Is narration popular?

D

dvdguy

Hi everyone,

Some movies have narration in them, some dont.

In a way, from my own point of view, I see narration as a director-friendly or easier way of telling the story. I mean, for example if there was a dream scene, narration would totally make it easier explaining what the dream is about, whereas, a dream scene without narration would make it more difficult to explain and some viewers would get "their" own idea of what that dream is about.

So in a way does narration actually take away a lot of burdain for directors?

P.S. Im thinking of making a narrative film, but, then again I like the challenge of explaining my movie without narration (though Im worried people might get the wrong message about my movie or something).
 
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(Stephen sits down at his desk. There wasn't really anything to do at work so he might as well check out what was happening on Indietalk. He winces when he see Harmonica is still asking retarded questions and using valueable bandwidth. Stephen makes a mental note to check out some of the new videos posted in the screening room. He hopes they aren't shitty.:) JK)

I think narration is okay where there is a reason for it. If your building to something. Take, for instance, Fight Club, the narration there is building to the final scene where Tyler faces off with the real guy. So it serves a purpose. Its reflecting. I would think just telling the story through narration isn't a good idea.
 
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Murdock said:
(Stephen sits down at his desk. There wasn't really anything to do at work so he might as well check out what was happening on Indietalk. He winces when he see Harmonica is still asking retarded questions and using valueable bandwidth. Stephen makes a mental note to check out some of the new videos posted in the screening room. He hopes they aren't shitty.:) JK)

I think narration is okay where there is a reason for it. If your building to something. Take, for instance, Fight Club, the narration there is building to the final scene where Tyler faces off with the real guy. So it serves a purpose. Its reflecting. I would think just telling the story through narration isn't a good idea.
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Thanks for the insight. But have you seen "Goodfellas" yet? That movie is sworming with narration :D I also think it's best to talk "at times" in the story - not constantly.
 
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dvdguy said:
Thanks for the insight. But have you seen "Goodfellas" yet? That movie is sworming with narration :D I also think it's best to talk "at times" in the story - not constantly.
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That's another good example of the narration building to something. Remember how it ends,"And now look at me. Just another schmuck who has to wait in line." All of the narration in that movie was building toward his present circumstances, being in witness protection.
 
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Rule of thumb when writing: if you can take out the narration, without changing anything else, and the story still makes sense, then you're allowed to use it. Obviously that's not set in stone, but it's sort of one of those 'you gotta learn the rules before you can break 'em' things.

There is a somewhat popular opinion that throwing narration in is a cop-out or sloppy writing. I generally agree with this but IMO there can be exceptions. Like, for example, if Morgan Freeman is in your film ;)
 
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Haha, I feel exactly the same way, I just couldn't find the right words without offending narration. Yeah kinda cheap :) . The thing that worries me the most, is, I gave myself a promise I would finish my script by the 15th this month. I am halfway through, but for some reason am thinking of implementing a bit of narration.

Then again, maybe Im just overthinking...

I appreciate your reply Dready!
 
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I think whatever helps to get the script written is all good. So write it with narration for the first draft, then you'll have the perspective of seeing the piece as a whole. And it may be easier for you to see how you can remove the narration for your second draft.
 
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One of the best films I've watched where narration worked so well was "A Christmas Story" (Or "I wantanofficalredryder200rangemodelairrifle" lol) Like Dready's example, you can watch that film without narration and it makes sense as a film and is good., the narration is just the icing on the cake and adds that much more
 
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Tinalera said:
One of the best films I've watched where narration worked so well was "A Christmas Story" (Or "I wantanofficalredryder200rangemodelairrifle" lol) Like Dready's example, you can watch that film without narration and it makes sense as a film and is good., the narration is just the icing on the cake and adds that much more
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Yea I forgot about that one:)
 
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I think if the right person does the narration it can work out well. I know it's a TV show, not a movie, but if anyone watched "Arrested Development", the narration in that was used to show the character's stupid intentions and thoughts, and made the show that much funnier.
 
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More television, but Grey's Anatomy bookends ever episode with it.. Kinda makes sense in serials.. to help with continuity.

Not narration persay, but speaking directly to the audience - I love the titles in "Magnolia". To me in a way the "So now then.." toward the end kind of defines the whole movie.

Famously bad use of narration was Harrison Ford in Bladerunner (which I never saw the narrated version, so I don't know) which was the studio thinking the movie needed to be "fixed" with narration. That kind of spits in the face of the "If you're movie doesn't need it, than it's okay to use it."..

Shawshank Redemption, Forest Gump, Stand By Me - all kind of add character.. all though in Stand By Me the narrator was the boy who was a story teller - so it kind of worked even better.

Like the above said - Adaptation had a pretty great use of it.. but adaptation was all kinds of original and brilliant.

I think generally films are telling a story. When you add narration it's hard not to make it feel redundant.

..I don't think I have a point.
as you were.
 
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I second "Arrested Development" for brilliant use of narration (Ron Howard, no less. Combined with the amazingly dry humor that is Jason Bateman, great show). There's an episode were a television drama is made based on the family in the show, to which the narrator complains about the lousy narration. Later on, events happen, with insightful and funny narration...followed by Mr. Howard saying "and THAT'S how you narrate a scene".

But that demonstrates a benefit/flaw to narration. Arrested Development played pretty fast and loose with the fourth wall and lots of self-referential humor (Henry Winkler jumping over a shark!) Narration draws attention to the medium; you are not lost in the story, you are being told a story. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but a lot of films are done in a style of "this is happening now" rather than "let me tell you a story". The writers here could probably tell you the term for that. So it really depends on how you want the viewer to approach your story.

And (unpopular opinion time) the narration in Blade Runner wasn't all that bad. It wasn't necessary, but it DID reinforce the film noir style. I do prefer the director's cut for other reasons, but the narration FAR from renders the film unwatchable!
 
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Dreadylocks said:
Rule of thumb when writing: if you can take out the narration, without changing anything else, and the story still makes sense, then you're allowed to use it. Obviously that's not set in stone, but it's sort of one of those 'you gotta learn the rules before you can break 'em' things.

There is a somewhat popular opinion that throwing narration in is a cop-out or sloppy writing. I generally agree with this but IMO there can be exceptions. Like, for example, if Morgan Freeman is in your film ;)
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I'd agree with this. If the narration is there for a stylistic reason (a noir film for example) it works. If it's there because the director couldn't make a film that made any sense without it, not so much. Much like crossing the line for example. If it's done at the right time, for the right reason it can be a nice stylistic choice. If it's done because the director just doesn't know any better it tends to not work so well.
 
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