Changes in the narrative structure of Netflix series

The mindhunter case

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7655039

Keywords:

Structure, narrative, Netflix, series, Mindhunter

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of Netflix simultaneous release on the narrative structure of Mindhunter (2017- Today). The analysis of its first season shows that it adopts a structural model unconstrained by the procedural format formula, and that the season is conceived as a feature film that develops a complex main character. Simultaneous release impacts in cliffhangers and episodic plots too, as they become less prominent.

Author Biographies

Naranjo Barnet Naranjo Barnet, University of La Rioja. UNIR

He graduated in Cinema and Audiovisual Media (ESCAC), Master in Literature (UB) and in Audiovisual Script (UNIR). PhD student in Digital Humanities (UNIR). His line of research deals with television narratives and his connection with new technological paradigms. He is the head of the script department at the Bande à Part film school, where he teaches all his degrees. Professor in the Master's Degree in Creation of Audiovisual Scripts at UNIR, the Educa tu Mirada film school, and the Generalidad Valenciana, among others. He was also a teacher in the Master's Degree in Literature in the Digital Age (UB-IL3). As a screenwriter, he has worked on the team of the feature film Los Inocentes (premiered in Sitges 2013), creating the Teoría de Aperturas series (UNIR-FILMARKET HUB 2019 award) and as a script analyst for the production company El dedo en el ojo.

Laura Fernández Ramírez, University of La Rioja. UNIR

She has an International Doctorate in Audiovisual Communication and Extraordinary Doctorate Award (UCM). She has a degree in editing (ECAM) and a Master's degree in Television Production (IORTVE-UCM). She is the academic director of the Master's Degree in Creation of Audiovisual Scripts at UNIR, a University where she is a professor of scriptwriting, production and audiovisual editing. She has been a teacher at the University of Burgos and CES Felipe II (UCM). She worked as assistant director at RTVE, assistant director and editor in feature films and as a script in television series. Her line of research is audiovisual narrative and history, particularly television series and film editing and production. She has indexed publications such as "The programming of international series on Spanish generalist television" (Studies on the journalistic message, 2020), "A methodological proposal for the historical analysis of television programming. The example of the second chain (1966-1975)” (Espacios, 2020), “The disruptive and expressive language of classic war realism” (Atalante, 2019), “Film montage as a tool for historical review. The case of Black Hawk Down” (History and Social Communication, 2019), “The experience of war on the screen: Saving Private Ryan’s landing on Omaha beach” (Palabra Clave, 2015) and “The Francoist newscasts. An investigation on the sources” (Latin Magazine of Social Communication, 2014). She is part of funded research projects such as E-story (Erasmus +) and HISPROTEL (MINECO).

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Adrià y Laura Portrait

Published

2020-07-01

How to Cite

Naranjo Barnet, N. B., & Fernández Ramírez, L. (2020). Changes in the narrative structure of Netflix series: The mindhunter case. ASRI. Art and Society. Journal for Research in Arts and Digital Humanities, (18), 147–164. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7655039