Narrative Theories Essay

My trailer is a psychological horror, about a girl who begins to see and hear things that aren't there, as she is trapped in a tight space without the medication she needs to stay sane.

The first narrative theorist is Pam cook, and the theory is about the structure of a classic narrative, being in a linear order, that follows a beginning, middle and end. However, horror trailers consist of montages, which is a collection of quick shots out into a short period of time, which is supposed to be non-linear, which helps build up the tension, and keeps the audience on edge. My trailer does not have a montage so I believe that it lacks that feeling of tensity that it should have, being a psychological horror trailer. Although it does not have a montage, I still believe that it doesn't follow the classic linear structure, as it doesn't really have a beginning, it just goes straight into the middle, which could perhaps be somewhat confusing for viewers, as the story would not be easy to comprehend.

The second theorist is Todorov, and the theory is about the 5 stage narrative. The stages consist of the stable equilibrium, disequilibrium, the recognition, action and the restoration of the equilibrium(the last stage is not included in the trailer). My trailer does not completely follow this theory, as there is no equilibrium, and it goes straight into the disequilibrium. However, I do believe it follows the rest of the narrative stages, as she realises the situation she's in, and the action is briefly shown, when she is fighting herself, fighting her mind to stay sane.

My next theorist is Levi Strauss, and the theory of binary oppositions, and it is the theory that the complicated world can be comprehended through a simple either/or structure. In terms of horror, it is mostly good vs. evil, and it is needed to show the conflict between the characters in the film. In terms of my trailer, the female character is the good AND the evil, as her insanity is the evil that will take over her if she doesn't find a way out of the situation she is in. Although, I believe it could be made a bit more clearer just exactly who she is, and what she has to do to essentially stay alive. I feel that if it was made clearer that she is the antagonist and the protagonist, it would be a much more interesting/enticing trailer to watch.

The next theorist is Kate Domaile, and her theory is that every story ever told can be fitted into one of eight types, and I believe that my trailer fits into the Achilies, and the Circe. Achilies talks about the fatal flaw that leads to the destruction of the previously (almost) flawless, and Circe, the chase is about the hero versus the villain. I believe my trailer can fit into either one of these two types, because in terms of Achilies, her fatal flaw is her struggle to stay mentally sane, and in terms of Circe, it is her versus her mind. I believe these two types work well for a psychological horror, because from the psychological horrors I've seen, it is mostly the protagonist who has to come into terms with themselves, in order to get out of the situatuon they're in. An example of this is the movie Shutter Island.

My final theorist is Vladimir Propp, and his theory is that there are always similar characters in every film. In terms of horror, these characters would be the Hero, the Helper, the victim, and perhaps in some sub genres, the false hero. In terms of my trailer, I do not think it includes any of these characters, which will be a problem, as my trailer would not be able to be recognisable enough, and would make it hard for viewers to work out what is happening, and although it is a trailer, I do not think it shows enough of the plot to make it interesting enough to watch, and the audience cannot connect with any of the characters in the trailer, as it is only one person being shown, so I believe I should also include some more characters.