Pre-Production

























Narrative

“Narrative” describes the main action, or plot, of a film, and in general describes an organization in which the parts of the film are related through a series of causally related events taking place in time and space. Two prevalent narrative types are “Hollywood Three-Act” structure and “Non-Chronological” structure.

In Hollywood Three-Act films, the action unfolds in three main chronological events: Act I establishes the problem and sets up the action. In Act II, obstacles give rise to action, and in Act III, the main conflict is resolved. Non-Chronological structures manipulate the unfolding of time in the narrative by techniques like flashback, metaphor, and multiple perspectives on time and events.
 

Select a movie from the top row. Click on an Event button from the Chronology of Events to reveal a description of that part of the film. In a Hollywood Three-Act film, you can click on an Act button to read a description of that act. If you select a Non-Chronological film, you can click a Scene button for a description of the scene.