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Three Act Stucture

  • Beginning - "The Set Up", in which the characters, the dramatic premise, the situation and the relationship between the protagonist and the other people who inhabit the landscape of his/her world are all established.
  • Middle - "The Confrontation", in which the protagonist encounters obstacles that keep him from achieving his dramatic need.
  • End - "The Resolution", in which the conflict is resolved and obstacle(s) surmounted.

Purpose:

To give a clear, linear structure that allows an audience to fully grasp the plot and narrative.

Effect:

Allows for a good understanding of the structure; a typical film form - universally known.

Applied to Gasman...

My film also follows a three act structure:

  • Beginning - Establishes the family unit without a paternal figure. The mother is at a high level of emotional stress. The young daughter appears unknowledgeable of the situation.
  • Middle - Mother loses temper with the daughter; we learn that the father has died.
  • End - They both accept whats happened, and say their farewells.

The use of a young character is a typical convention of social realism.

This is because children and teenagers have an apparent lack of experience of the adult world.

In social realism short films "Gasman", "About A Girl", "The Most Beautiful Man in the World", "Antonio's Breakfast" and "Love Me or Leave Me Alone" the protagonists are all children or teenagers.

Purpose - To create a more gritty, 'lesson learning' narrative

Effect - The film appears more realistic and 'dramatic' as we watch the understanding of the protagonist grow into a more adult way of thinking and realisation

My film features a young girl that suffers due to her naivety of the situation

However, she learns to adapt and overcome this; she understands what has really happened, which is that her father is never returning.

Both my film and traditional social realism films have a young person as their protagonist...

Social realism films earn their classification in the genre if their main themes are based on issues that occur within society

Purpose - people can relate to it, it's not glamourised.

Effect - appeals to a wider audience

The main themes and issues being drugs, sex, poverty, [gang] crime, alcoholism, neglect and some form of derprivation.

They also often involve political and/or religious views

My film develops this convention because it was inspired by a true story and therefore already holds that key element of realism.

It's not a film that contains typical issues like knife crime or gang culture, but instead is a raw story that manifested from a true tragedy.

My film develops the typical issues that occur within real media products....

In most social realism films the narrative follows the young protagonist, as we watch their understanding and experience of the issue and conflict develop and evolve to overcome it.

Purpose - we watch their developent as they overcome that obstacle within their world.

Effect - leaves a sense of satisfaction as our understanding of plot, occurance of events, etc grows and develops with them.

However, in my film I have chosen for the narrative to follow the older character of the mother as the incident affects her more emotionally.

The younger character is still a protagonist within the film but I wanted the narrative to follow the mother as the naivety of the younger protagonist meant her understanding of the situation would need to be developed more slowly and as mine is a short film, I felt the time limit was too much of a burden.

My film develops the narrative style of real media products....

Tzvetan Todorov’s Theory of Narrative

Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:

1. a state of equilibrium at the outset;

2. a disruption of the equilibrium by some action;

3. a recognition that there has been a disruption;

4. an attempt to repair the disruption;

5. a reinstatement of the equilibrium

This type of narrative structure is very familiar to us and can be applied to many

‘mainstream’ film narratives.

However, in niche shorts like "The Most Beautiful Man in the World" Todorov's theory also applies.

The structure and form in "The Most Beautiful in the World" reflects the girl's conflict and development within the film.

It has a

  • monotanous beginning
  • climax
  • obstacle
  • monotanous end

The purpose of this is so the film'structure replicates itself, and therefore connotes that the protagonist's life is a repetitive daily cycle of routines.

The effect of the equilibrium - disequailibrium - equilibrium structure is ironic as the stages juxta-position each other; when the film is within equilibrium the protagonist is in a state of neglect and discomfort, however, during disequailibrium she finds an escape and enjoys her time away from the secluded life at home.

My film challenges this because it does not apply to Todorov's narrative theory.

Instead, the equilibrium is met at the end of the short.

My film challenges the structure of some real media products...

Typical social realism films are usually set in an urban environment.

Purpose - to compliment the usual representation of the working class.

Effect - makes the film more authentic and raw.

Films such as, Billy Elliot, The Full Monty and Fish Tank all share that gritty city and urban setting.

My film challenges this convention as it is set on a rural beach.

Although the protagonist is still within the working class, the setting is not of the norm and therefore, it challenges a convention of social realism films.

My film challenges the typical setting of real media products...

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

CHALLENGE

DEVELOP

USE

Effect

Purpose

Effect

Purpose

Effect

Purpose

Convention

My Film

About A Girl

Gasman

My Film

Set in gritty lower class Birmingham

Set on the rural south coast

Character - Ruth

Played by - Lucy Butters

Age - 7

Character - Lynne

Played by - Lynne Ramsay Jr.

Age - 12

My Film

About A Girl

Based on the tragic story of a lifeboat accident that killed all the men in the seaside village

Based on the harsh reality that more young girls are falling pregnant as a result of poor parental guidance, etc

Real media product

Your media product

Real media product

Your media product

Real media product

Your media product

Both films use the 10 point plan...

My Film

Gasman

The Most Beautiful Man in the World

My Film

Gasman

1. Title - "Gasman"

2. Genre/Tone - Social Realism/Drama

3. Setting - Scotland

4. Main Character - Lynne

5. Want/Need/Obligation - A paternal figure

6. Opposition - Conflict with other siblings

7. Catalyst for change - She finally understands what's happened.

8. Resolution - Accepts this

9. Theme/Audience Reaction - Neglect

1. Title - "Wrecked"

2. Genre/Tone - Social Realsim/Drama

3. Setting - South Coast

4. Main Character - Ruth

5. Want/Need/Obligation - A paternal figure

6. Opposition - He's no longer there

7. Catalyst for change - She finally understands what's happened

8. Resolution - Accepts this

9. Theme/Audience Reaction - Breavement

Disequilibrium

Equilibrium

The narrative follows the daughter's journey of emotion and development

The narrative follows the mother's journey of emotion and development

Disequilibrium

(cc) image by anemoneprojectors on Flickr

Equilibrium

  • Beginning - Establishes the young girl and boy as prehaps having a rocky relationship with their father
  • Middle - She encounters two other children who seem to be battling for her father's attention
  • End - She comes to an understanding that these other two children also have a special place in her father's life.

Forms

Purpose

Effect

Purpose

Effect

Purpose

Effect

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