Narrative Theory

Claude Levi-Strauss
Claude Levi-Strauss believed that stories should reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a culture, they should do this unconsciously without making it too obvious. Also there are oppositions which are usually shown in the characters and storyline.


Vladimir Propp
In Vladimir Propp's research he found that in Russian folktale the stories consisted of the following functions:
1.A member of a family leaves home (the hero is introduced);
2.An interdiction is addressed to the hero ('don't go there', 'don't do this');
3.The interdiction is violated (villain enters the tale);
4.The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance (either villain tries to find the children/jewels etc; or intended victim questions the villain);
5.The villain gains information about the victim;
6.The villain attempts to deceive the victim to take possession of victim or victim's belongings (trickery; villain disguised, tries to win confidence of victim);
7.Victim taken in by deception, unwittingly helping the enemy;
8.Villain causes harm/injury to family member (by abduction, theft of magical agent, spoiling crops, plunders in other forms, causes a disappearance, expels someone, casts spell on someone, substitutes child etc, comits murder, imprisons/detains someone, threatens forced marriage, provides nightly torments); Alternatively, a member of family lacks something or desires something (magical potion etc);
9.Misfortune or lack is made known, (hero is dispatched, hears call for help etc/ alternative is that victimized hero is sent away, freed from imprisonment);
10.Seeker agrees to, or decides upon counter-action;
11.Hero leaves home;
12.Hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc, preparing the way for his/her receiving magical agent or helper (donor);
13.Hero reacts to actions of future donor (withstands/fails the test, frees captive, reconciles disputants, performs service, uses adversary's powers against him);
14.Hero acquires use of a magical agent (directly transferred, located, purchased, prepared, spontaneously appears, eaten/drunk, help offered by other characters);
15.Hero is transferred, delivered or led to whereabouts of an object of the search;
16.Hero and villain join in direct combat;
17.Hero is branded (wounded/marked, receives ring or scarf);
18.Villain is defeated (killed in combat, defeated in contest, killed while asleep, banished);
19.Initial misfortune or lack is resolved (object of search distributed, spell broken, slain person revivied, captive freed);
20.Hero returns;
21.Hero is pursued (pursuer tries to kill, eat, undermine the hero);
22.Hero is rescued from pursuit (obstacles delay pursuer, hero hides or is hidden, hero transforms unrecognisably, hero saved from attempt on his/her life);
23.Hero unrecognized, arrives home or in another country;
24.False hero presents unfounded claims;
25.Difficult task proposed to the hero (trial by ordeal, riddles, test of strength/endurance, other tasks);
26.Task is resolved;
27.Hero is recognized (by mark, brand, or thing given to him/her);
28.False hero or villain is exposed;
29.Hero is given a new appearance (is made whole, handsome, new garments etc);
30.Villain is punished;
31.Hero marries and ascends the throne (is rewarded/promoted).

He also concluded from his findings that the were 7 main character types which were:
1.The villain — struggles against the hero.
2.The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
3.The (magical) helper — helps the hero in the quest.
4.The princess and her father — gives the task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marries the hero, often sought for during the narrative. Propp noted that functionally, the princess and the father can not be clearly distinguished.
5.The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
6.The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
7.False hero/anti-hero/usurper — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess.


Syd Field
Syd Field believed that films should follow a three act structure of a beginning middle and the end. Approxamitly 30 mins of the film gives the audience the 'setup' information before the protagonist experiences a 'turning point' and they find a goal that they must achieve (the beginning). About half of the film is taken up by the protagonist trying to achieve the goal and overcome any obsticles which may get in the way, the is called the 'Confrontation' period or 'Midpoint'. Sometimes the protagonist suffers a set back and it looks like he won't achieve his goal. The final quarter of the film the protagonist goes through the final epic struggle to achieve his/her goal (or not achieve it) and there is an aftermath to their struggle as well.


Tzvetan Todorov
Tzvetan Todorov based his stories on supernatural happenings in the real world and we have to decide if the event was an illusion or whether it had really taken place.

