Narrative theory

 

Narrative is the establishment given to a serious of facts. To make sense of things the human brain needs a narrative so that we can connect events and make analyses based on these connections. Not just in media but in everything we look for a beginning, middle and an end which help to make these connections.

 

In 1969 Todorov came up with the theory that all films follow the same narrative. He believed that they all followed the same 5 stages. Which are:

Equilibrium- everything is okay

Disequilibrium- something or someone disrupts the order by an event

Acknowledgement- realising that the disorder has occurred

Solving- an attempt to repair the damage of the disorder

Once again equilibrium

This structure can be applied to the majority of mainstream film narratives.

 

Vladmir Propp studied over 100 different fairy tales and broke them up into different sections. He suggested that all of these fairy tales contained the same 8 characters:

Hero- goes on a journey or quest

Villain- attempts to ruin the hero’s journey or to kill the hero

Donor- this is the person that gives the task to the hero

Helper- the hero’s friend who decides to go with the hero to assist them

Princess/Her father- the people that provide the hero with an object or reward on the completion of their task

Dispatcher- the person that sends the hero on their task

False hero- they take the credit for what the hero as done

We can relate this too many media pieces today even if they are not as obvious as they are in fairy tales. For example, TV Dramas always have villains also known as the bad guy that no one likes.

 

Barthes who is another theorist made the suggestion that the narrative works with different codes that the reader tries to make sense of. The most obvious used code is the enigma code, these are little puzzles that the audience need to solve throughout the plot, making us work but also giving us a sense of pleasure once we have solved them correctly.

 

Levi-strauss argued that everything, not just narratives, depend on binary oppositions as this shows a conflict between two sides. It also shows two different qualities. This is why whenever there is as helpless person there will always be a dangerous person as it shows the conflict between the two. Another example is the law and outlaws, there is always the stereo typical teenagers defying the law.

 I feel that my trailer will fall into Levi-strauss theory.