Narrative

Narrative is the way the story is organised.

Elements of narrative 

Time - Is it shown in chronological order and real time?

For our thriller, the time was in chronological oder but time slightly jumps forward; as we watch the female go through processes of cooking.

For our music video the time spans over the space of two days.

Closure - Solving the enigma
Enigma - The msyteries/problems
In our thriller there are several enigmas including:
What was in the bag?, Are they partners?, Whose finger is that? Did they kill someone?, Are they evil?

Like classical hollywood narratives our thriller was set in linear as it went from beginning to end

Theories of Narrative

Tzvetan Todorov's theory 

Using our music video plot:

Equilibrium - The main character in the audition room

Disruption: The fact that no one comes to his audition

Next: Decides to take his own initiative and produces his own band

Restored order: Becomes a successful artist
New Equilibrium: He is now a famous star

Vladimir Propp - identifies 8 character types

1. Protagonist (the hero)                      
2. Antagonist (the villain)                 
3. Provider (the donor)                     
4. The helper                                      
5. The father                                      
6. The dispatcher                                
7. The princess                                   
8. The false hero                               

Roland Barthes

Barthes proposed that there a text had a wide range of potential meanings and and can change depending on the viewpoint it is seen through. 

Texts that can be read in numerous ways are called polysemic texts, as it open to different interpretations. For example, some praise the film Scarface for being a rags to riches story whereas others choose to see it as a glorification of violence. 

Barthes said that texts can either be open or closed.

An open text has numerous threads to pull, meaning it has multiple interpretations. A great example of this would be the film Inception as it leaves the viewer uncertain of whether the character is dreaming or dead. 

A closed text has only one obviouis thread to grasp. This means the film ends neatly and every enigma is resolved. Most films choose to use this. 

T

The music video for Eminem's Stan can be applied to all of the theories.

For Todrov's theory we can see that the disruption begins as his letter does not get replied to and Stan becomes irrational.

In relation for Propp's theory we can see that Stan could be considered the protagonist or the villain, and Stan's girlfriend would be the princess. Eminem would be the hero to Stan in the beginning but would turn to the villain to him at the end. 

In relation to Barthe's theory we can see that the music video would be considered a closed text as none of the audience's questions are answered such as the obvious 'why is he obsessed with Eminem?'