The Theory of Narrative

"Narrative is a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring isn time" - BORDWELL & THOMPSON 

Todorovs narrative theory is one which is typically followed by the majority of film and video, however there are some exceptions.

Todorovs structure follows a linear structure, it goes from A to B to C to D. Todorovs theory starts with a state of equilibrium, everything is normal, although Todorovs typically based this on fairy tales and the equilibrium would generally be in the form of "once upon a time....", the state of equilibrium doesn't always have to be in a positive state, it could begin negative, with the protagonist in a state of despair.

Then comes the disruption of equilibrium, this is when something upsets the normal balance of life. Recognition of the disruption occurs when the disruption directly effects the hero, causing the protagonist to attempt to repair the disruption, typically the hero will then go on his quest in an attempt to restore the disruption. Todorovs Narrative Theory ends when the equilibrium is resorted, however not exactly back to the original way it was. "...and they lived happily ever after"

Narratives don't always need to follow a linear structure. Sometimes, especially in modern film and video, narratives will use a non-linear structure, this is when then narrative is not chronological. Non-linear structures can include Multi Stranded structures, where different strands of narrative are woven together. Narratives are also sometimes Fragmented, where there are different parts of narratives that may not be necessarily be woven together in any order. A typical narrative convention is often flashbacks or flash forwards, segments that portray something that has happened in the past or may happen in the future. Narrative range is also a main feature of narrative, whether you chose to have an unrestricted narration, where there are no limits to the information presented, and restricted narration which only offers minimal information regarding the narrative.

Lily Allens "Smile"is an example of a music video which uses a "linear narrative structure" and follows quite close to Todorovs theory, despite cross cutting between the narrative and the artist, the narrative follows a cause and effect and tells a "story". The plot manages to follow the majority of Todorovs steps. Although the beginning state of equilibrium see's the artist somewhat "depressed" and "lonely" after a breakup, gorging herself on comfort food.

The break-up which is mentioned through the lyrics "you were Fucking that girl next door, what you do that for"this could be the disruption of equilibrium which is recognised by the protagonist, in this case the artist. The protagonist then goes out to "restore this disruption", this restoration is done in the form of revenge, the artist pays people to make the life of her ex-partner unbearable, mugging him, breaking into his home, destroying his records he needs for his job and the artist even spikes his drink with "pills".

 

 

 This causes the "antagonist" to become "desperate" and "embarrassed" all for the enjoyment of the artist. The equilibrium is then restored as Lily Allen is much more happy and has a positive attitude at the end of the video.

Ed Sheeran's "The A Team" is another example of a music video which follows Todorovs theory. However this video mixes in both a non-linear and linear narrative structure. The video begins with what we don't know is actually after the ending. We see the protagonist looking over herself crying and then a linear narrative is used throughout the song to show how the protagonist is driven towards an upsetting form of restored equilibrium.

The initial state of equilibrium shows the protagonist, who is homeless, living on the streets, sleeping in a park and selling "The Big Issue". This is a much more negative take on Todorovs original theory, as the equilibrium isn't necessarily good.

 

 Although there isn't a clear indication of what disrupts the equilibrium, I would assume it to be homeless life getting to the protagonist, as she is seen crying and sitting in a state of despair.

 

The protagonist attempts to repair the disruption by prostituting herself, in order to buy drugs. Restoration of equilibrium comes when the protagonist overdoses, and what we saw at the beginning of the video was an "outer body experience". Although this is a very negative take on Todorovs theory it still follows the steps in order to build a narrative, and although the equilibrium isn't necessarily good, the protagonist still sets out on a "quest" in order to rid herself of homeless life.

 

 

 

Radio Heads "Just" is my most favourite example of a linear structure. It uses a similar cross cutting to Lily Allens "Smile", cutting in between the narrative and the artist performing. It doesn't necessarily challenge Todorovs theory, other than the attempt to repair the equilibrium isn't carried out by the protagonist, but those around him.
EQUILIBRIUM: the protagonist is depressed and isolated shown through shots of the protagonist and through facial expressions.

