A team film-making competition in which a crew tells a story through images and sound made for the screen, judged as one entry in a festival’s wider film strand.
Film – Screen Narrative is storytelling shaped for the screen. Where a short film usually leans on invented characters and dialogue, a screen narrative treats the narration itself, whether spoken, written or implied by the images, as the thread that carries a viewer from the first shot to the last. The “Film -” prefix marks it as one genre in a festival’s film strand, beside short film, screen dance, screen verse, documentary and advert.
In eTalenter’s Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team entry open to both genders, offered in all five age groups from Pre-Primary through Primary, Junior School and Secondary to Tertiary, in English and marked out of 100. The template sets no running-time limit, and the Evidence only prints a full marking scheme for Play, so organisers define how narrative films are scored and how long they may run.
A typical entry begins with a story that can be told in a few minutes: a journey, a memory, a local tale retold, or a day seen through one person’s eyes. The crew decides who or what carries the narration, such as a voice-over, on-screen text or a storyteller on camera, then plans the pictures that sit under it. Footage is shot, the narration is recorded, and the editor joins the two so that words and images move together.
Organisers run it because it rewards students who write, narrate, film and edit, and gives a drama festival a recorded, re-screenable piece that needs no stage. It also sits naturally between the acting-led short film and the factual documentary.
Where Film – Screen Narrative is run
In eTalenter’s data this item appears only on the Kenya schools drama festival template, where it is the third item of a six-item film strand, scored as a Team item out of 100 in each of five age groups. This page makes no claim beyond that template.
- Kenya
Key facts
- Team entry, open to both genders
- Five age groups: Pre-Primary, Primary, Junior School, Secondary and Tertiary
- Marked out of 100 on the template; the narrative-film breakdown is not printed in the source, so organisers set it
- No running-time limit is set on the template, so publish your own maximum
- English is the template language
- Submitted as a finished film and screened to the panel, not performed live
- One of the film-strand items, distinct from Short Film (plot and characters) and Documentary (real events)
On eTalenter, Film – Screen Narrative is filed under Off Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Film – Screen Narrative is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Film – Screen Narrative
What a Film – Screen Narrative panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Story and structure: a clear beginning, development and ending that a viewer can follow without explanation
- Narration: spoken or written words that are clear, well paced and add something the pictures alone do not
- Images that carry the story: shots chosen to illustrate and extend the narration rather than repeat it or ignore it
- Editing and pace: cuts timed to the narration so words and pictures arrive together
- Sound quality: a voice that can be heard cleanly, with music or effects kept below it
- Fit to the brief: running time, format and any theme or content rules set by the organiser
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Film – Screen Narrative under Scoring Setup, or start from the judging and scoring guide.
How to prepare for Film – Screen Narrative
How entrants and their teachers usually get Film – Screen Narrative right on the day:
- Pick a story that suits your age group; Pre-Primary and Primary crews do best with a single simple event told in a few sentences
- Write the narration first, read it aloud and trim it, then plan the pictures line by line
- Make a shot list that matches each sentence of the narration so nothing is left without an image
- Record the voice-over in a quiet room, away from wind and echo, and listen back before editing
- Film more footage than you need and vary wide and close shots so the editor can match pictures to words
- Allow as much time for editing as for shooting, and cut any shot that does not support the story
- Check the organiser’s file format and deadline, then play the exported film on another device before handing it in
Ready-made event templates that include Film – Screen Narrative
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya National Drama and Film Festival | Off Stage | Marks | 5 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Film – Screen Narrative judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between Film – Screen Narrative and Film – Short Film?
Short Film tells an invented story largely through characters and action. Screen Narrative is built around the narration that carries the story, with images made to support it. The Kenya template lists them as separate film-strand items so each is judged on its own purpose.
Is Film – Screen Narrative an individual or team entry?
On the Kenya schools drama festival template it is a Team item, offered to both genders in all five age groups.
How long can the film be?
The template sets no time limit, so the organiser should announce a maximum running time and teams should finish comfortably inside it.
How is it scored?
The template marks it out of 100. The source only prints a full breakdown for Play, so the organiser decides how narrative films are weighted and tells entrants beforehand.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judging and scoring guide, or browse every off stage competition item.
Try Film – Screen Narrative in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Film – Screen Narrative, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.