Music Video Narrative Theories

Goodwins Theory

Relationship between lyrics and visuals – either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting

Star image (protagonist – centre of attention/close up shots) Performance/Narratives Technical aspects Thought base / through beatMusic Videos most often include demonstrations of typical characteristics e.g. Bikini clad women in a Rap video / Festival & Rave scene in a house music video. There is often intertextual references (films, shows) which the audience would be familiar with.

Roland Barthes theory

Texts are open or closed ; identified into 5 different codes which is included into any narrative video.

Hermeneutic code – Voice of truth. Is the way the story avoids telling the truth or letting slip the facts. This is to drop clued in through out the video to help create a mystery.

Enigma code – Empirical voice to give audience a cliff hanger, builds up tension and leaves the audience guessing what happens next.

Symbolic code – voice of symbols, organises semantic meaning into a broader and deeper set of meaning. Often to form contrast where new meaning arise that conflict others.

Culture code – Voice of science, looks at audience in wider cultural knowledge, morality and ideology. Relates to audience making it more interesting and realistic.

Semantic code – voice of the person. This point out to any section in lyrics that suggest a particular meaning by a connotation which the story suggests and what it symbolises

Vladmir Propps Theory

Suggests that every narrative has 8 different character types. They are called the ‘spheres of actions.’ Villain – Fights the hero Dispatcher – makes the villain known and send them to the hero Helper – who helps the hero upon his request Princess – who the hero adores Father of Princess- who gibes tasks to the hero Hero – reacts to the donor Fake hero – takes credit for hero's actions and tries to have the princes for himself.