Narrative

Esposition

• ·       This is the films narrative that will introduce setting and characters.
• ·       Usually presents the viewer with a situation, calm, safe or at least predictable for the characters involved.
• ·       It will identify not only the information given, but how it is presented to the viewer.
• ·       The film might present a setting which appears tranquil. It may create positive mood through mise-en-scene and may show characters involved in the day to day workings of normal life.
• ·       It will establish equilibrium (safe, calm, predictable situation) of your exposition scene, created through dialogue? Setting? Mise-en-scene? And sound elements?

Good exposition = subtle hints – films

Bad exposition = obvious, often spoken introduction of character and their story – soaps

Development

• ·       Story line is developed, new characters are introduced.
• ·       Consider why? How? Characters are presented. What is the impact of new information given in section?
• ·       Character introduced conflicting with main character, (example - argument) characters may present disruptive force within remainder of film.
• ·       Problematic info given in section regarding main protagonist, may introduce flaw in central character and/or impact later actions.
• ·       Story develops in relation to circumstances –may add, change, existing tension.

Complication

• ·       Presented with complicating event, affecting the lives of main characters.
• ·       Identify how your central character responds to complication, role of any disruptive characters within complication; response viewer might have to complicating elements.
• ·       Consider how complication factor is shown, whether it’s parallel in a scene showing the planning of the disruptive character or introduced to the audience via a point of view shot, let us experience the complication as if we were the main character.
• ·       Don’t forget that camera work and editing; along with mise-en-scene and sound contribute to our understanding of narrative factors within the film.

Climax

• ·       Dramatic tension is at its height and we uncover the mystery of the story or have our questions about the film’s story answered.
• ·       Identify the means by which the answers to the film’s narrative questions are given.
• ·       Protagonist has a revelatory conversation with another character?
• ·       Character that has previously been given a position within the film as trustworthy.
• ·       Answers given in action sequence, protagonist eventually kills the character who has provided the threat and complication within the story?
• ·       Narrative ‘answers’ do not have to come in the form of information, they may be events which halt the complication factors within a film.

Resolution

• ·       End of a film hold its resolution: the sequence where stability is re-established and a form of calm has been restored.
• ·       Resolution part of a film provides a new situation of calm for both characters and audience. Presents situations where chaos and drama which existed throughout much of the film are gone, what is left is not the same situation, but a new clam.
• ·       May present calm through mise-en-scene, colours and setting associated with peace and safety
• ·       Discuss evidence expectations of resolved endings. If viewers are given resolution, with a sense of expectations being met.

Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp added to the Russian formalist approach, the study of narrative structure. Broke down the structures of Russian fairtayles, and concluded that all the characters where/could be based on only seven character types, in the 100 tales he analysed.

1.     Villain

2.     Donor-prepare vilian or hero

3.     (Magical) Helper

4.     Princess or/and Father – give task to hero

5.     Dispatcher –highlights problem, sends hero off

6.     Hero

7.     False Hero – tries to take credit off hero

Our Trailer Narrative structure

  

      The narrative of a film is the plot in its five basic stages, exposition development, complication, climax and resolution. Following this format when creating your film will help keep continuity.

      As we are creating a film trailer, not a whole film, our exposition is brief and only shows short clips of the narrative structure, giving the basic idea of the plot. Whilst enticing viewers but not giving away the whole story.

Firstly we combined the exposition and development due to a limited time frame for our trailer, introducing are characters and setting in just one clip of them loading the car which develops into a close up of a text showing a message about an illegal rave that night. This does not give away too much information but a basic theory, for viewers to go on. The clips are neutral in terms of events (a day to day stetting for the characters), this is created through natural lighting and mise-en-scene, for example everyday clothing, without any raised tones or unusual topics of speech, and day-to-day music, diegetic from a radio in the background.

     


As we are filming the trailer we have held back much of the development information, for example through representation of characters and their impact. In addition we have avioded showing the main character, as well as gives clues that something may disrupt the calm, or add to the upcoming complication. 

      

The clip of two of the characters briefly insinuates the 
complication, affecting the lives of the characters, but does not show if it is affecting the main antagonist. However we have shown this as disruptive for the characters, using tone, language, body language and expression, as well as complimenting music. As we are producing only the trailer we do not show how the main character responds to the complication, only how they react. We have not shown this scene parallel to any others as the complication is not caused by anyone, but is the cause of the following events.

