Main Brief Research: Narrative Structure

Narrative Structure

 

Narrative structure contains traditional elements of a storyline in a specific order. These elements traditionally include an exposition or beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution or denouement. Depending on the genre of the film, the narrative structure can take different forms. The two main forms of narrative structure are:

 

Linear Structure-Where the events of a film happen in chronological order, starting at the beginning of the story, moving to the middle and finishing at the end. This is the most common form of narrative structure in film.

 

Non-Linear Structure-Where the film often starts in the middle of the story line-usually in the height of the climax- and goes back to the beginning in a series of flashbacks. This is common in thriller films as it keeps the viewers on their toes. An example of a film with a non-linear structure is "Trance" by Danny Boyle

 

Another part of the narrative structure of a film is the conventions of the genre of the film. For example the generic conventions of a horror film include:

 

-Shadows/ Dark Lightning

-Blood

-Weapons

-Forests

-Abandoned period Houses

-Paranormal/Supernatural

-Iconography such as Bibles and Crucifixes

-Isolation

-Atmospheric Music (string instruments such as violins or cellos, or jewellery box music.)

 

The use of these conventions can help to imply the suggested genre of a film. This is called audience expectation. For example the first image on the trailer for The Woman in Black (2010) is of a child's bedroom with cobwebs and aged furniture in an old Victorian style house. Immediately the audience will get the impression that this is a horror film, especially as the picture come sup on screen at the same time the music starts, which is a song from a jewellery box (single tubular bell note, high in pitch) which is another generic convention of horror.

 

 

A repertoire of elements also helps to distinguish the genre of a film as it uses common conventions of the genre within the plotline. These are usually divided into location, iconography, characters, themes  and narratives. In horror films the repertoire of elements are:

 

Location

 

- Haunted house

-Abandoned/ derelict building

-Somewhere with little lighting (no specific size- it could be a shed, cupboard or cellar etc.)

-Castle/ Ancient Building

-Suburban Town

 

Iconography

 

-Skulls

-Kitchen Knives

-Blood

-Axes

-Bodies/Corpses

-Sudden loud screams

-Creaky floorboards/ creaky doors

-Out-of-the-blue knocking at the door

-Cold callers

-Crucifixes

-Bibles

-Gory, explicit injuries

 

Characters

 

-Demons

-Ghosts/The Paranormal

-Innocent Bystander

-House pet (usually dog or cat)

-Blonde Girls

-Young Children

-Vulnerable person

-Zombies/Vampires/Monsters

 

Narratives and Themes

 

-Spirit present in haunted house

-Psychopath on the loose

-Zombies/Monsters on the loose

-Revenge Killing

-Series of unfortunate events and coincidences

-Haunting of a single person

-Demonic possesion