Narrative structures in a music video

Harry Saunders

What is narrative?

• A narrative is the way in which a story is told. A narrative can be affected by many factors and styles, such as linear narratives, multi strand narratives and theories like Toderov’s theory of equilibrium.

Linear narratives• A linear narrative is exactly what it

sounds like; a narrative that works in one line or strand. This means that the narrative works from start to finish and tells the story in one straight sitting without interruptions from the past or future. For example, Porter Robinson’s Sad Machine music video is a concept video that is linear because it shows one storyline the whole way through, where a hand keeps following through a mountain and other landscapes, without any other interruptions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek

Narrative theory

• This music video by Porter Robinson features an example of the Binary Opposites theory where it follows a robot hand throughout the whole video and then it meets a human hand at they end and they join together. This is an example of binary opposites because man and machine are said to be opposites and this helps to communicate the message about the relationship between man and machine/technology.

Non-linear narratives• Non-linear narratives are

basically the opposite to what a linear music video might contain. This means that it has interruptions in between, at the start or the end of the music video. This can be seen in Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night where it starts with the morning after the party and then goes back to the start of the night before and continues the narrative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAIDqt2aUek

Single strand narrative

• A single strand narrative is a narrative that is focused around only one character and the narrative unfolds and finishes around that particular character, usually focused around the artist in a music video, for example in Ke$ha’s Tik Tokmusic video, it features her doing her daily routine of partying and drinking but focused completely around her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP6XpLQM2Cs

Multi-strand narrative

• A multi-strand narrative is a narrative that allows itself to be focused around many other characters and unfold in the hands of multiple ways through this. For example, MGMT’s music video for Your Life Is A Lie features many different characters and the narrative is completely random due to this. This allows them to write freely for their narrative because they have many characters they can use to display their meaning in the music video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cye-

1RP5jso

Propp’s character theory

• Ke$ha’s music video also gives an example of Propp’s character theory. We see Keshadisplayed as the hero, the guy who takes her to the party as the donor and her family as the villains as they frown upon her outrageous behaviour. This is used to create the effect of appeal to the artist by making her look as if she is someone who has a good time and will hopefully make people shine to her style.

My music video/conclusion

• From looking at these music videos, I have discovered that I would like to use a linear, single strand narrative in my music video. This is because it means we are able to put across the narrative a lot easier by focusing on specifically one character and by using linear narratives will be able to display the message clearer instead of confusing audiences by changing the plot around, and is a lot more conventional for our genre, as seen in most songs that are house/dance, like Porter Robinson or Kesha’s Tik Tok.