The Narrative Arc

 This is perhaps a topic that most animators myself included do not want to involve ourselves in. Most of the time we consider our work to be technical and want to leave issues about the story in itself to others. But in the recent weeks and especially on some of the work I've been required to do, thinking about the narrative has become more important. Even in very short stories such as the ones I have been involved in, thinking about how stories start and how they end and how these two parts links have become critical.

The basic narrative arc can be depicted with a pyramid shaped linear path drawn on a graph. The bottom line represents the chronological progression of a story while the vertical plane represent the rising height of complexity in a story. The rising part of the pyramid describes the initial crisis that characters are introduced to in establishing the story. This represents the Exposition stage. The complexity in the story must then rise until an apex is reached. In terms of complexity, early literature involved Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, and Man vs. Self . In more recent times however, the kinds of complexity and conflicts possible have increased to include Man vs. Society, Man vs. Technology,and Man vs. Alter Ego, Man vs. Alien Society, Man vs. Biotechnology, and Man vs. Cloned Self.

The final descending slope on the pyramid describes the stage of resolution, as the answers that have been asked are answered. A few types have been culled from a fairly descriptive article at the Sandhill.edu website here linked. They are:

1. Comic resolution: The conflict is resolved favorably for the protagonist; he or she is better off than when the tale began.  
2. Tragic resolution: The conflict is one in which the protagonist loses ground. He or she is worse off than when the tale began. 
3. Linear resolution: Despite the ensuing complications and conflicts, the protagonist is largely unchanged by the events of the story. 
4. Dénouement: In some tales, a portion of the story at the end is devoted to tying up the loose ends. Think of Murder, She Wrote, in which each episode includes a segment at the end during which Jessica Fletcher fills in her audience on how she figured out the identity of the real killer.[1]

For me, paying a bit more attention to these details have become essential especially as I realize that there is a more aware audience who will judge the quality of a film however short, based among other things, on the plot and cohesive links in a story.


References

Sandhills.edu, 2009. Plot, Theme, the Narrative Arc, and Narrative Patterns. [online] Available at: <http://www.sandhills.edu/academic-departments/english/film/narrativearc.html> [Accessed 28 December 2011 ].

Animated Shorts Inspiration

Of late, I've been posting a lot on this blog about inspiration. where and how I get them. I decided to post some of my most favorite short animated feature. The choices however cannot be exhaustive because new things come out almost everyday and to cover all the possible pieces that might have made it onto this list would take forever. My selections however, are governed by those same aesthetic principles of good animation namely use of great narrative arcs, stylistic lighting or color grading techniques like cell shading and creative animation techniques be it in stop-motion or full CG animation.

Big Bucks Bunny by The Blender Foundation
A funny story of a giant rabbit with a heart bigger than himself and how the crafty tricks of three rodents make something snaps inside him and the rabbit isn't a bunny anymore! I really liked the way the story unfolds and the general animation of the environment.



Big Buck Bunny from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

Mac 'N' Cheese by Colorbleed
A crazy and energetic chase by two guys that spills into desert territory leaving a huge trail of destruction in its wake until they are out of places to run all over a game of tag. There use of cell shading has inspired me to want to use this technique in my work as it gives that stylistic feel to it that makes colors richer and more vibrant.



Mac 'n' Cheese from Mac 'N' Cheese on Vimeo.


The Tale of Three brothers by Stateless Films
First seen in the Harry Porter Movie, the tale of the three brothers highlights the story of three brothers and the decisions they made to acquire and use power and the repercussions of their actions.
The overall contrasted color style really worked and helped serve the mood and animatics of the story.



Harry Potter - The Deathly Hallows from Michael Blackshore on Vimeo.

Bridge by Ting Chian Tey
The story of four animal characters trying to cross a bridge, but ending up as obstacles to one another and the decisions they make. For me the most interesting thing was the way the animator uses a cartoon-like animation to communicate some life lessons about the many disagreements or competing paths in life people face, and the possible results of pride, obstination, and compromise.



Bridge from Ting on Vimeo.

Swing of Change by Harmony Bouchard, Andy Le Cocq, Joakim Riedinger, Raphael Cenzi for ESMA (Ecole Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) in France
The story about how Harry, a racist barber changes his mind at the arrival of a magical trumpet in his barber shop! I loved the animation in itself and the brilliant balance of weight and detail. Finally, the ability to use animation to challenge a moral issue is also well displayed again in this piece.


Swing of Change from Swing of Change on Vimeo

Oktapodi by Gobelin

The struggle of two octopus to free themselves from their persistent owner. The detail in the animation is astounding and the overall humor in the piece was balanced by the narrative path it employed. Very good work.

Oktapodi from Mauro Flamig on Vimeo.