Narrative Theory

3 Key Terms:

 

Narrative: The structure of a story.

Diegesis: The fictional space and time implied by the narrative...the word in which the story takes place.

Verisimilitude: Literally - the quality of appearing to be real or true. for story to engage us it must appear to be real to us as we watch (the diegetic effect). The story must therefore have verisimilitude - following the rules of continuity (example - Mirrors by Justin Timberlake), temporal and spacial coherence.

Multi-Strated Narrative: Story form more than one person or two person stories.

Restricted narrative: One character story

Linear Narrative: Story is told chronologically - Beginning, middle and end.

Non-Linear: Opposite of linear.

 

Vladimir Propp : Characters

Born in1895, Russia was a soviet formalist scolar who analysed the narrative elements of Russian Folk Tales. One of the things that he discovered was that all characters could be catagorized into 7 different “Stock Characters”.

 

 Vladimir Propp’s List of Stock Characters:

 

The villan: Struggles against the hero.
The dispatcher: Character who sends the hero off.
The donor: Prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object.
The magical helper: Helps the hero in the quest.
The priness and her father: gives task to the hero, identifies the false hero, marriesw the hero, often sought for during the narrative.
The hero (or victim/seeker hero): Reacts to the doner, weds the princess.
False hero: Takes credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess

 He also has a 8 Point Structure that he belives is in every Fairtale:

 

Normality

Extrodinary

Avenge

Magical Agent

Good vs Evil

Hero Escapes

Final Task

Glory/Reward

 

23 categories of action over 30 character types with specific functions!

 

A2 Music Video: Stage 6: Hero - victim of love but eventually succeeds in forgetting and getting away from the girl who was his ex love.  we decided to do this as the lyrics suggested this, therefore making a link between visuals and lyrics.

from thr 8 point structure one rule that relates toward s the music video that we created is the hero escape. We see this in the end of the narrative when the male protagonist has finally escaped from his past relationship. Also another element that relates to the 8 point structure in the music video we created is the Glory/Reward, this is because the make is seen happy when he has finally moved on from his past love.
 

Pam Cook (1985): The Structure of the Classic Narrative

The standard Hollywood narrative structure should include:

Linearity: The cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution. (Biginning, middle and end in which something happens - cause and effect, enigmas and resolution)

A high degree of narrative closure.

A fictional world: Contains a vertisimilitude especiall governed by spatial and temporal coherence.



Tzuetan Todorov: The Five Stages of Narrative

He was interested in the way language is ordered to infer particular meaning and has been very influencial in the field of Narrative Theory.

Stage 1: A Point os stable equilibrium where everything is satisfied, clam and normal.
Stage 2: This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of disequilibrium.
Stage 3: Recognition that a disruption has taken place.
Stage 4: It is only possible to re-create equilibrium through action directed against the disruption.
Stage 5: Restoration of a new state equilibruim. the consequences of the reaction to change the world of the naarative and'or the characters so that the final state of equilibrium is not the same as the initial state.

A2 Music Video:  Challenged this theory the video does not start with a state of equilibrium, it starts with the protagonist running away from the girl who is his last love. we decided to do this because we thought that we should allow the audience to be easily draw into the narrative of the video and enjoy what is happening.

Roland Bathes (1977): CodesNarrative

Establishment of plot or theme. This is then the development of the problem (an enigma), an increase in tension which finally leads to the resolution of the plot.

These types of Narratives can be unambiguous and linear.

 Quote meaning ( look at sheet for quote): Theres no beginning or end, it goes on and on depending on what you interpret the narrative into.

Claude Levi-Strauss (1958): Binary Oppositions

 his ideas about narrative amount to the fact that he believed all stories operated to certain clear Binary Opposites, for example good vs evil, black vs white or rich vs poor etc.
The importance of these ides is that essentially a complicated world is reduced to simple either/or structure. This are either right or wrong, good or bad. There is no in between!

An Example: Beyonce - If I Were A Man has boy/Girl, Black/White, Strong/Weak, Danger/Safety, Social/Anti-Social

A2 Music Video: Binary Opposites
1. Dull vs Bright
2.Party vs Depression
3. Boy vs Girl
4. Running vs Walking
5. Happy vs Sad
6. Defeat vs Victory

7. War vs Peace

Collective Identity Case Study: Grange Hill

 Grange Hill

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin

Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
(e.g. stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop). [this is also known as iconography]

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

There are often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Semiotics

Introduction to  Semiotics

Semiology is an attempt to create a science of the study of signs, systems and their role in the construction and reconstruction of meaning in media texts.

Theorist: Rolan Barthes, Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Pierce.