Dramatic tension is important to show in our trailer, without showing too much of the climax, we do not want to show the answers to the narrative story. However we do insinuate the presence of a killer through the filming of trap a small house and camera angles from the view of what could be the antagonist. We use still images to create a sense of psychologically disturbance and confusion at the location. Dramatic tension is at its height and we uncover the mystery of the story or have our questions about the film’s story answered to an adequate degree to keep the audience inerested. 

    
As we are creating a trailer we do not want to include the resolution (ending of the film) re-establishing equilibrium and restoring the calm, but want to leave a cliff-hanger.  Normally the film would be left in a new calm instead of the chaos and drama that has existed throughout, this would be shown by music and mise-en-scene, associated with peace and safety.

Redone Storyboard

After creating our first storyboard and then going on to produce an animatic we realised we had to make some changes to our plot and its scenes in order to create a better piece, we decided to create a second developed and more accurate storyboard.

Represenation

There are four areas of production to understand for our analysis:

Camera:

Shots, Angle, Movement, Composition

Editing:

Cutting, Other transitions

Sound:

Non musical, Musical

 Mise-en-scene:

Production Design, Lighting and Colour Design

After watching this presentation by Stuart Hall, I started to understand these higher level theories of representation; the way in which meaning is given to things depicted and/or the different ways the same image can be represented through angles, lighting etc.

http://longroadproductionevaluation.blogspot.com/2010/05/represenation.html

He also suggests that there are three different positions that the reader of a text can occupy when trying to interpret a text.

Preferred Reading – the reader fully accepts the text codes.

Negotiated Reading – partly shares the texts code and broadly accepts the preferred reading.

Oppositional Reading – reader, whose social situation places them in a directly oppositional relation.

Roland Barthes theories concentrated on a discussion of how myth operates in society and he discussed this in the context of denotation and connotation.

Denotation – the literal, ‘obvious’ or ‘commonsense’ meaning of an image.

Connotation – is used to refer the social-cultural and ‘personal’ associations (ideological, emotional etc.) of the image. These are typically related to the interpreter’s class, age, gender, ethnicity and and so on> Images are more open to interpretation – in their connotations than their denotations.

Example: a character wearing a Manchester united shirt.

Denotation – what the character is wearing

Connotation – the character is a fan of Manchester United football team.

Semiotics is from the Greek word’ Semion’ meaning ‘sign’. Semiotics or ‘Semiology’, is the study of signs and meanings. For the purposes of such study a sign is any physical object with a meaning.

The three areas of study are:

-the sign, picture, object or sound e.g the Christian Cross

-the system auto which signs are organised e.g Christianity

-the culture within which these signs operate e.g the Western Culture

Saussure was a structuralist and his work developed many ideas associated with semiotic. According to this view, the place of a sign with the overall system gives meaning. Others such as Pierce believe that the creation of meaning from signs is a continual process and is subject to change. From this perspective humans interpret signs and act accordingly.

For Saussure signs have two parts:

Signifier – the actual image, physical, appearance or sound.

Signified – the idea or ideas the sign refers to.

BBFC Film Classifications

These are a copy of the guilines the BBFC (British Board of Film Classifications) folow in order to protect vunerable and influential members of society, aswell as giving a guidline of what you can exspect from the particular classifcation of film. We are aim are film and trailer at 15 year olders and above, and will stick to this age classfications guidlines, however we are aware that in order not to restrict the dristribution, show times and places of our trailer we must make it as univerally suitable as possibe whilst attracting potential viewers.

 Universal – Suitable for all

It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

• ·       Discrimination is clearly disapproved of and is not permitted
• ·       Drugs No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
• ·       The outcome of all scary/horror sequences should be reassuring, they should also be mild, brief, and mnot cause anxiety.
• ·       Realistic or easily accessible weapons and dangerous behaviour that young children may copy is not permitted.
• ·       Mild bad language is allowed if used infrequently.
• ·       Only natural nudity with no sexual content is permitted.
• ·       The only sexual content permitted are mild for example references to ‘making love’ and kissing.
• ·       The sensitive treatment of problematic themes may be present but must be appropriate for young children.
• ·       Violence although violence is not acceptable, occasional theat, menace and mild violence are allowed occasionally.

                 

Parental Guidance

Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

• ·      Discrimination is clearly disapproved of and is not permitted, unless in an educational or historical context
• ·       Drugs No references to illegal drugs or drug misuse unless they are infrequent and innocuous, or there is a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
• ·       Fantasy settings may allow horror or frightening sequences, but these must not be intense or prolonged.
• ·       Realistic or easily accessible weapons and dangerous behaviour that young children may copy is not permitted.
• ·       Mild bad language is allowed only.
• ·       Only natural nudity with no sexual content is permitted.
• ·       Sex mild sexual references and innuendo are permitted and sexual activity must only be implied if discreet and infrequent.
• ·       If serious issues are raised within the themes they must be shown to be unacceptable.
• ·       If violence is justified in the context it may be allowed if moderate and not detailed.

