1. The document discusses different types of narratives, including open narratives like soap operas which have no defined ending, and closed narratives like films which have a clear beginning, middle, and end. 2. It also covers several narrative theories including Propp's theory of character archetypes, Todorov's theory of narrative equilibrium, and Barthes' theory about establishing and solving narrative enigmas. 3. Additionally, the document examines common film trailer conventions such as the voiceover and mode of address used to engage the audience.

1. Narrative By Eden, Laura, Kathryn and Katie

2. What is Narrative? The way the story is told The way the meaning are constructed so the audience understands Different medias construct meanings in different ways, using different conventions that are appropriate

3. Open Narratives Eg. Television and radio soap operas No sense of ending – could go on for ever, eg Coronation Street Many more characters – characters shift in and out of prominence and narrative function More than one story line Time is more chronological and more with the ‘world time’ Different knowledge of characters for the audience to that of characters in films

4. Closed Narratives 1. The audience is aware that they are watching a complete story; so watching with the likely ending in mind More relevant to films and cinema

5. Closed Narratives 2. There is a small number of central characters; ‘depth’ of audience knowledge often set up More relevant to films and cinema

6. Closed Narratives 3. Characters arranged in a ‘hierarchy’ of importance More relevant to films and cinema

7. Closed Narratives 4. Audiences invited to make ‘verdicts’ on the characters More relevant to films and cinema

8. Closed Narratives 5. Unlike Open Narratives, time is compressed and not with the ‘real time’ More relevant to films and cinema

9. Closed Narratives 6. Times and events are usually special to this particular story and not linked to the outside world. More relevant to films and cinema

10. Closed Narratives 7. Audience usually has evidence about the characters only from this single text – plus star, publicity and genre expectations More relevant to films and cinema

11. Propp Theory Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media texts, which indicates that there were 7 broad character types in the 100 tales he analysed, which could be applied to other media Certain characters are linked to certain elements in predictable ways – he calls these the ‘spheres of action’ Propp assumes a linear narrative which makes flashbacks problematic

12. Propp The villain The donor The (magical) helper The princess Her Father The Dispatcher The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess The 7 broad character types

13. Todorov Theory Todorov proposed a basic structure for all narratives. Films and programmes begin with an equilibrium, a calm period A period of unsettlement and disquiet A renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists A new equilibrium which brings the chaos to an end

14. Barthes Theory Barthes’ Enigma Code The narrative will establish enigmas or mysteries as it goes along. Essentially the narrative functions to establish and then solve these mysteries.

15. The Voiceover The Voiceover (including words on screen) is one of the most frequently used conventions of the trailer genre. It is used for several reasons: Helps the audience to make sense of the narrative by giving us background It showcases the stars appearing in the film Give information about the filmmakers Helps to build a sense of anticipation Sets the tone for the film Can summarise the story in between 5-8 lines.

16. The Voiceover How To Train Your Dragon

17. The Voiceover Tenacious D

18. The Voiceover Gone in 60 Seconds

19. The Voiceover Paranormal Activity 2

20. Mode of Address The way that a media product ‘speaks’ to the audience Parallel Action: Aspects within the context of a story that are happening simultaneously with the primary performer’s situation. The technique is employed in the editing process where the projected image goes band and forth between the primary and secondary scene. Polysemy: The ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used to express two or more different meanings

21. Mode of Address Continuity editing: A predominant style of editing in narrative cinema and television The purpose is to smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process and to establish a logical coherence between shots. Most film sequences are edited so that time seems to flow, uninterrupted, from shot to shot. Multi-strand Narrative: Telling a story from more than one person’s point of view or two stories of two different people that intertwine. Non-linear Narrative: ‘ Disjointed’ or ‘disrupted’ narrative is a narrative technique. Sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other narratives, where events are portrayed out of chronological order. Often used to mimic the structure and recall of human memory but has been applied for other reasons.