Narrative

What is th learning: e difference between a narrative and a story and how can we analys e narrative structures ?
Question fo r

Starter: you Predict what ce n e r e f if d e h t think en a e w t e b e b l il w story and a narrative.

Pitches
Anyone doing their pitches after the lesson will be doing them next week.

What words do you think of when you look at these images? What do they have in common?

In Media Studies, it is important to tell the difference between narrative and story.
Story = a sequence of events, known correctly as the plot. Narrative = the way those events are put together to be presented to an audience. (Consider the idea that elements of the narrative are like building blocks which can be put together to form various structures.)

On your tables, discuss and then write individual notes on an example of when a story was not told in chronological order. Challenge: Add notes answering the following: How did this make the story more interesting for the audience? How did it manipulate audiences

Therefore, when analysing a narrative we analyse the

construction of the
story i.e the way it has been put together, not the story itself.

Love

War Themes
You need to consider what the story is about in its most basic terms, i.e. through its themes. These also affect the types of building blocks you would expect in a narrative.

Friendship

Winning

Task: Can you come up with any more? How might this change depending on genre?

Power

All media texts have a narrative, whether they are a six hour TV miniseries or a one paragraph newspaper story or a glossy magazine photograph. We can analyse these narratives by focusing on the following things:

Technical Codes Verbal Codes

Character

Analysing Narrative

Conflict

Symbolic Codes

Structure

Strauss Binary Oppositions

Write your own definition in your books from looking at these examples:
light/dark right/wrong good/evil poverty/wealth noise/silence strength/weakness youth/age inside/outside

Look at the image on the right. What binary opposites are being presented? What aspects of the image tell us this?
Challenge: Strauss suggested that in each binary opposition there was one side of the pair which was more valued. How is this demonstrated in a media text?

What are the binary opposites demonstrated here? How can we tell?

Structure
The structure of a narrative is usually made up of story elements. A story element is an event that either:
introduces a character or situation moves the narrative forward.

Think of some story elements which occur in a Crime Drama television programme? Brainstorm as many as you can think of in your books. (e.g.: clue is found, criminal identified, police chase criminal, etc.)

Flow diagram of narrative

1. Teaser murder, one witness. 2. Introduction police study crime scene + locate witness. 3. Complication witness wont assist.

6. Denouement police officer starts romantic connection with witness.

5. Resolution witness moves on in life.

4. Climax - police convince witness to help and find criminal.

Task: Now, using the same structure, create a flow

diagram for the narrative of a Romantic Comedy

Character Types (Propps Theory)

Character Type Role within narrative

Hero Villain Heroine

Leads the narrative, is usually looking for something (a quest) or trying to solve something (a mystery). Does not have to be male :) Conflicts with the hero Is usually some sort of prize or reward for the hero. NB if your hero is female, your heroine can be male :) An authority figure who offers a reward to the hero for completing their quest. That reward might be a prince or a princess or a cool new job Helps the hero - often acts as a sidekick Gives the hero something - a clue, a talisman, a special power - which helps them complete their quest Teaches and guides the hero

Task: Watch the trailer for Enchanted. Can you identify each of these characters being used within this narrative? Now watch the Shrek trailer. This narrative still contains each character, however, how have the conventions been changed in this example? http://adisney.go.com/ disneyvideos/liveaction/ enchanted/ http://www.shrek.com/

Father Helper Donor Mentor

Structure: Todorovs Equilibrium Theory

Now draw three see-saws:
Example: For The Birds:

Equilibrium

Cinderella is living with her evil stepmother and doing chores all day every day. This is her equilibrium (her everyday life) at the start of the narrative. The Prince decides to throw a ball which creates disequalibrium in Cinderellas life, such as her Fairy Godmother coming to make sure she goes to the ball.

Disequilibrium

New Equilibrium

Cinderella begins her new life as a Princess and everything settles into a new equilibrium as she lives happily ever after.

Plenary: Applying the theory

Can you identify Todorovs three stages in the short film For the Birds? Watch the short film and match the narrative of the film to these stages in the boxes next to your see-saws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJzQiemCIuY