TZVETAN TODOROVS THEORY Todorov suggested that stories began with an equilibrium or status quo where any potentially opposing forces were in balance. This is disrupted by some event, setting in chain a series of events. Problems are solved so that the order can be restored to the world of fiction. The 5 stages are:

A states of equilibrium at the outset

A disruption of the equilibrium by some action

A recognition that there has been a disruption

An attempt to repair the disruption

A reinstatement of the equilibrium

Equilibrium The family are stable and relatively happy, just about recovering from the disappearance of their father and husband. The family are leading an ordinary life and simply getting on and coping.

Disruption The family are out for the night and during this their house is broken into by a cult. The cult paint demonic symbols onto the walls of the house. Elise becomes possessed. Cindy is cut on the back of her neck by one of the cult members.

Recognition Cindy recognises the changes in her mother. Elise becomes violent and tries harming her two youngest kids until Cindy saves them and ends up stabbing her mum with her own pocket knife.

Attempt to repair Cindy collects minimal possessions of her siblings and hers and leaves home, getting as far away from the house as possible.

Reinstatement Cindy takes Nancy and Brad to a nearby hostel and they will stay there until Cindy saves up enough money with her new job to buy a small flat for them to call their home.

CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS Claude Strauss looked at a narrative structure in terms of binary oppositions.

Earth – Space

Good – Evil

Human – Alien

Past – Present

Normal – Strange

Known – Unknown

With this I have incorporated the binary oppositions of good – evil and known – unknown. In terms of good and evil, the cult and the family pose as these oppositions. Thus once Elise becomes possessed and violent she is the evil state and Cindy is the good state. In terms of known and unknown, the actual cult pose as the unknown, due to their secretive and hidden nature and the family again pose as the known because of their ordinary, known lifestyle.

With this I have followed Todorovs theory and incorporated all stages into my

narrative.

This type of narrative theory is very familiar to us and can be applied to many

mainstream film narratives.

VLADIMIR PROPP’S THEORY Some of my narrative follows Vladimir Propp’s theory for which every piece of film included 8 character roles:

The Villain – who usually creates the narrative disruption

The Hero/Heroin – the agent who usually restores the narrative equilibrium often by embarking on a quest. The hero/heroine is invariably the texts central character.

The Donor – gives the hero/heroine something.

The Helper – aids the hero/heroine.

The Victim – usually the character most threatened by villain and has to be saved, often takes place at climax by the hero.

The Father – rewards the hero.

The Dispatcher – sends the hero or heroine their task.

The False Hero – appears to be good but in the end is revealed as bad. With this I have chosen to only include a total of 3 of these character roles; the heroine, the villain and the victim(s.) In this case Cindy, being the protagonist of the film, is the heroin, Elise, Cindy’s mother is the villain – as well as the members of the cult and finally Nancy, Brad and also Elise are the victims. Vladimir’s theory would apply more when used in an excessive fantasy fictional narrative like The Wizard of the Oz and Bond films. Therefore, the reason my film doesn’t include every one of these character roles is because the narrative is less fantastical and more realistic and serious. Additionally, Propp also came up with the 31 functions of narrative; hence I have used a few. Function 8 says ‘Villain causes harm’ with this the cult members hurt Cindy and eventually Elise becomes violent and tries harming her family. Function 11 says Hero leaves home’ with this Cindy leaves home and takes her brother, Brad, and sister, Nancy, with her. Function 17 states ‘Hero is marked’, with this Cindy, the heroine, is wounded by one of the cult members with a cut on the back of her neck.

My film has a closed narrative, meaning there is a clear beginning, middle and end and that there is a presupposed constant audience from start to finish. Many films take up this narrative theory. In my film I wanted to combine a conventional linear narrative with a fractured narrative which involves both the typical A to B Todorovs theory and the incorporation of flashbacks and flash-forwards, which dominates the inception of our film. LINEAR NARRATIVE:

When a film runs from A to B – the film doesn’t stop until the problem is resolved. FRACTURED NARRATIVE:

When the story jumps back and forth in time, via flashbacks and flash-forwards. This is an experimental narrative approach.