Below are some resources to help you see how journalists or reviewers write about a certain media product. This is the detail we are looking for in classwork or practice work / essays:

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WHAT TO INCLUDE IN MY WRITING

> Write a paragraph about the Narrative structure of the product

> If Linear link the Pixar or Todorev structures. Show how the write/director has used each of the 5 parts of either strategy in each part of the narrative.

> What about the narrative structure in terms of whether the story is non-linear, circular, interactive, open, closed, single-strand, multi-strand?

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THEORY

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VIDEO- An Excellent Video On This Topic: click here

LESSON POWERPOINT- Narrative Structures : click here

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There are 2 main types of narrative (the order in which a story is told)

• Linear

• Non Linear

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Linear or Traditional narrative theory
Traditionally, narrative structures followed a formula which was identified by the theorist Tzvetan Todorov. Todorov studied classic fairy tales and stories. He discovered that narratives moved forward in a linear or chronological order with one action following after another. In other words, they have a clear beginning, middle and end. Todorov also suggested that the characters in the narrative would be changed in some way through the course of the story and that this would be evident by the resolution. This traditional story arc format is known as a linear narrative:

 

Steps    What happens
1. Equilibrium- The narrative starts with an equilibrium

• Here, the main character’s life is balanced and normal.  There have been no disruptions to the main character’s life…yet.

2. Disruption- An action or character disrupts the equilibrium

• The main character’s life has suddenly been disrupted, shattering their previous equilibrium.

3. Recognition- A quest to restore the equilibrium begins

• The main character now begins to realise that their situation has changed – and not for the better.

4 Repair- the main character starts to restore or try to repair the situation

• The main character now sets out to ‘right the wrongs’ and repair their situation, so that life can be as good as it was originally (equilibrium).

5. New Equilbrium- Resolution occurs and equilibrium is restored or a new equilibrium 

• The main character has worked through the problems and as a result, have gained back their equilibrium.  However – they have grown from their experience.  Life is now BETTER than it was at the beginning of the narrative.

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Most episodes of Sherlock follow this traditional narrative structure. Sherlock and Watson are relaxing at the start of the episode, then an action or character will do something that creates a case for them to solve. They begin their quest to find a solution and apprehend the villain.

The narrative continues until they confront the villain at the climax. Once the disruption is resolved and the equilibrium is restored, Sherlock and Watson can relax again. That is until another case comes to their attention in the next episode

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Non Linear or Unconventional narratives
Non-linear narratives and circular narratives have a structure that is not so straightforward. A non-linear narrative can move backwards and forwards in time usually using a flashback technique. This is used in the film 500 days (of Summer) which follows a relationship but we see flashforwards and flashbacks as the story progresses. It can uses Flashbacks, Rewinds, Re-Plays, non-chronological ordering and can also have no ending to it, perhaps left on a cliff hanger.

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> Circular Narrative

A circular narrative may begin at the end of the story and work its way back to the origins of the narrative. Circular narratives are often only understood clearly by the audience at the end of a film. The film Slumdog Millionaire has a circular narrative which starts with the main character, Jamal, starring on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Over the course of the movie the narrative takes the viewer back to Jamal’s childhood and explains how he came to appear on the show and how he knows the correct answers.

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> Open Narrative

A narrative which has no ending or is open to interpretation. Causal reading where there does not appear to be sense of an end, for example Soaps. The characters  are  not normally kept into one Hierarchy, but develop through many as the story progresses. Characters shift in and out of the narratives function, this weeks villain could be next weeks helper. Rare use of music.

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> Closed Narrative

A narrative with a definite, unquestionable ending.

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> Single Strand Narrative

When a programme/film only has one narrative.

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> Multi Strand Narrative

A number of different narratives within the same programme/film which finish by the end. So, many different works are made up of several different strands, for example, the film 'Love actually' has around 8 different story strands that link in the end. "By juxta-positioning the strands the audience will not only be concerned about the action, but also the outcome of each strand and how they're related to eachother"

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EXAMPLE 1: MADE UP MOVIE

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In the 1978 film Super Snapper it follows a linear narrative structure that aligns itself with Todorov’s narrative theory really well. For instance the first 10 minutes of the film it is clearly the “Equilibrium” stage of the film that shows the day to day humdrum of the seaside town of Petersville in which the main character of Jed Peters the lifeguard is introduced. His family values and his monotonous lifeguard job are laid bare to the audience with melancholy music adding to sense of calm. The “disruption” stage can be seen when…..

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