Moving away from the Monoplot: conventional narrative structure in the screenplay and the unconventional alternatives

Neilan, Chris (2023) Moving away from the Monoplot: conventional narrative structure in the screenplay and the unconventional alternatives. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

Through a combination of creative and critical practice, this project seeks to explore the conventionalisation effect that popular screenwriting handbooks have had on screenwriting practice, the unconventional structural models that are available to the screenwriter once they move away from the conventional model, and the meanings which conventional and unconventional structural approaches create. By examining the most influential screenwriting handbooks, and tracing the historical development of screenwriting conventions, a model for quantifying and understanding conventional narrative structure will be proposed: Conventional Monoplot. An exploration of the cinematic canon, box office statistics and Academy Awards success will attempt to show that the conventionalisation of structural practice within the screenplay has led to an increased homogeneity of form and meaning in mainstream cinema and a concurrent reduction in narrative sophistication and critical esteem. By applying the Conventional Monoplot model in their practice, this project will argue that the screenwriter can quantify and understand divergence from conventional structural practice by negative correlation to the model, and through such practice the homogeneity of film form might be challenged. Through an examination of a wide body of film texts a taxonomy of alternative structural models will be proposed, and the meanings which these models create will be explored. The creative element, a feature screenplay, will demonstrate practical application of one of these models, and a critical reflection will explore the meanings created by use of this unconventional structural model, locating a methodology for unconventional practice in the screenplay. The project will propose that the influence of screenwriting handbooks has led to homogeneity and conventionalisation in the culture of the screenplay, and that by consciously focusing on unconventional structural practices the screenwriter can access a greater diversity of meaning at the structural level.