Todorov Narrative Theory

I decided to do some narrative research to see the typical conventions of narrative structure and to see how we could link this to our film trailer.

Todorov's theory suggests that most plots follow a similar pattern and he demonstrates this by breaking down a storyline into five main steps. These steps are as follows:

1: The first step is known as Equilibrium- This at the beginning of the story in which all the characters are happy and everything is normal as it should be.

2: A disruption- This step comes after the first stage of equilibrium, where suddenly the happiness is disrupted by a problem or a threat.

3:Realisation: This is the moment when the characters in the story realise there is a problem which results in panic and often a lot of trouble amongst the characters.

4: Restored order: The characters try and solve the disruption and attempt to make to make the situation better.

5: The final stage is equilibrium again. This is when normality is restored and the problem is solved, resorting in happiness amongst the characters.