NARRATIVE THEORIES:

Todorov’s theory is used in World War Z. In the first 10/15 minutes everything is fine, then the audience see’s the zombies start to attack, and most of the rest of the film is the characters trying to escape and find a cure to get rid of the zombies. In the last 15/20 minutes they show how they escaped from the zombie and Brad Pitt returning to his family, safely. This theory will be used in my short film as it gives the audience a sense of closure. If the new equilibrium is for 5 minutes or less, the audience might feel they want to know more of what happens, how the happy ending comes to a close.

I think using Vladimir Propp’s theory, proposing that is was to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions, would be useful to use as the audience will noticeably recognise which role each character plays instead of getting confused about whose who, which could lead them to no to enjoy the film. A good example of a film that used Propp’s theory is Harry Potter. The audience instantly identify: The hero; Harry Potter, the false hero; Ron, the dispatcher; Hagrid, the helper; Hermione, and the villain; Voldemort/Malfoy.