Narrative

In our project we are creating a teaser trailer for a hollywood blockbuster film. This is film comes into the genre of horror. We are using the common conventions of this genre along with the sub genre of sci-fi.

We have created a plot that we feel fits the conventions and shows our brand images perfectly as being 'the scariest film of the year'. Our film will be filmed in a wooded area we have found that creates a real sense of eeriness. The trailer starts with Anthony and Adam walking in the woods with flashes from old newspaper saying someone went missing their years ago and was never found. Various pieces of weird activity take place and they find some police tape that is still their from disappearance. We decide to settle down in an area for the night and things take a turn for the worse and scenes are shown of both Anthony and Adam very scared of whatever is around them. The only sights we see of whatever is lurking out their is the blood on the hands of the attacker.

Or product only occasionally follows the rules and the common narrative structure. As we are creating a teaser trailer and not a full film, our product does not have that much of a complex structure. Our product follows this narrative structure but also breaks it in many ways. The narrative is linear, and means it has a beginning middle and end. Our editing works on creating verisimilitude and uses a wide range of shots and effects in order to show this.

I have now looked at two other products that are similar to ours and studied how they follow these rules and narrative structure. First of all i looked at the film 'signs'. This follows Todorov's theory of all narratives follow the basic structure of. Equilibrium - disruption - equilibrium. This means that the disruption is based in the centre of the film and that everything mainly revolves around it. I also found that the film follows the basis of narratives revolves around cause and effect. We always see and understand the cause of the action that takes place. The second product i looked at was 'paranormal activity'. This film very much chooses to break many of the common rules and narrative structure. This is largely based around the budget for the film and the aims and brand image it is trying to get across. The narrative does not have a definite closure. This happens in quite a lot of horror films and happens for a reason. If all the enigma's or not resolved it still plays on the mind of the audience and make them think. This applies in many films like this and ours, into what actually is out there and is trying to hurt people. Without this sense of not knowing what is out there, horror films would be pretty pointless as the audience would not be as scared.

Our project will not really follow the typical narrative patterns and theories. This is because many of these features do not appear as much in horror films. Our product will not follow todorov's theory and will go equilibrium - disruption. Rather than back to equilibrium once more as it is only a trailer and we need to create those enigma's for the audience. It will not have a definite closure as all enigma's will not be resolved in our footage. This is so that the viewers want to watch the film and everything is not given away in the trailer. Despite this there are a few patterns which our product will follow. The role of the central hero will be central and the story and action revolves around me and adam, being created by the protagonist. Also the narrative to our product is chronological is even though it is a trailer it will still go in order and will be easy to understand. We will do ll this in order to create an effective teaser trailer that will match our brand image, create enigma's, and appeal to our target audience. Having done this our product will be successful.

Anthony