DISRUPTION OF EQUILIRBIUM: this is when the roles of characters shift in the music video, the diruption occurs when the male protagonist lies down on a concrete pavement in the middle of the city.

RECOGNITION OF THE DISRUPTION: another male character trips over the prtagonists torso, this is when members of the public become directly involved in the narrative.

 

 

 

ATTEMPT TO REPAIR DISRUPTION: as more characters enter the frame they all set out to question the man, to discover the reason why he is lying down.

 

EQULIBRIUM IS RESOTRED: the man eventually reluctantly tells his 'audience' causing them all to lie down on the ground as he is.

 

What I love about this music video is it challenges the most necessary principle to a video, it needs to be resolved. Throughout the music videos subtitles are used to play out the scene, the audience is engrossed in why this man is lying down and watch intently. This video uses a restricted narrative range, as the subtitles cut off when the protagonist reveals why he is lying down, the audience is left in the uknown and it is never resolved, opening the video up to audience interpretation.

However, more and more modern music videos are challenging basic narrative theories with the use of non-linear structures. Cold Play's 'The Scientist', cleverly twists a linear narrative to create a non-linear narrative. The video plays in reverse, and although a clear story is told, the audience are shown the end at the beginning. Therefore Todorovs Theory of Narrative is also played in reverse. The concept is quite clever and typically fits in with music videos not wanting to reveal too much. The reversed narrative also fits in nicely with the lyrics "back to the start". 

Ed Sheeran's 'Lego House' also uses a non-linear structure, however this one is multi stranded. The narrative is seperated, and these then weave together to creat an overall story. Despite being non-linear 'Lego House' manages to follow the concept of an equillibrium, although it is not revealed at the beginning the protagonist, the very fine Rupert Grint, actually has an obsession over the artist. The initial Equilibrium is the protagonists quiet life, (lets pretend we don't know he's obsessed), we believe he is singer song writer, performing on stage and travelling on tour busses. Disruption occurs when the protagonist becomes overwhelmed, this is suggested by the change in tempo in the music. He is removed from the stage by security guards and he is shown sneaking off the tour bus. This is when it is revealed that the prtagonist has an obsession, we see he has hung pictures of the artist and made life size dolls of him. Equlibrium is restored when the protagonist is lead away from the stage by security and briefly meets the artist Ed Sheeran as he is escorted away.

MODULAR NARRATIVES IN CONTEMPORARY CINEMA: ALLAN CAMERON

Modular narratives articulate a sense of time as divisable and subject to manipulation. Cameron identified four different types of modular narrative.

ANACHRONIC: involve the use of flashbacks and or flashforwards, with no clear dominance between any of the narrative threads. These narratives also often repeat scenes directly or via a different perspective. Christina Aguilera's video "Hurt" uses flashbacks to her childhood when she was taken to the circus by her father.

FORKING-PATH: juxtapose alternative versions of a story, showing the possible outcomes that might result from small changes in a single event or group of events. The forking path narrative introduces a number of plotlines that usually contradict one another. An example of this in terms of film, (as I found it terribly difficult to come across such a music video,) would be The Butterfly Effect, starring Ashton Kutcher, who changes events in his past so that the new outcome is more positive.

SPLIT SCREEN: their modularity is articulated along a spatial rather than temporal lines. These films divide the screen into two or more frames, juxtaposing events within the same visual field in a sustained fashion.

EPISODIC: narratives are organised as an abstract series or narrative anthology. Abstract series type of modular narrative is charatcterized by the operation of a non-narrative formal system which appears to dictate the organization of narrative elements such as a asequence. Anthology consists of a series of shorter tales which are apparently disconnected but share a random similarity. An example of this would be the film "The Hours", about three women, from three different periods, they share the similarity of an ordinary and mundane life but that is where the similarities stop

VALADIMIR PROPP is another narrative theorist, and suggest that characters took on the role of narrative. Propp came up with seven different character types:

The Hero: typically male, he restores the narratives equilibrium often by embarking on a quest. The hero is the texts central character.

