Using narrative theories which we have discussed, write a short essay in relation to your film trailer

Narrative is a media term for ‘story telling’. It is not then story itself but rather the way that the story has been told. This involves things like verisimilitude, narrative structure and enigma.

I think that our product has a strong narrative and compels the audience to go and watch the film. The film is about a professional BMXer who ‘appears’ to be getting stalked by somebody but then it turns out to only be a publicity stunt, although after this has been found out he then starts to get stalked for real but because he thinks that it is only a joke he chooses to ignore them; this then hangs his life in the balance.

Our film follows a non linear sequence because at the beginning you see the character tied up in a hostage situation but then he flashes back on the events which led up to this occurrence. After this has happened the film then proceeds in a linear sequence as it shows the events which are happening in the present time.

This then leads on to the open ended finale of the film because the film leaves the audience on a cliff hanger as they don’t know what happened to the professional BMXer i.e. is he alive or not, which follows onto the sequel of Life Drop.

Todorov’s theory consists of five main sections; the equilibrium has to be carefully shown, there is a disruption, there is a recognition that a disruption has happened, there is an attempt to repair the damage done by the disruption, a new equilibrium is achieved. Our film follows these conventions of equilibrium to begin with but then after the fourth stage instead of ‘a new equilibrium is achieved’ we have a new disequilibrium (because he begins to get stalked again for real) which adds to the enigma in hand and makes the audience really think and question events which are happening on screen.

Our film defies the codes and conventions of a typical narrative because the character which is the antagonist is a woman where as typically the villain is a man. Also the character which is the victim and recessive is the male BMXer which again challenges the audience’s expectation because he appears to be the dominant male but is getting blackmailed by a female.

Overall I think that our film mainly challenges the expectations that come with certain narratives and I think that this was done because it is a British made film therefore it can be expected. I think that our film mixes things up for the better as it makes the audience fully concentrate and embrace the film.