Task 1 - Part 3 Narrative and non-narrative structures

The traditional structure of a story is to have a beginning, middle and end. Out of the four experimental videos I have seen, three stick to this structure, even if it is very loosely. "Koyaanisqatsi" "Telling Lies" and "The Girl Chewing Gum" are the three which keep to this structure. However, the closeness of which the videos keep to the beginning, middle and end, differs. An example of this is "Koyaanisqatsi" It has solid narrative, it has a clear beginning of the cave drawings, the middle of development and industry and then, the clear end of the destruction and going back to square one. In direct contrast, the video "1001 Nights" throws the audience into the middle of 5 different stories. Without the traditional build up of a beginning, the stories seem to be a small extract of a much bigger tale. It then leaves the stories without conclusions. Additionally, the use of pace change; within the videos have a big effect of the structures. "Koyaanisqatsi" uses change of pace, to compliment the story. It works especially well during the middle section of the film. The speeding up and slowing down of the soundtrack and images, highlights the way mankind has developed industry, it has periods in time where it has been so rapid, that it seems impossible to keep up. Following the speed comes the slow down. It shows how technology and society almost stops to grow in a beneficial way, as it waits for a breakthrough. In comparison, "1001 Nights" is continuously slow in its diegetic sound and seemingly minimum editing. even though it is heavily edited in post production. The slow pace shows the calm of the 5 female characters, even though the stories, on which they are relaying to audience, were very fast paced.