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Synopsis for my film

Film sequence 1

Evangeline, 17 year old girl will find an odd looking tree and goes to have a look at it. Only, it is cursed so if you go up to it, you get stuck in a time loop. Evangeline tries to get out of the loop. Evangeline is the protagonist.

Film sequence 2

A 17 year old boy, Charlie, is lost and finds a really tall tree and goes over to look at it. He then disappears and can’t get out. Charlie is the protagonist.

I intend on creating a thrilling, on edge film

Statement of Intent: movie posters

For my first movie poster, I will include the sign the female character reads out and has it as the main focal point. The background will be the forest in which she gets stuck in and this will go on into the distance to symbolise the fact she gets stuck in a time loop. I will have two silhouettes of the main characters, this is because I want to put focus on the characters, without pulling the focus away from the background and sign. I will edit the movie title ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ in an eerie yet playful font, which should capture the playful and ominous feeling of the movie. I will write in ‘Featuring the music of Inhaler’ in a smaller font to promote the music soundtrack in the movie. The genre of my film is Sci-Fi, like the movie ‘Palm Springs’ but different in the sense that it is predictable yet unexpected.

For my second movie poster, I will have the forest in the background, but only the top of the trees with the sky, this also symbolises the time loop as the sky is never ending, but also includes the trees that will give away the setting of the movie. I will include the photos of the main characters but these will be the main focus this time, not silhouettes. The title will be edited in, in a typewriter font, in the sky but just as the trees stop, so it doesn’t take away from the main focus of the poster. To include the music artist into the movie poster, I will write in a slightly smaller font, but big enough to read it clearly, ‘Featuring the music of Inhaler’ to promote the music soundtrack in the movie.

Production

todorov

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A really good way to think about NARRATIVE STRUCTURE is to recognise that most stories can be easily broken down into a BEGINNING / MIDDLE / END. The Bulgarian structuralist theorist Tztevan Todorov presents this idea as:

Equilibrium
Disruption
New equilibrium

the stage of equilibrium
the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

Most narratives can be broken down into beginning/middle/end. Todorov’s theory states that the beginning is the equilibrium where everything is ‘normal’ and balanced and around the middle there’s a disruption where things become unbalanced and by the end of the film there becomes a new equilibrium and everything becomes balanced or ‘normal’

condensed equilibriums – action and immediate disruption is delivered to hook the audience

Multiple equilibrium sequences- a roller-coaster effect for their audiences created by deploying multiple disruptions before resolving them in a final transformation. This offers audiences multiple moments of narrative calm and excitement.

2. Vladimir Propp

Suggests that stories use STOCK CHARACTERS to structure stories

Often there is a villain who has done something to a victim. This means that we need a hero, who (often) accompanied by a helper is sent out (by a dispatcher) to fight the villain.

Hero
Helper
Princess
Villain
Victim
Dispatcher
Father
False Hero

The hero generally meets the princess as part of his quest / journey which usually provides a happy ending. During the narrative we (and the princess) may be presented by a false hero.

NEA, Production

moving image nea

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  1. Chronological-the order in which the events occurred, from first to last
  2. Sequential-series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
  3. Circular structure– story ends the same as how it began
  4. Time based– is to watch it unfold over time according to the temporal logic of the medium as it is played back.
  5. Narrative arc–  the story a film follows along including a dramatic arc somewhere to draw attention from the audience
  6. Freytag’s Pyramid– the structure outlining events in a story
  7. exposition- a comprehensive description of an event, story or idea.
  8. inciting incident,
  9. rising action,
  10. climax-  everything that the plot leads up to
  11. falling action– what happens after the climax and the plot/action calms down
  12. resolution
  13. denouement 
  14. Beginning / middle / end– the idea that every storyline is split into three components
  15. Equilibrium
  16. Disruption
  17. New equilibrium
  18. Peripeteia– change in fortune
  19. Anagnoresis– dramatic revelation
  20. Catharsis–  the idea that we are freed by consuming something
  21. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  22. flashback / flash forward
  23. Foreshadowing– the idea of hinting towards events further on in the storyline
  24. Ellipsis– a jump/missing out certain events in films.
  25. Pathos
  26. Empathy
  27. diegetic / non-diegetic
  28. slow motion

