Narrative/Illustration/Amplification/Disjuncture

Narrative/Illustration/Amplification/Disjuncture

Narrative in Music Promos

What is a traditional/classical narrative structure?

·         It’s a narrative which has a beginning, middle and end – most narrative in general

·         Exposition – rising action – climax – falling action – denouement   (linear chronological)

Narrative types: MUST USE WHEN ANALYSING NARRATIVE

·         Linear and non-linear (non-chronological)

·         Closed or open ended (closure – end of the story, satisfied audience/leaves the audience questioning – inception)

·         Circular – a narrative which goes in a circle – ends where it starts – leaves the story open

·         Singular-stranded and multi-stranded (singular-stranded – follows one group of people/multi stranded – follows many characters – love actually)

Todorov’s Theory of Narrative

You start off with equilibrium (the normal person), then disruption happens where something disturbs the ‘norm’, recognition then forms as he realises what’s wrong, repair then happens over characters and then a new equilibrium is formed.

Examples which use Todorov’s Theory of Narrative:

Katy Perry – TGIF

Taylor Swift – Love Story

Synaesthesia: “A condition in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualization of a colour” – therefore, in a song, what sort of emotions are there? What do the lyrics generate?

We automatically look for a beginning, middle and end in a narrative; however a narrative in a song can sometimes not run to how we think it will. IN songs the narrative rarely is complete and therefore often fragmentary. Fragmentary narratives may help the repeatability of promos.

Concepts within music videos:

·         Heartbreak

·         Break up

·         Suggestive sexual concept

·         Fame

·         Money

·         Parties

·         Having fun

·         Drama

·         Life story

·         Real experiences

·         Drugs

·         Surreal

·         Repeatability

·         Abstract

Andrew Goodwin: Suggests music promos can interpret/use the meanings created in the song lyrics in one of the following ways:

·         Illustration – the promo basically illustrates the ideas/narrative in the song lyrics (Stan – Eminem – also non-linear)

·         Amplification – uses a key idea/image from the lyrics and develops it into a concept within the promo. A link remains between the lyric and the promo (The Scientist – Coldplay – “taking it back to the start” – non-linear

·         Disjuncture – The promo bears no resemblance to the lyric or its meaning; abstract; often seen as unconventional/ ‘arty’ videos; creates a new range of meaning for the song. (This too shall pass – OK Go)

Task: Choose a video which follows Todorov’s theory, analyse it/how does it adhere to the theory? Also post definitions of illustration, amplification, and disjuncture – upload examples of at least 3 videos with explanation, and comment on the effects from these elements.