Video - Film Opening: Narrative and Genre

I then started to look at film opening because it would be important for me when coming to choose what genre i would like to produce and how i could produce it. We looked at 'Dog Soldiers' to see how the film used there genre and what conventions they used, also looking at the narrative structure. I then noticed that 'Dog Soldiers' is a Horror/Action hybrid. in terms of horror it's sub-genre is a werewolf movie. This is because of the things within the movie which connote the film as a werewolf movie, for example, a solid silver knife, set in the woods, full moon and howling noises.

This film has a clear use of binary opposition which shapes the audiences understanding of the narrative structure, an example of this good against evil, as well as using proppian character functions, we feel that the sergeant is the villain because he killed the dog and that the hero in the film is the man who stands up against him. There is a clear use of the todorovian stage for example there is an equilibrium when the couple are finding things normal enjoying their time together until, the Werewolf attacks the characters in the tent which is the disruption also when the sergeant shoots the dog there is also a disruption.

Because of these generic and narrative structures the audience can predict what is likely to happen. This means that they can feel more confident of the characters and the plot of the story. It would also give them pleasure to try and work out what will happen during the film.

I will need to use these structures in the opening of my film if i am to allow the audience to predict what will happen during the film and so they can recognise who is the villain and the hero's within my opening to my film and how the disruptions are solved.