Microdrama Deconstruction

Aspects of Narrative

We tried to incorporate the several different character archetypes of Propp’s

narrative theory, but only managed to portray a few of them in the thime that
we had; the business man being the hero, the ‘feet’ being the villain, the
paper-boy being the donor, the newspaper being the magical object and the
security guard being the false hero.
I think we portrayed Todorov’s narrative theory of the ‘break’ in equilibrium
very well. We created a routine by showing the previous day to the actual
event to show the similarity, and then the contrasts, the ‘break in routine’.

Mise-en-scene
The ‘scruffy’ clothing worn by the paper boy contrasts with the office-worker’s
smart jacket and expensive looking shoes, connoting that he is of an upper
class status. This also creates a representation.
The newspaper is used as a re-occurring object that maintains the
continuance of the office-worker’s day-to-day routine.
The fact that the lighting stays bright throughout the feature connotes that
everything happens during the mornings of the two days.

Audience
Our target audience is essentially teenage males and slightly older men, as
they enjoy watching horror movies.
There may also be a secondary target audience attracted by the intertextual
reference of day-to-day office life. This being middle-aged business men and
women.

Sound
If we had had more time we would have incorporated a low key soundtrack to
play throughout the feature to connote that it is a horror film along with some
other non-diegetic sounds.
The diegetic sounds that were used such as the dialogue provided anchorage
for the connotation of what status the characters were of.
Other diegetic sounds such as the paperboy shouting connote that the office-
worker leaves his house to a noisy street every morning, and then heads off
to the very contrasting silent office building, being the first person there other
than the security guard, Craig and his PA, Tim.

Exposition
We tried to expose the character’s personalities by the dialogue they use and
their status’s by the clothing they wear and the career types that they have.
We enabled our audience to know what time of day it was and what day it was
by using scripts on screen.