Promotes a single and, normally, an album Promotes the artist or band Creates, adapts or feeds into a star image

Entertains the audience Sets the meanings of a song by the use of images

In 3-4 minutes a typical music video combines a mix of live performance, narrative, and other visual imagery including computer graphics and animation. It does this to advertise the band/artist and song.

Often contain a number of different elements:

Performance
Narrative Concept:

Thematic Symbolic

On your sheets try to identify features of the following videos. Consider what the audience see on screen and what happens in the video.

A narrative music video is one which tells a story. It is often linear and has a cause and effect sequence. What is the narrative story for a love video?

Because it is only 3-4 minutes it can be:

very fast paced, lots of shots and cuts use inter-textuality with films, tv and other videos mimic other film and tv genre eg horror or sci fi sometimes the story can contradict what is seen for effect sometimes the artist is a part of the story, or an observer or completely separate

Discuss in a group any memorable music videos you know of that are of this type. Select one that you think is a particularly memorable example. Be prepared to tell the class: Name of performer(s), track, brief description of video and the features that you think are memorable.

Claude Levi-Strauss = Binary Oppositions Vladimir Propp = Characters Tzvetan Todorov =5 conventional stages

Cause and Effect Invisible Editing Story told in chronological order: Equilibrium Disequilibrium Recognition Reparation New equilibrium

Media Concepts: Narrative

Narrative The way a story or tale is told so that the elements are structured and organised in such a way that it makes sense to the audience. It has also been described as how events are unified in time and space. Three key theorists studied the way music videos and other media stories were constructed and each came up with one explanation or model to help the audience understand the story that was being told.

Todorov
Narrative will be structured into five different stages; Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, Recognition, Reparation, New Equilibrium. For example; Jack and the Beanstalk story, Jack and his mother are living happily (Equilibrium) They are forced to sell their family cow which Jack sells for five magic beans (Disequilibrium) Jack knows that he has done wrong but decides to see what is up at the top of the giant beanstalk (Recognition) Jack takes the gold coins from the ogre and manages to defeat him by cutting down the beanstalk (Reparation) Jack and his mother are now rich and live happily ever after (New Equilibrium).

Hero: Seeks something Villain: Obstructs the hero Princess: Heros reward Father: Give of rewards Donor: Provides information and help Helper: Helps the hero Dispatcher: Sends the hero on a quest False hero In Propps theory, these character types are established to increase understanding from the point of view of the audience

Propp
Narrative is motivated by a variety of character functions; there will be a hero who is sent on a quest by the sender. The hero has to overcome the villain usually with the aid of a helper and in doing so gains a reward, often a princess. If the audience can spot these narrative character functions then they can predict what will happen in the story.

For example; Shrek film. Shrek (Hero) is sent on a quest by the King (Sender) to overcome the dragon (villain) with the aid of Donkey (Helper) and gains the Princess (Reward)

One side is represented as the right side who the audience can identify with and support Examples: Good and evil Past and present Normal and strange Known and unknown Heaven and earth

Levi Strauss
Narrative is motivated by a clear struggle between Binary Opposities, one side which will be represented as the 'right' side which the audience should identify with and support. For example; Any superhero films like Batman, Spiderman etc. Good guys (Heroes) are always shown in a favorable light e.g. low camera angles, close ups and longer shots of them in order to make the audience identify with them and support them.

In your pair select one of the film below and apply these three narrative theories: Spiderman The Dark Knight Star Wars Titanic Toy Story 3 Shrek

Examples of Music Video Narratives;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU&ob=av2e

Enrique Iglesias Hero This video is a clear example of the Todorov narrative. Equilibrium Iglesias and Jennifer Love Hewitt are happily together. Disequilibrium Their car breaks down and they are attacked by a group of men. Recognition Iglesias knows that the gang will not let them go. Reparation He decides to fight against them.

New Equilibrium Iglesias dies but he knows that Jennifer Love Hewitt is safe from harm.

Equilibrium

Disequilibrium

Recognition
Reparation

New Equilibrium

EXAMPLE ANALYSIS USING TODORVS THEORY:

These stages in Todorvs narrative format are clearly signalled through the media language.

