Narrative Structure In PB3
- 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?
My subject is really talented, but I choose to communicate one thing about him: In art, Peter Lives. I want ot show that he is an artistic person.
- 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?
There are three parts to my portrait: 1) Short introduction in 23″. It’s a really short collage of video footages that grabs the viewers attention. 2) The interview section in 1’30”. I want to follow one day of Peter’s, but I’m not sure if I can do it since he is usually very busy drawing design drafts. 3) A music video in 1’19”. I want to show Peter’s talent and his cultural back ground through this music video and add a bit fun to my work.
- 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 the audiences to know that he is an artistic, talented person from Beijing. In China, as sons and daughters, we usually take our parents advices out of Xiao (being good to your parents and supporting them when they are old). Thus, the youth may sometimes be too good to their parents that they choose to study what their parents want them to study, getting lost in the process. People like him (a Chinese youth who was once lost) are common in China, but he has walked out of that. I want to show that he has found himself and the purpose of life in art, that out of all forms of expressions, he chooses arts to express himself.
- How is your portrait being narrated? Why? How does it affect the structure?
Mainly it will depend on the interview, but I will try to make it look like it follows a day of Peter’s if possible. If he does not have time, I will use his interview audio as a voiceover narration.
- What role will the ‘found footage’ play in your portrait? For example, reinforcement? Ironic counterpoint? Contrast? Comparison? Other?
Found footages in the second part will be reinforcement to demonstrate that he is talented; the ones in the third part will be the main components that build up the music video.
- Does your portrait have a dramatic turning point?
There are two turning points in my video, at each intersection of the sections of my video. The mood will be like: strong–Low and slowly building up–strong.
- When does this turning point in your portrait and why? At the beginning? At the end? Two-thirds through?
They are at each intersection of the sections of my video. One between part 1 and 2; one between part 2 and 3.
- How does your portrait gather and maintain momentum?
I shall have different kind of shot like extreme close-ups and long shots; I will film them in one day or in separate days.
- 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?
I don’t think there will be any dramatic tension. It is not a narrative film or fictional story. It is about a real person. The only tension will be in the interviewee’s answers which I won’t know until Friday. However, the overall feeling of my portrait does changes twice if that count as tension.
- Does the portrait have a climax and/or resolution? Outline them.
Two climax. One is at the first intersection of part 1 and 2 of my video. It will have a abrupt stop. The second is in the second part and it will end slowly with a resolution. I will see how it goes during Friday’s interview.
