5 Paragraph Essay | Narrative Theorists

30 Min timed essay (Narrative Theory)
For this essay, I will be looking at my summer trailer. Narrative is defined as a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time. I will be looking at 5 narrative theorists in this essay. I’ll be discussing about the following: Tzetvan Todorov, Claude Levi-Strauss, Roland Barthes, Vladimir Propp & Pam Cook.

Todorov’s theory, talks about a three-act structure in narrative. This includes Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and Resolution. As our summer trailer was only a trailer, we did not include the resolution, as it will just spoil the film. Many other trailers do not show the resolution too. The equilibrium was displayed at the beginning of our trailer, for a few seconds, then disequilibrium. Also known as the disruption. The part where things begin to go downhill, for our trailer it was when the people started going missing and flying into the air. Then as the disequilibrium continues, we had a montage.

The next theorist I will be looking at is Propps Theory. He talks about stock characters. The stock characters are: The Villian, The Hero, The Donor, The helper, The princess, Her Father, The Dispatcher, The false hero. Films usually have a stock character. For our trailer, we had the villain as the monsters. Propps theory includes characters from fairy tales, in horror fairy tale characters are used, these stock characters.

Claude Levi-Strauss Theory – talks about Binary Opposites. An example, good vs evil, God vs. Man. Young vs. Old. Strauss, says there must be binary opposites in order to create conflict. In our trailer, we had the female taking up the role of the male. Initially she was the first one to act. These binary opposites also relate to the stock characters also. Especially the characters in the genre of horror.

Roland Barthes – Structuralist approach. Barthes suggested that there will be one or more of the 5 codes that describe the meaning of something. He structures the codes in the following: Action, Enigma, Semic, Symbolic, Cultural. The enigma code refers to there being mystery behind what is shown. Enigmas make the audience want more of something. In our trailer, when their conflict began and then a sudden cut occurred, it had the audience wanting more. Also at the end of our trailer, the enigma was like cliff-hanger. The action code, includes suspense to the trailer, action occurring etc..

The final theorist I will be looking at is Pam Cook – The Structure of The Classic Narrative. She talked about the structure of classic narrative. They need to include: Enigma Resolution, Narrative Closure & Fictional World that contains verisimilitude. With our trailer, the enigma wasn’t resolved, this is because it was only the trailer. So, if we did resolve the enigma, the audience may have felt they already know what it’s all about. Narrative closure same thing, regards to a trailer.

By Cole Madondo

Comments

  1. ctkmedia9 October 2017 at 07:55

    "he equilibrium was displayed at the beginning of our trailer, for a few seconds, then disequilibrium. Also known as the disruption. The part where things begin to go downhill, for our trailer it was when the people started going missing and flying into the air. Then as the disequilibrium continues, we had a montage." (P) WHAT is the issue with having the Equilib when making a Teaser Trailer? (E) WHAT did each section look like on screen - HOW was it edited? (A) EDR is in a LINEAR order but you have a Montage so WHAT does this mean and HOW applicable is it?

    "Films usually have a stock character. For our trailer, we had the villain as the monsters. Propps theory includes characters from fairy tales, in horror fairy tale characters are used, these stock characters." (P) ARCHETYPES - WHAT are they, and WHERE are they in your trailer? (E) HOW did you make them recognisable? MES? (A) WHAT does it mean if you don't have them in your trailer?

    "God vs. Man. Young vs. Old. Strauss, says there must be binary opposites in order to create conflict. In our trailer, we had the female taking up the role of the male. Initially she was the first one to act. These binary opposites also relate to the stock characters also. Especially the characters in the genre of horror." (P) WHY do you need B.O. to make a story play out? Conflict? WHY are they so typical in Horrors? (E) WHAT did the B.O. look like onscreen? MES, CAM - how do these show opposites at work when filming these characters?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3 Analysis of existing Horror Trailers

3 Analysis of existing Horror Trailers Psychological: Insidious In the beginning there was use of close ups. Also different angles from low to high to show the expressions of the characters face. Establishing shots to show the outside and view of the house, this makes the audience feel welcomed into the scene. There were shots of the family before it turned the other way. Zoom shots to put emphasis on what's going on. The use of sound also played a big role.Diegetic sounds that goes along with the editing pace. This creates tension also when the sound goes along with the metronome it ticks along at the speed.Most of the sounds are dark and gloomy. Also the sound and editing worked together. The use of multiple clips together, and at a fast pace indicates that it was montage like. The trailer had aspects of stereotypical views as the woman screamed. Fast paced action to end with and slow paced to start with, that use of contrasting techniques allows for us to understand
Read more

5 Paragraph Essay | Genre Theorists

In this essay, I will be discussing how the following genre theorists: Christian Metz, Rick Altman, Nicholas Abercrombie, Steve Neale & Daniel Chandler, are used in last year’s horror trailers. The trailer I will be talking about is The Collector, by the production group Jumpscare. Christian Metz, theorist for genre characteristics. He claims there are four stages to the genre of film: Experimental stage, classic stage, parody stage & deconstruction. The experimental stage is where the genre is being identified. Then it’s the classic stage, once the all the conventions have been set in the ground and have been identified as the genre.  After the classical stage, it’s the parody stage, this is where they start taking the genre and making it comedic, and, they tend to re-enact scenes from the classical stage. The deconstruction stage is the stage where they start implanting completely new conventions into the genre, they usually team with other sub-genres. Based on the tra
Read more

Audience Theory Essay

Audience theory There are two views on the audience theory: Mass Audience, which is passive. This is considered dangerous as it has the power to influence the masses. Then the other view is the Active audience theory, which is interpreted differently compared to the Mass Audience. Active audiences are open to interpretation. I will be applying the audience theory to my summer trailer. Looking at the effects model and comparing it to my trailer. Reception theory, Cultivation Theory, Uses & Gratification Theory, Copycat Theory, Desensitization  Theory, Catharsis & Suspension of Disbelief. These are the theories that are apart of the Audience Theory. First theory I will be talking about is the Copycat theory. This theory refers to how the audience can be influenced and be affected by the media I think that this theory is more suited to other genres than horror because the protagonist is normally the victim in horror movies, such as the sub-genre Slasher, which includes a
Read more