Narrative

Narrative Theory
- The way in which a story is told in both fictional and non fictional ways.

Narrative explores the conventions:
- Genre
- Character
- Form
- Time

Linear Structure 

Beginning - - Middle - - End - -

Open Structure - The audience are left to wonder what happens next

Closed Structure - Definite Ending

Circular Structure - The narrative begins at the end events. The audience are taken on a journey arriving back where they started

Complex Narrative Structure - Today's narratives have become complex as producers know audience have a greater sense of media literacy.

Restricted Narrative - The information is withheld from the audience.

Unrestricted Narrative - What the audience are assumed to know.

In my Music Video, I believe that there is a narrative throughout the whole video, however it goes against a linear structure, there is no beginning, middle and end. The video is left open, so the audience are left thinking about the video. As my video is about the relationship of two sisters, there is no male presented in the video. Therefore the video goes against Vladimir Propp’s idea of their being substantial characters in the video. Therefore I believe my video goes against a conventional music video, which adds more depth and to leave the audience again to think about the message I was trying to achieve. My video does follow Tzvetan Tordorov theory that most narratives begin with a state of equilibrium. The video starts off with the female character simply playing the piano. The state of equilbrium continues throughout the piece, and this is reinforced with the use of mise en scene and lighting. The fact that the mise en scene is very normal, nothing out of the ordinary, and the same with the lighting, the fact that it is ambient mainly throughout, except the use of black and white. The characters are in normal clothing, again reiterating the state of equilibrium. However, there is no conflict in my video, that then leads to a new equilibrium, the main message of the sisters close relationship is presented throughout. I achieved this purposefully as the song contains strong lyrics, that may effect some of my targeted audience, there was no need to add conflict to the upset of the video, the happiness contrasts with the sadness. Roland Barthes theory that suggests that the narrative works with five different codes does link in with my music video. Action Code, which suggests that the audience knows the narrative and doesn’t need explaining, does link in with my video to a degree. The fact the audience does know that the narrative is sad; which was suggested when I gave my audience a questionnaire of the video, they understood the sadness of it. As the song is about ‘Cancer’ and ‘Treasuring Time with your loved ones’, I wanted the narrative to be about loosing someone, however, many of my audiences didn’t actually get the fact that one of the characters had cancer, so I would say that this fits in with the Enigma Code, the fact that something is hidden from the audience, although this wasn’t done deliberately. I believe the narrative also works with a Semic Code, something that the audience recognises through connotations. I believe the use of the two sisters playing outside, and the affection they give towards each other, makes the audience realise that there is a connection between the two characters. I have also used a Symbolic Code, something that symbolises a more abstract concept. In the video when one of the characters is dancing, and the other character is simply watching. The dance actually symbolises the character letting out all her emotions, that it actually presents resentment. Whilst the other character is watching, it again suggests their bond, but also the collapse of it too.