Handbook

Narrative Structures in Moving Image introduces the history and practice of storytelling, especially in video and sound production. The aim is for you to gain practice in a set of skills useful across media arts, but also to develop a critical approach to the constraints of industry norms.

The lectures will detail theories of story and dramatic production from Aristotle through to current Hollywood story mechanics, and clarify their historical and social assumptions. There will be emphasis on the depth of these structures, from their psychological basis up to the practical 'recipes' now used in mainstream film.

At the same time you'll work on the writing, scripting, pre-production and shooting of a dramatic video narrative according to 'best practice' in current screen production. Each sub task will be based on the traditions and current expectations of the screen industry. At the end of this process you will have the experience to judge when these structures are useful for your own productions, and when breaking the rules is more effective.

Students in the Bachelor of Media Arts taking the Video, Sound and Image studio may follow with the companion 3000 level course "Critiques of Narrative" which extends this critique into practice in new forms of storytelling - non linear, multiple screen, interactive and so on.

The course is useful for any student that requires a cultural and historical perspective of storytelling aligned with practical experience in narrative video writing and production.