Theorys - Linked back to own trailer

Blumer and Katz - Uses and gratifications theory. There are 4 uses and gratifications and they are

• Diversion - Which is the entertainment pleasure that the audience get from the programme.
In my trailer diversion was used when the character Millie falls over the banana skin infront of Jack, this is funny for the audience as they know they she has just fallen over and embarrased herself in front of him.
• Surveillance - All of the recent news stories and articles.
In my own trailer teenagers are shown as being bitchy and arrogant, this represents what some teenagers now a days are like as they are growing up.
• Personal Identity - Something that you can relate to as an audience for example the characters or the situations that are happening within the programme.
The relationship narrative of my storyline between the characters Millie and Jack is a very stereotypical one, Millie (the new girl) falls for Jack (the most popular boy in school). She tells him that she likes him and he doesn't know how to respond so he doesnt which upsets Millie, they dont talk for a few weeks, then Jack goes after Millie at a party to express his feelings for her, however she is with another boy, they fight and it ends up with Millie and Jack leaving together. They go off and talk then, they then fall in love. This is relatble for our target audience as they may have gone through similar experiences themselves.
• Personal Relationships - Social, for example discussing programmes with friends

Barthes theory - Barthes believed that all stories and films included certain codes, these codes are enigma codes and action codes. His theory was that an enigma code was a clue towards something that is going to happen and an action code is something that tells you what is going to happen next in the story. The enigma code in my own film is the uncertainty of Jack will pick to go out with, with all of the girls after him and trying to win him over it.  

Levi Strauss - His theory was binary opposition, for example good vs bad, old vs young and urban and rural. He believed that the word did not depend on the direct meaning of them, but by our understanding of the word and its opposite. Which he knew as binary opposition.

Stuart Hall - 
focused on the audience positioning and the interpretation of media texts from different social groups. His theory was that there is three ways in which we read texts. Dominant/preferred reading, negotiated reading and oppositional reading. Dominant/preferred reading means that the audience will read the text in the way that the author wanted them to. Negotiated reading means that the audience or reader will partially believe the code but they may change it slightly to reflect their own interests and experiences. Oppositional reading means that the audiences social position will put them in a position where they are in an opposite relation to the dominant code.
Vladmir Propp - The Villain - Charlotte, the popular female character. Tries to prevent Millie from speaking to Jack.

The Hero - Jack, as he tries to rebuild the connection between himself and Millie after he realises that he messed up before.

The Donor - The character Jack when he goes to look for Millie to tell her how he really feels towards her.

The Helper - The character Ben would be known as the 'helper' in my film, he is good friends with Jack all the way through until the very end of the film where the pair fight over Millie.

The Princess/Reward - Millie, the new girl within the school.

The Despatcher -In my own film there isn't really anyone that sets Millie off to try and get Jack's attention and likewise there isn't really anyone that sets Jack off to try and get Millie Back at the end of the film. If there was to be a despatcher it would be Jack as he goes after Millie when she goes to the party to tell her how he feels.

The False Hero - Ben, the boy that Millie goes to the party with. Tries to convince Millie to go out with him rather than Jack.

Tzvetan Todorov - Equilibrium - All of the girls around school love Jack, Charlotte(the popular female) sets her mind on going out with Jack and also going to prom with him. Disruption - A new girl named Millie moves to the school, Millie notices Jack and begins to realise who he is and she falls for him. The pair then get put together in a group to work on a science project. Reaction to the Disruption - Millie tells Jack that she really likes him, Jack doesn't know how to react as he thought that they were just good friends. This leads to Millie ignoring Jack and hiding from him for a few weeks. Attempt to Repair - After finally realising that he does like her back Jack goes to talk to Millie, however she has already gone to a party with Ben. Jack then goes to find Millie to express how he feels towards her. Jack finds Millie with Ben and then a fight breaks out between Jack and Ben. Millie then decides to leave with Jack so that they can talk. New Equilibrium - Jack and Millie express how they feel towards each other and decide to start going out.

Propp and Todorov

Vladimir Propp was a russian theorist who analysed folk stories. He argued that whatever surface differences there might be in stories, it was possible to group together all characters into eight characters roles. The eight groups that he believed characters could be sorted into were the following;

• The Villain - Who is known to be the character that tries to prevent the 'hero' from reaching their target or goals.
• The Hero - Commonly known as the main character within the film, will set out on a quest/mission. Usually in an attempt to save someone or something.
• The donor - Is the character that provides an essential object within the film that helps to reveal things that the audience may not know about.
• The Helper - Character that is with the 'hero' throughout the film, helps the hero along the way and sticks by them.
• The Princess - This role could be represented in various different ways, the character could literally be a princess, for example like Maid Marian in Robin Hood. However the princess could also be the prize for the hero at the end of his quest/mission, or she could be the object of the villains bad deeds.
• The father of the princess - Father of the princess within the film who presents the hero with his reward at the end of his quest.
• The despatcher - This is the character that sets the hero on his quest at the beginning of the film.
• The false hero - The character that tries to prevent the hero from completing his quest by attempting to divert him away from his task. 

 I have used Propp's theory and applied it to the characters within the film Shrek and these are the roles that i have given to the characters.
The Hero of the film is Shrek. This is because it is quest to try and find out why the fairytale creatures are illegally camping outside of the swamp.

The Villain of the film is Lord Farquaad because it was him that sent the fairytale creatures to the swamp. Lord Farquaad then sends Shrek to save the princess from the castle, promising him a reward of his swamp back.

The Donor of the film is not a specific character however it is a magical dragon who prevents the wedding of Farquaard and Fiona when Shrek realises that he is in love with Fiona and that she is an ogre aswell. 

The Helper of the film is Donkey who sticks by Shrek and supports him throughout the duration of his quest.

The princess of the film is Fiona who is saved by Shrek, who she then believes will be her prince. However Shrek tells her that Farquaad is to be her prince.

The father of the princess is Fiona's father who suggests that Fiona should marry Farquaad rather than Shrek.

The despatcher of the film is Farquaad as he is the one who sets Shrek off on a quest to save the princess Fiona.

The false hero is also Farquaad. He earned the princess although he sent Shrek off to save her rather than him going to save her. However Shrek and Fiona fall in love.


The next theory that I have looked at is Tzvetan Todorov's theory on narrative. 

Todorov believed that all narratives, eg; books, films, plays etc.. have 5 main stages in them. These 5 stages are;

• An Equilibrium - Story begins, shows the normal life of the characters in the story
• A disruption to the story, this could be an event that changes something in the storyline.
• A recognition that the disruption has taken place.
• An attempt to repair the disruption, someone trying to sort out the situation in the story.
• A new equilibrium - a new storyline begins, alternatively the old storyline could go back to normal after the disruption has been resolved.