The Villain: typically creates the narratives disruption.

The Donor: gives the hero something, it may be an object, information or advice, which helps in resolution of the narrative.

The Helper: aids the hero in the task of restoring equillibrium

The Princess: is the character most threatened by the villain and has to be saved, by the hero at the climax.

The Dispatcher: sends the hero on his tasl

The False Hero: appears to be good but is revealed at the narratives end to be bad.

 

Although these characters are very typical in fairy tales, in modern music videos we see very little of these types of characters driving the narrative. Typically anti-heros are used and Villains have now been reduced to emotional dillemas that the hero will face rather than an actual character.



The Legend of Iconography

ICONOGRAPHY is the repetition of certain elements within a product so that eventually they become the default package for that specific genre. Iconography is the use of visuals and symbols within a piece of work that means, as an audience, we can instantly identify and associate these symbols and the visual images with a specific genre. Especially in the MUSIC GENRE!
3 popular music genres are the most identifiable with using iconic visual imagery which audiences can immediately identify with that genre:
POP; ROCK; INDIE
the conventions of these genres come together within a final music video, combining all elements of iconography to create a visually creative piece of work which is easily identified by audiences and a representation of that genre. Typically ICONOGRAPHY is associated with Mise-En-Scene, costumes, locations, lighting and props etc.

COLOUR PALETTE:

Genres can be instantly recognizable by its use of colour pallet or the scheme of colours used throughout the album artwork and music video. Below are three examples of typical colour pallets for each genre. The first bright candy coloured extract is clearly from a pop video, as it uses a bright colour scheme to suggest fun and create excitement. It also suggests the music is upbeat and quirky and is not to be taken seriously, just like the bold striking colour pallet is used to suggest something that is out of this world and to make audiences want this fun quirky lifestyle. Typical colours of the pop genre include, pinks and blues. A feminine colour pallet is used as the majority of pop artists are females trying to appeal to a young female market. 

The second extract is clearly from a rock band due to its dark colour scheme, usually a visual effect is used to distort the colours on screen through editing or dark lighting is used. Red and blacks are used throughout the genre to suggest something scary and quite frightening as rock bands use heavy and daunting music, that is loud and expressive. The colour pallet is also a reflection of the narrative typically used in rock music, as it focuses on emotionally dark story lines. Typical colours used throughout the rock genre are blacks, to hide and isolate characters and suggest something sinister, reds, as it connotates anger and blood, typical aspects of a rock narrative and other darker shades of purple and grey. 

The final extract is from an indie bands music video, as it uses natural tones which connotate something quite average, which means audiences can identify more with indie music, narratives within indie music often surround themes of love or everyday circumstances, making it even more identifiable. The colour scheme is also deliberately used as indie artists typically write their own music and have a love for music, it is typically non edited much like the use of natural tones rather than popping colours. Typical colours used are often lighter tones of browns, oranges and greens as they are typically associated with nature, the majority of indie music videos tend to use a sepia effect to create this rustic image.

COSTUME:

Costume varies from genre to genre and each genre has its own typical conventions when it comes to costumes. The first extract is again from the pop genre. The costume is quirky and colourful, matching the colour pallet and giving a clear representation of the upbeat and playful music that is associated with pop. The costume also connotates a voyeuristic image of women, as a lot of skin is on show, trying to suggest the artist is sexy and flirtatious, a typical representation of female artists within the genre. 

The Rock Genre uses a similar costume to the Indie genre, as both wear simplistic outfits, representing their sound. Although artists within the rock genre are typically known for long hair, leather and logo tee's, this matches the dark colour scheme used throughout their videos, whereas the indie genre wears much more muted clothing, matching their simple colour palette. This is shown by the third extract as the artists wear simple hoodies and everyday clothing. This is representative of their simple sound and the market they try to appeal to. Simple costumes mean artists are more identifiable with. Both typically in the rock and indie genre, an instrument is typically part of costume  to show that artists write and perform their own music. The use of basic clothing means artists appear much more laid back, and are more interested in the music they're creating rather than the image. Simple costumes also mean that audiences can identify with them as being normal people. Whereas the extravagant costumes used within pop are hard to associate with the ordinary.

