Task 3 - Narrative Structure

·        Linear (Sequential) Narrative – Events happen in a chronological order, from beginning to end. The plot is told without the use of flashbacks or flash-forwards, some examples of films which use a linear narrative format would be Drive, Now You See Me and Of Mice and Men.

·        Non-Linear (Non-Sequential) Narrative – The film is not shown in a chronological order, this is often used in literature films. They often have flashbacks and flash-forwards from the main plot but are not shown in sequence. Examples of film which use this format would be 500 Days of Summer, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction.

·        Flashback – Flashbacks are used to show the past events in the plot of the film from the point which the story has reached. They are often used with special effects so that there is no confusion to the audience about where the story is. Some examples of TV programmes which use flashbacks are How I Met Your Mother and Lost

·        Realist Narrative – Storylines which are believable to their audience because they are based on events that could happen in real life, they could also be based on true events, this makes the storylines more believable especially in horror movies to make them scarier to the audience. Realist narratives are used in TV shows such as Coronation Street and Shameless.

·        Anti-Realist Narrative – A storyline which could not happen in real life, examples of anti-realist narratives would be Avengers Assemble, Donnie Darko and Stardust.

·        Open Narrative – An open narrative is where the story is left wide open and the viewer must guess what will happen next or what happened in the end. Open narratives are often used if there is going to be a sequel, it is in two parts or if a programme is due to be made into a film. Open narratives are used to keep the audience’s attention and leave them wanting more. Open Narratives can also be on going, for example in Soap Operas when they have more than one storyline running at a time.

·        Closed Narrative – A Closed Narrative has a beginning, middle and a clear end, the opposite to an Open Narrative. Examples of films which use a Closed Narrative are Limitless, Sweeney Todd and Titanic.