During the first stage of equilibrium the camera uses close ups of both Iglesias and of Jennifer. The settings are open, sunny and peaceful looking. This connotes that everything is ok between the two of them and undisturbed.
However this quickly changes during the disequilibrium stage. Suddenly the two of them seem trapped and especially Iglesias when he is shot in a frame within a frame. The lighting is darker and more foreboding whilst the two heroes are also shot from further away and the camera chooses to frame the lower half of their bodies rather than their faces connoting that something bad will happen to them as it draws the audience to feel less emotionally connected with them. The shots of the lower half of their bodies could also connote sexuality and masculinity. The necklace that is frequently shown a close up of (which symbolises its importance) is also a dangling cause. Suddenly the villains are shown. They are shot in narrow focus and with MLS. This allows the audience to feel less empathy for them whilst the fact that they are wearing black could also connote their evilness.

The recognition stage is shown with the return to close ups of both the heroes and villains which allows the audience to see the full extent of the conversation and Iglesias discovery.
The change from recognition to reparation is also seen in the media language. In this stage the camera zooms in to Iglesias face and of Jennifers reaction. It also zooms out from the close ups of the villains face which connotes their evilness and with the heroes wearing white connotes their purity and innocence. Finally the new equilibrium is signified by the dark surroundings and rain which symbolises that a new equilibrium has not been reached as the hero dies. Also we are shown more close ups of Jennifers face and of her distress a further symbol of the loss of the new equilibrium.

Enrique Iglesias' video Hero could also be used as an example of Propp's and Levi Strauss' narrative.

Enrique Iglesias (Hero) is sent on a quest to overcome the evil gang of thugs (Villain) with the aid of Jennifer Love Hewitt (Helper) for the gift of Jennifer (Reward)

Hero

Helper/Reward

Villain

EXAMPLE ANALYSIS USING OTHER THEORIES:

Enrique Iglesias is clearly shown as the Hero in this music video. He is usually shot from either straight ahead or slightly below, giving the audience something to identify with as the media language constructs the image of Iglesias being one of them and a person who they can relate to.
He is also shot using close ups of his face or body. This allows the audience to gain a more personal connection with him so that they in turn will feel what he is feeling and (due to many of the shots being taken from his point of view- restricted narration) see what he sees. This therefore allows the audience to empathy with him as a person and treat him almost like one of their own. The audience will furthermore care what happens to him. When the camera is on Iglesias he is usually shot in the centre of the frame. This further demonstrates his importance to the narrative and that the audience should concentrate more on him, feeling more empathy. The mise en scene also suggests this hero like status. There is usually bright light on or around him connoting an angelic and innocence whilst this purity would also draw in the audience's eye and in turn make them empathise with him. On the other hand the gang is also clearly shown to be the villains in this music video. They are usually shot from slightly below, which whilst connotes dominance also make them less appealing to the audience as the audience would feel that the gang would believe that they were above the audience. Also there are no close ups of the gang and during any shot there is always at this two or three of them in the frame at any one time, connoting their unimportance to the video and that the audience should feel no connection with them.

When the gang is shot they are never straight ahead, usually in a pyramid formation with the leader at the front. Also they are all dressed in the same or similar clothes. This suggests that none of the men stand out and are largely unimportant to the narrative. Due to this the audience won't be able to identify with any individual and be able to identify with them. The darkness of their clothes my also suggest evilness as well.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is wearing white, connoting her purity and innocence. Something that also tells the audience that she is the hero's reward as usually the rewards for Heroes are innocent and pure. This is also reflected by the amount of light on or around her giving her an angelic quality and allowing the audience to empathise with her. Like the Hero she is also placed near the centre of the frame, shot from straight ahead and has frequent close ups. This reflects her importance to the narrative and that the audience should

How far can you apply these traditional narrative theories to a music video? Lets explore some video examples

Narratives are rarely complete often fragmentary Tend to suggest storylines Non-linear order (not cause and effect) Desire to see them again Narrative often divided between performance and conceptual clips

Flashbacks Real time Reversal Dream sequence Repetition Different characters POV Ellipsis Pre-figuring of events that have not yet taken place

Linear Non-linear Circular Parallel Narrative Convergent Narrative Interweaving Narrative

Analyse ONE narrative video from the examples viewed today; Explore the extent to which you can apply the traditional narrative theories to the text; Write a either a 500 word account with specific examples from the text (including screen grabs) or produce a Prezzi analysis using screen grabs.