Narrative and film industry

What is narrative?
The way in which a story is told to the audience. When analysing narrative we must consider:
1. The order that the information is told to the audience
2. Any narrative devices used
3. The structure of the plot
4. The character types used

Narrative theory I need to understand.
I must have a good understanding of certain theories (explained later on) and I must know certain exam techniques. For example, I need to apply terminology in analysis of narrative conventions and consider the narrative devices my texts use and how these devices and the structure are appropriate for the genre and format of case studies. One or more of my case studies may use conventional or non-linear storytelling techniques and I must explain why this may be, relating back to the production context and target audience.

Narrative theories.
Syd Field's Three-Act Structure = Field identified that there were three acts to most stories:
Act 1                                           Act 2                                              Act 3
(25%)                                         (50%)                                            (25%)
Set-up                |                  Development             |                    Resolution
                Turning Point 1                             Turning Point 2

Todorov's Theory of Disequilibrium = Todorov's ideas were very similar however he defined the three acts as:
Equilibrium        -        Disequilibrium        -        Re-equilibrium

Propp's Spheres of Action = The main theory of Propp's is the characters he identified, which he called the spheres of action. Propp studied fairytales and spotted these recurring roles in many of the stories. Hollywood and many other film producers often use a fairy-tale structure for their films:
Hero - the protagonist who is sent on a quest and saves the day
Villain - the antagonist whose mission is to disrupt the hero's quest
Princess - must be saved by the hero or is the hero's reward
Helper - the hero's sidekick who helps them throughout the mission
Donor - gives the hero something crucial without which they couldn't complete the mission
Dispatcher - sends the hero on their quest
Anti-hero - may appear to be on the villain's or the hero's side

Levi Strauss' Binary Opposites = Strauss expresses that narratives are always centred on binary opposites, by which he means things that are complete polar opposites. Some examples of binary opposites include good/evil, dark/light, small/big, etc.

Roland Barthes' Codes = Barthes identified a number of codes that are used in narratives to allow the audience to understand the plot development.
Action codes - things that happen that dictate an action that will occur. E.G. a character placing their hand on a gun signifies that they are likely to shoot.
Enigma codes - things that are seen tat raise questions for the audience. E.G. an important letter falling out of a character's pocket, who will pick it up? what does it say? what will happen to them?
Cultural codes - objects or places that are seen that allow the audience to identify quickly with a specific culture. E.G. the inclusion of the Eiffel Tower alerts the audience that they are in France, or a yellow taxi dictates New York.