2. Tzvetan Todorov’s theory of narrative
• Todorov proposed the theory that conventional narratives are structured in five
stages:
• First stage:
A state of equilibrium at the outset- meaning everything is regular and calm.
• Second stage:
A disruption of the equilibrium by some action- something changes, ruins the
calmness and begins to formulate the oncoming drama
• Third stage:
Disequilibrium- A recognition that there has been a disruption- It is established
that something is very wrong and that it needs to be corrected before the
equilibrium can be reinstated or reinvented
• Fourth stage:
An attempt to repair the disruption- The characters try to fix the problem in order to
regain the calm equilibrium or in order to produce a new equilibrium
• Fifth stage:
A reinstatement of the equilibrium or the creating of a new one- The equilibrium is
regained or a fresh equilibrium forms.
3. Ideas
• Characters:
• -Rosie Black (Main character) -A shy, slightly awkward
, unsociable 16 year old girl, who soon realises she has a
serious problem
• -Mum- Caring, kind, concerned for her daughter but
unable to communicate with her
• -Dad- Careless, doesn’t realise Rosie’s problems and her
being ‘different’ doesn’t strike him at all
• -Bully- Stereotypical girl bully-
Bitchy, rude, stupid, popular for all the wrong reasons
4. Film name ideas
• Film name:
• -Intruder
• -Unsounded
• -Alter
• -Perplex
• -Assent
• -Misidentify
• - Rosie Black
• -Cutting silence
6. Target audience and genre
• -Our target audience are males and females aged
from 15-19 as they would be most likely to
understand the main character mindset. If this
movie was being released it would be certified 15.
• -After much discussion, the genre we are focusing
on is psychological thriller. We concluded that it
may be challenging to create an effective
psychological thriller but we also know that if
done correctly- it’ll be good.
7. Our equilibrium (Stage One):
• Rosie is going home from school, she’s a pretty 16 year old. She’s
alone, people are rushing all around her but she holds on to her
books and looks down, people are laughing and having a good time
and the sun is shining but Rosie doesn’t fit in the picture. Then out of
nowhere a girl (who looks Rosie’s age) trips her up. She falls but
doesn’t say anything. The new girl makes some nasty
comments, spills her drink on Rosie, laughs with her friends and
walks off. Rosie is still for a while just thinking, but then she gets up
silently and carries on going home as if nothing has happened.
When getting home, Rosie’s mum tries to hug her and asks why there
is drink spilt on her clothes but she acts as if she’s really tired…just
then Dad walks in and silence falls. After some minor conversation
Mum and Dad start arguing (signs of on-coming domestic violence)
Rosie rushes upstairs, not knowing what to do.
8. Our disruption (Stage Two):
• Once in her room, Rosie fall to the floor and has a
breakdown, there is a flashback of her being
bullied and she closes her eyes tight. The she gets
up and rips down her wallpaper to reveal things
she has been drawing and writing on her wall (the
audience begin to see something not right) she
scribbles new diagrams all over her wall and then
eventually the screen fades and she’s asleep.
When she wakes up there’s hair all over the side
of her bed and she has scissors in her hand and
when she looks in the mirror her hair is
harshly, roughly cut up.
9. Our recognition (Stage Three):
• Things carry on becoming stranger. Another
scene shows the bully and Rosie being by there
selves and when the bully attempts to attack
her, Rosie kills her. Whilst killing the
bully, Rosie is chanting a rhyme that the
bullies used to taunt her with. As she is sitting
with the dead body, she ‘wakes up’ and realises
what she has done.
10. Our correction (Stage Four):
• Being very ashamed, confused and distraught
about what she has done ‘good Rosie’ decides
to buy the body away and try and forget the
death. It is getting colder and Rosie keeps
getting paranoid over every little
sound, sight, smell (foreshadowing the ‘bad
Rosies’ return).
11. Our new equilibrium (Stage Five):
• Rosie runs home it is late night and Mum is worried, when Rosie gets home she
wants to tell Mum everything and she is about to when Dad appears again and hits
Mum. They calm down, have some discussion but then the violence resumes. Rosie
is getting increasingly paranoid (hinting ‘bad’ Rosies return soon). Rosie leaves
and goes to her room- the weirdness continues and we are displayed what its like in
Rosie’s mind (from her POV). After a few hours, Rosie’s sneaks out of her
room, into the corridor (Mum and Dad are sleeping in different places) - Rosie goes
to Dad’s room (‘bad’ Rosie has returned) and kills him. Hearing the noises of
struggling, Mums rushes in to the room. This is followed by
screaming, crying, shouting, shock but Rosie is smiling. During her insane
fury, Mum reveals that Rosie is adopted. This results in Rosie snapping and in her
rage she kills Mum.
• Mum is 99% dead and the audience can hear her whimpering and Rosie has put her
& Dad’s bodies on either side, and is sitting in the middle. Rosie rocks backwards
and forwards whilst stroking Mums hair, saying ‘shh…’ and chanting the same
taunting rhyme as before. Outside the day has began and is bright like the start of
the narrative.
12. Trailer:
• Ideas for intertitles:
• ‘Trapped within herself’
• ‘Splitting soon’ instead of ‘Coming soon’
• ‘She never fit in’
• ‘HVOXO films tell you a story…’
• ‘Are you ready to meet her?’
• Movies name
• Release date
13. Music:
• -Happy music represents the equilibrium
• -A nursery rhyme-like chant that the bullies
use to taunt Rosie with and she later uses
herself
14. Ending
The ending of the trailer will consist of a shot
taken over Rosies left shoulder of her looking in
the mirror (she looks
normal, expressionless, calm) and then the
camera will pan around her and when it emerges
over her right shoulder Rosie is smiling in an evil
way. Here the screen fades and audiences think
the trailer is finished as the movies name appears
but then we the audience see cut-up photos of
Rosie all over the ground and hear heavy
breathing and screaming then the intertitle
‘Coming Soon’ appears.
