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.

Todorov's Theory

Narrative Theory
Todorov produced a theory explaining the narrative of a film. He stated that there are different stages which the narrative goes through; equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. He also mentioned several techniques that can be seen used in films:
Mode of Address - How the audience is addressed through the film. This may be through direct address/dialogue, voice over or written narrative.
Enigma - Presenting a puzzle that needs to be solved and so teasing the audience.
Action Code - Narrative device where a resolution is produced through action.
Linear Narrative - Plot that moves forward in a straight line with no flashbacks or discretion.
Parallel Action - Cutting between two scenes so they are seen as happening at the same time.
Anti-narrative - When there is a deliberate disruption to the narrative flow to achieve a particular effect, this could be through the repetition of images or disruption of a chronological sequence of events.

Examples in a Short Film: The Last Man On Earth
The short film 'The Last Man On Earth' shows some of the qualities mentioned in Todorov's theory.

At this point in the film there is a mode of address seen through the eye contact made by the character. The audience can empathise here and feel a deeper connection with the character. The character's eyes show sorrow and despair which makes the audience feel this also because of the eye contact.

Here there is a use of enigma in the short film where the audience are teased. The phone rings which makes us think the man is not alone on Earth. But the audience are teased as the man doesn't answer the phone so we don't find out if he is the last man on earth or not.

The short film also has a linear narrative running through it. The plot flows throughout and isn't disrupted by any other narrative. The story of this man's last few moments on Earth are told as he thinks he is the only person left. then his phone rings but it's already too late as he has already taken pills to kill himself.