To explore Barthes theory in more depth, I have applied it to this video (link below) by You Me At Six - 'Stay With Me'.
http://www.vevo.com/watch/you-me-at-six/stay-with-me/GB1201000069
The first part of Barthes theory to apply are the cardinal functions and catalysers. The cardinal funtions are the main points/events shown through the video. When looking at the Stay With Me video, two of these are:
- the growth of the loved ones
- the burying of the possessions
Two examples of the catalysers, which are just as important, but less obvious are:
- the walking of the characters all towards the same place, interestingly the same place as the band
- the linking between images and lyrics of 'grow' as the character pours the water on top of the buried possessions.
Barthes also suggests in his theory that the sequencing of images is vital to the way the video is interpreted by the audience. For example, in this particular video, we see the blonde man, in his truck, and then the shot through the truck showing the various people walking through the field all in the same direction. This gives the audience the stroyline that the blonde man will be joining them, and also makes them wonder where they're going, all without actually having to physically tell a story.
Another factor of Barthes theory is that there are always codes/conventions. In this video we see can see that they have connected it to love and romance, due to the couples being reunited towards the end, and the love that the first person had shown by holding and burying the possessions of their loved ones. This could also signify loss, before the regrowth of their loved ones.
Friday 8 July 2011
Narrative Theory and Theorists
Narrative theory studies the devices and conventions governing the organisation of a story (fictional or factual) into a sequence.
Vladimir Propp
- suggested in 1928 that in any story there are only ever a limited number of character types
- each of these have their own purpose in the narrative
Characters such as:
Hero, Heroine/Princess, Villain, Donor/Mentor, Helper, Father, The False hero, The dispatcher
Toderov
Suggested that there are five stages to any story, these being:
- Equilibrium (establish setting, characters and storyline)
- Disruption of the equilibrium
- Recognition of the disruption
- An attempt to repair disruption
- Reinstatement of the equilibrium (resolved problem)
He also recognised subversions, for example flashbacks, flashforwards, twists and parallel narratives.
Andrew Goodwin
Suggested that there are six key features of the genre:
1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
3)There is a relationship between music and visuals
4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work
5) There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6) There are often intertextual references
Louis Althusser - interpellation
- individuals believe that they are free to form their own opinions and values
- he says that individuals are interpellated = unconsciously controlled by those in power
- media texts, knowingly or unknowingly, reproduce these values and thus reinforce them
Antonio Gramsci - Hegemony
- similar to Althusser
- individuals accept the status quo because they are conditioned to do so by those in power
- control is achieved through consensus, not force
Stuart Hall - Encoding and Decoding
'Texts have no true meaning until they are recieved and interpreted by audiences.'
- producers encode messages into the text but audiences are free to decode in the way they like = preferred/dominant reading, negotiated reading or oppositional reading. These all link to target audience.
Barthes Theory
All narrative is made up of plot, sequence and images.
He refers to cardinal functions - these are the main points/events in a text
He also refers to the lesser events/images called catalysers - they are equally important but less obvious
Vladimir Propp
- suggested in 1928 that in any story there are only ever a limited number of character types
- each of these have their own purpose in the narrative
Characters such as:
Hero, Heroine/Princess, Villain, Donor/Mentor, Helper, Father, The False hero, The dispatcher
Toderov
Suggested that there are five stages to any story, these being:
- Equilibrium (establish setting, characters and storyline)
- Disruption of the equilibrium
- Recognition of the disruption
- An attempt to repair disruption
- Reinstatement of the equilibrium (resolved problem)
He also recognised subversions, for example flashbacks, flashforwards, twists and parallel narratives.
Andrew Goodwin
Suggested that there are six key features of the genre:
1) Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
2) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
3)There is a relationship between music and visuals
4) The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work
5) There is frequently reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
6) There are often intertextual references
Louis Althusser - interpellation
- individuals believe that they are free to form their own opinions and values
- he says that individuals are interpellated = unconsciously controlled by those in power
- media texts, knowingly or unknowingly, reproduce these values and thus reinforce them
Antonio Gramsci - Hegemony
- similar to Althusser
- individuals accept the status quo because they are conditioned to do so by those in power
- control is achieved through consensus, not force
Stuart Hall - Encoding and Decoding
'Texts have no true meaning until they are recieved and interpreted by audiences.'
- producers encode messages into the text but audiences are free to decode in the way they like = preferred/dominant reading, negotiated reading or oppositional reading. These all link to target audience.
Barthes Theory
All narrative is made up of plot, sequence and images.
He refers to cardinal functions - these are the main points/events in a text
He also refers to the lesser events/images called catalysers - they are equally important but less obvious
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)