My chosen Brief : Conventions of a Music Video

Narrative Theories

 

Narrative is the way in which a story is told in both fictional and non-fictonal media texts. Most music videos are told in the form of a narrative which tells a story in a structured way which the audience take in and understand. There are many theories regarding narrative.

 

Propp:

Vladimir Propp analysed hundreds of Russian fairytales and proposed it was possible to classify characters into defined roles. Films such as Star Wars and Star Trek fit his model precisely, but many more recent films do not.

 

Propps Character Roles:

 

The Hero – seeks something

The Villain – against the hero

The Donor – helps the hero

The Dispatcher – sends the hero on his way

The False Hero – falsely assuming the role of hero

The Helper –  who supports the hero

The Princess – the reward for the hero but who also needs protecting

 

Her Father

 

Barthes:

Roland Barthes suggests narrative works with Five different codes which enforces the audience to make sense of it.

Action- resolution produced throuh actions

Enigma- teases the audience by presenting a puzzle (delays the story's ending)

Symbolic - connotation

Semic- denotation

Cultural- a narrative device which the audience make sense of/recongise as part of culture.

 

Torodov:

Tzevetan Torodov propes most narratives start with a state of equilibrium in which life is 'normal'. This normal state is usually interupted by an outside force which has to be fought to keep a state of equilibrium.

Stage 1 – Equilibrium

Stage 2 –Disequilibrium

Stage 3 –Recognition

Stage 4 –Reparation

Stage 5 –New Equilibrium