Gothika

• Columbia, Dark castle entertainment.
• Non-diegetic sound - eery - violin/strings.
• Darkened picture of production companies.
• Dissolve into title sequence.
• Columbia pictures and Warner Brothers pictures - 'zoom out' effect - blurred white font - next title out of focus (close-up) then zooms out and is in focus - on a black background.
• Main actress' name (Halle Berry) - then title (Gothika).
• Non-diegetic sound of girl talking/whispering (husky voice) - then title dissolves into clip of the girl who's talking - the sound is now diegetic.
• Low-key lighting - shadow on one side of face - she's very pale as well.
• Her hair is ruffled, eyes look puffy - made to look ghostly/deadly/insane.
• Point of view from patient of the main actress - presented as neat, professional looking - hair slightly up and away from face - emphasises that she's a professional and at work.
• There is then point of view - reverse shot then it cuts again to the doctor.
• Diegetic sound of patient still talking but they aren't seen in the clip. - could be non-diegetic though.
• Panning shot behind wired fence - this suggests that the patient feels trapped.
• Shot still behind wired fence while the patient is talking about her step-father, this suggests she feels like he's trapping her.
• Over the shoulder shot.
• Non-diegetic sound - very faint string music.
• Diegetic sound of gates being buzzed open - psychiatric hospital.
• Girl is talking peacefully - then has a sudden outburst - non-diegetic electrical/electro sound to emphasise the situation and make the audience feel tense.
• Non-diegetic - eery slow music - only a few notes - could be an organ playing.
• Patient grabs doctors hands.
• Camera movement speeds up - pans 180 degrees - e the back of doctors head and see patient. The shot starts with the patients face lit and then after the 180 degree pan her face has a shadow on it. - this suggests she has a dark side or is experiencing dark things - the light and dark on her each half of her face - contrasting - two sides - good and evil.
• When backng away the whole of her face is in darkness - something evil may have taken over her/taken over her mind/her dark side is out.
• She's taken away by guards - she's screaming.
• Main characer/actress walks away.
• Other actors names appear on screen - dissolve and zooming out then dissolve.
• Tracking shot of character.
• Non-diegetic music - piano and strings - eery - mysterious.
• Depth of field shot - patient screaming and gets put in a cell - then switches focus to the doctor walking in the foreground.
• Tracking/panning shot of character walking.
• Job has been confirmed by shot of sign when she walks through security - it has been established all the way through this opening sequence. - She's a psychologis/psychiatrist.
• People in orange jump suits.
• Director - last to be revealed in the title sequence.

This is a strong psychological thriller opening because of the use of non-diegetic music which builds up suspense and tension. Also the use of low-key lighting throughout, and the use of camera shots and where it is placed, for example behind wire fencing.

Silence of the Lambs

In the opening shot to Silence of the Lambs, the sky is a pale, watery colour, and trees are silhouetted against it to contrast. In the bottom right corner there is a type face font which establishes the location. The camera then pans down, a character runs into shot, climbs rope, runs through shot.
In the sequence, there are tracking shots which follow the character in medium shot. There are close up shots, side on, off set in frame. Cut-in shots of feet running, character runs into distance in shots from medium shot to extreme long shot.
There is use of non-diegetic music, violins, string music/instruments, slow, atmospheric, could be mysterious.
The mise-en-scene includes, FBI cap, track suits, uniform (including red tops), suits - white shirts, signs on the walls, grey official-looking building. These all help to show the roles of workers and the type of work they do.
The titles begin with the stars names and end with the director. They are in a black block font with a white outline.
Other key figures in the titles include, Producers/Executive producer, screenplay, director of photography, designer.
Overall the opening scenes of this film establish that Jodie Foster is the leading actor, and her character is the main focus of interest, which suggests the audience is going to be following her journey/story through the film. She is represented as a strong woman in a man's world, well respected by those around her, as well as tough and determined. The opening sequence of shots also suggests that she is an FBI agent and that the job will be relevant to the storyline.

