Their purpose is that they provide a way of telling stories about ourselves- not usually our own personal story but rather a story of us 'collectively' as a society or set of cultures.
The narrative theory was designed to show that what we experience when we read a story is to understand a particular set of constructions or conventions, and it is important to be aware of how these elements fit together.
How does it apply to my work?
Above I have a diagram of structure and notes I taken from Class. Prior to coming up with an idea, I went to consult my teacher about it and I was taught 'The Narrative Theory' and how I can use it to structure my idea.
From Understanding the Narrative Theory and how it applies to Synopsis, there has to be an equilibrium or balance between opposing forces. My film 'Strangers Amongst Us' is set on planet earth (emphasis is focused mainly in the UK), so in my case there is a balance between the inhabitants (humans) in planet earth (who are the Protagonists in the story) and the intergalatic alien creatures creatures from deep space (Antagonists).
The next process is that there is a disruption in the equilibrium, things are no longer balanced (the humans interefered with alien culture or aliens invaded earth). In my Story, which is set in present times, the disruption in equilibrium actually started 30 years ago when a UFO which crashed into the River Humber (just a few metres off the Southern Coast of Hull). The UFO, which contained creatures foreign to planet earth had been shot down by Military Personnel and quarantined.
Re-equilibrium had happened from that very moment and the threat was neutralized immediately, only thing is that the general public had no idea what the object was, Official News reports from the government claimed that 'it was just a telecommunications satellite,' when in fact that wasn't the truth. A top secret scientific research group called NWRD (New World Research & Development) which works with the government would continue to keep the beasts in quarantine where they would perform very dangerous experiments which involved genetic modefication with human DNA.
Interestingly enough, it is actually the humans which would cause the disruption in equilibrium (2nd disruption) when 30 years later this procedure would prove to become disasterous when an experiment goes wrong, triggering a massive explosion of one of the main generators which powered the facility, causing damage to one of the cells which contained the genetically modified creatures. The beasts, which were cloned and have multiplied in numbers are now free to roam planet earth, cause havoc by making contact with their intergalatic bretheren who will then invade earth causing widespread damage. I find this really interesting because it's like there's two thing's happening here at once, two things which caused a disruption in the equilibrium, although the main one was the explosion in the laboratory.
Now it is up to three PHD students who were part of this project (but had left a few months prior to the catastrophe) along with assistance from the government and the military to save the world. They do this by taking DNA samples from infected humans to find a reverse/cure, this is the 'quest' aspect of the narrative theory as the humans are attempting to repair the damage which was made.
Everything will be back to normal (this is the re-equilibrium aspect of my Synopsis) when Military forces across the world destroy the alien forces with the assistance of the PHD students who found a cure for the millions of people that were infected across the world. Even though there is a balance again, the equilibrium at this time is different from the way it was from the very start. Something happened (explosion from experiment, beasts escaping) caused something else to happen (alien creatures contacting their alien brethren and infecting millions across the world) - This is the 'cause & effect.' In the end of my story it turns out that the NWRD will become defunct, no longer in operation and the government will work more closely with the general public - this means that even though things are balanced again, it is not the same and things have changed.
From Understanding the Narrative Theory and how it applies to Synopsis, there has to be an equilibrium or balance between opposing forces. My film 'Strangers Amongst Us' is set on planet earth (emphasis is focused mainly in the UK), so in my case there is a balance between the inhabitants (humans) in planet earth (who are the Protagonists in the story) and the intergalatic alien creatures creatures from deep space (Antagonists).
The next process is that there is a disruption in the equilibrium, things are no longer balanced (the humans interefered with alien culture or aliens invaded earth). In my Story, which is set in present times, the disruption in equilibrium actually started 30 years ago when a UFO which crashed into the River Humber (just a few metres off the Southern Coast of Hull). The UFO, which contained creatures foreign to planet earth had been shot down by Military Personnel and quarantined.
Re-equilibrium had happened from that very moment and the threat was neutralized immediately, only thing is that the general public had no idea what the object was, Official News reports from the government claimed that 'it was just a telecommunications satellite,' when in fact that wasn't the truth. A top secret scientific research group called NWRD (New World Research & Development) which works with the government would continue to keep the beasts in quarantine where they would perform very dangerous experiments which involved genetic modefication with human DNA.
Interestingly enough, it is actually the humans which would cause the disruption in equilibrium (2nd disruption) when 30 years later this procedure would prove to become disasterous when an experiment goes wrong, triggering a massive explosion of one of the main generators which powered the facility, causing damage to one of the cells which contained the genetically modified creatures. The beasts, which were cloned and have multiplied in numbers are now free to roam planet earth, cause havoc by making contact with their intergalatic bretheren who will then invade earth causing widespread damage. I find this really interesting because it's like there's two thing's happening here at once, two things which caused a disruption in the equilibrium, although the main one was the explosion in the laboratory.
Now it is up to three PHD students who were part of this project (but had left a few months prior to the catastrophe) along with assistance from the government and the military to save the world. They do this by taking DNA samples from infected humans to find a reverse/cure, this is the 'quest' aspect of the narrative theory as the humans are attempting to repair the damage which was made.
Everything will be back to normal (this is the re-equilibrium aspect of my Synopsis) when Military forces across the world destroy the alien forces with the assistance of the PHD students who found a cure for the millions of people that were infected across the world. Even though there is a balance again, the equilibrium at this time is different from the way it was from the very start. Something happened (explosion from experiment, beasts escaping) caused something else to happen (alien creatures contacting their alien brethren and infecting millions across the world) - This is the 'cause & effect.' In the end of my story it turns out that the NWRD will become defunct, no longer in operation and the government will work more closely with the general public - this means that even though things are balanced again, it is not the same and things have changed.
