PPT Narrative in Music Videos

7/31/2019 PPT Narrative in Music Videos

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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 ofimages


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In 3-4 minutes a typical music videocombines a mix of live performance,

narrative, and other visual imageryincluding computer graphics andanimation.

It does this to advertise the band/artistand song.


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Often contain a number of differentelements:

Performance

Narrative

Concept: Thematic

Symbolic


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On your sheets try to identify features of thefollowing videos.

Consider what the audience see on screenand what happens in the video.


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A narrative music video is one which tells astory.

It is often linear and has a cause and effectsequence.

What is the narrative story for a love video?


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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 seenfor effect

sometimes the artist is a part of the story, or anobserver or completely separate


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Discuss in a group any memorable musicvideos you know of that are of this type.

Select one that you think is a particularlymemorable example.

Be prepared to tell the class: Name ofperformer(s), track, brief description of videoand the features that you think arememorable.


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Claude Levi-Strauss = Binary Oppositions Vladimir Propp = Characters

Tzvetan Todorov =5 conventional stages


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Cause and Effect Invisible Editing

Story told in chronological order: Equilibrium Disequilibrium Recognition Reparation New equilibrium


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Media Concepts: Narrative

NarrativeThe way a story or tale is told so thatthe elements are structured and organised in sucha way that it makes sense to the audience. It has

also been described as how events are unified intime and space.

Three key theorists studied the way music videos

and other media stories were constructed andeach came up with one explanation or model tohelp the audience understand the story that was

being told.


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TodorovNarrative 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 magicbeans (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).


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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 thepoint of view of the audience


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Propp

Narrative is motivated by a variety of character functions; there will be a herowho 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 aprincess.

If the audience can spot these narrative character functions then they canpredict what will happen in the story.

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

(Reward)


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One side is represented as the right side whothe audience can identify with and support

Examples: Good and evil Past and present Normal and strange Known and unknown Heaven and earth


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Levi Strauss

Narrative is motivated by a clear struggle between BinaryOpposities, 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, Spidermanetc.

Good guys (Heroes) are always shown in a favorable lighte.g. low camera angles, close ups and longer shots of themin order to make the audience identify with them and support

them.


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In your pair select one of the film below andapply these three narrative theories:

Spiderman The Dark Knight Star Wars Titanic Toy Story 3 Shrek


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Examples of Music VideoNarratives;

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 happilytogether.

DisequilibriumTheir car breaks down and they are attacked by agroup of men.

Recognition Iglesias knows that the gang will not let them go.

ReparationHe decides to fight against them.

New Equilibrium Iglesias dies but he knows that Jennifer Love

Hewitt is safe from harm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU&ob=av2ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU&ob=av2ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU&ob=av2e


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Equilibrium

Disequilibrium

Recognition

Reparation

New Equilibrium


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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. Thesettings 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 trappedand especially Iglesias when he is shot in a frame within a frame. The lighting is darker and moreforeboding whilst the two heroes are also shot from further away and the camera chooses to frame thelower half of their bodies rather than their faces connoting that something bad will happen to them as itdraws the audience to feel less emotionally connected with them. The shots of the lower half of theirbodies could also connote sexuality and masculinity. The necklace that is frequently shown a close upof (which symbolises its importance) is also a dangling cause. Suddenly the villains are shown. Theyare shot in narrow focus and with MLS. This allows the audience to feel less empathy for them whilstthe 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 allowsthe 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 camerazooms in to Iglesias face and of Jennifers reaction. It also zooms out from the close ups of the villainsface which connotes their evilness and with the heroes wearing white connotes their purity andinnocence.

Finally the new equilibrium is signified by the dark surroundings and rain which symbolises that a newequilibrium has not been reached as the hero dies. Also we are shown more close ups of Jennifersface and of her distress a further symbol of the loss of the new equilibrium.


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

Enrique Iglesias (Hero) is sent on a quest to overcome theevil gang of thugs (Villain) with the aid of Jennifer Love

Hewitt (Helper) for the gift of Jennifer (Reward)

Villain

Hero Helper/Reward

EXAMPLE ANALYSIS USING OTHER THEORIES:


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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 orslightly 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 connectionwith 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 himas 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 hisimportance 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 themempathise with him.

On the other hand the gang is also clearly shown to be the villains in this music video. They are usually shotfrom slightly below, which whilst connotes dominance also make them less appealing to the audience as theaudience would feel that the gang would believe that they were above the audience. Also there are no closeups 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 individualand 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 theaudience that she is the hero's reward as usually the rewards for Heroes are innocent and pure. This is alsoreflected 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 aheadand has frequent close ups. This reflects her importance to the narrative and that the audience should


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How far can you apply these traditionalnarrative theories to a music video?

Lets explore some video examples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKxodgpyGec&ob=av2ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIjVuRTm-dc&ob=av3ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWLpTKBFcU&ob=av2e


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Narratives are rarely complete oftenfragmentary

Tend to suggest storylines Non-linear order (not cause and effect) Desire to see them again Narrative often divided between

performance and conceptual clips


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Flashbacks Real time

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

place


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Linear Non-linear

Circular Parallel Narrative Convergent Narrative Interweaving Narrative


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Analyse ONE narrative video from theexamples viewed today;

Explore the extent to which you can apply thetraditional narrative theories to the text; Write a either a 500 word account with

specific examples from the text (includingscreen grabs) or produce a Prezzi analysisusing screen grabs.

PPT Narrative in Music Videos

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