This document provides guidance on applying narrative theory to analyze a chosen media text. It discusses looking at how the story is structured and who the audience identifies with. It also considers how conflict is established and resolved, how characters are constructed, and the use of technical elements like sound and editing to tell the story. The document then discusses summarizing the text's lyrics/dialogue and important visual elements. It introduces several narrative theories that could be applied, such as those proposed by Propp, Barthes, Levi-Strauss, and Todorov. It also discusses music video codes and conventions related to performance, narrative, conceptual forms, and the role of the artist.

1. Applying
Narrative to your
chosen text

2. Narrative Theory:
Applying the concept
Look carefully at your media text at how the story is structured and how
the audience is positioned (i.e. who are we led to identify with?)
Consider the following (if relevant):
 How the narrative is organised and structured.
 How the conflict is established and how it is resolved
 The construction of the characters in the text and how we are led
to relate to them
 How heroes and villains are created within the text
 The importance of sound, music, iconography, mise-en-
scene, editing and other technical features in telling the story.
 How the themes and ideas are put forward in the story.
 Is your narrative open or closed?

3. Your chosen text :
1. Summarise the lyrics/dialogue in your
text.
2. Are there key lines that you chose to
give visual dominance to?

4. Importance of the mise-en-
scene in your narrative
Does your mise-en-scene:
 Add authenticity to your singer/ band/characters?
 Is it key to establishing setting and relationships?
 Is it part of the voyeuristic context e.g. By
suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure
like a sleazy nightclub or boudoir?
 Is it to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle for the
audience (John Stewart)?

5. Theories
 You must apply at least 2 theories to your
work.
 Apply the theories which are relevant to
your chosen media text…

6. Vladimir Propp
After analysing folk tales, Propp developed a theory that within each narrative
there are a set of stock characters, which reappear in every storyline.
These roles are:
 Hero – Person on the quest
 Princess – Prize for the hero
 Helper – Helps the hero on his quest
 False hero – Somebody who believes they are the hero
 Dispatcher – Sends the hero on their quest
 Father – Rewards the hero
 Villain – Attempts to stop the hero on his quest
 Donor – Provides objects to help the hero on his quest
Can you apply Propp to your text?

7. Roland Barthes
Barthes was a French semiologist who identified 5 different codes by which a
narrative engages the attention of the audience.
In order of importance these are:
 The enigma code- the audience is intrigued by the need to solve a problem
 The action code – the audience is excited by the need to resolve a problem
 The semantic code – the audience is directed towards an additional meaning
by way of connotation
 The symbolic code – the audience assumes that a character dressed in black
is evil or menacing and forms expectations of his/ her behaviour on this basis
 The cultural code – the audience derives meaning in a text from shared
cultural knowledge about the way the world works.
Can you apply any of Barthes’ codes to your chosen text?

8. Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss‟ theory dictated that in every media text
there are binary oppositions, or a conflict between two
opposites. The audience subsequently are aware of
who they should side with, and this technique can also
help create a political theme within a text. For example:
 Good & Bad
 Rich & Poor
 Eastern & Western World
 Love & Hate
Can you apply Levi-Strauss’ theory of binary opposites
to your text?

9. Todorov
Todorov‟s theory states that in a media text there are five stages.
 ORIGINAL EQUILIBRIUM (normality)

 DISRUPTION

 RECOGNITION (of disruption)

 ATTEMPT TO RESTORE original equilibrium

 NEW EQUILIBRIUM
Can you apply Todorov’s theory to your text?

10. Andrew Goodwin
 Is your narrative:
 Illustrative? (images provide a literal
representation)
 Amplifying? (repetition of key meanings
and effects to manipulate the audience)
 Disjuncture?: (When the meaning of the
song is completely ignored)

11. Steve Archer, 2004
 “videos tend to only suggest storylines and focus on
fragments of the lyrics” (Steve Archer).
 “Often, music videos will cut between a narrative and a
performance of the song by the band. Additionally, a
carefully choreographed dance might be part of the artist‟s
performance or an extra aspect of the video designed to
aid visualisation and the „repeatability‟ factor.
Sometimes, the artist (especially the singer) will be part of
the story , acting as narrator and participant at the same
time. But it is the lip synch close-up and the miming of
playing instrument s that remains at the heart of music
videos, as if to assure us that the band really can kick it.”
Can you apply Steve Archer’s theory to your text?

