Briefly explain what the classical paradigm is and explain its narrative structure

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. The classical paradigm is a term invented by scholars to describe a certain kind of narrative structure that has dominated fiction film production ever since the 1910s. It’s by far the most
popular type of story organization, especially in the United States, where it reigns virtually
unchallenged.
2. The model is called “classical” because it’s a norm of actual practice, not necessarily because of a high degree of artistic excellence. In other words, bad movies as well as good ones use this narrative formula.
3. Derived from the live theater, the classical paradigm is a set of conventions, not rules. This narrative model is based on a conflict between a protagonist, who initiates the action, and an antagonist, who resists it. Most films in this form begin with an implied dramatic question. We want to know how the protagonist will get what he or she wants in the face of considerable opposition. The following scenes intensify this conflict in a rising pattern of action. This escalation is treated in terms of cause–effect, with each scene implying a link to the next.
4. The conflict builds to its maximum tension in the climax. Here, the protagonist and antagonist
clash overtly. One wins, the other loses. After their confrontation, the dramatic intensity
subsides in the resolution.
5. The story ends with some kind of formal closure—traditionally a wedding or a dance in comedies, a death in tragedies, a reunion or return to normal in dramas. The final shot—because of its privileged position—is often meant to be a philosophical overview of some kind, a summing up of the significance of the previous material.
6. The classical paradigm emphasizes dramatic unity, plausible motivations, and coherence of its constituent parts. Each shot is seamlessly elided to the next in an effort to produce a smooth flow of action, and often a sense of inevitability.