The document discusses Todorov's narrative theory, which proposes that stories follow a five stage structure: equilibrium, disruption, disequilibrium, attempt to restore equilibrium, and new equilibrium. It explains how film trailers apply some but not all parts of this theory. Trailers typically show the initial equilibrium and disruption to intrigue viewers, but avoid revealing the ending to encourage viewers to watch the full film. The document also outlines the specific scenes from a sample trailer and planned film that correspond to different stages of the theory.

2. ABOUT HIS THEORY
• A narrative is a story. Todorov studied what makes up a good film plot
and came up with a theory to explain the majority of films. There are five
stages to this theory. He argues that narratives involve a
transformation. This transformation happens because of the occurrence
of the disruption stage.
• He says that most films start with an Equilibrium. This means the film
shows a community, person etc. acting normally . Everything is as it
should be.
• Next a disruption happens which causes a disequilibrium by an event
which has occurred.
• The subjects which were shown in the equilibrium notice the disruption
and we see how it effects them.
• An attempt to restore a new equilibrium happens.
• Finally, a new equilibrium occurs. This may be different to the
equilibrium which was seen at the start of the film.

3. CHOOSING PARTS OF THE NARRATIVE FOR FILM
TRAILERS
• Only certain parts of the theory can be seen in film trailers to make
sure too much of the plot isn’t given away to make viewers want to go
to see the film.
• At the start of film trailers an equilibrium is normally shown. This allows
viewers to understand what is normal in the film they’re about to watch.
For example, in the “Fido” film trailer the first scene shows children in a
classroom with a man asking “How many of you have had to kill a
zombie?”. The casual approach the man has suggests this is normal to
talk to children about this. The trailer goes on explaining how zombies
are used in this neighbourhood, for example, delivering mail and milk.
• A disequilibrium is then shown in a trailer. In the “Fido” trailer we hear
the narrator say “For the sake of your neighbours, please keep [the
zombies] fed”. Footage suggests the zombie has eaten an old woman.
The next clip shows a little girl screaming and a voice over of the kid
says “we’re in trouble boy”. This shows that the zombies are starting to
misbehave and we know they’re going to cause a disruption.

4. CONTINUED…
• We next see humans being terrified of zombies unlike the start of the
trailer where they didn’t mind the zombies living with them. They are
having to defend themselves
• The trailer shows a little bit of the community trying to restore a new
state of equilibrium by fighting the zombies. The humans are trying to
take control of the situation.
• The film trailer doesn’t show a new state of equilibrium as this is what
happens at the end of a film. If this was shown in the trailer, viewers
wouldn’t feel as though they needed to watch the whole film as they’d
feel as though they know most of the main parts and they’d know how
the film ends. Instead, the film trailer for “Fido” ends with part of the
same scene it started with; the classroom and the man talking to the
children about zombies. This makes viewers wonder if the children are
alright at the end of the film and how a new state of equilibrium can
occur.

5. APPLYING THE THEORY IN OUR TRAILER
• Looking at our research film trailers, we are going to show some of the
same sections of the theory which they showed.
• At the start of our film trailer will show a state of equilibrium. This is
three friends setting up a tent and having a BBQ.
• There is then a lead up to the disruption where you will see the friends
lost in the woods. They try to explore the disruption by going to a place
where a man was said to have hung himself. This is where you know
this man causes the disequilibrium.
• We see how the antagonist effects the characters in the last scene as
they are will be shown running through the woods and then the camera
falls on the floor. This shows the antagonist has made the characters
scared.

6. PARTS OF THE THEORY WE WON’T SHOW IN
THE TRAILER
• We won’t show the attempt to restore a state of equilibrium. This is to
leave viewers wondering how the situation is resolved making them
want to go to watch the film. Viewers will feel like they need to watch
the film to find out the cause of the disequilibrium and how the
characters restore it.
• Much like most, if not all film trailers we won’t show the new state of
equilibrium in our trailer. This is to make viewers wonder how the story
concludes. If they knew the outcome, there wouldn’t be much point in
them paying to see the film. There won’t be any hint as to how the film
ends to leave viewers with unanswered questions in their heads which
they want answering.

7. SCENES WE’VE CHOSEN TO SHOW OUR TRAILER
Beginnin
g
End
Buildin
g the
tent
Story
around
the
BBQ
Putting
food on
the
BBQ
Walking
through
the
woods
Looking at
place where
man hung
himself
Characters look
at something
that made a
sound in the
woods
Character
s lost in
the woods
Pan of
woods
Running
through the
woods
Walking
through the
woods
Above shows the scenes we’ve picked throughout our film plot. You can see that
quite a few scenes have been picked from the start of the film because this shows
viewers the equilibrium. Quite a few scenes are also from roughly half way through
the film. This is because at this stage the disequilibrium has occurred and we see
how this is effecting them. This is the section which starts to put questions in
viewers heads which they want answering. A scene kind of close to the end is
shown because this is where the characters try to start restoring their equilibrium
but that puts them in danger. No footage is shown close to the end of the film as
this would reveal how the new state of equilibrium occurs. This would give away the
who point of watching the film.
Choosing blocks of footage to show which are close together in the film helps
viewers to follow and understand what is happening in the trailer instead of showing
Equilibriu
m
Disequilibrium
Characters notice
disequilibrium
Attempt to
restore new
equilibrium
New state of
equilibrium