Suitable for 12 years and over

Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12Discrimination is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned and cannot run throughout the work .

• ·       Any drug use must be infrequent and clearly not acceptable.
• ·       Horror or frightening sequences may be permitted but these must not be intense or prolonged.
• ·       Realistic or easily accessible weapons and dangerous behaviour must not be glamorised or dwell on in detail that could be copied.
• ·       Mild bad language is allowed stronger language such as ‘f**ck’ must be infrequent.
• ·       Only natural nudity but in a sexual content must be brief.
• ·       Sex mild sexual references and innuendo are permitted and sexual activity must only be implied if discreet and infrequent.
• ·       If serious issues are raised within the themes they must be shown to be unacceptable.
• ·       If violence is justified in the context it may be allowed if moderate and not detailed.
• ·       Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• ·       Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
• ·       Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated.

Suitable only for 15 years and over

• ·       Discriminatory language and behaviour must not be endorsed.
• ·       No promotion or encouragement of drug use is allowed, however it may be shown, easily accessible substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
• ·       Sadistic or sexualised horror is not permitted.
• ·       Filming should not dwell on or glamorise dangerous behaviour.  
• ·       Strong language for example ‘fuck’ may be used, however frequent uses of the strongest language ‘cunt’ may not be accepted.
• ·       Nudity in a non-sexual or educational context has no restraints, however nudity of a sexual nature may not be allowed in strong detail.
• ·       Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable. Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail as well as strong verbal references, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context.
• ·       Themes must be appropriate for 15 year olds.
• ·       Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images and strong sadistic or sexualised violence are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence.

Suitable for adults

No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema,  rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Except where:

• ·       material is in breach of the criminal law.
• ·       has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.
• ·       material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts,

-        or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals.

-        sexual or sexualised violence which might, eroticise or endorse sexual assault

• ·       where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context,  images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’. 
•       In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films.

Sex education at ‘18’- Explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted if the purpose is to inform and educate.

Sex works at ‘18’- Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. -Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.

 

 

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years

The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ video works may not be supplied by mail order. The following content is not acceptable:

• material which is in breach of the criminal law, including material judged to be under the Obscene Publications Act 1959
• material (including dialogue) likely to encourage an interest in sexually abusive activity
• the portrayal of any sexual activity which involves lack of consent (real or simulated). Any form of physical restraint which prevents participants from indicating a withdrawal of consent
• the infliction of pain or acts which may cause lasting physical harm, whether real or (in a sexual context) simulated. Some allowance may be made for moderate, non-abusive, consensual activity
• penetration by any object associated with violence or likely to cause physical harm
• any sexual threats, humiliation or abuse which does not form part of a clearly consenting role-playing game. Strong physical or verbal abuse, even if consensual, is unlikely to be acceptable.

These Guidelines will be applied to the same standard regardless of sexual orientation.

We have chosen to classify our film as fifteen, as we wanted it to appeal to a wide range of audiences, involving scenes that would make it an eighteen would be too restrictive. To keep within the constraints of a 15 classified film below you can see all the aspects we decided not to include.

• Discriminatory language and behaviour must not be endorsed.
• No promotion or encouragement of drug use is allowed, however it may be shown, easily accessible substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
• Sadistic or sexualised horror is not permitted.
• Nudity in a non-sexual or educational context has no restraints, however nudity of a sexual nature may not be allowed in strong detail.
• Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable. Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail as well as strong verbal references, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context.

Below are some of the aspects we included in our film.

• Strong language for example ‘fuck’ may be used, however frequent uses of the strongest language ‘cunt’ may not be accepted - We used some mild language in our trailer, however if this was to be publicly shown we would have to cut this out, in order for it's distribution and aired times not to be restricted. In the completed version of the film their would be the use of some mild language.
• Themes must be appropriate for 15 year olds - after showing are trailer and discussing it's plot with our target audience we came to the conclusion that all our films themes are appropriate.
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images and strong sadistic or sexualised violence are unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence. - Our film will show some violence and gory scenes however these are limited as we have focused on tension building. As we were targeting a fifteen classification we did not include many of these scenes, we also discussed that they would be hard to create to look realistic. Again, any violent of gory scenes are not shown in our trailer so it can be shown to all ages watching the television.
• Filming should not dwell on or glamorise dangerous behaviour. - Although we show reckless driving in our film and trailer we do not believe it to be glamorised.