Narrative can be described as the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictional texts. Theorist Nick Lacey explains how "narrative is such a powerful and analytical tool" which has "probably existed as long as human beings". The use of a narrative enables the audience to read and make sense of a text, as we as humans enjoy the telling of stories, and have done since childhood with Fairy Tales, for example.
For this essay, I will examine my AS Foundation Portfolio, for which I created a Chick Flick Film Opening. I will also apply a group of theories to my Film Opening in order to analyse the narrative of my creation.
Firstly, according to Bulgarian theorist Todorov,all stories begin with a state of equilibrium. This is true of my Film Opening as it begins with a cheerful scene where a new girl, Miranda, arrives at a smart new school. The music is also upbeat and happy which is typical of the Chick Flick genre, and helps to present the state of calmness and equilibrium. Furthermore the lighting provided by the sunny weather in the outside scene as the protagonist drives into school reflects the equilibrium as it provides a bright and 'sunny' atmosphere. However, when the 'villain', Sophie, says to Miranda 'Let's not have a repeat of last time' the film introduces and element of disequilibrium and causes the audience to ask themselves 'What happened last time?'. Although my Film Opening only reaches the first two stages of Todorov's theory, the conventions of the Chick Flick genre mean that it is clear to the audience that as the narrative unfolds the film will eventually regain its equilibrium and everything will be sorted between the protagonist and antagonist.
It is highly common in Chick Flick Films to use the idea of Binary Oppositions, a concept that was developed by Levi Strauss. This theory states that in the media there are opposites, in this case opposites that help to tell a story, the narrative. In my Foundation Portfolio, the hero, Miranda and villain, Sophie are presented as Binary Opposites as Miranda, the protagonist represents the naivety of the life of a new girl and how it can be difficult to fit into a new school. Opposing this, Sophie represents the popular girls, and plays upon the 'Mean Girls' stereotypes. This is exemplified by the dialogue and body language of Sophie when she looks Miranda up and down in a close up showing her emotions.
As I have already mentioned, my film opening features a 'hero' and 'villain' as this is stereotypical of Chick Flick films. This idea was developed by the Russian structuralist, Vladimir Propp who studied Fairy Stories and established a number of character types and events associated with them. Therefore in my production, Miranda is the hero, as she is the protagonist of the film and it is implied that she will be the one to solve the situation. She also has many close ups throughout the opening sequence which further implies the 'hero' status. In addition, Sophie is presented as the 'villain' through her actions and dialogue, for example when she threatens Miranda with the comment of 'Lets not have a repeat of last time'. The idea that Sophie is the 'villain' is further exemplified when an extreme close up of a phone that the protagonist is texting on, sending a message to an old friend who replies back, warning her by saying 'you better watch out!', suggesting that there is background to the hatred the pair share. This text message was used in order to create a problem quickly into the film. This was done as in film, it is hard to create an in depth problem so soon into the narrative compared to within a book. Therefore, by the use of the extreme close ups of the text messages, it makes it clear within the narrative that there is a problem that needs solving,and causes the audience to want to know more. In addition, the point of view shot puts the audience in the position of our protagonist, naturally creating more sympathy for her which solidifies her identity as the hero.
Another structuralist, Barthes, explored the concept of narrative as a part of his work on structuralism. He created the idea of the Enigma Code, which is a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. In my Foundation Portfolio, the 'enigma' presented is 'what happened last time?' as by using Sophie's vague yet threatening comment, suspense is created within the narrative and causes the audience to continue watching in order to solve the mystery issue between the protagonist and antagonist.
Theorist, Tilley said 'story-telling is a complex process with important implications', this is true of my AS Foundation Portfolio Chick Flick Film Opening as the narrative enabled me to develop the plot and provide the audience with an exciting and intriguing storyline.
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