Narrative

Question 1

narrative

Answer 1

• international, transhistorical, transcultural
• a chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in time and space
• depends upon the viewer constructing story from plot

Question 2

three-act structure

Answer 2

• beginning (defined by equilibrium), a middle (defined by disequilibrium), and an end (defined by a new equilibrium)
• situation-changes(cause+effect)-situation-end

Question 3

story

Answer 3

• what we construct from the film
• entire narrative of the film, including events depicted and inferred
• incorporates presumed and inferred events + explicitly presented events
• we infer + fill in blanks

Question 4

diegesis

Answer 4

-world of the story

Question 5

exposition

Answer 5

-backstory

Question 6

closure

Answer 6

• narrows possible outcomes
• settles causal issues
• heightens tension
• resolution=emotional satisfaction

Question 7

plot

Answer 7

• incorporates explicitly presented events + added nondiegetic material
• events as they occur or are presented in the film
• arrangement of events
• actions visibly and audibly present
• allows us to infer causes+effects
• may present causes, withhold effects/consequences

Question 8

causality

Answer 8

• binds together narrative events; characters serve as and links primary causal agents
• characters (desires, wills) drives narrative
• draws us in with causality

Question 9

narrative time

Answer 9

• governed by three variables: order, duration, and frequency
• accounts for differences betw. plot + story

Question 10

diegetic

Answer 10

-from the world of the story

Question 11

nondiegetic

Answer 11

• from outside the world of the story

- credits, score, intertitles

Question 12

in media res

Answer 12

• starts in the middle of the story

- seek cause

Question 13

temporal order

Answer 13

• placement relative to chronology

- we mentally rearrange events

Question 14

Story duration

Answer 14

• how long an event lasts
• omits some material shorter than in story
• shows only select stretches of story
• can manipulate screen duration

Question 15

frequency

Answer 15

• # of times an event occur

- emphasize routine, perspective

Question 16

slow motion

Answer 16

-makes plot longer than story duration

Question 17

causal motivation

Answer 17

-planting info in advance

Question 18

flashback

Answer 18

-present-past

Question 19

flashforward

Answer 19

-present-future-present

Question 20

plot duration

Answer 20

-sum of all stretches

Question 21

screen duration

Answer 21

-movie length

Question 22

openings

Answer 22

-raises expectations

Question 23

setup

Answer 23

• first quarter

- set up characters, situations