LOCATION & Props:

Pop videos tend to use extravagant locations that are unrealistic to create something bright and fun to watch, for example a bright cartoon like house used in Lily Allan's "Alfie" video. The use of extravagant sets suggests something upbeat and quirky, much like the sound of pop music and amplifies what the lyrics are saying, again the use of strong visuals which link very well to the lyrics in "Alfie" is a good example of this. It also catches the eye of their specific target audience, making them want the candy coloured made up world and life. Sets in pop music are generally very busy, cluttered with crazy props and quirky costumes, they also need to cater for dance choreography which is very popular within pop music.  

Whereas within the rock genre, very typically only one location is used, with the exception of cross cutting in order to follow a narrative. Typically rock music videos will focus around a bands live performance, modern rock bands use a similar technique in their music videos, however have used locations such as living rooms or garages to give a twist to their live performances. This is to show them as performers, as rock artists have a passion for the music and care about stage presence, the effect their music has on fans. Using live performances also show screaming fans, suggesting band members are loved and idolized, however live performances imply it is for the love of their music, suggesting they are great musicians, rather than their image as suggested by pop videos. The use of a live performance also means instruments are seen being played, so what is heard links to the visuals and the video centers around the band and is showing and advertising the band as a group so their faces become recognizable.

The indie genre uses much more simpler and varied locations compared to other genres (whether this be the low budget indie artists have to work with sometimes, I have no idea!) Typically locations are sought out, rather than created like in POP music, as an audience we expect to see locations which are close to nature, fitting in with conventional colour pallets used within indie videos or that audience members can identify with, such as beaches, wooded areas, cities and fields. Having locations which are identified by audiences mean they can relate more to the artist, and songs and videos are on a more personal level, whereas in rock, band members are made to be worshiped on stage and in pop, artists are idolized for their fantasy life. These types of locations are also used as they fit in with the narrative, typically about heart ache or situations the average person may have faced, as it would make no sense for ordinary situations to happen in a candy coloured dream world. These types of locations are also large and the artists appear isolated by their problems, much how normal people feel, they can also represent the emotions which artists feel and connotate feelings of thought, as artists are typically trying to overcome an obstacle in the indie genre.

CAMERAWORK!

Although a small part of iconography, the shot type and choice of camera work can hint towards what genre the video comes from. For example, within the Pop genre lots of close-up shots are used to focus on the artist, specifically with female artists close-ups are used to sexualize females, attracting male audiences, but also to make female audiences idolize the artists glamorous and sexy image. Shots are also very short and abrupt in pop music, usually to match the beat of the music, this creates an entertaining video overall, shot, costume and location changes keep audiences intrigued.

Conventions of camerawork used within the rock genre is much different, low angle shots are used during live performances, this gives the effect that its from the point of view of the audiences, making the viewer feel part of the video. Low angle shots can also make the artist look intimidating, which loud rock music can sometimes be, but also makes them look powerful, this fits in with the idea that rock artists are idolized by their fans and "worshiped". A range of shots are used, long shots in order to show whole band within the frame but close ups, typically used during "solo's". There are also multiple close ups of instruments being played and often a high angle is used making the camera angle look distorted, although typically high angles are used to make people look vulnerable, it is used for the oppsite effect in rock videos.

Indie music videos are much more known for using long shots of beautiful locations. Long shots can make the artist look small and isolated, matching the visuals to the narrative, usually about the artists problems which make them feel lonely and helpless. Long shots also showcase locations which are used and gives a sense of something very normal. Shots within the indie genre tend to be much longer compared to pop as they don't try and match the beat, indie songs also tend to be very down beat anyway. Longer shots also allow the video to follow a narrative with deeper meaning. However, close-up shots are used to portray the emotions of characters within the video.

