Danielle Conneely
Narrative Structure
Narrative is an explanation of events, its the way different elements in a story
are organized to make a meaningful story, which is usually noted in
chronological order. Narrative is key in allowing the audience to understand
the concept of the production as it helps to identify representations within
different characters.
Tzvetan Todorov was a theorist who created a theory as to how
a narrative should play out which focuses around equilibrium.
Within hes theory he suggests that there are different stages of
equilibrium within a narrative.
These include:
Equilibrium: Where in the beginning everything is okay we see
that the atmosphere is positive or neutral.
Disruption: Something or someone disrupts the equilibrium due
to either a problem with the characters of the setting.
An attempt to restore the equilibrium: Someone identifies the
disruption of the equilibrium and there is an attempt to restore it.
New equilibrium: A new equilibrium is established or the
previous equilibrium is restored.
Our production will follow the same sort of structure as Todorovs theory:
Stage one:
The scene will begin with equilibrium, everything seems good as the
camera shows Sarah getting ready and Lilly is asleep we see elements of
conventions of thriller genre as there is low key lighting and slow pace music
to start with.
Stage two:
The equilibrium is then disrupted as the camera makes its way along the
driveway where you Sarah leave the house and an intruder approaches the
house and goes inside. This introduces to the audience to the true genre of
the production with conventions such as suspense, tension and a mystery.
Stage three:
An attempt to restore the equilibrium is carried out when the intruder drops
the photo frame making Lilly wake up she then tries calling her mum and
running out of the room to hide under her sisters bed to keep hidden from the
intruder. Unfortunately fate catches up with her as the intruder sees Lilly and
she doesnt have a chance to restore her equilibrium.
Danielle Conneely
Another theorist whose theory we will be
representing without our sequence will be Claude
Levi Strauss, who found out that narratives are
arranged around the conflict of binary opposites.
Examples of binary opposites can be Good vs.
Evil, Boy vs. Girl etc.
In reference to our production the binary opposites
included are:
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
Empowered vs. Victim
Strong vs. Weak
Young vs. Old
Good vs. Evil
Boy vs. Girl
