NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

Narrative in its simplest form relates to how a story is told, or in this case a documentary. It

specifically regards to the genre, the characters, the form and the time. All of these elements

within a show/film make up the narrative

VLADIMIR PROPP

Vladimir propp was a narrative theorist, whose work revolved around the idea of characters

driving the story and its narrative forward.

Propp proposed that each film had an archetype of eight roles, in which one character from a film

could be applied to each role, and they would abide by a set of conventions/rules for that role. 

The roles which Propp talked about are as follows:

Hero

villain

Princess and her father

dispatcher

false hero

the donor

the helper

TODOROV

Todorov was a theorist, concerned with the structure of the story itself,

the simplest and most familiar that we know, being the beginning, the

middle and the end.

Todorov, described the narrative at the start of a show/film as having

equilibrium, so that everything is easy and settled. as the show/film

continues there is a certain disruption of the equilibrium or conflict,

which the characters will have to resolve and/or overcome. This

resolution from some of the characters would then be what Todorov calls

the restoration of equilibrium, in which the problem has been resolved

and everything is back to ‘Normal’.

LINEAR

the show/film follows one timeline and everything

is shown in chronological order

Example of linear narrative:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkbI4EcOs9U

(death row- the final 24 hours)

NON-LINEAR

the show/film is not all in chronological order, this

can be due to archive footage, flashbacks and

flashforwards.

Example of non-linear narrative:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96WlRGJ_Wxs

(How I met your mother)

OPEN ENDING

Main questions that a person has as a viewer

regarding the show/film has not been answered,

leaving it open to either a new show/episode or film,

or leaving the answers to the viewers interpretation

and opinion.

Example of open ending:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMZkwUgUAHI

(coronation street- tram crash)

CLOSED ENDING

the show/film has answered all main questions that

the viewer may have, leaving no loose ends.

Example of closed ending:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6d72WBQRU0

(CSI- MIAMI).

CIRCULAR ENDING

the show/film ends at the same point in which it

ended whether that be an incident or a question.

SINGLE STRAND

the film/show on has one story happening which

the viewer is emerged in, probably due to there only

being one character.

MULTI-STRAND

There are multiple stories going on within the

show/film, due to multiple main characters.

• Example of multi-strand:• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNNRjLfZKsw

(EastEnders episode)