Thriller openings for Duel and Speed.

Duel

• Camera from cars point of view - moving through the city - it dissolves between clips. Diegetic sound of car -engine and the radio.
• Titles - main actor bottom right, others top left, then more in the centre.
• Overheard shot - action (car) moves into shot then pans, following it then dissolving. - Shows mystery - want to know where the car is going - looking for road signs etc.
• Director is last to appear.
• Cuts into car, point of view shot from passenger side even though no one's there.

Speed

• Pan down of elevator shaft - dark - low-key lighting.
• Actors/actresses bold stand out - left centre.
• Wipe up - revealing writing/taking it away.
• Non-diegetic sound - music - building tension.
• When title 'speed' comes up, slides in from left to right, quickly, elevator stops, dramatic music when it comes up. Music score - building up tension.
• Pans down from shaft across room.
• Action from the start - fast paced - goes with the title speed.

Speed is more successful with trying to capture the audiences attention firstly because of the dramatic, tension building music, and also because of the fast pace of the shots and storyline. Whereas Duel has a slower pace of shots and action in it.

The Usual Suspect

The Usual Suspect was released in 1995 and was directed by Bryan Singer. It also had a budget of $6 million which was quite small compared to US films of £24 million.

• As it begins it puts you into a frame of mind/certain mood - not fast pace - not an action thriller.
• Intriguing.
• Slow music (piano, violin) as the camera pans.
• Actors in alphabetical order.
• Music, edited by, financial producer, co-producer, executive producer, writer and director.
• Setting mood.
• Set the scene - time (last night).
• Extreme close up - medium close up.
• Mystery.
• Who's vision of kaiser soce is it?.
• not part of confession/statement.
• gives audience privileged info.
• Plays with audience - continues all the way through.
• Low-key lighting (one of the conventions of thrillers).
• Cut between two characters.
• Non-diegetic sound of footsteps.
• Voice disguised so audience is still left in mystery.
• Killings aren't graffic.
• Important we don't see killing of Keaten.
• Leaves open option that Keaten's still alive.
• Attachment to verbal.
• Slow motion - unrealistic - dramatic effect.
• Dissolve into shot of verbal - Americn court - 6 weeks ago - testemony - cut to flash back.
• Over-lapping sound from shots (non-diegetic then when in shot it's diegetic).
• Police are faceless - pointing guns in faces.
• Lack of respect.
• See criminals faces - more attached to them - feel sorry for them - on their side.
• Non-diegetic sound (music) goes with each character.
• Longest on last criminal (Keaten) more important.
• Cut away shot.
• Low-angle shot represents detective as important/superior.
• Slight him angle on crimal - everything collapsing around him.
• Only one camera.

Preliminary Piece

Tuesday 28th October 3rd and 4th lesson Hannah and I started planning and doing a storyboard for our preliminary piece.

Tuesday 4th November 4th lesson Hannah and I started filming our Preliminary Piece. We got under half completed as we ran out of time because we were planning our storyboard 3rd lesson and a bit of 4th.

Tuesday 11th November at the end of 3rd lesson we carried filming. We couldn't start filming at the beginning of 3rd lesson because the av technition (Paul) wasn't there. (For next time we film we need to remember to book the camera). The filming went well and we finished half way through 4th lesson. We then started editing the piece. So far we have put a few clips in order and that's it.

Monday 17th November 5th lesson, we finished sequencing the shots and cutting them so they make sense. We started to look for music on http://www.freesound.org/ however we had problems registering and will continue with it another time.

Tuesday 18th November 3rd and 4th lesson, I was browsing the free sound website (the registration worked) and found some clips that would go well with our Preliminary Piece. Hannah agreed for us to have them as our non-diegetic sound for our work.

Wednesday 19th November 6th lesson, we downloaded the sounds we wanted to put on our piece, which took quite a long time because it wouldn't work on the mack we were using, so we had to use another mac to download the sounds and then send it to the mac which had our work on. We have nearly finished, we are just adjusting the volume of each of the sounds, both non-diegetic and diegetic to make it affective.





