FS 412 B02: Storytelling in Film

M. Nasrin

How does a film most effectively tell its story? What techniques do filmmakers use to keep audiences engaged with their created storyworlds? In this course, we will closely examine how different narrative structures and models operate in a wide variety of fiction films to uncover the creative possibilities of storytelling. Students will read advanced theoretical materials and examine different types of narrative constructions from the classic three-act structure to the perplexity of circular narratives and the complexity of puzzle films. A wide variety of films from different production contexts such as American independent films, classical Hollywood studio productions, and European Art Cinema will be screened as well as a variety of genres: horror, thrillers, and comedies, among others.