An essay analysing the narrative devices and structure of my music video.

1. 1d) Narratological analysis of your music video.
We used lots of narrative devices to tell the story of our two characters, Samuel and Lucy. I began my edit
with a short prologue, which introduces the artist and the tracks name whilst featuring entirely diegetic
sound (birds chirping and water running). This acts as a good introduction for the music video as the
audience are slowly introduced to the production and immediately immersed
in the environment of the narrative. Many music videos use a similar
technique to begin their video, like in the music video for Radiohead’s ‘Burn
the Witch’ (See left). In addition, we used lots of walking (movement) which
acted as a clear device that drove the narrative along. We follow the
characters as they leave the bedrooms, and in the boy’s case, slamming his
door, and begin to walk across their individual landscapes. We used many
tracking shots and tripod shots, where the characterswalk through the
frame, to portray a theme of travel and journey. The frequent shots of the
characters walking physically move the narrative on as we follow them throughout the video. Similarly, a
reoccurring representation of binary opposition is constructed between the two characters through the
consistent use of the 180-degree rule for each character. When constructing our music video, we made
sure that the male character was always walking to the audiences left and the camera never went
beyond 180 degrees of this side. Similarly, the female character is always walking to the audiences right.
Anthropologist (comparing cultures) Claude Levi-Strauss studied societies across the world and his theory
suggests that across all cultures there was a concept of binary opposition that media texts were
constructed around. This is very clearto see in our music video as the juxtaposing shots of each character
portrays a sense of conflict/ argument between them. As they are walking in opposite directions, the
audience anticipates closure as it is likely they are both heading towards a central point and that they
may meet up. Both of these elements drive the narrative.
Tzvetan Todorov was a Bulgarian-French scholar, famous for
designing a 3-part structure that can be applied to many
modern media texts, including my music video. Todorov
suggests that media texts begin with an equilibrium, or
balance (Act 1). There is then an ‘inciting incident’ which is an
event that disturbs this balance, causing a disequilibrium
/imbalance (Act 2). There is then a prolonged struggleto
regain balance which is finally achieved through a resolution
before a new equilibrium is created(Act 3). In my music
video, the 3 act structure can be applied, although it is not
explicitly seen. Act 1, or the equilibrium is seen with the two
characters in the bedroom and it is not until the girl slams down the anniversary card (inciting incident)
that the audience are fully introduced that there is in fact a disequilibrium. The majority of the video,
where the two charactersare walking, is the struggle to resolve the issue and regain balance before the
meet up at the beach resolves it and they walk off in a new equilibrium. Applying Todorov’s 3 act
structure to the narrative of my music video is useful as it proves how we createda conventional
narrative that is easy for the audience to follow and one that will prove captivating.
Todorov also argued that there is often a climax, or crescendo, to a media text. Our music video certainly
features a climax, where the boy looks up from his photo and see’s the girl walking towards him along the
beach. During the editing process I ensured this was paired with the crescendo/ the pinnacle of the track
to make it more poignant and entertaining to watch. It is likely that the audience anticipate the build up
to this moment, making it more satisfying and rewarding. The linear, convergent narrative we used, i.e.
with the two separate narratives of the boy and girl concluding together at the end, would also make the
audience anticipate this narratological closure, making the climax of the text more enjoyable.
The three main nareems (narrative units/ strands) that can be seen throughout my music video are
‘nostalgia/ memory’, ‘togetherness’ and ‘journeys’. These strands interweave and cross over whilst they

2. still develop individually. Unconventionally however, one could argue that the narrative strands in our
music video climax at different points. The theme of nostalgia and memory can be seen as reaching its
crescendo fairly early on, as the characters are in their separate bedrooms and reflect on their
photograph/ anniversary card. After these shots, the charactersare separated from each other and walk
alone through the environments, with just the imagery of the corkboard as a nostalgic reminder of their
relationship. A theme of ‘journeys’ can easily be seen throughout my music video but especially during
the middle, during the ‘struggle for resolution’. The two characters both individually embark on a physical
and metaphorical journey as they leave their bedrooms, and walk to the beach location. This symbolises
the characters leaving their old lives behind and starting a new relationship together. The strand of
togetherness peaks early on but it isn’t until the end, where the two arereunited at the beach, where
this nareem reaches its climax. The supposed conflict, constructed through their juxtaposing 180 degree
rules, is resolved at this point and so their togetherness is as high as it has been throughout the duration
of the video.
French scholar Roland Barthes put forward his theory of ‘5 NarrativeCodes’, some of which can be
applied when discussing my music video production. The proairetic code is described as an action that
drives the story along and one that evokes the audience to anticipate a further narrative event. As
previously mentioned, the multitude of shots of the two characters walking act as proairetic, narrative
drivers as they physically move the story along and the audience anticipates that they will lead to some
closure, i.e. a meet up. Another clear example of the proairetic code in my music video is the shot of the
male character leaving his house and slamming the door. As he leaves, a new location and a new
narrative chunk is introduced and thus, the story is thrust forward. In addition, Barthes proposed a
symbolic code which is a visual metaphor where imagery provides a deeper meaning to the audience. A
good example of how I have used the symbolic code in my narrative, as previously mentioned, is where
the two characters leave their rooms and set out on their individual journeys. Their bedrooms are filled
with reminders of their past relationship, i.e. the boy has the corkboard of memories and the girl has the
anniversary card on her dressing table. This symbolises how the characters, Samuel and Lucy are leaving
their difficult relationship behind, where they’ve had an argument, and are actively pursuing a new
relationship. In others words, they are leaving behind differences to live ‘like they ought to and live like
they’re born to’ like the track encourages. In addition, the symbolic code can be seen when there aretwo
consecutive shots of the characters walking in separate directions, around the 1:45 minute mark. This
symbolises Todorov’s ‘struggle’ and Levi-Strauss’ binary opposition whilst reinforcing how the characters
are currently in conflict with each other.
On top of his 5 NarrativeCodes, Barthes also developed his theory of open and closed texts. He argues
that media texts either feature a closed or an open narrative. For a closed narrative, there is a concluded
and fixed meaning to the ending. This is in contrast to open texts, which feature an unresolved,
ambiguous ending, open to interpretation from the audience. Mikhael Shore supports the idea of open
texts by suggesting that “music video directors make videos as ambiguous as possible, with just enough
narrative or suggestive concept to draw a viewer in.” The narrative of my music video challenges this
view however as it is a confident example of a closed media text. The video finishes with the two
characters walking out of the frame whilst holding hands. It is therefore very clear to the audience what
the meaning behind the conclusion is – that they have forgiven each other as they walk off into their new
relationship together. Our closed narrative supports the view of scholars like Pam Cook who suggests
that the narrative structures of media texts include a “high degree of narrative closure”.