Narrative: blog task

 Read Media Factsheet 14 - Telling Stories: The Media's Use of Narrative and answer the following questions:


1) Give an example from film or television that uses Todorov's narrative structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. 

Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit

2) Complete the activity on page 1 of the Factsheet: find a clip on YouTube of the opening of a new TV drama series (season 1, episode 1). Embed the clip in your blog and write an analysis of the narrative markers that help establish setting, character and plot.

Geographical marker(info about location)- Island ; marshland establishing shot, surfing shot.

Character marker(info about characters)- Main friend group(reckless, carefree, classic American teenage friend group, hectic- Jumping off the boat, dog piling on boat.

Temporal or historical marker(time or era text is set in)- Modern 21st Century; clothing, boat dock, red jettski, pool party.

Generic marker(genre of text)- Action and adventure; falling in water, covered in mud celebrating.



3) Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.

Percy Jackson - 


Superman-

Back to the Future, Marty Mcfly- 



4) Give an example of a binary opposition.

   Water is either hot or cold

5) What example is provided in the Factsheet for the way narratives can emphasise dominant ideologies and values?

The example used is Lord of the Rings, where the dominant value is law and order is emphasised. When the girl wins the heart of the guy in a romantic comedy , the values of heterosexual relationships and monogamy are reinforced.  

6) Why do enigma and action codes (Barthes) offer gratifications for audiences?

The climax provides an emotional high spot, it is usually the most thrilling, funny or horrific moment in the text.
The resolution provides reassurance and comfort , especially when good wins over evil. The resolution at the end is a reward for the audience at the end of the emotional journey the text has taken the on.

7) Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:
  • Episodic narrative (the series)
- Fictions that have many parts but the narrative arc is usually resolved by the end of the episode.
  • Overarching narrative (the serial)
- Uses conventional narrative arc over a number of episodes, usually leaves audiences on a cliff hanger, needs audiences to be loyal as they need to know what happens next.
  • Mixed narrative
- Both episodic and overarching, this structure rewards the loyal viewer as larger stories take time to resolve but the casual viewer can still enjoy the shows individual episodes.
  • Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative)
- Sometimes called an open narrative;as there is no final resolution in the text and they have a continuous narrative which tell a number of different stories at a time.  Some narratives go on for a long time but others only go on for two-three episodes.

8) How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?  

It suggests the idea of  a narrative disruption and resolution is crucial. It suggests or identifies a problem and immediately offers a swift solution.

A/A* extension task

Use our brilliant Media Magazine archive to read Narratology: Todorov, Propp and Freytag from MM70 (page 24). This applies some of our narrative theories (and one new one) to Star Wars, Avengers and more. Which of these theories do you find most useful when applying to media texts? Why? 

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