Week 3: Narrative Structure

In this lesson we learnt the basics of a good editing, the narrative structure and the key aspects of storytelling.

In the editing of a film, we put together a chain of shots and scenes to complete a film (shot transition). There are three golden rules for a good editing:

• It should be invisible to the eye.
• The storyteller should never let the audience to get ahead of them (less is more).
• The audience needs to be a participant

We also need to take care of continuity to create smooth cuts so the viewer attention goes to the story. Some ways of keeping continuity are:

• Graphic relations – relating last frames of a shot with the first frames of the next shot
• Rhythmic relations
• Spatial relations
• Temporal relation
• Duration of story events
• Continuity editing – orientation and direction of movements and subjects in a scene
• Temporal continuity

In addition, the strategy for the development of the narrative must be engaging and has a satisfactory conclusion. In a character-based narrative, the actors must perform convincingly in the role while the directors create the appeal and extract the potential performance of them to communicate the story. Some of the literary structures that exist are the novels, poems or plays, drama or plays, short stories, novellas, myths, legends, folktales, fairy tales, and epics. However, most of the narrative structures of these stories follow the same three-part structure: beginning or protasis (exposition, conflict), middle or epitasis (rising action, climax), and end or catastrophe (falling action, resolution). 

However, there are other more complex narrative structures like the five-part structure (story arc):

• Act 1 – exposition (setting time and place, problems, conflict)
• Act 2 – rising action (complications arise)
• Act 3 – climax (highest amount of suspense)
• Act 4 – falling action (concluding, twist revelation, etc)
• Act 5 – denouement (outcome, lessons learnt, protagonist overcomes)

Another example of narrative structure is the monomyth or the hero’s journey (concept created by Joseph Campbell). This narrative structure organises the heroic journey in a circular story.

The narrative development must be engaging to make sure the viewer is immersed in the story and is not distracted by elements that are not part of the story. Therefore, we need to take care of elements such as end of scene or transition, shot choice, scene timing, performance timing, audio, change obstacle, change character’s objective/quest, etc. The steps to underpin a narrative development are research, establish a challenge, develop characters, structure of actions (chain of events leading to target), and consider subplots and secondary actions.

Also, in a film there are characters or hero archetypes that need to be followed to keep the story dynamic and interesting:

• Hero – protagonist
• Mentor – provide motivation, insights, training
• Threshold guardian – guardian of world and secrets of protagonist (not villain)
• Herald – issues challenge, announces change
• Shapeshifter – alliance is not clear
• Shadow – opposite of what hero is (not necessarily the villain)
• Trickster – funny character or one that shows absurdity of situation (to relieve tension)
• Allies (sidekicks) – filling gaps of hero (virtues) and are their support system

Considering all the information learnt today, this week’s task consist in picking a film of our choice and break it down into the following:

• Story arc – describe 8 stages
• Character’s archetypes
• Describe main character’s timeline (starting before film starts)

The film I chose is actually a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson, as it is my favourite movie-trilogy since it came out on 2001. The story arc (8 stages) are:

1. You – Frodo Baggins is living in the Shire with his uncle Bilbo Baggins.
2. Need – Bilbo leaves the Shire in his birthday and Frodo inherits his uncle’s magical ring. This ring cannot fall back into Sauron’s hands whose searching for it and is ready to go to the Shire (Gollum passed on this information after being tortured). As Gandalf notices that only pure hearts can bear the dark power of the ring, he tells Frodo that he has to take the ring out of the Shire.
3. Go – Frodo leaves with Samwise Gamgee, Pippin and Merry as companions, and they keep running away from the Black Riders who are looking for the ring to take it to Sauron.
4. Search – In Rivendell, they form the Fellowship of the ring composed by those guardians of the carrier of the ring (Frodo). Together they start the journey to Mount Doom in Mordor were the ring must be destroyed. In the way they fight many challenges that make a difficult journey. The Fellowship splits and Frodo ends up with Sam until they find Gollum, who wants the ring for him but pretends to be their guide to Mordor and constantly tricks them.
5. Find – Frodo finally reaches Mount Doom with Sam and Gollum while Sauron’s eye is being distracted with the battle that’s taking place at the doors of Mordor.
6. Take – Gollum tries to take the ring biting off Frodo’s finger but then Gollum falls into the volcano’s lava and the ring is destroyed along with him.
7. Return – The Great Eagles arrive and carry them back. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin made their journey back to the Shire.
8. Change – Everything was changed back home. Amongst the changes, Sam gets married and stays in the Shire and Frodo sails to Undying Lands with his uncle from where he will never come back.

The main character archetypes are:

• Hero – Frodo Baggins
• Mentor – Gandalf
• Threshold guardian – Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn
• Herald – Bilbo Baggins
• Shapeshifter – Gollum
• Shadow – Sauron
• Trickster – Merry and Pippin
• Allies (sidekicks) – Legolas, Gimli

Frodo Baggins’ character timeline starts in the Shire, were he has been raised and lived most of his live with his uncle, Bilbo Baggins, who adopted him after his parents died. After his uncle’s birthday, he inherits his uncles magical ring and Gandalf asked him to take it out of the Shire as Sauron is looking for it. While leaving the Shire with his companions, Frodo is being chased by the Black Riders who are looking for the ring. In the way he meets Aragorn who is going to defend them from the dangers of the way. Frodo ends up in Rivendell after being badly injured by the sword of one of the Black Riders. In Rivendell, Frodo is cured and the Fellowship of the Ring is formed after Frodo volunteers to be the carrier of the ring until Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo leaves Rivendell with the Fellowship of the Ring and they head to Moria. There, they battle the Balrog who defeats Gandalf and falls into shadow. They leave Moria and Frodo meets Galadriel who gives him the Phial to give him light in darkness. Then Boromir, manipulated by the ring’s power, tries to take the ring, so Frodo decides to travel alone. Sam ends up going with Frodo until they find Gollum who will guide them to Mordor through a secret passage. Gollum ends up tricking Frodo and Sam, and he takes them to Shelob’s Lair (big spider). Frodo is wounded by Shelob and is taken by the orcs. Sam rescues Frodo from the orcs and they continue their way to Mount Doom. When they reach the Crack of Doom, Frodo claims the ring to himself. Gollum steals it biting off Frodo’s finger but falls into the lava and the ring is destroyed. Frodo assist to the coronation of Aragorn and then goes back to the Shire. Later on, he travels with his uncle to the Undying Lands from where he will never come back.