The Structure of a Novel Being Applied to a Film

It is important to see how our films will fit in the broader spectrum of media. In particular narratives. Narratives tend to have a structure that is confined by it's media forms. This is often dictated by their own specific limitations. I will list the various forms of media. I then wish to show that by combining two structures you can play to the strengths of both and subvert expectations. These include;

Television -

• A long term means of expressing drama. It establishes characters slowly, allowing for weeks of to show them in new lights. The only medium in which long-term relationships can literally be shown. If used in the other mediums then huge gaps are given, distancing us from the character.
• It's biggest limitation has been that it has been in the Shadow of other medium throughout it's entire history. Firstly the theatre, shows in the early days of television had to be shot in order, in sets that were being used for shows (meaning they were often designed to be stored away, everything was on wheels). Realism was compromised and they were often dignified theatre productions filmed.
• Secondly the cinema, also as a visual medium, yet film has a much bigger budget and can pull of visual spectacle. television can do this but much more select. C.G.I. shots have to be cleverly selected.

Film

• For the casual eye, this should be the freest art form. This is because it has the highest budget. Which means any kind of story can potentially told. Because of the money it also attracts the best, including writers, directors and actors. Hollywood and Los Angeles are seen as the end of the rainbow for those in the industry. With the best minds working their, many would argue that is where the best stories are being told. However it is restricted by the fact it has to introduce, challenge and resolve the issues of the characters in a strict time limit.
• There is also major pressure from company executives who want the film to be generic enough to appeal to a mass market and make back profit margins. This can include the removal of controversial issues (The new Terminator films are a minor '12a' compared to their much favoured 18 predecessors)

Novels

• Stories hat thrive off getting inside a character's mind to the point you feel you are inside the character's head, seeing things through their eyes. Despite being told in the third person, an obvious example is Rowling's 'Harry Potter' Saga.

Radio

• Action rarely pays off in radio, even in stereo, so dialogue is always the key. It feeds off slow burning drama. By having characters contained in a situation. Such as in Radio 4's Wooden Overcoat where a journalist knows his new lodger is a murderer but decided not to tell his wife. This means each character can have long conversations as events build as opposed to continuously occurring.

Short Film

They are often experimental. Directors feel the freedom to take much more risks hen they would with a blockbuster.

They can tell any sort of story as they are only viewed by those who are in love with idea of film and are willing to watch things outside their comfort zone.

The problem with telling our short story is that whilst we have followed the key steps of story telling. What takes the time is bridging these points. we realised that by using the guide as a structure for the film it directly addresses that we are moving on from one point to another. We no longer have to disguise the stages but highlight them. This is almost Brechtian in it's discombobulating effects making our viewers concentrate on the tragedy of the situation.

Tim McNiven