Research:narrative theory

Narrative theory
Narrative is how the story is told through a film in the way its structured. Narrative in a film is important because it allows the audience to gain a better understanding about the characters involved and the actual film itself. Characters have a narrative function which is to provide a structure for the text. A narrative is constructed through elements like camerawork, lighting, sound, mise en scene and editing. There are many ways of looking at and thinking about narratives. For nearly 2300 years various thinkers, philosophers and theorists have tried to explain how narratives work.

 Vladimir Propp-fairy tale

He was a Russian critic and literacy theorist, who has analysed over 100 Russian fairy tales in the 1920's.
He proposed that it was possible to classify the characters and their actions into clearly defined roles and functions.

The typical characters in a fairy tale:

the hero-a character that seeks for better things.

the villain-who opposes or actively blocks the hero's quest.

the donor-who provides an object with magical properties.

the dispatcher-who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message.

the false hero-who disrupts the hero's success by making false claims.

the helper- the person who aids the hero.

the princess- acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villains plots.

the princesses father- acts to reward the hero for his efforts.

The structure: complication-transference-struggles-return-recognition

Tzventan Todorov- end-start-middle
he is a Bulgarian literacy theorist who suggests most narratives start with a state of equilibrium in which life is 'normal' and protagonists happy. This state of normality is disrupted by an outside force, which has to be fought against in order to return to a state of equilibrium. This model can easily be applied to a wide range of films. 

Equilibrium- is how the characters appear stable at the beginning.
Disequilibrium- something happens and a change occurs which needs to be resolved.

New equilibrium- usually disruption is sorted and the narrative is closed

Aristotle's narrative structure- beginning middle and end. He is a Greek philosopher observed that all narratives have a beginning, a middle and an end.

exposition-the audience gets to know the main characters rising action-protagonist understands his or her goal and begins to work towards it. climax-the turning point of the story, where the main character makes the decision that defines the outcome of the story. falling action-greatest overall tension;the phase in which everything goes mostly wrong. denouement- the resolution:all mystery is solved.

Roland Barthes: Semiology within narrative
Roland was a French semiologist who suggested that narrative works with five different codes which activate the reader to make sense of it.
The five different codes

1. action-understanding and resolution is understood by the action seen.
2. enigma-tease the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle that needs to be solved.
3. symbolic-connotation
4. semic-denotation
5. Cultural understanding-events which can be recognized as being part of a culture.

Typical thrillers tend to take Aristotle's structure because its the best way to create emotion and it involves the climax that every thriller should have. 

conclusion
in my thriller i will use Aristotle's theory because its very simple and will keep the audience interested because they will understand.