THEORY - Analysis

NARRATIVE THEORY (ANALYSIS)


DECONSTRUCTING NARRATIVES


- SEPERATING PLOT AND STORY


  1. The strict chronological order of events
  2. The order of the main characters finding out about these events
        1. - this shows the story
        2. - this shows plot construction
                                                                                                      
This sequence is the construction of all feature films       
(Mrs. Doubtfire, The Sixth Sense) and keeps 
the audience interested.  Identifying the Narrator who 
is telling the story is a vital 
question to be asked when analysing text. 
They may be related to first person or third person 
however POV's may change throughout. 

The narrator will always : 
  • Reveal the events which make up the story
  • Mediate those events for the audience
  • Evaluate those for the audience
  • POSITION the audience into a particular relationship with the characters on the screen


- COMPREHENDING TIME 

Very few screen stories will take place in real time. Feature films and Documentaries can show a whole life of a person in a 60/90 minute films. There are many conventions to denote passing time which include : 

  • Flashbacks
  • Dream sequences
  • Repitition
  • Different characters POV
  • Flash Forwards
  • Real Time Influences
  • Pre-Figuring of events that have not yet taken place

- LOCATING THE NARRATIVE

Each story will have a location whether it is physical/geographical (war zone) or mythic (wild west) or virtual (green screens). There are sets of conventions to do with location and they are often associated with genre and form. 





STORY
A sequence of events that tells us what happens EG - Romance, Family, War.

NARRATIVE
How the story is told and puts it into context and underlines the story by telling it in a particular way. EG - The Social Network

When analyising text it is important to remember :

 1. Technical Code - takes into account anything technical - sound, camera angle, design & editing. 
  1. 2. Verbal Code - The way language is used both written and spoken. How is language used to portray the story? - Voiceovers? Written on the screen?  
3. Symbolic Code - Clues - man with a broken car could suggest poverty.

 4. Structure (Todorovs Theory) - Beginning - Middle - End 

 5. Character - 

  • Protagonist
  • Antagonist
  • Heroin
  • Father
  • Helper (sidekick)
  • Donor 
  • Mentor

 6. Narrative Conflict  - Levi - Strauss' theory







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