Physical Internal Structures:

Technical equipment (lighting, sound), actors, set, camera crew, software, writers, props, special effects, director, editors and costume designers

Theoretical Internal Structures:

Storyline, performance, generating emotions, events, characters, themes, genre, antagonist/ protagonist, linear/circular, start middle and end, time based, chronological, sequential and freytag pyramid.

Synopsis– A girl goes missing on a night out, her family and friends are all worried about her and file a missing police report. We are shown the trauma they go through. 2 years later her dead body is found, her ‘ghost’ haunts her family and friends. They then discover the body was not her. A group of her friends form together to be detectives and figure out that the ‘ghost’ was actually her asking them for help. They go on a quest to find her and end up finding her however she is very mentally damaged.

Todorov– presents a three part structure (beginning,middle,end). He recognises that stories are constructed in ways that test and subvert the three act narrative structure outlined.

Equilibrium-the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability.

Disruption- oppositional forces. The actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity. Destabilising the equilibirum.

New equilibrium- when the disruption is repaired and stability is restored.

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

Vladimir Propp– Famously analysed hundreds of Russian folk stories in attempt to uncover underlying narrative structures. He also suggests that stories use stock characters to structure stories and that not all characters listed have to be used.

  1. Hero
  2. Helper
  3. Princess
  4. Villain
  5. Victim
  6. Dispatcher
  7. Father
  8. False Hero

The idea that there is normally a villain who has done something bad to a victim, meaning that they need a hero, who may be accompanied by a helper that is sent out by a dispatcher to fight the villain. The dispatcher or similar donor, for example a father figure, prepares the hero in his quest by giving them some form of magical object. The hero generally then meets the princess as part of his quest which usually provides a happy ending. During the narrative we (and the princess) can be presented by a false hero.

Claude Levi-Strauss:

Suggests that narratives are structured around binary oppositions eg: good v evil. Creates a dominant message of a film, TV programme, advert, music video, animation. Can be seen to either support the dominant ideologies of a society, which would make it a reactionary text ,or to challenge, question or undermines the dominant ideologies of society, in which case it could be seen as a radical text.

Moving Image, Production

ANALYSIS OF FILM POSTERS

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Semiotic Analysis of Film Posters

  • Poster 1
  • Poster 2
  • Poster 3
  • Poster 4
  • Poster 5
Poster 1 – Annette (2021)– Logo of premier film festival
– Names of 3 starring actors
– Title of film as the dominant signifier (colour match to jacket of the female character on poster)
– Background of signifiers to do with rough seas and waves, connotes a sinister setting and foreshadows possible events in film
– Name of director (‘A film by…’)
– Production company name (‘Amazon Original Movie)
– Anchorage: Small print of key people and companies involved and information on when it can be seen in cinemas.
– Signifer of Prime video logo
Poster 2 – Blinded by the Light (2019)– Dominant signifier/ main image of the protagonist (still image from action within the film)
– Strapline anchorage (‘For anyone who has ever wanted to dream, you’re not alone’)
– Review comment and person/ company it is from (‘Guaranteed to make you feel better than any other film this year’)
– Small print of companies and key people involved such as the producers, editors.
– Reference to the director and her previous work (‘The director of Bend it like Beckham’)
– Title
– Colour scheme matches colour on the protagonist’s costume and themes within the film (Red, white and blue)
Poster 3 – The Fault in our Stars (2014)– Simple design (not overly populated) that introduces both protagonists and alludes to the key themes within the narrative.
– Denotative main image of a boy and girl lying on grass.
– Synthetic personalisation through the use of the font in the title that is made to look like the handwriting of one of the characters.
– Link to the book it is based on (‘Based on the New York Times best seller’)
– Strapline anchorage (‘One sick love story’). Connoting to the ‘sickness’ in the plot
– Information on release date
– Realistic image without use of image layering and special effects to connote to reality within the narrative.
Poster 4 – The Prom (2020)– List of actors starring in the film at the top of the poster
– Strapline anchorage (‘Everyone deserves a chance to celebrate’)
– Background of a night sky and key location within the narrative
– Title
– Dominant signifier of the two protagonists holding hands, alludes to themes and new equilibrium at the end of the narrative.
– Netflix logo, to display which streaming platform the audience can watch it and information on release date.
– Small print providing the director, composer etc.
Poster 5 – Titanic (1997)– Names of actors starring in the film
– Dominant signifier of the ‘Titanic‘ ship, the centre plot line.
– Strapline anchorage (‘Nothing on earth could come between them’)
– Title
– Soft focus/ layered image of two protagonists at the top of the posters, in the background of the ship.
– Information on the director and previous work
– Small print displaying the key people and companies involved.
– Website link and logos of production companies such as ‘Twentieth Century Fox’ and ‘Paramount’
Production

