are entertaining to

watch.

Flashback

Flashback Narratives- Different to non-linear narratives – it starts at a later stage in the story and then instantly goes back to the very beginning of the story to continue linearly from there and typically carries on past the supposed “ending” shown at the start.

Flashback were a predominant feature of the television shown lost.

Flashbacks are set in the present time; however, the scene shows some scenes of the past time. Basically, it shows the consumer the historical or past life of the specific character or even within a shot. The benefits of using a flashback scene allows the audience to comprehend what has happened before, and how it will affect the story in the present tense. The disadvantage of utilizing flashback scenes are that it can confuse the audience due to the fact that the story is not in chronological order.

Example: 

Breaking Bad series utilizes flashbacks majority of the time to outline the important moments for instance, when Hank is sitting on a toilet and finds a book of Walters that has ‘W.W’ written on (Walters initials) then flashback is used of Hank finding evidence of the huge drug case that has the initials W.W written on. It shows Hank’s face as he has realised Walter is Heisenberg, this

flashback scene was used to show Hank’s train of thought to the audience so that we know that he has finally realised Heisenberg is Walt. Without the utilization of flashback the audience could

be confused as to what he has realised as his initials aren’t a huge part of the story line.

RealistThis is England 86This is England 86 is a realist television program and is based on the life of young teenage boys. Within it there are scenes that applies in day to day life, which makes it a realist. Realist is a production style and is used to make the scene appear as close to real life as possible. It stemmed from “Kitchen Sink” dramas that is very much related to the audience’s real life. They way in which This is England 86 do this, is the using of the language, setting and clothing of the characters. For instance, the setting is a built-up state which majority of the audience might relate to. The teenage boys are dressed in the newest trend which normally still takes place today. The language of the boys is close to what teenagers use today. This is done to make up the soap seems as close to real life as possible. This is a case of realist. Another case of a realist program is Coronation Street. Producers choose to have their program as realist as it relates to their target audience.  Another exampleBBC’s Broadchurch follows the murder of a young boy in s coastal town and focuses on 2 detectives played by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, who search for the boy’s murderer.

Anti-RealistIt is the opposite of realist, productions which are anti-realist are typically far-fetched. For instance, they are typically things that

doesn’t happen in the real world. A case of this would be the television drama ‘Sherlock’. This is because these things don’t happen in everyday life. For instance, Harry Potter series, the events that are shown are not realistic in any shape or form. The

flying on broom sticks is not possible therefore it is an anti-realist.  

Anti-realist dramas are media items that utilizes surreal ideas or dreams to help create a story. They tend to use a lot of CGI (Computer Generated Images) and special effects to create the product. The pros of an anti-realist drama are that it is much more exciting and thrilling to the viewers as it is create and contexts that takes places happens in the audience’s wildest dreams. The

cons of an anti-realist drama are that it doesn’t feel or look convincing and can look fake/ ineffective. 

Another example of an anti-realist drama is Doctor Who. As they use a lot of special effects and unrealistic scenes to create a plot.

 

EndingsEndings of a narrative structure:

 Cliffhanger: Is when a media product finishes, leaving the audience in suspense for a

longer period. The types of products to use cliff hangers are films and games. The pros of using a cliffhanger drama is that it keeps the audience engages within the

story till the end and keeps them talking and anxious to know what happened. The con is that the viewers will never know what happened until the next sequel. This

will frustrate them.  

A case of a cliffhanger product is Harry Potter. This is because audience will have to wait longer for the next sequel to be released which leaves the audience in a more

prolonged period of suspense.

Every program has an ending however some endings are different than others. 

Open Open Ending- An opening ending resembles a cliffhanger they permit the story to be carried on. I the TV program EastEnders

this ending is quite often utilized. This is on the grounds that it makes the watcher more captivated and they continue to watch it. Open endings keep the watcher speculating for a long period of time. In EastEnders, the significant open ending was who murdered Phil Mitchell. Commonly movies don't have open ending unless they are a series. A case of an open ending film is 21 Jumpstreet. This is an opening ending as the story was not finished so it proceeded on 22 Jumpstreet.

An open-ended product is a point at which the drama completes with the audience contemplating about what will occur next. They leave the viewers in suspense by cutting off the end of the story and leaving no piece of information on what will happen. The upsides of an open-ended drama are that it keeps the audience speculating and anxious to watch the next episode. The cons of an open-ended drama are that the audience may get disappointed in light of the fact that they don’t get an entire story.

 A case of an open-ended drama is Revenge. This show is open ended as it holds scenes which proceed with the story on from where it last finishes.

In this story, exhausted Humpty dumpty was relaxing himself sat on the wall. As he was clumsy he then tumbled off. The super hero gingerbread lady came flying down from the clouds and transformed him into a chicken. As he was in a harsh neighbourhood someone got him and started to cook him. This transformed him into a chicken nugget. The insidious old woman that did this then plated him and attempted to eat him. While she went to get a drink Humpty Dumpty thought about fleeing. This is an open ending as it takes into account the story to proceed.

Closed

A closed-ended product is the point at which the drama demonstrates a total and completed story. The product has a start, middle and end or utilizes Torodov's narrative theory of equilibrium to demonstrate a full story. A closed ending where the narrative threads have been entwined and the mystery or issue has been illuminated. This sort of ending is normally found in a series. A case of this is Sherlock, in Sherlock, this ending is utilized to fulfil the viewers. This permit any of the questions the watcher may have and prompts no further speculation of who killed who. Several movies have a closed ending. A case of this is Bridesmaids. This done due to the fact that within a film one story is told which results in a closed ending.  The benefits of a closed-ended product are that it fulfils the audience by demonstrating a full story and they don't need to wait for the following part. The disadvantages of a closed-ended product are that the story does not proceed over a timeframe and it diminishes the quantity of viewers if aired again as majority of the crowd knows what happens.  A case of a closed-ended item is Evan Almighty. This is because the film shows a start, middle and ending to the story.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

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[online] Available at: http://stramsbottom.edublogs.org/narrative-structures/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2017].• Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Flashback. [online] Available at:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/flashback/%20flashback%20definition [Accessed 28 Jan. 2017].• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Multiple-camera setup / Multi-camera techniques. [online] Available at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-camera_setup / Multi-camera techniques [Accessed 5 Feb. 2017].• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Single-camera setup / Single camera techniques. [online] Available at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-camera_setup / Single camera techniques [Accessed 5 Feb. 2017].