EVALUATION - Theories in relation to our media film

After the production of our film, we have found that many theories apply to our piece, namely those of Todorov, Strauss and Propp. It's interesting to note that we had no background knowledge of these beforehand, and in essence, have 'proved' these theories to be correct.
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Todorov's Theory

Tzvetan Todorov believed that there were 5 stages to a narrative structure,

• equilibrium (State of calm and normality)
• disruption (A stir of normality causing...)
• disequilibrium (State of negativity)
• reparation (An attempt to repair the damage)
• new equilibrium (Disequilibrium is resolved, causing a new state of being)

This theory doesn't only apply to film, but also many other media texts including books and even adverts. For example, the Gaviscon advert. Normal working day until, oh no! Heartburn. This has a clear effect on the person's life until she takes the medication. Almost immediately, the woman has recovered and can go about her daily life. Although a simple example, it portrays Todorov's theory well as his various points are clearly addressed in the advert.

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Propp

Vladimir Propp identified 32 categories of action called 'functions'. These are the characters of a media text. Alongside this he had 'sphere of action'. This is the role the functions/characters play.

• The Hero, who is on the quest
• The Villain, who opposes the hero
• The Donor, who helps the hero by giving them a magic tool
• The Dispatcher, who starts the hero on his way
• The False Hero, who tempts the hero away from his quest
• The Helper, who helps the hero
• The Princess, who is the reward for the hero
• The Father, who rewards the hero for his efforts

Although Propp's theory cannot be applied to all media texts, there are some which do conform to it. Our film for example can be argued to apply to this theory though some functions may be loosely attached.

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Levi-Strauss

Claude Levi-Strauss had the idea that the world was represented in opposites such as night/day, good/bad and light/dark (just to name a few). These kinds of opposites governed how media texts were structured as they often had the greatest impact as they were two extreme opposites. Most films focus around the idea of good/evil where the protagonist often fights against the antagonist. This theory can be tied into Propp's to create a bigger picture of the narrative structure of films.

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Barthes

Rolande Barthes had a concept of negotiated meaning between the institution and the audience. He believed the audience played a key part in understanding media texts and forming opinions of them due to their own experiences of the world and how it had affected them. With this in mind, the cultural consumption is just as important as the content of the text.

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These are a few theorists and their ideas on media texts and how their structure is formed. Although many are correct, there does seem to be some flaws in their logic, suggesting that you cannot apply their theories to different texts.

-Dale