Semiotics is "the study of signs that help us deconstruct Media Texts". What this means is that we look at representations within media texts

Codes
A system of signs, languages or symbols that allow audiences to decode meaning. In simpler terms, this is a collaboration of signs to implement a meaning behind it. Examples usually derive from technical and symbolic codes, or narrative codes.
In our music video we used varies shots of the man protagonist to show his emotions and feeling towards his love and him running away.
Connotations
The various meanings/suggestions produced by the sign. For example, in our music video created in A2 we used the dance floor to represent the po genre and how it is seen in other music videos (bright colourful uplifting). Our dancefloor helps create a happy mood within the audience.

Decoding
The Process where meaning is deconstructed or 'read' by audiences

Denotation
The physical form of the sign.

Collective Identities: Stuart Hall

Stuart Hall

 

Stuart Hall- Born: Kingston, Jamaica 1932 is a cultural theorist and sociologist.

Theory: Stuart Hall states our personal cultural background influences the way in which we consume media.

Collective Identity: David Gauntlett

David Gauntlett

Theory: " Identity is complicated- everybody thinks they've got one"- David Gauntlett

Key Words:

Representation: the way reality is 'mediated' or 're-presented to us.
Collective Identity: the individuals sense of belonging to a group (part of personal identity)
Mediation
Reality ^^^^ Media
(Exaggeration Sterotypes)

David Gauntlett a professor of media and communications at Westminister Univeristy, author of several books including Media, Gender and Identity (2002) In 2007 he was shortlisted for young acdemic author of the year.

Gauntlett believes you can express your identity in a creative form. For example the lego pieces

Uses and Graification theory

The Thoery: Emerged in the early 70's by theorists known as Elihum Katz, Jay Bulmer and Michael Gurevitch.

They Believe: 'We all have different uses for media and we make choices over what we want to watch'

Four key uses:

1) Information: Find out about society, to satisfy your curiosity.

2) Personal Identity: People watch television in order to look for models for our behaviour

3) Intergration and Social Interation: Use media to find out about the circumstances of other people.
4) Entertainment: For enjoyment or relaxation.

Collective Identity: Stanley Cohen

 

Stanley Cohen 1987 - Moral Panic Theory

"When a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as threat to societal values and interests."

Mods and Rockers

Stanley Cohen looked at societal reaction disturbances involving the Mods and Rockers, which took place in Clacton over Easter Bank holiday in 1964. Mass Media presented the disturbances as a confrontation between "rival gangs"- "hell ben on distruction". Cohen discovered that the amount of vandalism and violence was not that great. In fact Mass Media exaggerated the confrontation and the cameras didn't even get there till the day after. The Mods and Rockers created threat to norms and values fights between their vespers and motor bikes. The media helped plan the next incident in Whitton, by asking "when will this happen again". It was believed that the Mods and Rockers only made the headlines because there was nothing else to cover that day. The Media coverage led to public concern with the Mods and Rockers, this set in motion a deviance set in motion spiral.

Deviant act occurs
Defines as a crime
Operational of news values (Selective)
Crime as news (Selective)

Deviance amplification (Public, News or Crime Control)

Moral Panic - The Law and order campaign

Public defination of crime

The 5 stages leading to moral panic:

1.Someone or somthing is defined as a threat to normal values

2.Threat is depicted as a sterotype by the media
3.A rapid build up of media interest arouses public cocern
4.Authorities respond to threat
5.The panic results in social change

According to Goode and Ben yemuda (1994) the major characteristics of moral panic are the following:

Concern
Hostility- "them and us" Devision in society
Concensus- agreement through society
Disprorpertionality
Volability - the moral panic blows up but quickly short lived

Other moral panics:

1970's- Mugging
1980's- Football hooliganism/skin heads
1990's- Rave Culture, paedophile
2000's- hoodies, binge drinking, terroism

 

Two Step Flow Theory

Two-Step Flow

 

 

Paul Lazarsfeld, Bernard Berelson, and Hazel Gaudet analysed the voters' decision-making processes during a 1940 presidential election campaign and published their results in a paper called The People's Choice. Their findings suggested that the information does not flow directly from the text into the minds of its audience unmediated but is filtered through "opinion leaders" who then communicate it to their less active associates, over whom they have influence.

The theory suggest that information through media texts does not flow directly from the text into the minds of the audience unmediated, however is filters through 'Opinion Leaders'. Which is used to express how they feel, therefore leading audience to be influenced differently by the Opinion Leaders than they would by the media.

 

Opinion Leader is a leader for a certain group who gives details and information to lesser active persons in the group.  For example in a office the manager will give information to other head of departments who tfrom there will take the information a change it to their own words and tell the rest of the department. an opinion leader is a leader only for their own group not for all.
 

Katz and Paul seems “the flow of media messages from radio and print to opinion leaders and then the leaders leads the messages to lesser active users in the population”. Through this transformation of message, the leaders may add their opinion on the actual content which may affects the low active users.

