Cinematic Technology Augmenting Narrative Pace and Progress: The Role of Audiovisual Breathers in Communicating Scientific Concepts

NARRATIVE PROGRESS IN TV PROGRAMMES

Abstract

In this research paper a framework for analysis of narrative progress in the popular Indian science television serial titled Bharat Ki Chhāp (The Identity of India) was attempted on the basis of 643 minutes (10.717 hours) of film data by locating Audiovisual (AV) ‘spaces’ that did not have dialogues, voice-over or a narrative spoken by an offscreen commentator and instead relied either on music and ambient sound or a blend of both. These spaces which we would prefer calling Audiovisual Breathers, show the visuals of the preceding story sequence with visuals of the sequence to follow. This technique of editing such shots together create a transition and link the narrative of the next story. These Audiovisual Breathers were analysed for their role in driving the narrative progress by looking at their total count, temporal occurrence, as well as the percentage and screen-time share in the total duration of each episode of the TV serial Bharat Ki Chhāp. The cumulative duration and cumulative percentage of AV Breathers were also analysed to show how they maintained the flow of the various stories in each episode to sustain audiences’ interest. Having classified the AV Breathers on the basis of their duration and terming them as Short AV Breathers (SABs), Long AV Breathers (LABs) and Song Interludes (SIs), our study revealed that a combination of all the three categories of breathers occupied a screen-time of 73 minutes (1:33) in a 643 minutes(10.717) long television serial, with the SIs taking the largest share of 45 minutes and 12 seconds, followed by LABs (25’ 24”) and SABs (2’ 20”) providing a clear pointer of what constitutes the  communication of core scientific concepts in the popular Indian science TV serial Bharat Ki Chhāp, in terms of a single metric of AV Breathers.