12. The Main Artist
1. What role does the artist play in your music video
– narrator, protagonist or both?
Is the video a vehicle for the artist’s star
persona? (Refer back to Andrew Goodwin)
1. Did you chose a subjective or objective
character identity in your music video and why?
(Subjective character identity – a range of
characters „stories‟ or points of view are shown.
Objective character identity – one characters story
or point of view is shown)

13. Music videos can be characterized by
3 broad typologies, Firth 1988:
 Performance (to convey a sense of the in-concert experience)
"Performance oriented visuals cue viewers that the recording of the music
is the most significant element. (BUT see John Berger)
 Narrative (linear, love stories most popular – “Action in the story is
dominated by males who do things and females who passively react or
wait for something to happen” (Schwichtenberg, 1992)).
 Conceptual (metaphors to create a mood, offer multiple meanings)
These types describe the form and content selected by the director or artist
to attract viewers and to convey a direct or indirect message.
They can act as extended advertisements, as popular art forms or as self-
referential filmic texts (e.g Madonna videos)
Which typology does your music video fit into?

14. Applying Andrew Goodwin
What is the is a relationship between lyrics and
visuals and music?
Is your narrative:
 Illustrative? (images provide a literal
representation)
 Amplifying? (repetition of key meanings and
effects to manipulate the audience)
 Disjuncture?: (When the meaning of the song
is completely ignored)

15. Narrative Video Codes
To what extent does your music video feature these narrative video codes?
Narratives are rarely complex for two reasons:
1. They need to market or advertise the band/artist and song so must feature ‘repeatability’ In
other words the narrative code must be „loose‟ or simply „suggestive‟ rather than „realistic‟ or
„detailed‟. This is because music video audiences need to be able to watch videos repeatedly
and a tight realist narrative would prove too boring after the first couple of viewings. Musical
Synaesthesia only requires the musical or lyrical „mood‟ to latch onto to develop a narrative
concept.
2. Musical Synaesthesia – the two elements of the song which determine the visual subject
matter or overall concept
 Roland Barthes theory of “the grain of voice” whereby the vocal sounds can be understood
as music in themselves eg Michael Jackson‟s „yelp‟ or Fantasia‟s „yeh, yeh, yeh..” or the
tone of voice of the words which are the song title themselves e.g Bjork‟s „It‟s Oh So Quiet‟
 The dominant musical arrangement that dictates the overall mood. This could be a key
guitar sound(the bassline in „Sabotage‟ The Beastie Boys) or a particular beat („Weapon of
Choice‟ Fatboy Slim)
 Once the director has identified what he/she thinks is the key vocal or musical element then
this may be used to tap into the audience‟s sense of shared cultural history or intertextuality
e.g. The steel guitar=the American Deep South and desert plains
 A group of choral voices=places of religious significance e.g. a church, graveside etc
 A R‟n‟B beat or bassline=an urban landscape in a downtown American city

16. Performance video codes
Does your narrative contain these codes?
 Conventions of the band performance: a degree of
authenticity of the performance is sought by the band and the
director so we find lip-sync close-up, mimed playing of
instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance
„repeatability‟, unusual camera shots and angles e.g. the micro
camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar, sweeping
crane shots to film audience reaction to the band playing etc
 Conventions of solo artist performance: many of the above plus
choreographed dance routines to enhance „repeatability‟, a
first person mode of address directly engaging the viewer
through the camera which involves many close up shots of
eyes rolling and gesturing (see how these conventions have
been adopted by „Pop Idol‟ contestants in a bid to appear
professional and authentic)and if the video is a hybrid form
cutting between performance and narrative then the solo artist
or band lead singer often becomes part of the narrative
story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time (see
Jarvis Cocker in Pulp’s video for „Babies‟)