narrative theory

1. NARATIVE

2. Bordwell & Thompson
Story
Inferred events
What we see Non diegetic material
Tim O Sullivan (1998)
Tim o Sullivan's theory argues that all media texts tell a form of a story.
Through careful consideration texts offer the audience a way of viewing these
texts and how they tell stories on ourselves and how society works and day to
day experiences. Narrative theory suggests that what we experience when we
read or consume a media text we read and consume a media text is an
understanding of a particular set of constructions or conventions and that its
important for us to be aware of how these constructions are put together
Plot how we are shown what happens

3. Pam Cook (1985)
Pam cook argues that Hollywood narrative structure includes linearity of cause
and effect within a trajectory of enigma resolution and a high degree of narrative
closure. A fictional world that contains verisimilitude governed by a spacial and
temporal coherence
Todorov (1997)
Todorov in 1969 produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any media.
He believed that all media followed the same narrative pattern. They all went through stages
called the equilibrium, disequilibrium, acknowledgement, solving and again equilibrium.
There are five stages the narrative can progress through:
1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
2. A disruption of that order by an event.
3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

4. Sven Carlsson (1999)
Sven E Carlson's theory is that binary oppositions drive the narration of the music video
forward, e.g black and white theme. Also that there are two main types of music video;
performance and conceptual. Performance clips where the video mainly shows an artist
(or artists) singing and/or dancing. Conceptual clips are where something else is shown
during the song's duration which may have symbolism or an artistic meaning.
Performance clips
• Dance, vocal and performance etc.
• Locations involved may involve auditoriums, concerts, recording studios etc.
Narrative clips
• Understood as a short film
• Contains a visual storyline that the audience can follow
• Could be a narrative without any performance aspect
Art clips
• No perceptive narrative
• No lip synced performance
• Artistic approach that wont necessarily be straight forward

5. Kate Domaille (2001)
Kate Domaille believed every story ever told can be fitted into one of eight narrative types. Each of these
narrative types has a source, an original story upon which the others are based. These stories are as follows:
Achilles - The fatal flaw that will eventually lead to the destruction of the 'flawless' for example
Superman.
Candide - This is the story that the indomitable hero cannot be put down. Examples are James
Bond, Rocky etc.
Cinderella - This story is when dreams come true and it's happy, more seen in romantic
genre's such as Pretty Woman.
Circe - This is about a chase, hero versus villain. A battle between the good and the bad.
Faust - This narrative story is more about 'selling your soul to the devil' and becoming better off
but will ultimately fail and your soul will belong to the devil.
Orpheus - In this narrative, something personal or loved becomes lost or taken and therefore
the narrative follows the journey in order to retrieve what has been lost. An example
would be 'Taken.'
Romeo & Juliet - This is the 'love story.' A romance between two characters. An good
example is 'Titanic' and possibly 'Dirty Dancing.'
Tristan & Iseult - Yet again more often seen in romantic genres, a love triangle. When a
character loves another however they are already spoken for or a third party
becomes involved.

6. Claude Levi-Strauss (1958)
Levi-Strauss was a structuralist whose ideas about narrative amount to the
fact that he believed all stories operated to certain clear binary opposites such
as rich vs poor and good vs evil. The importance of these ideas is essentially a
complicated world that can be reduced to simplicity with an either/ or
structure: things are either wrong or right, there is no in-between
This theory can be applied to stereotypical mise en scene
Protagonist Antagonist
Colour White bright colours Black, dark colours
Location Countryside, natural Urban street area
Props Nature, plants etc Guns, cars etc

7. Michael shore (1984)