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8 Characteristics of Classic Hollywood narrative
1. Individual characters as casual agents.
2. Character desires and goals
3. Obstacles
4. Change
5. Unrestricted over restricted narration
6. Objective over subjective narration
7. Time
8. Narrative Development
Characters as casual agents
Within the film's overall form, they make things happen and respond to events.
Their actions and reactions contribute strongly to our engagement with the film.
Characters objectives and desires
The plot focuses on one or two central characters who want something.
Characters desire set up a goal and the course of the narrative's development will most likely involve the process of achieving that goal.
Dorothy has a series of goals.
At first she wants to save Toto and then she wants to go home.
Obstacles
Typically the protagonist comes up against a character with opposing traits and goals.
Wicked Witch.
Change
The classical plot traces a process of change.
Often characters achieve their goals by changing their situation.
Dorothy changed the way she thought about home.
Restricted over Unrestricted narration
Classic filmmakers tend towards toward fairly unrestricted narrative.
Restricted narration: we see or hear anything that the character doesn't see or hear.
Unrestricted narration: We can see and hear more than the character can.
Objective over subjective narration
Most filmmakers tend to present an objective story.
A film might confine us wholly to info about what characters say and do. = Objective.
The filmmaker may go deeper, beyond the characters senses and into her or his mind = subjectivity.
Time
Filmmakers must decide on how the film's plot will treat chronological order and temporal duration and frequency.
Narrative Development
As a film's plot proceeds, the causes and effects create patterns of development.
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