Narrative Theory

Tvzetan Todorov - suggests narrative is simply equilibrium, disequilibrium, new equilibrium.

Valdimir Propp -  

                         1. The villain

                         2. The dispatcher 

                         3. The princess

                         4. Magical helper

                         5. Princess's father

                         6. The donor

                         7. The hero

                         8. False hero

I've used my children's film opening to challenge whether these theories apply. Starting with 'Todorov', who stated that 'narrative involves a transformation' The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the distruption. It should start with a state of equilibrium, which is where everything is how it should be, a sense of normality. There will then be a distruption of that order by an event. The disorder causing disequilibrium has to be recognised, causing an attempt to repair the damage, resulting in what could be called a 'climax'. Finally there is a return of restoration of a new equilibrium, with everything being resolved. 

My children's film follows this theory, with the sequence starting with a boy and his dog playing catch together. This is the sense of normality. Following this the boy receives a phone call, which triggers the event of his dog getting abducted by a space ship. As this is where our childrens film opening ends, the story only gets as far as the state of disequilibrium. If we were to of completed the whole of the childrens film, and not just an opening, then our story would have  followed Todorov's theory.