Narrative

Propp

8 Character Archetypes - these structure the narrative as each separate character serves a different purpose

• Hero - protagonist
• Usually male
• Agent who restores the narrative equlibrium often by embarking upon a quest (or search)
• The hero is invariably the texts central character
• Villan - antagonists
• Opposes the hero, and usually creates a narrative disruption
• The Donor
• Helps the hero by giving him a tool
• May be an object, information or advice, which helps the resolution of the narrative
• The Dispatcher
• Starts the hero on his way 
• Aids the hero in the task of restoring equlibrium
• The False Hero
• Tempts the hero away from his quest
• The Helper
• Helps the hero
• Usually has magical powers
• The Princess
• Usually the reward for the hero
• Can also be seen as the victim
• They are usually the character most threatened by the villain and has to be saved, at the climax, by the hero 
• The Father of the Princess
• Rewards the hero at the conclusion, usually giving him the princess at the conclusion
• Can also be instigator of the quest
• Doesn't really apply to most movies - dropped

Does it apply?

• Protagonist - lead singer - challenges conventions

Todrov's Narrative Structure

All narratives have a distinct structure

• Equlibrium  
• Usually at the start of the film
• Section defines what is the norm for the world in the text
• Disequlibrium
• Something happens to disrupt the norm
• The world is sent into chaos/ disruption
• New Equlibrium
• A equlibrium is restored to the world. This equlibrium may differ from the previous one in several ways

Examples - Harry Brown, Taken

Pace in music videos - slow pace then build up into faster tempo etc then slows down for the ending - did in our video 

In our video we start with  slo mo shots of our artist as the tempo is quite slow at the beginning, then as the tempo increases to the chorus we used fast and short paced editing for the limo scene. At the end the tempo decreases again and there is a two shot of the couple then the camera goes up into the sky - feeling of utopia 

Levi Strauss: Binary Opposition

• Meaning is enhanced by our knowledge of differences 
• Our understanding of the word "good" is enhanced by our knowledge of the world "evil"
• Meaning is created by these differences and the narrative is enhanced by it

Examples

Applying it to my coursework

Night and day/ inside, outside locations

Boy and girl

Stillness and movement - dancing and brick wall shot

Contrast between digipak and video 

Barthes: 5 Codes

• Texts may be 'open' (unraveled in lots of different ways) (like ours) or 'closed' (there is only one obvious thread to pull on)
• Enigma codes
• Refers to a mystery within a text
• Clues are given to the audience but no answers are revealed
• Enigmas within the narrative makes the audience want to know more
• Unanswered enigmas can frustrate an audience
• Action Codes
• Contains sequential elements of action in the text
• These elements add suspense to the text
• Semantic Codes
• Refers to a part of the text that suggests or refers to additional meanings
• Have a connotative function
• Add an extra layer of meaning to the text, beyond its literal meaning
• Symbolic Code
• This code is about symbolism within the text
• It uses opposites to show contrast and create greater meaning
• These codes create tension, drama and create drama
• Referential Code
• Refers to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge
• Intertextuality can be considered to be one of these codes
• The codes can also  make reference to scientific, historical and cultural knowledge

Own work

• Enigma codes
• 
  
• Action Codes
• 
  
• Semantic Codes
• 
  
• Symbolic Code
• Fireworks - symbol of explosion of love
• Red lips - love/lust - song we found love
• Referential Code
• Clothes are similar to other R'n'B videos