Another lesson today, and you guessed it, NARRATIVE!!

like I said before, it's surprisingly

interesting, and it's definitely useful to get it out of the way before getting into
creating our films.

So today we got much more in-depth, and applied the knowledge of narrative to a few
openings of independent movies.

Narratives - across all media forms

Storytelling is a central form of communication, through mass - media

Narrative theorists such as Torodov, Propp, Levi-Strauss &Barthes help us make sense of the
ways narratives are organized.

Structures include Classic realist text (3 act structure), open & closed narratives, linear
& non-linear, multi-stranded , single stranded &investigative (random interactive , an
investigation - Dictionary, computer games, "X-files/film noir").

Action & Enigma codes (major and minor) e.g. film trailers - contain specific enigmas in
their normally open-ended, multi-stranded structure.
 Features of classic / mainstream text

1.Verisimilitude(realism/believable)
2. Single diegesis (world in which text exists within)
3. single stranded with sub-plots
4. linear sequence & logical
5. Events governed by actions of central characters
6. Audience empathy e.g. stars, use of close-up, point of view shots)
7. Focus on individuals
8. Enigmas resolved, questions answered
9. Technical codes e.g. high key lighting, 180 degree rule, editing maintain narrative
continuity. Editing crucial to the representation of narrative time.
 -Audiences can identify meaning in different ways
-Stories are constructed with reference to audience (modes of address help to identify
target audience)

1. Preferred/Dominant readings(also through genre and representations)

2. Negotiated readings- meanings not always recognized/agreed with
3. Oppositional readings alternative readings(own cultural capital)

Open Structures > When the viewer/listener/reader is left to wonder what happens next

Closed Structures > When the narrative has a definite ending

Single strand narratives > one story or plot

Multi-strand narratives > More than one story and several contrasting characters

Investigative structures > Random narrative from where the reader aims to find out
information

Linear structures > Action sequenced as beginning-middle-end

Non-linear > Action out of sequence either as Middle-beginning-end or End-beginning-middle-

end
 After looking through the many different structural narratives, I
believe my own story fits quite well with both single, and open
strand narrative structures. The story itself being extremely
symbolic, with the puppet figure taking the role of "the hero", his
goal being to fly, and the mysterious girl lifting him from the
ground as the "helper". With the end revealing to the audience
that this puppet was a representative of the Girl's experience
and achievements, with her finally being able to reach the goal
herself.