 

Main Critism:

• Media measseges reach Opinion Leaders first then passed to followers ( Graphic representation)
• The notion of an Opinion Leader - Certain characteristics make an Opinion Leader but it is not essential that it depends on the 'Subject Matter'
Katz and Lazarsfeld suggest that people are either active Opinion Leaders or passive followers of Opinion Leaders. Also their research is qidely accepted and still highly influential for example advertising is a 'word of month' (best form)

David Buckingham

 

David Buckingham Born 28 January 1930

Discovering the depth of Identity: David Buckingham explores the development of how individuals understand the concept of identity. As a child identity is seen as a simple concept where by a child will simply differentiate between male and female genders

According to David Buckingham, as we grow older our understanding of identity becomes very complex no longer a simple method of just establishing gender.

He notes there has hardly been any empirical research on the ways in which real audiences might understand genre or use this understanding in making sense on specific texts.

He believes that 'Media text reply on audience knowledge of generic codes and conventions in order to create meaning'

Buckingham argues..."Genre is not simply given by the culture, rather it is in a constant process of negotiation and change"

 

In this video we see a protrayal of a sterotypical view of females. We see the in the music video of how the protagonist is domesticated from looking after her child, the house as well as having a the craving for her husbands attention. From the lyrics used in the music video we are seeing woman to only cater for their husbnd and child and not do anything else.

 

 

On the other hand in this music video the female is been protrayed in a different way even with the name of the song it shows that woman are idenpendant. This video allows woman to have more to their life then just catering towards the family, showing how they can have a career.

 

Genre

What is Genre?

Genre is a text wchich is identified through key elements or paradigms, that have occured or can occur within other texts of the same genre. There are many types of genres in the music industry for example Rock, Pop, Dance etc.

Paradigms may be grouping into the following:

Iconography: The main signs and symbolys that you see.

Structure: Ways in whcih the text has been put together and the different shapes that it takes forward.

Narrative: The story that has been created in a constructive format such as predictable situations, conflicts, obstacles and resolutions.

Identity: this can sometimes be a sterotype or similar types of characters, roles, qualities or behaviour seen.

Theme: This is the idea and issues that it deals with.

Christopher Metz

Christian Metz (December 12 1931 - September 7 1993) was a French film theorist.

Metz believed that there's a strucure which people must follow in order for the audience to enjoy the film.

 

These 4 stages where:

Stage 1: Experimentation: The early stages - setting up buildint blocks for future texts of the genre. This is when the generic genre. This is when the generic codes + conventions are being developed

 

Stage 2: Classic: Text which become seen as ironic of the set codes and conventions

 

Stage 3: Parody: Media texts which mock the codes and conventions of the genre, becoming farical

Stage 4: Deconstruction: Text which begin to unpick the well established codes and conventions to form hybrids and often 'unconventional' texts from the genre

Gunther Kress

 

Gunther Kress Born 29th November 1940. He is a professor of semiotics and education at the Institute of education of the University of London.

 

Theory: 'Genre envoles with society'.
 
Kress believes that the sequencing to staging (Metz Theory) is relevant. He also feels that genre changes and new genres are developed when situations begin to recur. If genre entirely overlaps in other social processes, it means that unless we view society itself as static then neither social structures, social processes nor therefore genre are static.
 

He argues that genre only exists in so far as a social group declares and enforced the rules.

Interpreter

Producer

Text

 

Genres provide a frameworks where texts are produced and are interpreted. Kress believes that texts are full of assumptions of the ideal reader such as their attitude toward a certain matter which could be based on ethnicity, class, ages and gender etc.

Two examples of how societal beliefs have changed over two decades:

The way in which woman are protayed:

 

 

2005: Artist - 50cent Song - Candy Shop

 

In this music video woman are protrayed to be inferior to men and are seen in a very sexual way. We see in this music video a mansion full of woman with large breasts wearing lingerie, this is typing to protray the vision on the playboy manision. We also see that the only male protagonist is the video is 50cent who is surrounded by these half naked woman. By using a variety of closes up of the woman the artist is trying to create a sexual scene.

  

 

2011: Artist - Nicki Minaj Song - Superbass

 

From looking at the 50cent video we are able to see that woman are seen inferior however six years later Nicki Minaj's video Superbass shows a whole different idea to how woman are seen. In the music video she is seen to be dominant. We are able to see how she is surrounded by half naked males. Also the song is rap based, showing the audience that woman can have something in common with men.

 

 

Violance:

 

 

2000: Artist - Eminem Song - Kim

 

In this video we see how Eminem hates his ex-wife and how he has hatred for woman through the lyrics of this song. From the lyrics we are able to see how the artist wants to murder her. This video is mostly based on domestic violance caused by a man leading to the woman suffering.





 

 

2011: Artist - Rihanna Song - Man Down

 

On the other hand the video Man Down by Rihanna portrays how music videos have shifted with time, as it is about a women shooting a man who raped her the night before. The video shows causing suffering to the male instead of the female.