Notes on Class Lecture: Classical Hollywood Narrative and Mise-en-Scène

CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD NARRATIVE & NARRATION

NARRATIVE IS THE STORY; NARRATION IS THE TELLING OF THE STORY

1) TYPE OF NARRATIVE: “HISTORICAL” NARRATIVE
- EXPLAINS CHANGE (ALL AND ONLY THOSE EVENTS NEEDED TO
UNDERSTAND THE STORY EVENTS, HISTORICALLY)
- ORGANIZED AROUND A LINEAR LOGIC AND STRUCTURE; THERE IS A SENSE OF UNITY TO THIS DESIGN (SOMETIMES THOUGHT OF AS REALISTIC OR NORMAL)

2) TYPE OF NARRATION:
- TENDS TO BE ‘INVISIBLE,’ ‘DISINTERESTED’ 3RD PERSON (E.G., “ONE UPON A TIME…”
- IMPLICATIONS OF OBJECTIVITY (I.E., “JUST THE FACTS”)

3) BASIC STRUCTURE: EQUILIBRIUM - CHANGE - (NEW) EQUILIBRIUM
- STORY & CHARACTER MOTIVATION PROVIDED BY CHANGE AND RESTORATION OF EQUILIBRIUM

4) PRINCIPLE AGENTS: PROTAGANIST/HERO IS CENTRAL ELEMENT
- EXTERNAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL (INTERIOR) MOTIVATIONS
- CHARACTER REACTIONS TO CHANGE INFLUENCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM AND THEIR WORLD

5) EVENT-CENTRED STRUCTURE
- GOAL-ORIENTATION (E.G., DEADLINE)
- CAUSALITY IS PRIME UNIFYING PRINCIPLE (ACTION V. REFLECTION)

CLASSICAL NARRATIVE DESIGN:

EXPOSITION - DEVELOPMENT (RISING CRISIS) - CLIMAX - RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION (“UNDISTURBED STAGE”)
- DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS & CONTEXT IN STASIS
- DIEGETIC COMPONENTS OF THE STORY COME FROM THE WORLD OF THE FILM (AND WORK TO CREATE A SEAMLESS AND CONSISTENT SPACE AND TIME); NON-DIEGETIC ELELMENTS PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT (“DISTURBANCE”)
- SERIES OF CRISIS EVENTS THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE FINAL CLIMAX/CONFLICT
- USUALLY A DOUBLE CAUSAL STRUCTURE (E.G., CAREER & LOVE)
- PATTERNING/SEQUENCING/REPETITION/REDUNDANCY

RESOLUTION “ELIMINATION OF DISTURBANCE”
- CLOSURE (USUALLY IN THE FORM OF “HAPPY ENDING”)
- RESTORATION OF STATUS QUO OR STASIS

THE GOAL OF CONTINUITY STYLE NARRATIVE IS TO TELL STORIES THAT ARE INTELLIGIBLE:
- BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END
- GOAL-ORIENTED, THEY EXPLAIN HOW THE GOAL IS ACHIEVED
- INCLUDE ALL INFO NEEDED FOR THE VIEWER TO UNDERSTAND EACH STAGE OF THE STORY’S DEVELOPMENT

WHAT ARE THE PLEASURES OF CLASSICAL NARRATIVE
- LEARNING & DISCOVERY WITHIN RELIABLE BOUNDARIES
- PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE, MEMORY & INFERENCE
- SPECTATORSHIP BECOMES A PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY (MEANING MAKING)

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEANINGS OF SUCH A STRUCTURE
- RESOLUTION IS NATURAL / COMMON / REALISTIC /NORMALIZED


Mise-en-scène & Montage

- FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS INCL MISE-EN-Scène & MONTAGE
- MISE-EN-Scène: THE ARRANGEMENT OF ELEMENTS WITHIN THE FRAME IN EACH SHOT
o CHARACTERS & THEIR ACTIONS
o LIGHTING
o PROPS & SET DESIGN
o CAMERA MOVEMENT (PANS, TILTS, TRACKING)

- MONTAGE: THE ARRANGEMENT OF SHOTS
o LONG SHOT, MEDIUM SHOT, & CLOSE-UP
o INTERCUTTING & CROSSCUTTING
o PARALLEL ACTION
o EYELINE MATCHES
o 180 DEGREE RULE / AXIS OF ACTION
o CUTTING ON MOVEMENT
o CONTROLLING PACE OF ACTION