1. Narrative as a Formal System
Stories surround us. Religions, nations based on stories
Personal stories we tell
Some are very familiar-Dracula, Robin Hood, Romeo and Juliet
Almost every film imaginable is a narrative film. Exceptions?

2. Narrative as a Formal System

3. Narrative as a Formal System
What is a Narrative?
“A chain of events linked by cause and effects and occurring in time and space.”
Exceptions to this?

4. Exception?
Empire-Andy Warhol

5. A. Narrative: Story into Plot
As viewers we identify cause-effect links, time and space

6. A. Story into Plot
We also infer events not shown directly in the film-
Characters’ pasts, the scenes in- between those we see

7. A. Story into Plot
To describe how we identify cause-effect, time, space and make inferences
We need to understand distinction of story and plot
The reason we infer is because even if not shown, these inferred moments are in the film’s story

8. A. Story into Plot
Story-Every narrative event whether presented or inferred, in chronological order
Plot-What we actually see in the film. A Plot is constructed through decisions about causality, time and space.

9. Titanic

10. A. Story into Plot 1. Causality-
Films have an Agent of Cause-Usually a character/person
Exceptions?

11. For instance.

12. 1. Causality Cause-Effect chains work throughout a narrative.
Small to large.
In mysteries-effects before causes

13. 1. Causality

14. 2. Time a. Temporal Order (of events) Usually chronological/linear
Can be non-linear-Flashbacks
Reordered into complex patterns-Pulp Fiction (Alinear-No present)

15. 2. Time b. Temporal Duration (How long?) Story Duration Plot Duration
Screen Duration (Running Time)
What should be longest? 2nd? Why?

16. Since Story is longest Fit into shorter screen duration via plot
1. Selection and Omission of Details
2. Ellipses
3. Montages
What if Plot Duration is same as Screen Duration? Phrase for this?

17. Real Time

18. What if Screen Duration is Longer?
How does this happen?
Slow Motion
Also Relates to…

19. 2. Time c. Temporal Frequency Mostly narrative events happen just once
Sometimes they happen 2 or more times

20. 3. Space
A story occurs in a setting-usually visible

21. 3. Space Story space can exist we don’t see.
The plot lets us infer story spaces we don’t actually see

22. B. Narration We know nothing when a film begins (or little).
At the end we know a lot
The film has distributed information to us often to achieve certain effects.
It has narrated, provided narration.
Two key concepts-Range & Depth

23. B. Narration
1. Range
Unrestricted/Omniscient-We know more than any one character.

24. B. Narration
1. Range
Restricted-We know pretty much what one character knows

25. B. Narration
1. Range-
Many films mix restricted, unrestricted, are in the middle

26. B. Narration 2. Depth Subjective vs. Objective
How deeply are we in the “character’s psychological states”
Subjective-via p.o.v. shot or mental subjectivity-fantasy, dreams, thoughts, hallucinations.
Even with sound-gunshot ear-ringing

27. Subjective Depth

28. Subjective Depth
Fantasy/Hallucination

29. B. Narration Objective-We look AT the character’s
Often can frame a subjective moment

30. B. Narration 1. Restricted/Unrestricted 2. Subjective/Objective
Which of each pair would match well with one of the other pair?
Think of examples.

31. B. Narration What of a Narrator? A specific agent who tells us a story
A character-Goodfellas

32. B. Narration
Narrator?
Non-Character (sometimes “Voice of God”)-War of the Worlds
In Documentary

33. Person
1st or 3rd (or even 2nd) person in films. 3rd goes with objective, unrestricted 1st with subjective, restricted