Narrative research

Narrative theory and structure
NARRATIVE is the term given to coherence and organisation to a series of given facts. The human mind needs a natural sense of narrative in order to connect events together and make certain interpretations based on these connections. In every situation, our mind always seeks a beginning, middle and an end and by understanding this shows that we understand how a common narrative is structured and shown to us.

Narrative Conventions
NARRATIVES are always made up of several similar conventions in order to find it's correct meaning. Within this meaning there are a series of codes that need to be considered. When we look at a narrative we examine its: GENRE, CHARACTER, FORM and TIME.

Narrative Structures
There are many ways in breaking down and defining what a narrative structure is. For example, you may here a Hollywood film describe as "a classic Hollywood narrative" meaning it has three acts. News stories have their own individual structure. A lot of work has been completed by literacy theorists in to develop ways of deconstructing a narrative:

- Tvzetan Todorov suggests that narrative is simply equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium,
- Vladimir Propp suggests hat narratives strongly depend on characters and action
- Claude Levi-Strausse believes that there is a constant creation of conflict/opposition propels narrative. Narrative can only ever end on a resolution of conflict. Opposites can be visual (light/darkness/movement/stillness) or conceptual (love/hate/control/panic) and do with the sound track. Also, he believes that binary oppositions can also be used in order to deconstruct the narrative of something.

Narrative

For my summer exam, we have tow rite about a narrative piece either focused on AS or A2. Both the film we produced last year and the music video which is still undergoing it's editing process, have clear narratives. However, for the exam I think I will write about my A2 music video. This is because our short opening to a horror film last year was told in linear form and was shown in chronological order and the music video is much more complex when it comes to it's narrative. The music video includes flashbacks and flash forwards which fit in with the narrative and has a broader 'plot' and so I will have more to talk about when it comes to analysing the narrative in the exam.

Narrative on film
the basic narrative to our horror film was a victimized ballet dancer who was being followed and stalked by a villain all dressed in black. It was called "The music box" because of the fact she had a similar outfit to the ballet dancer that spun inside the box shown numerous times in the film opening and also because when the villain had possession of the box, he has possession of her as well. The villain eventually ends up following her home from dance class one day and the opening ends in a fantastic cliff hanger and the audience are left in suspense as to whether he kidnaps the girl or not.

Narrative on music video
A teenage girl has split up with her boyfriend and throughout the song, in between the performance clips (where she is just singing to the camera), she is reminiscing on all the good memories she had with her boyfriend before the relationship ended. There are many flashbacks of the happy times and therefore this reflects the overall narrative as a whole.

Overall, I feel i have exceeded my knowledge on narrative far More then what I knew at AS level and that when it comes down to writing about narrative for the exam this summer, I feel confident that I have the correct terminology and background information on to talk about the narrative of either my year 12 or 13 produced piece with in media.