In total, there'll be six sessions, teaching us about
- (Un)Conventional stories and storytelling methods
- Narrative theory
- The unique language of animation
- How to tell our own stories
- Identifying when / where stories work or go wrong
In addition, we also found out there would be 5 preset questions to choose from, instead of coming up with one for ourselves. We didn't get to that yet, but next session we should do.
This time, the essay is 1,500 words, exploring the role and development of narrative within animation. We have to choose an animated film, since the narrative needs to be clear and self contained, eliminating the previous options of TV series and video game basis'. Relevant contexts should be researched, including any origins of the story. It's also important to talk about the type of animation the film uses. In most cases, it'll either be 2D, CGI or Stop Motion.
So the bulk of this lecture was centered around one topic:
A story is just what happened in what order, essentially. There's also the term narrative, which is just a completed story. One thing that's also important to note is that plot and story, often interchangably used, are in fact NOT the same thing.
Plots will usually rearrange the events in the most dramatic way; it makes sure the audience sees cause & effect, it withholds and reveals information. Where story is the what happened, plot is why it happened. Usually, plots have some kind of moral or message at the end. Philosopher Aristotle is stated to have said plots work for evoking pity and fear into the audience.
Seeing characters achieve or fail teaches us, the audience, how to achieve or avoid the same fate they did. The size of the feat doesn't necessarily matter, just so long as (plot depending) the outcome is obvious.
Plots also need turning points, also known as peripetia. For conventional stories, they're crucial to bring in something new and unexpected to keep engagement up and introduce conflict if necessary.
In all, plots should follow four main guidlines:
Another key term is structure. The structure is essentially the skeleton of the overall narrative, how it's put together. In Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling, their 4th rule talks about structure.
Most conventional structures are emotionally satisfying, wrap up with no loose ends, safely thrill and arrange events in the most dramatic order.
Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright, introduced the idea of a 5 act structure that narratives follow, called Freytag's Pyramid.
There are 5 parts to the pyramid, representing the 5 parts of the narrative Freytag outlined.
A slight variation of this exists currently, and is more widely used at this point in time. The steps now read:
Short stories may merge steps, in order to keep their story length minimal but have the structure remain satisfying.
That was all the theory we had explained, but we had to analyse the 2016 Sainsbury's advert.
We had to write down everything that happened in notes using the story structure headings. Here's what I had:
So the bulk of this lecture was centered around one topic:
What is a story?
"The idea of a 'story' may be understood as a sequence of events taking place over a particular period of time" ~ Wells, 1998
A story is just what happened in what order, essentially. There's also the term narrative, which is just a completed story. One thing that's also important to note is that plot and story, often interchangably used, are in fact NOT the same thing.
"Plot is distinct from story. Both include the same events, but in the plot the events are arranged" ~ Tomashevsky
Plots will usually rearrange the events in the most dramatic way; it makes sure the audience sees cause & effect, it withholds and reveals information. Where story is the what happened, plot is why it happened. Usually, plots have some kind of moral or message at the end. Philosopher Aristotle is stated to have said plots work for evoking pity and fear into the audience.
Seeing characters achieve or fail teaches us, the audience, how to achieve or avoid the same fate they did. The size of the feat doesn't necessarily matter, just so long as (plot depending) the outcome is obvious.
Plots also need turning points, also known as peripetia. For conventional stories, they're crucial to bring in something new and unexpected to keep engagement up and introduce conflict if necessary.
In all, plots should follow four main guidlines:
- They should be connected; don't introduce elements that don't go anywhere! Everything has to tie up at the end or end up somewhere.
- They should complete at the end. Traditional plots / narratives need to leave no loose ends, so that the audience doesn't feel cheated out of a potential resolution.
- Self-contained, unless the narrative is intended to have a second part.
- A moment of change, completing a character's hero's journey and leaving them in a different place at the end than at the beginning.
Another key term is structure. The structure is essentially the skeleton of the overall narrative, how it's put together. In Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling, their 4th rule talks about structure.
"Once upon a time, there was _____. Every day, _____. One day, _____. Because of that, _____. Because of that, _____. Until finally, _____." ~ Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling, Rule 4
Most conventional structures are emotionally satisfying, wrap up with no loose ends, safely thrill and arrange events in the most dramatic order.
Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright, introduced the idea of a 5 act structure that narratives follow, called Freytag's Pyramid.
(Freytag's Pyramid, and it's 5 labelled points)
There are 5 parts to the pyramid, representing the 5 parts of the narrative Freytag outlined.
- EXPOSITION - Where the audience learns who the narrative is about. Who's the main character? What do they do? Why do we care about them?
- RISING ACTION - What sets the main character on their journey? Is it a person, an item, a journey?
- CLIMAX - The fully risen tensions. This is where the audience should have the most adrenaline regarding the story. Later story structures have moved the climax closer to the end.
- FALLING ACTIONS - A path set in motion after the main climax, usually the direct effect of it. Can be positive actions or negative, depending on climax's outcome.
- DENOUEMENT - The final resolution. Loose ends tied up, nothing left unanswered.
A slight variation of this exists currently, and is more widely used at this point in time. The steps now read:
- EXPOSITION (no change)
- TRIGGER (the same as Rising Action)
- COMPLICATIONS - Things getting tricky for the hero. Maybe a test of worth, or a wrench being thrown into the works.
- TURNING POINT - A climax with a little bit added to the beginning of it, setting up the climax. Maybe something big is revealed, like a new plan or a secret is told.
- RESOLUTION (the same as denouement)
Short stories may merge steps, in order to keep their story length minimal but have the structure remain satisfying.
That was all the theory we had explained, but we had to analyse the 2016 Sainsbury's advert.
("The Greatest Gift", Sainsbury's Chirstmas advert from 2016)
We had to write down everything that happened in notes using the story structure headings. Here's what I had:
- EXPOSITION - James Corden puppet (the main character) works in a factory around Christmas time
- TRIGGER - He's spending so much time at work and shopping, he doesn't spend enough time with his family.
- COMPLICATIONS - He realises that only one of him isn't enough to satisfy the needs of everyone in his life.
- TURNING POINT - He breaks into the factory, and sets up the machines to make toys with his face on them.
- RESOLUTION - He gifts the toys with his face to anyone around, so that everyone can see him.
Admittedly, I didn't like or really get this advert, or it's message. I didn't like it.
But I did enjoy this lecture! Granted, the subject matter for this essay isn't as personally interesting as the last one was (the subject was characters). But I just need to make sure I choose something I'll be happy writing about and then it should all be alright from there! I'm struggling to come up with a comprehensive pool of films I could choose from for this, the one I'm gravitating towards most is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. I'm going to have to double check if I'd be able to use that film though, since it's only partially animated. But overall, enthusiastic about this project!
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