Task 1 - Narrative

Task 1 – Narrative

Linear

There are many different techniques that fit into a single camera production one of them being linear and non linear, flashback, antirealist endings being open and closed.

Linear is telling the story in a straight line starting at the beginning then moving to the middle then proceeding at the end like a normal story or film. This creates an easy understanding of the plot so every action and dialogue links and is connected with each other. Most if not all films and stories have a linear sequence to make viewing easier and more comfortable to watch. 

There are many example of this linear sequence in many films here are some:

In this example ‘Bad teacher’  which is also a single camera production it starts with a beginning which is Cameron diaz breaking off from her successful partner having to go back to her life as a middle school teacher, the audience then discovers she is a bad teacher. The middle then shows her need for a breast implants and to get this was to get the Christmas bones and to get this was being the best class as well as trying to get the attention of her attractive colleague and trying to beat another college of hers. Then it moves to the ending with her getting with the guy who has loved her through the film and stays on at the middle school without the breast implants. When watching this example the scenes and actions swiftly and smoothly run into each other due to linear sequence of flowing from begging meddle and end which makes it easy and more comfortable to view for an audience and more enjoyable knowing that there is equilibrium then a twist as it turns into disequilibrium then turn into a new equilibrium, Which is shown clearly in a linear sequence.

In this example of ‘she’s the man’ again another single camera production it also shows a linear sequence. Starting with a beginning showing a American soccer girls team being cut and being turned away from joining the boys soccer team because they were not as strong as them due to their gender. The movies to the middle of the main character viola dressing up as her twin brother and going to his high school whilst he is in London with his music, viola is trying t prove that girls are just as good and as strong as guys. The goes into an ending viola then falls in love with her roommate duke and also proves that girls can play with guys as she plays the big match and scores the winning goal. Having this linear sequence just helps makes the plot easier to put across to an audience also to help show a message or a moral to a viewer by the actions that are accruing in the film due to the sequence of the film.

Nonlinear

Non-linear narrative often starts at the middle of a story or the height of a conflict and then double-backs to the beginning. This creates a different effect when watching and also creates a different storylines for an audience to follow which creates tension and emotion for an audience.

In this example which is a single camera production  it shows a non-linear sequence instead of there being a start middle and end the action and sequences are all in different orders. For example in this short film it starts with death a young man bleeding with a woman over him in a bird’s eye view angle. It this cuts to the next scene which is the same young man sitting on his coach checking his phone. This is a flash forward showing an audience the consequence or the main scene before the buildup is shown, this could be used so the audience can make different assumptions throughout the film deciding who could have caused the death of the character. An audience can also start taking sides of characters and be surprised when all is revealed.

There are a few examples of this Non-linear sequence.