Thursday, 25 October 2012

Narrative Theory

I have looked at 11 trailers to see if they use narrative theory. I agree with Vladmir Propp's theory as you can see the different types of characters as you watch trailers, there might be different variations of the character but they have the same basics of the:

  • Hero The person who sets out to restore the equilibrium. Victim Hero the hero who is the centre of the villain's attention. Seeker Hero who aids others who are the villain's victims.
  • Villan the character who creates the narrative disruption.
  • Helper aids the hero in the task of restoring the equilibrium. 
  • Donor gives the hero something it may be an object, information or advise to help the hero.
  • Princess/ Victim usually the character most threatened by the villain and has been saved, at the climax, by the hero. The father's (who in fairy tales was often the king) role has usually to give the princess away to the hero at the narrative's conclusion. 
  • Dispatcher sends the hero on her or his task. (typically can be the princess father)
  • False Hero appears to be good but is revealed, at the narrative's end to have been bad.
Here is what I found:


Smiley
Killer- known by everyone as ‘Smiley’ scaring all the character and going after one girl in particular- masked so no one knows his real identity.
Victim- Smiley is going after her and keeps almost getting her but not quiet, she keeps just getting away.
Shane Dawson- the donor- he tells her a bit about the killer.
Police man- donor/ helper, telling her about ‘Smiley’ and trying to help her out.
Annoyed friend- getting annoyed that she is bringing ‘Smiley’ to them and putting tem all in danger.

The collection
Stars off with the popular girls going to a club
Killer- masked so no one can see his identity- gets the pretty girls to use them. See him putting on his mask, shows he has a lot of weapons and new ways to kill people- he uses sharp rakes that stretch the perimeter of the club to get people.
Hero- trying to save them but he get’s caught up with the killer as well.

House at the end of the street
Victim- trying to get away from the killer but he finds her- trapped by killer
Killer always gets her back every time she gets away.
Mum- trying to find her daughter and get her back
Killer and killers helper- working together to get the victim.
Mystery of the house- daughter killed her family which is why its so cheap for the new family to get it.

Sinister
Victim is the father- he finds out about the killer and the killer wants to get rid of him.- watching movies the old
Man online- donor- tells him about the symbol he has found.- tells him about how the pictures are gateways for the gules 
Killer- seen from a distance- living in the pictures- videos- when they are watched she is brought out.
Daughter- victim- children are more likely to be taken by the killer- she gets possessed by the killer.

Tall man
Children go missing in the area the family now live- infers her young son will be taken
‘The Tall Man’- the killer- no one knows who he is, they just know he takes children
hero- trying to find and save her son.


Trapped in Abyss
Donor- news woman talking about mysterious disappearances.
Victims are stuck in the shop- druggies- trying to get away but are trapped.
They slowly get killer odd- killer not seen but we see him getting to each person.

V/H/S
Victims are people going into house trying to steal a VHS tape.
Killer- masked and living in house they are going to.
Helper- on Skype with victim as she tells him about how her house is haunted
See a ghost running out her door
Killer puts knife to girls stomach as she sleeps.

In their skin
Killer finds people and shoots them
First victim is man running with killer following him in their car.
Crazy family let in by the new family
Killer slowly killing people off between the two families
Hero- takes in family and then tries to help them- false hero as it turns out he’s the killer.

The Possession
Young girl is the victim- her body is taken over by the ghost
Mum and dad are victims as they are attacked by daughter when she is possessed
Older man who looks at boxes an tells them about it- donor- telling them about the box ‘once the box is opened people die’
Helper- man praying over her to try and get the spirit out of her.

Rec 3
Bride and groom are victims of killer
One by one guess become killers as they become zombies.
Bride is hero as she gets a chainsaw and kills the zombies.

Texas Chainsaw 3D
Victims set up going to a house in the middle of nowhere together- they beome his latest victims
Killer- masked to hid identity- shows the ‘birth’ of the killer.
Police officer- hero? Trying to save people and see what’s happening.

Now that I have looked at the Narrative Theory I will use it in my Trailer to have the different characters people expect so that it sticks to conventions. In most Horror trailers however they do not use all of the conventional characters, they mainly stick to the Hero/ False Hero, Princess's, Donors and Helpers.

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