synopsis

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Jake is alone in the classroom at night doing extra work. The lights above him begin to flicker and the trees outside start to sway violently. Jake, feeling scared reassures himself its his mind playing tricks. All of a sudden Isabella walks in the room, making Jake jump. Questioning him, she asks why he is so freaked out. They both laugh after Jake explains its because of the wind. Suddenly they both hear a blood-curdling scream comes from outside. Shaken, however not suspicious Jake and Isabella decide its best they head home. When walking outside they see Honor, dead. My characters can be labelled as e.g. Jake and Isabella are both the dispatchers rescuing Honor, the victim.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Don’t Go Outside

I intend to create a film plan of which tells a story effectively. I wish to produce a gripping trailer of which leaves the audience wanting more. Poster number 1 will consist of a dark lighting, with a singular, harsh white-light, highlighting the main two protagonists (Jake and Isabella). The white lighting will signify the mysteriousness of the movie is dark itself. I intend to have both protagonists look scared because of the looming fear of the unknown, they both possess. The cover will be set in a classroom as this is where the movie mostly takes place.

Poster two will consist of Jake and Isabella sat back to back on the floor with papers surrounding them. The papers signify the reseda h both protagonists have to go to, in order to try solve the mysterious case. I will use a more golden lighting for this poster, with the intention of portraying an ‘eerie evening’ look.

Genre: Thriller

I chose this genre, because I think it has the audience articulating clues and scenes themselves. Although horrors provide edge-gripping feelings for audiences, thrillers allow for fear to be taken over by a drive to solve mystery.

predictable expectations– always behaving or occurring in the way expected.
reinforced-strengthen (an existing feeling, idea, or habit)
amplify -enlarge upon or add detail to
repertoire of elements– features of a film that are repeated within a genre
corpus– a collection of written texts, especially the entire works of a particular author or a body of writing on a particular subject
verisimilitude-the appearance of being true or real
realism– the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life
construction of reality– a phenomenon that we know and is independent, that is, does not depend on the existence of a particular individual
historically specific– Historical people, situations, or things existed in the past and are considered to be a part of history
sub-genres– genre that is part of a larger genre
hybrid genres– they share the conventions of more than one genre.

NEA, Production, Theory

Moving image NEA

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Internal Structures

actorsbackstage crew
settingcamera equipment
stylistsscript
a storydirector
editorcinematographer
set designergreen screen
sound mixerboom mic
lightprops
protagonist antagonists
synopsisflashbacks
T – things you need to do a filmC – things you have to have to create a film
set, build, or goa storyline
stylistssynopsis
director
editor
props
sound track
lights

