What is a narrative

A narrative is a description of events, whether they are made up or real. It is also known as a literary work that includes stories. Notably, a narrative can also be interpreted as a tale that explains a sequence of real-world occurrences in order to promote a particular viewpoint. Finally, it can involve telling a narrative.

Unlike a narrative that is a story, a documentary is a movie or a television program that describes an actual event and contains facts and does not contain any elements of fiction. Remarkably, experimental movies are modes of films making that relate art to other disciplines such as painting and dance.

3. List and define the four different approaches to making documentary films.

The first method is known as an expository documentary where it involves commenting on scenes other than being part of it. The second approach is referred to as observational approach that includes mirroring the world and keeps the camera rolling. The third method is called reflective and derives the relationships between the film makes and the subjects. Finally, a practical approach has no rules and is usually poetic.

4. List the six characteristics shared by most experimental films and explain how these features relate to narrative and documentary forms.

a. Seeks to explore the inherent nature of the movie medium.

b. Challenges are governing authorities.

c. Usually, involves smaller budgets

d. Frequently requires the use of recent advances in film technology.

e. Experiments predictable considerations.

f. Includes extensive references.

5. Define genre and summarize its standard conventions.

A genre is any work that shares certain characteristics. There are many characteristics form of types that include the poetry, fiction, on- fiction, and drama.

6. Describe each of the six major American genres featured in this chapter

a. Gangster- defines the American Dream

b. The musical- features combinations of music, spoken dialogue, dancing, and singing

c. Science and fiction- focuses on the relationship between humanity and science

d. films- a combination of western movies

e. Horror- resulted from cultural need to combat fear

7. Situate animation in the context of the different film types discussed in this chapter by discussing the various types of animation and the kinds of stories animated films can tell.

a. Traditional animations

b. 2d vector- based animations

c. 3d computer aided animations

d. Motion graphics

e. Stop motion

Chapter 4 Questions

1. Define narrative, narration, and narrator. Explain how they are related.

A narrative is a chronology of events that are connected while the narration is the use of spoken or written commentary to tell a story to an audience. On the other hand, a narrator is a person who narrates or an individual who provides an off- screen explanation in a documentary.

2. Explain the function of the camera narrator, a first-person narrator, and a third-person narrator.

The camera narrator is the process of viewing an action and bringing it to the screen. First person narrator is the person who experiences the steps shown on the screen. On the other hand, third person narrator is the person who is not directly involved in the action portrayed in the display.

3. Explain the function of omniscient and restricted narration. Provide examples of both.

Omniscient narration involves a voice in which a story is written and is outside the story and knows everything about the characters and events in the story. An example of omniscient narration is Dan Brown in his novel, Da Vinci Code. The restricted description is where the movie is filmed from one point of view of only one character. An example is Fargo, a television show.

4. List and define the different character types. Give an example of each type from a movie you have seen recently.

a. Confidante- the central character confides. An example is Melvin Sanders in a story.

b. Dynamic character- changes during the story. An example is Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol, by Dickens.

c. Flat character- reveals only one personality. An example is Sandra Smith, in the Movie “Death Traps.”

5. List and explain the elements of the narrative structure.

a. Themes- define the central claim of a text

b. Characters- brings out the actions in a narrative

c. Plot- arrangements of incidents that give focus to a story.

d. Setting- physical contexts of a story

e. The point of view- defines who tells a story.

6. Define plot and story. Explain how they are related.

A story defines at least one event taking place while a plot defines a sequence of events.

7. Discuss the relationship between order, significance, and duration of plot events.

Order of events defines the consecutive appearance of events while significance defines the impact of the events to the audience. On the other hand, duration represents the time frame of an event.

8. List and describe the three kinds of relationships between screen length and story duration.

a. Story period defines the amount of time that passes during the story. A display period determines the amount of time a story is being viewed by the audience.

b. Screen duration also specifies the time spent telling a story and display period defines the time expended in a specific scene of a story.

c. Also, display period determines the time lapse of the whole story and screen duration represents the time lapse of a particular show in a story.