To the left is the first page of the storyboard for the Preliminary exercise Hannah and I were planning on filming together. This is the second storyboard we did because we were originally going to film in a psychology classroom in 16+ and in the 16+ area, however we were unable to so we had to change the venue to the corridor near the canteen and a P.E. classroom. Also originally, Hannah and I were going to be the only people in this piece, but we needed one of us to operate the camera, which is what I did.

To the right is the second page of storyboard, I have realised that we may have missed out a clip in the finished piece, which would explain the jump at about 23 seconds.

This is the last page of the storyboard. We made a script on a seperate piece of paper before we wrote on the storyboard to show what each character was going to say.













Friday 21st November 1st lesson we finished our preliminary piece as seen below:

The Interpretor

• At first the title sequence is quite slow.
• Titles are stopped in the prologue - this way they don't disrupt the narrative.
• Film company/distribution company first - Universal studios.
• 4 different production companies working together to make the film.
• Non-diegetic sound of wind blowing in the title sequence - makes you feel uneasy / unsure.
• Names zooming out - effect - then dissolving.
• Prologue
• Establishing the setting - Africa - traditional women - carrying things on her head - hazy shot - lost of dust - hot
• later in shot camera crane is used - establishing place.
• low-key lighting
• Chanting - not clear if it is non-diegetic or diegetic.
• 3 characters established.
• Cut in detail - shows notebook - shows being put down - suggests it's important and might come back later.
• Cut to exterior shot.
• Close up of each character speaking, shot, reverse-shot. - dialogue - not sure what they're talking about.
• In back with character - suggests investigation - mass slaughter.
• Artificial camera snap sound to heighten the fact pictures being taken - black and white still shot of picture taken, very loud camera snap (non-diegetic) - important to narrative.
• low-angle shot - makes the coliseum seem important, bigger - there are weeds growing suggesting its abandoned, run down, mysterious, remote place.
• Establishing s of jeep.
• Cut in to action - reminded of notebook - suggested as important
• Silhouette form - shot in doorway.
• Heartbeat - non-diegetic because it is emphasising the hearts of the characters.
• very fast pace shots - shot, reverse-shot, overhead shot - non-diegetic sound builds up tension.
• long-shot, medium close-up (interpretation)
• Tension between groups (not sure why)
• Jump forward in time- about 30 secs
• camera work, low-key lighting and character reactions suggests they are stumbling across something revolting - assume its dead bodies - theres also talk of death
• panning shot and cutting back for reaction shot.
• non-diegetic - soundtrack build up tension.
• Percussion is used - thumping sound - falls to ground
• He says "It's ok" before falling - which implies he doesn't blame them because they are only children.
• Cut to reaction of man outside from the gunshot
• Cutting from kid to man on the floor.
• Blood/gore isn't shown - cuts away as gun-shot sounds - see kid wincing as trigger is pulled.
• Quick pace of shots - to outside.
• Cutting between car and the man in weeds.
• Close-up of man getting out of the car - camera shots - sound - suggests he will come back later - he was at the scene - important to story.
• Cuts to the kids football - ironic - they are only kids who play they cant be murderers - makes audience not blame the children for what they did.
• Dissolves into establishing shot of the city.
• Lead actress name appears first. - Nicole Kidman. - followed by other actors then name of film in center the screen.
• Panning shot of people in the auditorium in the UN building in NYC.
• The full auditorium is a contrast to the empty coliseum.
• Static shots, pan up, then across and then there is a profile shot of Nicole Kidman lead actress - interpreting - there are inside and outside shots. (of the pod she is in)
• Metal detectors not working, being shown things that might be important later - however not shown everything - mysterious.
• There are clues
• Fast pace shots
• Non-diegetic sound building tension.
• Name of crew - slightly left of the centre - imbetween centre and full left.
• top left - co-producer/costume designer/editing/production designer/director of photo-centre
• produced/screen play - slightly left
• Director centre - slightly to the bottom of the screen.