This document discusses several narrative theories and concepts related to analyzing narratives in media. It covers structural theories of narrative put forward by Claude Levi-Strauss and Vladimir Propp that view narratives as driven by opposing forces and involving stock characters. It also mentions Tzvetan Todorov's theory that narratives follow an equilibrium-disequilibrium-new equilibrium structure. The document then discusses different types of narratives like linear, parallel action, and anti-narratives before exploring Cameron Allen's unusual narrative theory involving anachronic, forking path, episodic and split screen narratives. It concludes by summarizing several theories for interpreting audience relationships with media like uses and gratifications, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Marxist,

2. One key moral or lesson/a question for the audience
A smaller budget
Limited narrative
Varied genre
Small scale mise-en-scene: few settings / locations / characters
Equilibrium -> disequilibrium -> new equilibrium

3.  Claude Levi-Straus: narratives are driven
forwards by conflict by a series of opposing
forces. This is binary opposition.
 Vladimir Propp: theorized that there are
always the same stock characters. This involves
a hero, villain, heroine, helper, father, donor,
mentor.
 Todorov's Theory of Narrative: begins with an
equilibrium, an event causes a disequilibrium,
and is resolved to create a new equilibrium.

4.  Common narratives involve: Linear narrative - this is a straight line of
narrative with no flashbacks or digression. Parallel action - two
scenes are observed as happening at the same time by cutting
between them. Anti-narrative: seeks to deliberately disrupt narrative
flow to achieve a particular effect, e.g. repetition of images, disruption
of a chronological sequence of events.
 Cameron Allen - the unusual narrative theory:
 Anachronic: flashbacks and flash forwards, with all different narrative
parts being just as important.
 Forking path: shows two different outcomes that are different as a
result of a small change or decision.
 Episodic: separates narratives that have some sort of link, for
example; different character lives, linked by the fact that they are all
involved in one incident.
 Split screen: different stories, linked by the fact that they are shown
on screen at the same time.

5.  Blumler and Katz - Uses and Gratifications: people watch media products to
be informed and educated, to identify with characters or situations, to entertain,
as a talking point for social interaction, or an escape from daily life.
 Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: psychological needs, safety needs, social
needs, esteem needs, and self-actualisation.
 Marxist Theory: Media is part of the superstructure and the ideological state
apparatus. We are ruled through the ideologies of the bourgeoisie in the media.
ideologies are deemed as normal.
 Stuart Hall (challenged marxist theory): narratives are encoded by
producers and decoded by the audience. There is polysemy: the dominant
ideology are the preferred reading, however there are also negotiated
and oppositional readings.
 Pluralist Theory (Liberal): society is made up of different groups with
competing interests. These are represented in different ways. Audience select
and reject ideologies voluntarily. The media want to attract mass audience and
therefore give the audience what they want - the media works on a supply and
demand basis.