Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative: Part I - The Unified Narrative Structure

Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative, Part I provides an advanced investigation of narrative structure for readers who wish to understand cinematic storytelling not in terms of its bits and pieces, but as a comprehensive whole. A great story is not a collection of parts, but a process by which many elements interact to create a single meaningful experience. By seeking the principles of these interactions, this book unites the formerly separate structures of plot, character, and theme to reveal for the first time the single overarching structure by which every successful traditionally-told Hollywood or American Independent film abides, regardless of genre, premise, style, or tone.The unified narrative structure is not a formula. It simply reveals the natural method by which great cinematic stories always have and always will unite their many elements into a cohesive line of action that communicates as well as entertains. Whether it be a celebratory story like Star Wars, a cautionary tale like Raging Bull, a tragic narrative like Chinatown, or a cynical film like The Godfather, the interactions between plot, character, and theme remain exactly the same. With its approach, The Unified Narrative Structure comes as close as currently possible to a truly universal model of cinematic storytelling; one that takes into account all three dimensions of narrative and stands applicable to virtually any traditional feature-length film. "With its practical analysis and interdisciplinary approach, Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative reveals the principles by which screencraft's many elements unite to form a singular narrative filled with order and meaning. With this, we may come as close as currently possible to what analysts have sought for decades: a comprehensive model to explain the cinematic narrative as a whole. Part I; The Unified Narrative Structure begins this process by combining the dimensions of plot, character, and thee to reveal the single narrative structure found in virtually every successful Hollywood or American Independent film. Despite the diversity and complexity of modern cinema, one set of principles ensures every narrative fulfills the needs of the audience, the requirements of the medium, and the intentions of the storyteller while still allowing the freedom and flexibility for endless possibilities in content and meaning."--Back cover