In my coursework productions, I used theories of narrative to carefully consider how my productions were presented. In particular, I used the theories of Propp, Todorov, Strauss and Barthes to apply consideration to my A2-Level trailer.
Propp's Character Theory centres around displaying differing character archetypes seen in literature and media. He theorised that there are a range of stock characters used in texts, and this is something I wanted to portray effectively in my trailer. These archetypes are; the princess, the villain, the hero, the false-hero, the princess' father, the dispatcher and the helper. In my trailer I introduced the two main characters as a princess and a villain. These are common archetypes displayed in media texts. I also created an enigma where the third character, the second female introduced during the chase scene, is not clearly defined as either a princess or a hero, something that is shown to be effective in Barthes' theory stating that audiences respond well to enigmas. I first introduced my princess character as the female victim through the use of a close-up shot of her feet walking. This is common in horror films and trailers as it allows the audience to see her vulnerability and allusion to a princess character. The villain is portrayed by the antagonist character, introduced through a series of jump-cuts which zoom closer to the character. The use of jump-cuts allowed me to represent a fear and danger surrounding the character and further apply key codes to communicate narrative. By introducing these two character types close together in the trailer, I was able to create a juxtaposition that would aid in portraying the differing character types. In my trailer, I used the antagonist to create a bridge between juxtaposing narratives of idealism and realism. The medium shot of the swings connote a sense of childhood and fantasy in the small town, however, the introduction of the antagonist connotes a sense of realism surrounding the world. This is effective in creating an enigma about which direction the overall narrative will follow. The third character that I introduced creates an enigma as it is hard to tell which character type she represents - whether she is a hero or a princess. The audience do not learn much about her character nor do they see her often in the trailer, aside from the medium shot of her in the cross-cutting scene. This is effective as it entices the audience to see the film but also only gives them a glimpse into other characters in the film. The cross-cutting between all three characters further hints at the danger of the situation, highlighting the genre, but also creates a fast-paced tension that is conventional of horror trailers.
Todorov's theory of narrative stages also aided me in representing clear boundaries within my trailer. Todorov theorised that narrative stages are followed in film and literature - the equilibrium, the development, the complication, the climax and the resolution. In my trailer, I included the stages of equilibrium, development, complication and an allusion to a climax. This allusion is conventional of horror films as it leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger and entices them to go and see the film. I began the equilibrium stage with a long shot looking out of a window and I added rack focus to this in order to establish the normality of the small town location. This is common as it creates an ominosity that hints at the genre. By using long shots and editing techniques, such as rack focus, I was able to introduce a relatable location to the audience. The equilibrium shown here is of a relatively normal small town. In this narrative stage, I also introduced the victim character, using a close-up of her feet followed by a medium shot of her face-on. This allows the audience to relate to this central character right from the beginning of the trailer. This adds to the escapism nature of my trailer as the audience is able to see themselves as the central character in the film. I introduced the development stage with a change in music and jump-cuts leading towards the antagonist. It is alluded to that this character will do harm through the intense 'boom' sound motifs and the fast-paced jump-cuts. The complication begins with the introduction of the antagonist following the victim, through an over-the-shoulder shot. This creates further tension and allows the audience to sense fear and danger. The chase cross-cutting scene that follows is effective in highlighting the complication stage as nothing drastic happens. However, the cut to a medium shot of the antagonist with a knife is an allusion to the climax. This is effective in enticing the audience and indicating the horror genre.
Strauss theorised that narrative surrounds binary oppositions. In my trailer, I have shown binary oppositions through the use of the cross-cutting between shots of the antagonist, who represents evil, and the victim, who represents good. This juxtaposition can be seen throughout the trailer and further alludes to the contrasting narratives of good and evil. This is a common binary opposite to present in horror films as it is easy to portray through the use of an antagonist and victim character. The match-cutting used on shots of the victim to create smooth transitions suggest that her character presents a gentler nature, alluding to the goodness of her character. In contrast, the jump-cuts and aggressive sound motifs suggest that the antagonist is a dangerous and not someone the audience should warm to. As well as good and evil, I looked at the juxtaposition between idealism and realism, mentioned earlier through the character archetypes. I expressed this binary opposite primarily through the establishing location shots. The use of rack focus on the two long shots of the road is effective is portraying the realism in the world - as if everything is coming into focus and the audience realises the negativity in the world. I split these two shots up with a medium shot of a swing set, which alludes to the contrast of innocence and childhood in relation to reality. This is effective in creating an opposition in narrative and an enigma, where the audience are unsure as to which direction the rest of the film will take - idealism or realism.
Barthes' theory of enigmas states that audiences respond well to enigmas. In order to add tension and mystery, my trailer effectively uses enigmas throughout. These aid in enticing the audience and adding suspense to indicate the horror genre. I primarily chose to use the second victim character to highlight enigmas in the trailer. For example, in the close-up shot of the phone, the unknown number creates an enigma about who is calling her - the audience are unsure as to whether it's the antagonist character or someone who hasn't been introduced yet, which increases the attraction for the film. Other enigmas surrounding this character include; who is she? what is her relevance to the film?. I decided to end the cross-cutting scene that she features in with a plain black screen and her dialogue over the top. This further increases tension by using the phrase, "who are you? why are you doing this to me?". This highlights the enigmas and attracts the audience to find out in the rest of the film. The antagonist also creates enigmas as the audience are not sue who he is or what he plans to do with the victim character. By introducing the antagonist as mysterious and ominous throughout the trailer, it is easy to create enigmas surrounding his character.
