Narrative theory
- 2. TODOROV • TODOROVS THEORY SUGGESTS NARRATIVES OCCUR IN CYCLES. THEY BEGINWITH AN EQUILIBRIUM WHERE THE ‘NORM’ IS CARRIED OUT. THIS IS THEN DISRUPTED BY EITHER A CHARACTER OR AN EVENT WHICH DRIVES THE NARRATIVE FORWARD. THERE IS THEN THE RECOGNITION OF THE DISRUPTION. FOLLOWING THIS, CHARACTERS ATTEMPT TO CREATE A RESOLUTION IN WHICH A NEW EQUILIBRIUM IS REACHED. • AS I AM CREATING A TRAILER I HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE WHOLE CYCLE SHOULD NOT BE PRESENT IN MY WORK IN ORDER TO KEEP A SENSE OF ENIGMA. IN ORDER TO DO SO, I WILL ACTIVELY MISS OUT ANY STATE OF RESOLUTION OR NEW EQUILIBRIUM LEAVING THE AUDIENCES UPON A CLIFFHANGER. THIS WILL SPARK INTEREST AND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FILM, IT MAY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORD OF MOUTH PROCESS.
- 3. ROLAND BARTHES – NARRATIVE CODES • THIS THEORY IS BASED UPON HOW A SERIES OF CODES WITHIN A TEXT COULD HELP TO CREATE MEANING AND BE UNDERSTOOD BY AN AUDIENCE. I AIM TO UNDERSTAND THESE CODES AS WHEN I FILM I WILL BE ABLE TO ACTIVELY PORTRAY THE THEMES AND EMOTIONS WITHIN MY TRAILER, BUT BY ALSO KEEPING A SENSE OF ENIGMA IN THE PROCESS. • HE IDENTIFIED 3 NARRATIVE CODES: • ENIGMA CODES- MYSTERY THAT IS CREATED IN THE TEXT • ACTION CODES- ACTIONS WHICH LEAD AUDIENCES TO CONCLUDE SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN • SEMIC CODES- PARTICULAR SIGNS WHICH GIVE RISE TO FURTHER MEANING • SYMBOLLIC CODES- BIGGER AND HEAVILY SYMBOLIC ELEMENTS IN A TEXT • CULTERAL CODES- ELEMENTS IN A TEXT WHICH MAKE REFERENCE TO EXTERNAL THINGS
- 4. THE HERMENEUTIC CODE • THESE ARE COMMONLY REFERRED TO BY ENIGMA OR NARRATIVE ENIGMAS. • THEY ARE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS THAT THE AUDIENCE WANTS ANSWERING • WITHIN A TRAILER, THEY ARE PARTS OF THE STORY THAT ARE NOT FULYEXPLAINED, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO BE ENCOURAGED TO WATCH THE FILM. • FOR EXAMPLE, A DETECTIVE STORY IS A NARRATIVE WHICH OPERATES ENTIRELY BY THIS CODE. THIS IS BECAUSE IT BEGINS WITH A CRIMINAL ACT SHOWN AND THE REST OF THENARRATIVE IS DEVOTED TO ANSWERING QUESTIONS WHICH WERE PROVOKED BY THE INTITIAL EVENT.
- 5. UTILISING THE CODES • MY MAIN FOCUS OF CODES WITH EVOLVE AROUND BUILDING A SENSE OF ENIGMA, AS THIS IS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO BUILD TENSION AND SUSPENSE. • I WILL FURTHER ENSURE TO INCLUDE ACTION CODES WITHIN THE TRAILER. I BELIEVE THIS IS BENEFICIAL AS AUDIENCE ARE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED TO THINK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AS A RESULT OF THE ON SCREEN ACTION. THIS MAY LEAD TO AUDIENCES INFERING FURTHER PARTSOF THE NARRATIVE WITHOUT NEEDING TO INCLUDE THE SCENES WITHIN THE TRAILER.
- 6. CLAUDE LEVI STRAUSS • BELIEVES THAT A CONSTANT CREATION OF CONFLICT OR OPPOSITION PROPELS THE NARRATIVE, AND IT CAN ONLY END ON A RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT. • FORMS OF OPPOSITION CAN BE PRESENT AS A VISUAL TECHNIQUE ( LIGHTVS DARK, STATIONARY VS MOVEMENT) • IT CAN ALSO BE CONCEPTUAL (LOVE/HATE, CONTROL/PANIC) AND IN RELATION TO THE SOUNDTRACK. • THEREFORE, A SERIES OF BINARY OPPOSITES ARE CREATED IN ORDER TOHELP DRIVE AND STRUCTURE THE NARRATIVE.
- 7. MY TRAILER • IN MY TRAILER I AIM TO ENCORPORATE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS. THEIR CONFLICT SHALL BE HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH THEIR DIFFERENT PRESENTATION ON SCREEN. I AIM TO UTILISE LIGHTING AND COSTUME IN ORDER TO CREATE A ‘DARK AND LIGHT’ PERCEPTION INDICATING TOWARDS THE PERSONALITY AND INTENTIONS OF MY CHARACTERS. • THERE WILL ALSO BE A CONTRAST IN CAMERA ANGLES USED TO PORTRAY EACH CHARACTER. FOR THE MORE ‘UNSTABLE’ ACTRESS I WILL HAVE OBSCURED ANGLES, EXTREME CLOSE UP AND INTIMATE DIRECT GAZES IN ORDER TO MAKE AUDIENCES TENSE.
- 8. POSTER/MAGAZINE• WHEN CREATING MY AUXILLARY TASKS I ALSO WANT TO ESTABLISH THE NARRATIVE OF THE TRAILER/FILM THROUGH PRINT. • THIS CAN BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE BINARY OPPOSITES CREATED WITHIN A STILL IMAGE. • FOR EXAMPLE, I WILL PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE LIGHTING AND SHADOWS ON MY CHARACTERS AND THE ANGLE IN WHICH THEY ARE PHOTOGRAPHED. THIS WILL HELP TO ESTABLISH THE INTENTIONS OF THE CHARACTER AND THEIR PERSONALITY TRAITS • THE POSE IS ALSO CAPABLE OF FULFILLING VARIOUS NARRATIVE CODES. FOR EXAMPLE, A MID MOVEMENT SHOT COULD SUGGEST WHAT LINE OF ACTION IS LIKELY TO OCCUR, ALSO MAKING IT EASY TO IDENTIFY THE GENRE THROUGH THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE SHOT. • THE MODELS POSE IS ALSO ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO CREATE SEMIC CODES. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I SHOT THE MODEL WITH HER FINGER PRESSED AGAINST HER LIPS IN ORDER TO BE QUIET AN INFERRED SENSE OF SECRECY AND COMPLEXITY IS ESTABLISHED. AS DEMONSTRATED, THIS POSE GIVES RISE TO FURTHER MEANING WITHIN THE TEXT.