Planning: Narrative & Plot

Narrative:
For the narrative and plot of my short film I decided to explore the idea of a stalker following someone. This is quite a classic feature of horror films and can be seen a lot, often girls are followed home when it's dark and no one else is around. I first began to think about someone being followed outside as they are walking somewhere but I think this is quite an obvious route. So it is instead set at a young girls home where the stalker appears. I think this idea will have a greater effect on audiences as it becomes more intrusive and relatable. I think audiences will feel more intimidated by the plot because it unfolds in a normal house.
The plot of my film involves a lot of mystery and gaps that need to be filled by the audience by them interpreting it in their own way. At the beginning the stalker is shown to be at the window of every room the girl is in. This then jumps to him being in the house and in her room. Then he leaves and an empty house is seen. I think the mystery created by this narrative structure for the audiences is a good thing as they will come up with their own ideas. No one knows why he is there, how he gets in or what happens to the girl, this is completely left for the audience to individually interpret. The absence of any dialogue also contributes to the mystery created.
I think the narrative i have created is quite simple but I feel this is an important element when creating a short film. As you only have a short amount of time to showcase a full plot to the audience I think keeping the narrative simple is key. So in doing so I think my short film will be easier for the audience to follow and keep up with, whilst the mysterious elements of plot will keep them engaged.

Todorov's Theory:
The narrative of my short film fits in well with Todorov's narrative theory that a film contains an equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. I wanted to ensure this structure was present in my film to make it easier for audiences to follow. The equilibrium is the young girl being stalked, then the disequilibrium comes through when the stalker comes into the house and her bedroom, this develops into a new equilibrium as he leaves and the girl is missing.