The Structure of Narrative: the Case of Film Scripts

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantitative, algorithmic approach to analyzing the style and structure of film scripts, exemplified through Casablanca and CSI episodes, bridging qualitative narrative analysis with computational methods.

Contribution

It pioneers the use of Correspondence Analysis and hierarchical clustering to quantify narrative style and structure in film scripts, grounded in established theoretical concepts.

Findings

Quantitative analysis of film scripts reveals structural patterns.

Methodology applicable to broader narrative analysis.

Groundbreaking integration of qualitative theory with computational techniques.

Abstract

We analyze the style and structure of story narrative using the case of film scripts. The practical importance of this is noted, especially the need to have support tools for television movie writing. We use the Casablanca film script, and scripts from six episodes of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation). For analysis of style and structure, we quantify various central perspectives discussed in McKee's book, "Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting". Film scripts offer a useful point of departure for exploration of the analysis of more general narratives. Our methodology, using Correspondence Analysis, and hierarchical clustering, is innovative in a range of areas that we discuss. In particular this work is groundbreaking in taking the qualitative analysis of McKee and grounding this analysis in a quantitative and algorithmic framework.