NARRATIVE A film’s narrative is the story of the a film and is broken down into 5 key stages by theorist Tzvetan Todorov: – Equilibrium – Disruption – Recognition of disruption – Attempt to solve disruption – New equilibrium When these stages happen in the above order within a film, it is a LINEAR NARRATIVE, sometimes they are positioned out of order, and this is a NON-LINEAR NARRATIVE.

TODAY You are going to create the narrative of your short film projects using the narrative stage structure. But first, you need to understand how each stage works.

TODOROV’S NARRATIVE STAGES Equilibrium: everything in the film world is normal (not necessarily good, but it is normal). Disruption: something happens (usually caused by the film’s main antagonist) to disrupt normal life. Recognition of disruption: the protagonist/s realise that something is wrong in their world or discover the disruption. Attempt to solve: the main protagonist goes on a journey to solve the disruption. New equilibrium: the disruption is solved and a new normality occurs (things can never the be same as they were before the disruption, but a new ‘normal life’ is created).

EQUILIBRIUM: Shrek (a big green ogre) lives happily in his swamp alone. He enjoys eating insects and slime and is happy to have no friends or neighbours bothering him. DISRUPTION: Lord Farquaad (an excessively small man with small man syndrome) is rounding up all fairy tale characters in search of a magic mirror that will tell him how to become King. Among characters is Donkey, a wise-cracking donkey, who manages to escape into the forest. RECOGNITION OF DISRUPTION: Shrek accidentally saves Donkey from Farquaad’s guards, and finds his home bombarded with refugee fairy tale characters all looking for a safe haven. ATTEMPT TO SOLVE: Shrek goes to Farquaad to reclaim his swamp. He defeats Farquaad’s men and is sent on a mission by the little lord, to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower so that Farquaad can marry her and become King. Shrek and Donkey rescue Fiona from the tower and dragon guard and head back to Farquaad. Along the way Fiona and Shrek fall in love, but feel unable to confess this to each other. NEW EQUILIBRIUM: Shrek, helped by the fairy tale characters he saved, gate crashes Farquaad and Fiona’s wedding to confess his love to her. Much to Farquaad’s surprise she returns his love and it is revealed that a curse means she becomes an ogre at night. Shrek and Fiona kiss and she becomes an ogre full time. They escape Farquaad and return to the swamp where they live happily ever after with Donkey and his new girlfriend, the dragon guard.

COME UP WITH YOUR NARRATIVE In your 1min Film Project groups, come up with a 5 stage narrative for your own film. Keep these SIMPLE! Remember you only have 1min to tell the whole story.