Narrative in Films

Narrative in Films

What is Narrative?

Narrative is reading of events or sequence of written or spoken words. Narrative is one of the most important parts of an audio visual medium as it clears the chaos out of the hustle and bustle of scenario. Narrative works hand in hand with the following departments of an audio visual:

• Lighting
• Camera Movements
• Sounds
• Editing

Categories:

The following are the categories of narrative

• Nonfiction- Used in documentaries or films based on information, spreading awareness or propaganda
• New Journalism- News reports are to be presented in a particular fashion
• Creative nonfiction – Social awareness advertisements
• Biographies- real life stories also includes Human Interest Stories
• Hectographs – Historical events documented

Forms of Narrative:

The following are a few forms of Narrative

• Speech – Generally spoken in a normal day to day language and usual tone
• Television – Every Television house/ shows has its own style of narrative for example Big Boss
• Games – Usually games have a style of narrative which will attract the player
• Photography- in a photo documentary the style of Narrative is usually information mostly alerting.
• Theatre- It is an amalgamation of different emotions required at different stages of the play.
• Visual Arts- Mostly aesthetic would have a back ground of classical instruments.
• Films – different genre of film have varied requirements of narratives.
• Songs and Writing- Narrative depends on the genre of the same.

Types of Narrative

• First person- Conveying ideas, feeling options of the central characters
• Third Person- tells about the many characters, background of the story
• Multiple Narratives – excellently depicted in “As I lay Dying”.
• Narrative\ History
• Traditional Narrative
• Modern Narrative

Techniques

The different techniques used for narrative in films are as follows:

• Literary Narrative
• Metafictional Narrative
• Non Liner Narrative Film
• Non Liner Narrative TV

Importance:

• Why is narrative such an intrinsic part of audio visual medium?
• It strives to achieve goal which the direct intends to convey
• It helps understand and later solve the mystery of the story
• It brings order and system to the chaotic procedure
• It makes us travel a journey smoothly
• It helps us understand the personal growth of the central character
• It helps us understand the Fight and Pursuit

Factor:

• Character- through narrative we understand the plot of the story and the character of the story
• Setting- it helps us understand the place and the time frame of the story
• Moods- we understand the mood and the flow of events in the story
• Rising Action – the arousing tension is understood thorough the narrative
• Result- the conclusion of the story is made clear by the narrative

Elements:

The following are the elements of a narrative

• Aesthetic distance
• Dream sequence
• Epic catalogue
• Real herring
• Running gag
• Historical present
• Flashback
• Surprise factor
• Suspense
• Translation convention

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