Theory

There are two main theories that can be applied to films and their trailers;

Todorov (1969): Todorov's theory suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium, and equilibrium again. An equilibruim is a stable situation, which in this situation could be the scene setting and happy ending of a film. Therefore disequilibrium is the opposite of this; it is the loss of control and stability in the equilibrium, such as things going wrong for the characters. A lot of films will follow this theory, such as Back To The Future and The Number 23. However both our film and trailer do not follow this theory; we end both without a second equilibrium. Our trailer is left to end in disequilibrium to keep it thrilling through to the end, which will keep the audience's attention and make the film more exciting and desirable to watch. Our film is also left in disequilibrium because a sequal is to follow, so the audience is left wanting more and will therefore want to watch the follow up film.

Propp (1969): Propp's 'theory of character' suggests that there are certain types of character, and these characters crop up most in film narratives. The most important of these are the hero, the villain, and the doner. A complex example of this theory is The Dark Knight; while Batman is the main hero and The Joker is the main villain, the character Harvey Dent starts out in the film as a hero, but slowly progresses into a villain throughout. Both our film and trailer follow this theory. They both feature the 'main characters' most often and have specific and obvious character types.