Genre Cycles:

Also within Genres there are also genre cycles, this is when artists and directors experiment with the iconography within genres to create something new and fresh. The first stage is the CLASSIC STAGE, which is pretty self explnatory, this involves the original iconography and genre style, it is what is instantly makes that genre recognizable. The second stage is the EXPERIMENTAL STAGE, this is when artists take the original typical conventions and iconography of the genre and then create something new and fresh based off of this but still being recognisable as part of that specific genre. The final stage is the PARODY STAGE, this is where emphasis is placed on conventions and iconography within a specific genre to mimic and "make fun" of genre conventions.

However for genre cycles to be understood, audiences need to be entirely familiar with the original genres and able to recognize the iconography. Below is an example of a video from the "Rap Genre" which parodies the Classic and Experimental Stage.   

Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenocerous

If audiences are familiar with the rap genre they would easily recognise the iconography which is being mimicked in this video. Iconography in the rap genre in the classic stage is typical mise-en-scene, such as urban locations, baggy clothing and artists covered in "bling" surrounded by attractive women dancing provocatively. Lighting also tends to be quite dark or neutral. Camerawork is also a typical convention as low angle shots are used to make artists look intimidating. Framing is also important in rap videos as typically the artist is upfront to one side of the screen and behind him women are typically seen dancing provocatively in the background, notice how this is mimicked in the above video as they take turn to sing.

In the above video you will notice that not only do the lyrics parody those of rap songs, but low angle shots are used throughout and the two male artists mimick the "provocative swaggy dancing" in a humorous and playful way. Similar urban locations are also used, however this adds humour to the video as the two male artists are horrifically out of place.

Album Covers VS The Analysis

Album Covers and the art work are individual to each artist and song, although genre can have an influence in the design. I would say album art is considerably stereotyped in the Rock, Hip Hop/R&B and Pop genre, songs in the styles of ballads are also typically stereotyped, for example artists like Adele. 

Designs for album art work can give audiences an indication of what genre of music it is or the style of the music, upbeat or slow etc, in order to catch the eye of desired target audiences, for example, album art work for Pop artists are very feminine in color scheme and show strong powerful women, catching the eye of their target market, young females who need idols to look up to.

"Katy perry - Teenage Dream"

Candy colours and playful font suggest an element of fun about the album. The popping colour of the artists name and single title imply that the music is fun and upbeat. The choice of using red as the primary colour for the font is also an indicator of something flirtatious and sexy, a typical characteristic of female artists. 

The style of font is also deliberately used as a representation of the song "Teenage Dream", the candy cane font is dripping away and the curved lettering suggests something quite dreamy and relaxed, rather than harsher font which may be used for an emotional rock anthem. The use of popping colours also stand out against the 'distracting' background.

The image itself is also very dream like, with the artist perched on clouds, lying naked on her stomach. This is a very voyeuristic image of female artists, which are typically seen in a sexual way. However the album cover challenges this stereotype and the artist still looks quite innocent and vulnerable, rather than sexy, much like a young teenage girl, this is shown through Katy Perry's body language, her pointed toes are playful and cute and her arms are placed as if trying to hide herself, rather than being deliberately sexy, its much more subtle. Katy Perry has also stripped away her identity, her blue hair and stand out style, in order to look younger, fresher and less grown up, where as her crazy outfits and hair colour suggests something rebellious, which isn't suited to this particular album artwork. The pastel colour scheme also suggests something very innocent and dreamy and is also very feminine, this may be deliberately aimed at the target audience, who are typically young females looking for an idol, which may be more attracted to the pink and red colour scheme compared to the male demographic. 

"Adele 21"

The dull grey colour scheme suggests the album is much more down beat, compared to Katy Perry's Teenage Dream art work. This is a typical convention of the style of music Adele writes and sings, its much more realistic, focusing on real life "kitchen sink" tragedy's, such as heart ache. The use of black and white is a typical convention that artists like Adele and Beyonce use within their album artwork, as its plain and simple, there is also an element of purity and innocence, which is reflected through the artists music. It is simply just her voice and an instrument. (Completely different to Katy Perry's music where there is a lot going on). Adele's body language also implies an essence of vulnerability, her closed eyes are as if to shut out the world, and her soft expression looks innocent with an element of sadness. This would suggest that the artists music is emotionally driven. 

