What is a narrative arc?
Your midterm and final films should contain a narrative arc. What is a narrative arc? People have written books theorizing it, but here’s a short version that is sufficient for our purposes.
A narrative arc describes the structure of a film or story’s drama from start to finish. It is most often rendered as a pyramid (this one by Freytag):
The parts:
Exposition (Act I): Background. This is the stuff you have to know in order to care about the rest of the story. Think about the first 30 minutes of any movie–this is the part of the movie when you learn most about the characters, their setting, what they care most about, what they fear, and what hardships or action they are likely to encounter and be forced to deal with before the story’s end. It’s true that some of this information gets delivered after those first 30 minutes, but it’s rare that you’ll ever be dropped into a story without beginning with SOME exposition. The exposition usually ends with an inciting moment, a moment of conflict that sets the rest of the film & the characters’ actions into motion.
Rising Action (Act II): During this stage, the characters’ actions move in response to the inciting moment, and their actions are complicated/slowed down/redirected with the introduction of secondary conflicts, characters, or actions. All of this contributes to a growing sense of tension.
Climax (Act III): The turning point. A change–good or bad–that effects the main character(s) actions. In comedy, acts I and II will show things going badly for the main character and her luck will change thanks to the climax; in tragedy, the opposite.
Falling Action (Act IV): Following the moment of reversal, the conflict between protagonist & antagonist (good guy and bad guy) unravels, for better or worse. A win or a loss occurs. Perhaps some added suspense or doubt to keep the audience interested through the conclusion.
Denouement (day-noo-mon, Act V): From the French denouer, “to untie,” this is the film or story’s final sigh. The main thread of action–as well as secondary threads of action–should come together & be resolved
A narrative arc describes the structure of a film or story’s drama from start to finish. It is most often rendered as a pyramid (this one by Freytag):
The parts:Exposition (Act I): Background. This is the stuff you have to know in order to care about the rest of the story. Think about the first 30 minutes of any movie–this is the part of the movie when you learn most about the characters, their setting, what they care most about, what they fear, and what hardships or action they are likely to encounter and be forced to deal with before the story’s end. It’s true that some of this information gets delivered after those first 30 minutes, but it’s rare that you’ll ever be dropped into a story without beginning with SOME exposition. The exposition usually ends with an inciting moment, a moment of conflict that sets the rest of the film & the characters’ actions into motion.
Rising Action (Act II): During this stage, the characters’ actions move in response to the inciting moment, and their actions are complicated/slowed down/redirected with the introduction of secondary conflicts, characters, or actions. All of this contributes to a growing sense of tension.
Climax (Act III): The turning point. A change–good or bad–that effects the main character(s) actions. In comedy, acts I and II will show things going badly for the main character and her luck will change thanks to the climax; in tragedy, the opposite.
Falling Action (Act IV): Following the moment of reversal, the conflict between protagonist & antagonist (good guy and bad guy) unravels, for better or worse. A win or a loss occurs. Perhaps some added suspense or doubt to keep the audience interested through the conclusion.
Denouement (day-noo-mon, Act V): From the French denouer, “to untie,” this is the film or story’s final sigh. The main thread of action–as well as secondary threads of action–should come together & be resolved
Good explanation.
ReplyDeleteThank you Manal.
This is a great explanation, Manal. I like that you included the graphic picture of the arc. A very helpful post.
ReplyDeletethanks yousif..
ReplyDeleteI hope not to forget this explanation forever
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