Narrative and Genre Presentations

NARRATIVE
is the structure of the 'storyline', the character types and enigma codes. 

There are different types of structure:

Linear and Non Linear

Linear means 'straight line' so there is a 3 act structure 'BEGINNING-MIDDLE-END' 

Non linear means not in a straight line think 'PULP FICTION'

Structure

Another way of describing the structure is

• EQUILIBRIUM 
• DISEQUILBRIUM
• NEW EQUILIBRIUM

Equilibrium is how the film starts 

Disequilbrium is the problem that happens in the film that the characters have to then spend the film working out how to fix. 

New Equilibrium happens after the CLIMAX of the film, the final battle, confrontation that happens in order to solve the problem and life can return to normal and the RESOLUTION can occur.

Character types

Hero: Saves the day 

Can sometimes not be the knight in shining armor, they can have a conflicted or complex past, not be moral or ethical but save the day in the end, more of an ANTI HERO.

Victim/Damsel/Princess:Anyone that needs saving

Villain: The cause of problems, the aggressor. 

Enigma Codes

Enigma means puzzle, an enigma code is anything in the film, that is a puzzle to the character and audience. We have to go on the journey with the character to solve the puzzle. An enigma is anything that keeps us guessing, it could be a clue, or larger, like the enigma of how the narrative will ever resolve?

Privilege Spectators 

When the audience knows more than the characters in the film. 

TASK

The film I choose to watch was Psycho

This was my favourite scene


The equilibrium the film starts with Marion Crane robbing the bank she works in and goes on run and this also happens to be the disequilbrium of the film because the characters are then trying to find out where she went with the money and what happened to her. The climax of the film is when they put Norman Bates in prison when they find out he is the murderer and not his mother, because we found out he is mentally insane, thats the problem that needed to be solved.

CHARACTER TYPES
The heroes are the police officer Sheriff Al Chambers and Marion's sister Lila Crane

Norman Bates is the villain, and victim is Marion.  

ENIGMA CODE

The enigma code that the characters are trying to solve in this film is where Marion has gone with the money she stole, and what keeps the audience guessing is that you don't know who the killer is you think that its Norman's mother, but in fact we come to learn its actually Norman. 

This makes you feel scared, nervous and anxious

The narrative isn't a traditional horror story and isn't expected for this genre, in my opinion at the start it doesn't seem to a horror it seems like love/thriller then slowly turns into the horror genre.

GENRE

Means type...

• Horror
• Sci Fi
• Romance
• Drama
• Comedy
• Action
• Fantasy
• etc

Generic Conventions

• Die Hard is a generic action film because it uses action props such as guns and the narrative contains many fight scenes between hero and villain
• When you see things you expect to see in any type of film, lets say a horror, you seeing the generic conventions
• You recognise that a film is a generic because of the sheer number of times you have seen this genre of film use these conventions

How to identify generic conventions

You are looking for:

• Typical narrative (storylines): structure of the story and character types.
• Typical Micro elements: light/costume/font/colour/props etc
• Typical themes: good vs. evil/crime and punishment/achieving goals etc.

TASK

Horror Genre

My mental list of all the things I expect to see in this genre...

• Special Effects 
• Make-up e.g. Blood 
• The main villain of the film murderer/ghost/supernatural being
• Victims who get killed
• The hero who survives the film and beats the villain
• Dark lightening 
• Intense music

Hybrid

Some films are not simply a horror or a comedy, they seem to use generic conventions from a number of different genres, these are called hybrids, for example...Shaun of the Dead which is a Romantic Zombie Comedy.

Another example that I can think of is From Dust Till Dawn, this is a Crime Fiction, Thriller, Comedy, Horror and Action Film.

Typical or Challenging conventions...

• You can normally prove that a film is a generic by giving micro element examples but sometimes films do these you don't expect that genre to do and this is called challenging conventions. 
• It is good for films to do things that audiences don't expect, it stops the films from becoming repetitive and boring.

Audience