Compared to Katy Perry's album art work, Adele uses a close up, this implies that she wants audiences to focus on her music and her voice and that glamour isn't needed. The bold text and simple plain background suggests Adele is independent, she writes and performs her own music.The text is simple yet bold and stands out, this is a huge representation of Adeles music, which is simple with little editing, yet her voice stands out. The title is also not the center of attention, we are drawn to the title by the way in which Adele's head has been tilted. Un-glamorous and simple artwork may appeal mainly to female audiences, as the image suggests an independent woman and the use of black and white suggests there is nothing better nor glamorous about Adele, showing she is just a "normal person", this may influence normal woman to listen to her music as they are able to identify with her, the use of close eyes also have this effect, as she could appear to be any woman.

Adele's album artwork challenges the conventions of artwork used on covers, specifically for female artists, who are typically portrayed as sexy, Adele has portrayed her self as strong and independent. 

"Britney Spears - Circus"

Rich tones of gold are used throughout this album art work to suggest something glamorous about the artist, a similar convention was used in Katy Perry's album art work, to make her look dreamy. This encourages young female audiences to buy the album in order to aspire to look as glam as Britney. The art work also uses the same voyeuristic image of women, as the glimpses of flesh suggest something sexy about the artist, how ever her hunched shoulder and pale pink dress, connotates an element of purity and innocence and almost shy by how her shoulder is angled and her tilted head and facial expression. The pink tutu like dress she is wearing also fits in with the theme of her album, "Circus", as is typically associated with dancers and acrobats. Mise-en-Scene is used here to convey elements of the circus, the draped gold fabric looks like a luxurious curtain, suggesting that within the album there is "more to come". The album cover also has a "look at me"connotation, as Britney is put at the center of the cover, as if the star of the show.

The use of bold red font also stands out, and suggests something exciting, linking visuals with the album title. The use of red, is also typically used for female artists as its connotations are sexy and flirty, typically how female artists are portrayed within music. The font used is eye catching and suggests elements of stardom, as similar font is used for circus acts and shows, to suggest a spectacle.

"Ed Sheeran - +"

Ed Sheeran's album cover achieves at being very minimalistic, this is in order to market Ed Sheerans music, by giving him a clear branding and identity, and to emphasize on making his face recognizable to the market. This is all achieved through the stylized image of the artists face close up. The use of orange tones is ideal as Ed Sheeran has already given himself an identity through his iconic ginger hair. The auburn tones are also a reflection on his genre of music, indie, as the tones are very unique and natural, much like indie artists, who rely on their own voices, unique writing and typically acoustic instruments. The image has also been digitally edited to give it a sketchy effect, this suggests something creative and unique about his music. The stylized image also appeals to the indie market as it doesn't follow the typical conventions of album artwork, much like the indie style doesn't follow society. The close-up image has also been purposely used to market the artist, and make him recognizable. The mode of address used is direct, creating an instant connection with audiences, giving them someone they can identify with. The use of just his face, similar to Adele's, also suggests he cares more about his music and himself as an artist rather than the glamour and spectacle of music.

The simple text used also challenges conventions of album covers, as usually the artists name and album title are used in order to market the artist and advertise their work. Despite being a new artist, Ed Sheeran uses a simple "+" symbol rather than the word "plus" and his name is no where on the album cover. This is done deliberately to make sure his face becomes recognizable and his music to, as the simple album cover means there is no distraction from the content, as indie artists typically have a love of music rather than the image of music. The white font stands out against the orange background and uses a similar sketchy font to the stylized image in order to convey a similar message about creativity.

The target audience isn't gender specified by the album cover but much more by the style of music, as his songs have meaningful content which may appeal to females and as a male artist he will appeal to males. The target audience is less defined by gender, as it is for Katy Perry and Britney Spears, but by musical preferences.