Narrative in Music Videos!

By Katie Mallows, Sophie Dixon and Asa Newmarch (best till last)

Narrative is one of Andrew Goodwin’s three main theories, along with performance and concept. • The theory allows the music video to come to life and

can either be fragmented or linear. • Linear videos get from point A to point B with no hassle. • However most narrative based videos during this day

and age tend to be fragmented meaning that they have an incomplete narrative.

• Leaving you, the viewer to figure out the rest of the story.

I am Goodwin!!

The Four Main Narrative Theories

Todorov: This involves a media text being split into five different stages, with the characters involved and the narrative itself following the different stages.

Equilibrium: The state where everything is normal.

Disequilibrium: This is where the regular balance is disrupted by an unknown cause.

Recognition: The disequilibrium is recognized by the characters.

Reparation: An attempt is made to fix the balance.

A new equilibrium is then born, until the next disequilibrium comes along (in terms of TV shows, film and game franchises).

Vladmir Propp

This theory is based on seven prime character functions.

Protagonist: Seeking answers or goal.

Antagonist: Prime obstacle for the protagonist.

Princess: Reward of the hero.

“Father”: Giver of reward.

Donor: Gives advice and “magical object”.

Helper: Provides support for the protagonist.

Dispatcher: Sends the protagonist on the quest.

False Hero: Claims everything that the hero has/does.

Claude Levi-Strauss

After studying a number of myths from around the world, Levi-Strauss came up with a theory that all narratives are structured around the conflict of binary opposites. Binary opposites are two theatrical opposites which are defined and have a different contrast to each other.

I’ve still got it!

Examples of Binary Opposites

Good v Evil Nature v Technology Ying and Yang

Science v Religion Light and Darkness Male and Female

Joseph Campbell

Joseph came up with the term called

Monomyth which he believed appeared a

number of media texts regardless the

genre of them. This term is used to refer

to the twelve different stages of the

protagonist’s journey along with the

archetypes involved in the plot.

Monomyth1. Regular, everyday life of the protagonist in an ordinary world.

2. The protagonist gets a call for an adventure after a disequilibrium appears.

3. They refuse the call until the disequilibrium affects them in a certain manner. E.g. Luke’s foster family getting killed in A New Hope.

4. Next, the protagonist meets the mentor and his allies for the first time.

5. The protagonist then offers to go on the quest to save/avenge those he loves.

6. He/she must then learn the rules that will be of importance in the quest.

7. Now the hero will have to face an obstacle which will be dangerous/powerful.

8. A victory is believed to be won until the villain has one last trick up their sleeve or a “true” main antagonist is revealed.

9. A final confrontation takes place and a huge sacrifice must be made.

10. A new equilibrium is created thanks to the protagonist and his companions.

Directors that focus on Narrative

There are many different directors which tend to mainly

focus on narrative in their videos. Prime examples being,

Francis Lawrence and Jonas Akerlund who are famous for

directing videos for Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.

How will narrative play in your videos?

•How much narrative is there in your video?

•What role do the artists or protagonist play in your video? Unless they’re non-existent.

•Are you going to mostly concentrate on the music itself using abstract/symbolic visuals which tell the tale?

•Will your video cut between performance and narrative?

•Or will you take a completely different approach together?

•When looking at Madonna’s videos, Goodwin said that, “The essential narrative of the video is found within the ability to frame the star.

Activity Time!!!

Watch the video and figure out what the narrative of the

video is about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgk9ouBuj-4

Digipaks

• Digipaks are a patented style of packaging usually associated with CDs and sometimes DVD’s and Blu-ray discs.

• The materials used to make digipaks include, paperboard or a card stock outer binding and a number of plastic trays used to hold the discs (depending on how many there are).

• Digipaks are mostly used to hold CD singles or special editions.

• However this packaging isn’t that resistant against abrasion.

Activity Deux

For the next activity, you have till the end of this awesome song to write up the codes and conventions of digipaks.

The winner will get a cookie!

Answers

• Album art• List of tracks• Paperboard packaging• Lyric booklet• Credits• CD(s) or DVD(s)• Company details• Pictures of band members• Review quotes• Bar code• Company logos• Link to website• Band and album name on spine

Fin

That’s the lesson, I hope you got some useful information out of it and hope you enjoyed it.