This storyboard summarizes 9 shots from a short film called "Jade". It shows scenes such as the opening credits with Jade looking at the camera, Jade writing a letter to her mother, and a shocking twist at the end where Jade discovers her deceased mother was actually her adoptive mother. The storyboard analyzes how the narrative does not fully follow Todorov's typical structure of equilibrium, disruption, acknowledgement, solving, and return to equilibrium, instead focusing more on disruptions to keep the story engaging.

1. Kieran Morris
Storyboard:
This storyboard features screenshots from the first cut of Jade.
Shot
1
Shot Type:
Close-Up,
Low Angle
Shot.
Panoramic
Tilt.
Action: Cold Weather,
Opening Credits
Diegetic: N/A
Non-Diegetic: ‘Choose
Music: Royalty Free Music’
Location: Outside of
school, grass area
Text: ‘A Kieran Morris
Production.’
Av.
Time
6
secs
Edit: Fade in, Blue-Shade Effect
Shot
2
Shot Type:
Mid-Shot
Panoramic,
following
characters
Action: Characters walk
through shot and away into
school.
Diegetic: N/A
Non-Diegetic: Jade’s
voiceover: ‘Look at us all
smiling…’
Location: Outside of
School
Text: Credits: ‘Anita
Brahimi’, ‘Max Potter’ etc.
Av.
Time
24
secs
Edit: Cut in
Shot
3
Shot Type:
Mid-Shot
Action: Jade looks directly
at the camera.
Diegetic: N/A
Non-Diegetic: Music from
previously ends and fades
out.
Location: Outside of
school, grass area
Text: ‘Jade’ fades in and
then fades out.
Av.
Time
4
secs
Edit: Cut in, Fade out into black
Shot
4
Shot Type:
Mid-Shot,
Low Angle
Shot
Action: Jade is writing a
letter to her Mum.
Diegetic: Ambient Sound
Non-Diegetic: ‘Queen of
the Skies’ by Nicolai
Heidlas. Jade’s Voiceover:
‘Dear Mum. I want you…’
Location: Study Room
Text: N/A
Av.
Time
4
secs
Edit: Cut in

2. Kieran Morris
Shot
5
Shot Type:
Over-the-
Shoulder
Shot
(OSS), Low
Angle
Action: Cara and Jade are
talking to each other about
their feelings.
Diegetic: Cara and Jade
are talking: ‘Did you tell
her?’…
Non-Diegetic: Mobile
Phone Ring
Location: Outside of
School
Text: N/A
Av.
Time
8
secs
Edit: Cut in, Shot-Reverse-Shot (SRS)
Shot
6
Shot Type:
Over-the-
Shoulder
Shot
(OSS),
High Angle
Action: Jade and Olly are
informed that Carol has
died.
Diegetic: ‘I’m afraid that I
have to inform you…’
Non-Diegetic: N/A
Location: Classroom
Text: N/A
Av.
Time
8
secs
Edit: Cut in
Shot
7
Shot Type:
Long Shot
(LS)
Action: Jade and Olly
meet after hearing about
their mother’s death.
Diegetic: Ambient Sound,
‘I have this for you. It’s
from mum…’
Non-Diegetic: N/A
Location: Outside of
School
Text: N/A
Av.
Time
6
secs
Edit: Cuts in
Shot
8
Shot Type:
High Angle,
Zoom Out,
Pedestal
into sun
Action: Jade discovers
her deceased mother is
actually her adoptive mum.
She cries and credits roll.
Diegetic: Jade Crying
Non-Diegetic: ‘Letting Go’
by Nicolai Heidlas.
Location: Outside of
School
Text: Credits
Av.
Time
8
secs
Edit: Cuts in, Fades out into credits

3. Kieran Morris
Shot
9
Shot Type:
N/A
Action: Closing Credits
roll and ‘#FindJadesMum’
appears at the end.
Diegetic: N/A
Non-Diegetic: ‘Letting Go’
by Nicolai Heidlas
Location: N/A
Text: #FindJadesMum
Av.
Time
38
secs
Edit: Fades in, Fades out into black
The storyboard shows that ‘Jade’ does not fully follow Todorov’s Narrative Structure Theory (1969).
The theory suggests that all films will have a narrative that goes through five stages: Equilibrium,
Disruption, Acknowledgement, Solving and Return to Equilibrium.
However, Jade starts by portraying the events of a ‘disruption’, whereby Jade informs the audience in
the opening sequence that she is a lesbian. Whilst this may not be seen as a problem for many
people in 21st century society, it is clear in the opening segment that Jade is struggling with her
sexuality and identity. Further disruption occurs when Olly and Jade have a small fallout, when Jade
becomes paranoid about Olly discovering her secret.
The following scene then demonstrates the next two stages of Todorov’s theory; ‘Acknowledgement’
and ‘Solving’. During this scene, Jade recognises that she can no longer keep her identity from her
brother and mum; and decides to write a letter to resolve problems. Jade then discovers later in the
film that her mother has died in a car crash, resulting in another ‘disruption’ in the narrative. This
indicates to the audience that Jade has not been able to tell her mum about her identity and therefore
equilibrium has not yet been met. Towards the end of the film, Jade discovers that her so-called
mother is actually an adoptive mum and that her biological mum is still somewhere in the world. This
causes further ‘disruption’ and makes the audience feel sympathetic for Jade and her brother Olly.
Overall, my short film doesn’t follow Todorov’s Narrative Structure and instead jumps to ‘disruptions’. I
made the decision to do this to keep the audience engaged and not make a film that was too
predictable for them. The shock twist at the end of the narrative suggests that ‘equilibrium’ may never
be restored as Jade has lost the person she called her mum and was never able to tell her about her
sexuality.