Research

Research - Narrative Structure and Genre Theorists

Because Hannah and I are creating a film trailer the narrative structure will be open as we want the audience to be curious about what will happen and then go on to watch the film.

A narrative is simply the way a story is told in each text e.g. non fiction/ fiction.

Narrative theorists include; Vladmir Propp, Todorov, Roland Barthes and more.
Todorovs Theory
The idea of Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, Resolution, New Equilibrium

Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. He believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.

Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist and philosopher. He said that texts may be open or closed. Barthes used 'codes' which are sewn into the narrative these include;
The Hermeneutic Code
The Enigma/Proairetic Code
The Symbolic Code
The cultural Code
The semantic Code

1. The Hermeneutic code - the story avoids telling truth, in order to drop clues to create mystery
2. The Enigma code - The way tension is built up and the audience is left guessing what happens
3. The symbolic code - Similar to semantic code, it organizes semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning.
4. The cultural code - This code looks at the wider cultural knowledge and ideology
5. The semantic code - points to an element in the text that suggests an additional meaning. e.g. Connotation

Vladimir Propp (Characters) -
Propp was a soviet formalist scholar who analysed prop components of Russian folk tales. He proposed a series of set characters and plot functions which occur in a narrative.

Characters

1. The Villain — struggles against the hero.
2. The dispatcher — character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off.
3. The (magical) helper — helps the hero in their quest.
4. The princess or prize and her father — the hero deserves her throughout the story but is unable to marry her because of an unfair evil, usually because of the villain. The hero's journey is often ended when he marries the princess, thereby beating the villain.
5. The donor — prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
6. The hero or victim/seeker hero — reacts to the donor, weds the princess.
7. The false hero — takes credit for the hero’s actions or tries to marry the princess

A good example of this would be in Shrek.

Propp also proposed 31 plot functions.   e.g.

ABSENTATION: A member of a family leaves the security of the home environment. This may be the hero or some other member of the family that the hero will later need to rescue. This division of the cohesive family injects initial tension into the storyline. The hero may also be introduced here, often being shown as an ordinary person.

I think the one which applies most to my film trailer would be Vladimir Propps theory. The idea of plot functions and different character types is very relevant in our film trailer. For example the Villain (Clown) and the victim (Little boy). Moreover with the plot functions for example DELIVERY: The villain gains information about the victim. The villain's seeking now pays off and he or she now acquires some form of information, often about the hero or victim. Other information can be gained, for example about a map or treasure location. This is so significant especially relating to the mise en scene with the blue ballon as the prop, the villain uses this as a tool to have a connection with the little boy.