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W.W. Norton StudySpace - Flashcards

Term narration

Descript io n The act of telling the story of the film. The primary source of a movies narration is the camera, w hich narrates the story by show ing us the events of the narrative on-screen. When the w ord narration is used to refer more narrow ly to spoken narration, the reference is to commentary spoken by either an offscreen or on-screen voice. When that commentary is not spoken by one of the characters in the movie, it is omniscient . When spoken by a character w ithin the movie, the commentary is first-person narration. (page 122)

narrator

Who or w hat tells the story of a film. The primary narrator in cinema is the camera, w hich narrates the film by show ing us events in the movies narrative. When referring to the more specific action of voice-narration, the narrator may be either a character in the movie (a firstperson narrator) or a person w ho is not a character (an omniscient narrator). (page 122) Narrat io n by an actual charact er in the movie. Compare vo ice-o ver narrat io n. (page 123)

first-person narration voice-over narration

Narrat io n heard concurrently and over a scene but not synchronized to any character w ho may be talking on the screen. It can come from many sources, including a third person (w ho is not a character) bringing us up-to-date, a first-person narrator commenting on the action, or, in a no nfict io n film , a commentator. Compare first -perso n narrat io n and t hird-perso n narrat io n. (page 123) A form of narrat io n in w hich an on-screen charact er looks and speaks directly to the audience. (page 123) Narration delivered from outside of the diegesis by a narrator w ho is not a character in the movie. (page 125)

direct address thirdperson narration omniscient

Providing a third-person view of all aspects of a movies action or charact ers. Compare restricted. (page 125) Providing a view from the perspective of a single charact er. For example, restricted narrat io n reveals information to the audience only as a specific character learns of it. Compare o mniscient . (page 126) Also know n as fiction film. A movie that tells a st o ryw ith charact ers, places, and events that is conceived in the mind of the films creator. Stories in narrative films may be w holly imaginary or based on true occurrences, and they may be realistic, unrealistic, or both. Compare nonfiction film. (page 127) An essential element of film narrat ive ; any of the beings w ho play functional roles w ithin the plot, either acting or being acted on. Characters can be flat or ro und; major, minor, or marginal; pro t ago nist s or ant ago nist s. (page 127) A narratively significant objective pursued by the pro t ago nist . (page 127) A complex charact er possessing numerous, subtle, repressed, or contradictory traits. Round characters often develop over the course of a story. (page 127) A relatively uncomplicated charact er exhibiting few distinct traits. Flat characters do not change significantly as the story progresses. (page 128)
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restricted

narrative film

character

goal round character flat character

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W.W. Norton StudySpace - Flashcards

anti-hero

An outw ardly unsympathetic pro t ago nist pursuing a morally objectionable or otherw ise undesirable go al. (page 129) Events, circumstances, and actions that impede a pro t ago nist s pursuit of the goal. Obstacles often originate from an ant ago nist and are central to a narrative conflict. (page 129) In a narrative screenplay, the state of the character and setting before the inciting incident. (page 131) The event or situation during the exposition stage of the narrat ive that sets the rest of the narrative in motion. Also know n as the incit ing incident . (page 132) The character, creature, or force that obstructs or resists the protagonists pursuit of their goal. (page 133) In a conventional narrat ive , that w hich is at risk as a consequence of the pro t ago nist s pursuit of the go al. (page 134) The development of the action of the narrat ive tow ard a climax. Compare falling act io n. (page 135) A critical turning point in a story in w hich the protagonist must engage a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. (page 135) The highest point of conflict in a conventional narrative; the pro t ago nist s ultimate attempt to attain the go al. (page 135)

obstacles

normal w orld catalyst

antagonist

stakes

rising action crisis

climax

resolution

The concluding narrative events that follow the climax and celebrate or otherw ise reflect upon story outcomes. (page 136)

story

In a movie, all the events w e see or hear on the screen, and all the events that are implicit or that w e infer to have happened but that are not explicitly presented. Compare diegesis, narrat ive , and plo t . (page 140)

diegesis (adj. diegetic) diegetic element plot

The total w orld of a st o rythe events, charact ers, objects, set t ings, and sounds that form the w orld in w hich the story occurs. (page 140)

An elementevent, charact er, object, set t ing, soundthat helps form the w orld in w hich the st o ry occurs. Compare no ndieget ic element . (page 140) The specific actions and events that the filmmakers select and the order in w hich they arrange those events and actions to effectively convey on-screen the movies narrative to a view er. Compare narrat ive and st o ry. (page 140)

nondiegetic element

Something that w e see and hear on the screen that comes from outside the w orld of the st o ry (including background music, titles and credits, and vo ice-o ver narrat io n). Compare dieget ic element . (page 141) A fictional history behind the cinematic narrative that is presented onscreen. Elements of the backstory can be hinted at in a movie, presented through narration, or not revealed at all. (page 143)

backstory

story duration

The amount of time that the entire narrative arc of a movies storyw hether explicitly presented on-screen or notis implied to have taken to occur. Compare plo t durat io n and
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screen durat io n. (page 149) plot duration screen duration summary relationship real time The elapsed time of the events w ithin a st o ry that a film chooses to tell. Compare screen durat io n and st o ry durat io n. (page 149) The amount of time that it has taken to present the movies plot on-screen, i.e., the movies running time. Compare plo t durat io n and st o ry durat io n. (page 149) A time relationship in w hich screen durat io n is shorter than plo t durat io n. Compare real t ime and st ret ch relat io nship. (page 150) The actual time during w hich something takes place. In real time, screen durat io n and plo t durat io n are exactly the same. Many direct o rs use real time w ithin films to create uninterrupted reality on the screen, but they rarely use it for entire films. Compare cinemat ic t ime, st ret ch relat io nship, and summary relat io nship. (page 150) stretch relationship cinematic time surprise suspense A time relationship in w hich screen durat io n is longer than plo t durat io n. Compare real t ime and summary relat io nship. (page 150) The passage of time w ithin a movie, as conveyed and manipulated by editing. (page 151)

A taking unaw ares that is potentially shocking. Compare suspense . (page 153) The anxiety brought on by partial uncertainty: the end is certain, but the means are not. Compare surprise . (page 153) The number of times that a st o ry element recurs in a plo t . Repetition signals that a particular event has notew orthy meaning or significance. (page 154)

repetition

familiar image setting

Any image that a direct o r periodically repeats in a movie (w ith or w ithout variations) to help stabilize the narrat ive . (page 154) The time and space in w hich a st o ry takes place. (page 155)

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