NARRATIVE STRUCTURES

3- Act Structure: The 3 acts involved are - 1) The Setup, 2) Confrontation, 3) Resolution. This structure is known to be very useful in screenwriting, and the point of the acts is to make sure that the story evolves and stakes get higher. The Setup involves an introduction; where the main characters are first introduced, the main setting around these characters, and the conflict that will move the story forward. The Confrontation is the longest half on the film. The story, it's characters and the conflict have all been established and the writer is left without plot-elements to introduce. Therefore, the writer faces the challenge of keeping the story moving forward, and this can be done by using a subplot. The resolution is the final confrontation of the film, the showdown ensues and then the conclusion occurs.

Propp: According to Vladimir Propp, a Russian film critic, characters have a narrative function; they provide a structure for the text. Typical characters he found were the Villain, the Hero, the Princess etc.

Todorov: Todorov's narrative theory states that most story's or plot lines follow the same pattern or path. There are five steps in this pattern: 1) Equilibrium - The first part of the film will show a happy part, where the majority of characters are content, 2) A Disruption - The second part of the story will feature a problem or something to disrupt the initial happiness, 3) Realisation - Where everyone realises the problem and it is chaos, 4) Restored Order - When the characters attempt to repair the damage and restore the problem, 5) Equilibrium Again - The final part of the plot where the problem is resolved and normality can resume again

Levi-Strauss: Levi-Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of 'Binary Opposites', this entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast. For example, in a superhero film this could be good vs. evil, in a horror film this could be human vs. supernatural, and in a comedy this could be young vs. old. A problem with binary opposites is that they may often perpetuate negative stereotypes. For example, if the binary opposite was man vs. woman, according to gender stereotypes, the man may be portrayed to be 'strong' whereas the woman is the 'damsel in distress'.