1. Narrative is the art of
telling a story – so it is
more than just the story, it
is how the story is told.

2. 1. Story & Plot - Bordwell & Thompson
2. Enigma Codes – Roland Barthes

3. BORDWELL & THOMPSON
"The term plot is used to describe everything visible and audibly
present in the film before us" (Bordwell and Thompson)
"The set of all the events in a narrative, both the ones explicitly
presented and those the viewer infers, composes the story"
(Bordwell and Thompson)
In other words, the story is the combination of the entire
sequence of events that is shown as well as everything that
we conclude has happened but is not shown.

4. In summary
Plot:
The explicit presentation of the events (which
is usually less than the story and may be in a
different order, eg. Go or Pulp Fiction).
Story:
All the events - both those that are visually
represented and those that are inferred.

5. Definitions
Explicit: Expressing all details in a clear and
obvious way leaving no doubt as to the
intended meaning.
Infer: To conclude something on the basis of
evidence or reasoning.

6. The key to narrative analysis is to consider the wider story
rather than simply describing the plot. There are elements of
any narrative that we are expected to presume or infer,
simply because it would be impossible to explicitly state
everything.
Sometimes the plot may deliberately obscure elements of story
to keep us intrigued (as in mysteries). Many art house films
are less dependant upon plot and require the audience to
infer more.

7. Elements of story are often open to interpretation, for example we as
viewers may presume something about a character based upon
their appearance or actions. We often do this subconsciously.
Sometimes the plot can be left open which leaves us to make up
our own mind about what might or might not happen.
The more sophisticated your understanding of story and you ability to
infer subtle information, the better your work will be. The weakest
narrative analysis relies too much upon explicit information.
However be careful, inferences must be backed up by reference to
the text.

8. Compression of Time:
Most films operate a high degree of Ellipsis or Time
manipulation. In order to move the story forward, the
audience only ‘sees’ the moments in time which are
relevant to the Narrative.
Consider the organisation of time in your teaser trailer:
• Chronological order? (linear narrative)
• Events shown out of time order? (non-linear narrative)

9. Use of Narrative to create Suspense and Audience
expectations…
Restricted or Unrestricted Narratives determine how
much information is released to the Audience at a
time… What do they need to know and when?

10. Narratives that are left unresolved can be described as open
narratives. For example, if Eastenders ends on a cliff-
hanger at the end of the episode and you don’t know
what will be the outcome, then it is an open narrative.
Narratives that come to a conclusion can be said to have
reached narrative closure. Can you think of any examples?
Would a good teaser trailer have an open or
closed narrative?

11. • Ellipsis
• Restricted narrative / Unrestricted narrative
• Open / Closed narrative
• Linear / Non-linear narrative
Plus another one:
• Multi-strand narrative

12. To entice an audience to go and see the
film.
Don’t forget to acknowledge this in your own analysis
as it is a key driver of what plot information is and is
not given to the viewer and what questions this
leaves them with.
It is useful to consider Roland Barthes work here…

13. And The Action/Enigma Codes
Action Codes: Images or sequences which work as
a form of a Visual Shorthand making complex
Ideas immediately apparent and carrying the
story forward.
Enigma Codes: Images/sequences which control
how much we know in the story, engaging and
holding audience interest. They present puzzles
which demand to be solved The Social Network

14. More on the Enigma Code
An enigma code works to keep setting up little
puzzles to be solved (and not only at the beginning
of a story), to delay the story’s ending pleasurably:
e.g. how will Tom Cruise get out of this
predicament?
Enigma codes can be described as minor or major.

15. Apply Barthes’ ideas
Task:
Watch the clip and write down all the questions
it raises for you as a viewer.
The Social Network
Now try and sort them into minor and major
enigmas.

16. Apply his ideas to your own work
What elements of your trailer act as enigma codes
(or clues) that leave the audience with questions or
puzzles to solve?
Draw and fill in the table below:
What are the codes (or What questions do they leave
clues)? the audience with?
Minor:
Major:

17. How would you approach this in the exam?
What the examiners say:
‘If the concept is narrative, and you’ve done a film
trailer, you might consider how far a trailer gives a sense
of a film’s narrative and how much you choose to reveal
in yours as part of promoting the film. What you don’t
want to do is apply some theory like Todorov’s to try to
prove that your film follows a pattern. The task should
be seen as an opportunity really to reflect on how your
chosen project actually works as a text.’

18. How would you approach this in the exam?
Examiner’s guide to structuring your answer:
Para 1 - Intro: Which of your projects are you going to write about?
Briefly describe it
Para 2: What are some of the key features of the concept you are
being asked to apply? Maybe outline two of the theories/ideas of
particular writers briefly. (Bordwell & Thompson? Barthes?)
Para 3: Start to apply the concept, making close reference to your
production to show how the concept is evident in it. (See next slide)
Para 4: Keep applying!
Para 5: Conclusion (How successful is the narrative of your product in
serving the purpose of a teaser trailer?)

19. How would you approach this in the exam?
Ideas for working through paragraphs 3 & 4:
•What narrative structure does your trailer use? Linear/non-
linear? Open/closed?
•How does this tie in with the purpose of a teaser trailer?
•What plot information is given and what may audiences infer
about the story of the film? (You could also refer to genre here – does
your trailer show conventional elements of a particular genre and so set up
narrative expectations based on that genre?) Link back to how this will
entice viewers – and which viewers it would entice.
•What enigma codes are there and what questions or puzzles are
the audience left with? Link back to how this will entice viewers.