Narrative Theories in my Film/Trailer

Narrative Theories
Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites

 My two main characters are binary opposites as I have portrayed Hael to be the stereotypical good character and in opposition to this Kida is the evil character.

Even the names that I have chosen for my characters suggest this. Kida literally means rising from darkness suggesting her struggle to escape her intrinsically evil personality. In contrast to this the name Hael originated from the Hebrew name and means Angel of Kindness. Although Hael was originally a male name it has recently become used as a unisex name.

I decided to use these names as I feel that they reflect the characters perfectly and give hints to their complex identities. I also chose to spell Hael differently as I think that it made it more interesting and creative suggesting that she also has more depth to her than will be shown in the trailer.

Todorov’s Theory

This theory states that most story’s or plot lines follow the same pattern or path. There are 5 steps to this pattern and looking at my storyline it does adhere to the theory.

The first stage is equilibrium which is when the first part of the story will display a happy start. My films storyline follows this stage as it starts out with the birth of Kida and Hael and sees them growing up happily and normally.

The second stage is a disruption, this shows something in the story that will disrupt the equilibrium. In the case of my films plot this is when Kida escapes and sees her sister and father again as it causes a major chain of events to unfold.

Stage 3 of this theory is realisation. This is the moment in the plot when the characters finally recognise the problem and it is chaos. This happens in my story when Hael and Michael find out that Kida has the Mark of Cain. They realise the danger that comes with it and it therefore creates anarchy.

The fourth stage is restored order. This is the part of the plot when the characters attempt to repair the damage and restore the equilibrium. In my film this would be when Hael and Michael are trying to find a cure for the Mark of Cain. They search for ways to remove it or to stop its power.

The final stage of this theory is, equilibrium again. This is the last part of the plot where the problem has been resolved. Although this is not directly shown in my storyline, the problem is removed when Kida takes her own life. I wouldn’t say equilibrium is restored as her death causes a lot of pain for the other character Hael.

Propp’s Theory

He argued that whatever the surface difference between stories they all share the same internal structure. He said that characters could be grouped into 8 different character roles, these include;

• The Villain
• The Hero
• The Donor – provides object with magical ability
• The Helper – who aids the hero
• The Princess – the reward for hero
• Her Father – who rewards the hero
• The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his way
• The False Hero

My thriller trailer doesn’t include all 8 of these, however it does have 3 of them which are; The Villain (Kida), The Hero (Hael) and The Helper (Michael).