Narrative structure and Todorov theory

Narrative structure

-  Narrative is the plot of a film/tv show/radio show

• It has conventions, Beginning, Middle and an end 
• Characters- some good or some bad

Types of TV Crime dramas

• single dramas
• Soap
• Serial
• Anthology series
• long form series drama
• long form series drama with some narrative experimentation

Continuity editing

• editing style that presents the text in a chronological order, to emphasise real time movement 
• creates a sense of realism 
• Audiences feel comfortable with the linear progression that reflects their everyday experience 

Linear Narrative

• a sequential narrative with a beginning a middle and an end- in that order, Linear narratives   provide straight forward, sequential representation of events leading into a single resolution. As such, easily accessible to audiences and are the dominant form n mainstream media representations.

Todorov theory 

E.g. Cinderella:

1. Equilibrium- Cinderella is living with her dad
2. disruption to equilibrium- Her dad dies and her stepmom and ugly stepsister move in, they are terrible to Cinderella
3. Recognition- she is treated like a slave, recognises her life is now awful 
4. Attempt to repair the damage- Fairy god mother tries to help her, she meets prince charming, who falls in love with her, she loses her glass slipper 
5. return to equilibrium- she falls in love, je leaves those who kept her captive and lives happily ever after.

avengers:

• Equilibrium- everything is balanced when they are sword fighting
• disruption to equilibrium- They find out the spies have gone missing 
• Recognition-  Find out the people running the school are Russian spies
• attempt to repair the damage- try to take out the Russian spies 
• return to equilibrium- they get back the spies and everything is balanced again

Binary oppositions

Strauss made a theory referring to conflict between two opposites 

E.g. black VS white

Task

A couple wake up and go downstairs to breakfast. They do not realise that they are being watched by terrorists. The man looks out the window and Realises that they are being watched. He whips out his baseball bat and confronts them himself, he hits them both on the head and they die. They carry on eating their coco pops.

PEER ASSEST BY LEXIE DEAN

WWW:

• You used a convention of crime dramas (baseball bat)
• You used themes of crime drama (death)
• You used the todorov theory

EBI: 

• You could of used more conventions of crime dramas.
• You could of extended the story.