Key terminology

  1. Linear
  2. Chronological
  3. Sequential
  4. Circular structure
  5. Time based
  6. Narrative arc
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid
  8. exposition,
  9. inciting incident,
  10. rising action,
  11. climax,
  12. falling action,
  13. resolution,
  14. denouement 
  15. Beginning / middle / end
  16. Equilibrium
  17. Disruption
  18. New equilibrium
  19. Peripeteia
  20. Anagnoresis
  21. Catharsis
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  23. flashback / flash forward
  24. Foreshadowing
  25. Ellipsis
  26. Pathos
  27. Empathy
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic
  29. slow motion

Task 2

An American girl moves to a British school because of her father’s new job. Once the new girl always the new girl. All of sudden all the attention goes to you. People talking behind your back, chattering about how you are different. Always getting picked on, well not for to long, what will happen when they find out that you were brought up by a family of thief’s, or will she hide it and brake in to their house. Will she change herself to fit in or will she continue to be who she truly is.

Task 3

the stage of equilibrium

the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium

the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium

the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium

the final part of a play, film, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

A drama is then divided into five parts, or acts, which some refer to as a dramatic arc: introduction, rise, climax, return or fall, and catastrophe. Freytag extends the five parts with three moments or crises: the exciting force, the tragic force, and the force of the final suspense. The exciting force leads to the rise, the tragic force leads to the return or fall, and the force of the final suspense leads to the catastrophe. Freytag considers the exciting force to be necessary but the tragic force and the force of the final suspense are optional. Together, they make the eight component parts of the drama.

NEA, Production

moving image NEA

2 Comments
  • actors
  • equipment
  • money
  • director
  • makeup, hair etc
  • costume
  • editing team
  • script
  • storyline
  • production team
  • synopsis
  • structural devices
  • protagonist
  • antagonist
  • emotional attachment
  • empathy
  • linear/ chronological
  • flashback

Peripeteia – change in fortune

Anagnorisis – moment of revelation

NEA, Production, Theory

Moving image nea

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Conceptual and Theoretical

  1. Linear – Film narratives are usually linear. That means we see the events of the story unfolding in the order in which they occurred.
  2. Chronological – Time order.
  3. Sequential – In film, a sequence is a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit, which is usually connected either by a unity of location or a unity of time. The sequence is one of a hierarchy of structural units used to describe the structure of films in varying degrees of granularity.
  4. Circular structure – In a circular narrative, the story ends where it began. Although the starting and ending points are the same, the characters undergo a transformation, affected by the story’s events.
  5. Time based –
  6. Narrative arc –
  7. Freytag’s Pyramid – a paradigm of dramatic structure outlining the seven key steps in successful storytelling: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, and denouement.
  8. exposition –
  9. inciting incident –
  10. rising action –
  11. climax –
  12. falling action –
  13. resolution –
  14. denouement –
  15. Beginning / middle / end –
  16. Equilibrium –
  17. Disruption –
  18. New equilibrium –
  19. Peripeteia – Change in fortune.
  20. Anagnoresis – Dramatic Revelation.
  21. Catharsis – Good Virtue.
  22. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place –
  23. flashback / flash forward –
  24. Foreshadowing –
  25. Ellipsis –
  26. Pathos –
  27. empathy –
  28. diegetic / non-diegetic –
  29. slow motion –
  30. genre –
  31. theme –

Synopsis

My film is going to be about a girl who has been shielded from the real world all her life. She has only been around her two parents and her auntie her whole life. She was never allowed to leave the house. Home schooled all her life and her parents controlled everything. They had conditioned her to believe that anything outside their home was a danger but obviously as a growing child, her curiosity grew also. The main character – the 17 year old girl – does look to escape her home as she wants to explore the outside world.

At age 10 her curiosity started to grow and she started to look more out the windows but all she ever did see were foggy skies as her house was so far up on a hill, secluded from any other civilisation. From 11, she started to notice strange deliveries during the night as she always seen a bright headlight shine through her window at exactly 1:30am. When she was younger she believed it was a star as that was what she was lead to believe.

