This document discusses different types of narrative structures that can be used in music videos. It describes linear narratives, which tell a story from start to finish without interruptions, and non-linear narratives, which include interruptions. The document also covers single strand narratives, which focus on one character, and multi-strand narratives, which follow multiple characters. Examples are given of specific music videos that demonstrate these different narrative forms. In the conclusion, the author states they would use a linear, single strand narrative for their own music video in order to clearly convey their message and genre of house/dance music.

1. Narrative structures in a music
video
Harry Saunders

2. What is narrative?
• A narrative is the way in which a story is told.
A narrative can be affected by many factors
and styles, such as linear narratives, multi
strand narratives and theories like Toderov’s
theory of equilibrium.

3. Linear narratives
• A linear narrative is exactly what it
sounds like; a narrative that works
in one line or strand. This means
that the narrative works from start
to finish and tells the story in one
straight sitting without
interruptions from the past or
future. For example, Porter
Robinson’s Sad Machine music
video is a concept video that is
linear because it shows one
storyline the whole way through,
where a hand keeps following
through a mountain and other
landscapes, without any other
interruptions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2a
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4. Narrative theory
• This music video by Porter Robinson features
an example of the Binary Opposites theory
where it follows a robot hand throughout the
whole video and then it meets a human hand
at they end and they join together. This is an
example of binary opposites because man and
machine are said to be opposites and this
helps to communicate the message about the
relationship between man and
machine/technology.

5. Non-linear narratives
• Non-linear narratives are
basically the opposite to
what a linear music video
might contain. This means
that it has interruptions in
between, at the start or
the end of the music
video. This can be seen in
Katy Perry’s Last Friday
Night where it starts with
the morning after the
party and then goes back
to the start of the night
before and continues the
narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2a
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6. Single strand narrative
• A single strand narrative is
a narrative that is focused
around only one character
and the narrative unfolds
and finishes around that
particular character,
usually focused around the
artist in a music video, for
example in Ke$ha’s Tik Tok
music video, it features her
doing her daily routine of
partying and drinking but
focused completely around
her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP6XpLQ
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7. Multi-strand narrative
• A multi-strand narrative is a
narrative that allows itself to
be focused around many
other characters and unfold
in the hands of multiple
ways through this. For
example, MGMT’s music
video for Your Life Is A Lie
features many different
characters and the narrative
is completely random due to
this. This allows them to
write freely for their
narrative because they have
many characters they can
use to display their meaning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cye- in the music video.
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8. Propp’s character theory
• Ke$ha’s music video also gives
an example of Propp’s
character theory. We see Kesha
displayed as the hero, the guy
who takes her to the party as
the donor and her family as the
villains as they frown upon her
outrageous behaviour. This is
used to create the effect of
appeal to the artist by making
her look as if she is someone
who has a good time and will
hopefully make people shine to
her style.

9. My music video/conclusion
• From looking at these music videos, I have
discovered that I would like to use a linear, single
strand narrative in my music video. This is
because it means we are able to put across the
narrative a lot easier by focusing on specifically
one character and by using linear narratives will
be able to display the message clearer instead of
confusing audiences by changing the plot around,
and is a lot more conventional for our genre, as
seen in most songs that are house/dance, like
Porter Robinson or Kesha’s Tik Tok.