For The Man in the Shadows, we used a nonlinear narrative approach where the same event was told from multiple people’s perspectives. This decision helped us understand how bias, memory, and perception impact storytelling. Rather than having one clear plot, we selected three characters: Raj, Trevor, and Leo, each narrating what they witnessed on a tram in Melbourne. Their stories overlap, contradict, and leave the listener questioning what really happened. According to Kim et al. (2018), nonlinear narratives break from traditional time-based or causal storytelling by introducing elements like shifting perspectives or disrupted chronology. Our sketch fits into this framework, especially through its use of fragmented, subjective viewpoints.
The narrative style and sound design were directly impacted by the nonlinear structure. In order to express his rational perspective, Raj’s portion is grounded and observational, with a clean, consistent tram ambience. We employed sudden audio cuts and echoing effects to simulate confusion because Trevor’s story is unclear and fragmented. Leo’s dramatic nature is reflected in his segment, which leans into an emotional, artistic tone with layered reverbs and ambient textures. We wanted to convey in both writing and sound how narrative structure influences tone, rhythm, and emotional engagement in addition to the story, as highlighted by Aronson (2010).
In terms of narrative shape, I thought this sketch was the most captivating of all the ones my group produced. This one forced us to consider how information is presented and withheld and how it affects the listener’s understanding, whereas others used more conventional or linear approaches. It promoted more imaginative risk-taking with perspective and shape.
This week’s work has definitely changed how I think about narrative structure in audio. I used to associate storytelling with chronological order, but now I understand that structure is about how meaning is constructed — not just when things happen. The idea that you can design a story to be ambiguous, subjective, or fragmented opens up new creative possibilities. As Kim et al. (2018) and Aronson (2010) both suggest, nonlinear forms invite active listening and allow us to explore character and theme in more layered ways.
References
Aronson, L. (2010). The 21st century screenplay: A comprehensive guide to writing tomorrow’s films. Allen & Unwin.
Kim, Y., Card, S. K., & Heer, J. (2018). Visualizing nonlinear narratives with story curves. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 25(6), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1145/3242130
McHugh, S. (2017). How podcasting is changing the audio storytelling genre. The Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, 15(1), 65–82. https://doi.org/10.1386/rjao.15.1.65_1
Pixabay. (n.d.). Sound Effect by freesound_community [Audio]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com
Pixabay. (n.d.). Sound Effect by Наталья Баранова [Audio]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com
“Sfx Cxdy Kit”