This film will be targeting teenagers who may relate to some extent. Maybe not relate literally but can relate figuratively speaking. A viewer might feel trapped in their own life therefore would seek comfort through this film because it may or may not be a similar experience.

Examples

Todorov

Equilibrium, the story constructs a stable world at the outset of the narrative. Key characters are presented as part of that stability.

Disruption, Oppositional forces – the actions of a villain, perhaps, or some kind of calamity – destabilise the story’s equilibrium. Lead protagonists attempt to repair the disruption caused.

New Equilibrium, disruption is repaired and stability restored. Importantly, the equilibrium achieved at the end of the story is different to that outlined at the start. The world is transformed.

Freytags Pyramid

Exposition, Climax, Denouement

Vladimir Propp

Character Types and Function

Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.

That is not to say that all characters are the same, but rather to suggest that all stories draw on familiar characters performing similar functions to provide familiar narrative structures.

Propp identifies the types of characters:

  • The hero: he identifies two significant types – the seeker-hero and the victim-hero.
  • The Villain: fights or pursues the hero and must be defeated in order for hero to accomplish their quest.
  • The Princess and Princess’ Father: princess usually represents the reward for the hero’s quest.

Claude Levi-Strauss (Binary Oppositions)

Seymour Chatman: Satellites & Kernels

  • Kernels: key moments in the plot / narrative structure
  • Satellites: embellishments, developments, aesthetics

Roland Barthes: Proairetic and Hermenuetic Codes

  • Proairetic code: action, movement, causation
  • Hermenuetic code: reflection, dialogue, character or thematic development
  • Enigma code: the way in which intrigue and ideas are raised – which encourage an audience to want more information.
NEA, Production

moving image nea

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  1. Chronological-the order in which the events occurred, from first to last
  2. Sequential– series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit
  3. Circular structure– story ends the same as how it began
  4. Time based– is to watch it unfold over time according to the temporal logic of the medium as it is played back.
  5. Narrative arc–  the story a film follows along including a dramatic arc somewhere to draw attention from the audience
  6. Freytag’s Pyramid– the structure outlining events in a story
  7. exposition- a comprehensive description of an event, story or idea.
  8. inciting incident,
  9. rising action,
  10. climax-  everything that the plot leads up to
  11. falling action– what happens after the climax and the plot/action calms down
  12. resolution
  13. denouement 
  14. Beginning / middle / end– the idea that every storyline is split into three components
  15. Equilibrium
  16. Disruption
  17. New equilibrium
  18. Peripeteia– change in fortune
  19. Anagnoresis– dramatic revelation
  20. Catharsis–  the idea that we are freed by consuming something
  21. The 3 Unities: Action, Time, Place
  22. flashback / flash forward
  23. Foreshadowing– the idea of hinting towards events further on in the storyline
  24. Ellipsis– a jump/missing out certain events in films.
  25. Pathos
  26. Empathy
  27. diegetic / non-diegetic
  28. slow motion

Physical Internal Structures:

Technical equipment (lighting, sound), actors, set, camera crew, software, writers, props, special effects, director, editors and costume designers

Theoretical Internal Structures:

Storyline, performance, generating emotions, events, characters, themes, genre, antagonist/ protagonist, linear/circular, start middle and end, time based, chronological, sequential and freytag pyramid.

Synopsis– A girl goes missing on a night out, her family and friends are all worried about her and file a missing police report. We are shown the trauma they go through. 2 years later her dead body is found, her ‘ghost’ haunts her family and friends. They then discover the body was not her. A group of her friends form together to be detectives and figure out that the ‘ghost’ was actually her asking them for help. They go on a quest to find her and end up finding her however she is very mentally damaged.

Todorov– presents a three part structure (beginning,middle,end)

Equilibrium

Disruption

New equilibrium

  • the stage of equilibrium
  • the conflict that disrupts this initial equilibrium
  • the way / ways in which the disruption looks to find new equilibrium
  • the denouement and/or resolution that brings about a new equilibrium