Research and Planning: Narrative Theory

1. Propp 

Music videos contain different roles within characters which appear in every storyline. When analysing Noah and the Whale - ' Life is Life' I discovered two roles which were the hero and dispatcher role.  The hero role was given to subject running through the video, I decided this was the hero role as I felt the subject was on a quest and searching for a sense of freedom.  In the video I feel the band played two roles which were the dispatcher and helper role. I feel the band gave the subject a quest to discover her freedom but along her quest they have helped her on the journey todiscovery.

2. Levi Strauss 

'Life is Life' has a political theme of  freedom and imprisonment , the video expresses the subject as being confined as an individual and wishes to seek independence within her quest she is travelling on. 

3. Barthes 

The video contains the enigma code which is where the audience are intrigued by the need to solve the problem.  I feel the audience get a clearer view on the problem later on in the video which leads to the action code.  I feel the audience are excited by the need to resolve the subjects problem by watching her  discover her freedom within her quest. 

4. Todorov 

This theory supports Todorov but is being presented with a different order to what his theory expects. The first section of the theory the viewers sees would be the recognition of the disruption of the original equilibrium. This is shown through the subject screaming into the camera and dropping the watermelon which was placed in her hands. You don't know what has happened to the disruption to the subject but you know that something has happened as the subject is screaming. The subjects attempt to restore to the original equilibrium is by running back to normality. Towards the end of the video the subject ends her journey with getting on a hot air balloon returning back to her normal life.  The hot air balloon ride returns the subject to waking up to a new equilibrium and allows the subject to be happy.   

From this analysis I have full understanding on what to except within the narrative theory, I have discovered different roles people are signed within a music video.  By studying this theory it allows me to look deeper into the tasks involved when creating a music video.  When viewing music videos now it will allow me to follow the narrative concept with a clear understanding of what message is being conveyed to the viewer. I feel the narrative within our music video doesn't fit with the theory's given so I don't think the ideas given would be suitable for our genre.  I feel within the indie genre the focus is more towards the music as bands rather have the focus on their lyrics rather than the image.