PB3: Narrative Structure Q&A

In the workshop today, we were instructed to answer the following questions in relation to Project Brief 3. I found this very helpful as a starting point for think how I am going to structure the material I have collected.

What is the ‘controlling idea’ (Robert McKee) of your portrait? In other words, what is the most interesting thing about your participant/interviewee that you want to communicate?

The most interesting thing about my participant that I want to portray is the way he sets his goals and the emotions and practicalities that go along with it.

 How is your portrait film structured?  (Remember there might be multiple forms of structure employed)  E.g. Discussion and depiction of an event or process? A Journey? Use of voiceover narration? Other? 

So far I think the structure will be fairly generic starting with how he began rowing to discussing the importance of having structure when achieving goals, and finishing with the emotional part of what it will feel like to succeed or fail.

What do you want your audience to make of your interviewee? (e.g. What are you saying through them and/or human nature, human folly, or noble human inspiration?)

I want them to hopefully look at him as a piece of inspiration or more specifically motivation. I would like the audience to leave feeling like they can now go about achieving their goals and understanding what they need to do for the chance to accomplish it.

How is your portrait being narrated? Why? How does it affect the structure?

The portrait will be narrated by my subject. His voice will be the only one heard. This is because this portrait is a very reflective piece. This definitely affects the structure of the portrait as it’s important for the audience to have context into what my subject is speaking about (his journey rowing crew).

What role will the ‘found footage’ play in your portrait? For example, reinforcement? Ironic counterpoint? Contrast? Comparison? Other?  

The found footage component of this project is certainly the thing I am struggling with the most. I’ve been going about looking for footage from a very straightforward POV and I think I need get a bit more creative in my use of it. I will be using it as a point of contrast I and more than likely will use a heavy dose of split screen.

Does your portrait have a dramatic turning point? 

Not sure yet I have 25 minutes of interview footage that I have yet to truly delve back into. There are a couple of spots that I may me able to structure into a ‘dramatic turning’ point.

When does this turning point  in your portrait and why? At the beginning? At the end? Two-thirds through?

N/A – See last question.

How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum?  // Where will your portrait’s dramatic tension come from? The gradual exposition of an overall situation? A volcanic, climactic moment? An impending change or crisis? The contrast between what the interviewee talks about and the found footage? // Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution? Outline them.

The pacing of the piece hasn’t been completely worked out as I have yet to start the editing process and gathering all of my materials (I am filming some B-Roll tomorrow and need to start gathering found footage). But I don’ think there will be any one specific moment where the piece climbs to … It will all be fairly even peeled with small pieces of emotion throughout.