Applying Narrative theory to my music video.

In my music video (Lovage- "To Catch a Theif) there is a strong sense of narrative. This is because the genre the video was in (trip-hop) both allowed for and encourgaed the use of a narrative. This can be seen in examples of other videos within the same genre, such as massive attacks "Tear Drop". The video combines abstract and often confusing imagary to build up a loose narrative, and while our video had a much stronger sense of narrative, the basic design was the same. This can be seen in our use of a bunny costume to connote disguise and criminality. Since this abstract imagary was within the framework of a quite straight forward narrative, it is clear that we applied our narrative accourding to the conventions of our genre.
Our music video also works within the framework of Todorovs narrative theory, since its guidlines of equilibriam, disruption of equlibriam and the reastablishment of equilibrium fits perfectly into our video. For example, our video begins with the Bunny being calmly talked at by a phsychiatrist, during the middle the Bunny commits a crime, and at the end the Bunny is back in the phsychiatrists chair. This shows that our narrative is quite stereotypical in nature, with a conventional and predefined beginning middle and end. This was consious decision by us as a group, since we wished to make quite a niche and original video, however, we thought that these abstract images would work best within a strong and clear narrative.  

Goodwin's Theory applied to "Jeans and Fitted" by Vybz Kartel

Links to music by lyrics:
In the video there are multiple links to the objects which are described by the lyrics. For example,
(Russian) Mi gucci belt a di realest
(Kartel)Mi rosary chain ah di purest
(Russaian)Mi G-shock watch... Timeless
All of these lyrics are referred to with shots of the objects themselves, like a "Gucci Belt"

Genre Characteristics:
The genre of this music video is known as "Dancehall" an hip-hop based genre heavily influenced by Jamaican style singing. This video conforms to the genre as it is set in an urban, Caribbean setting and both of the artists performing are singing in a Jamaican style, even the featuring artist.

Intertextual Reference:
There are lots of references to certain high-street products such as a "Gucci Belt", "G-Shock Watch, "Rosary Chain" etc. that is repeated throughout the music video. Not only are there references but there are physical shots of each of these products at least once in the music video.


Notions of Looking:
Women in this video are seen as sex objects and are heavily put down as the lower of the sexes and seen as an object to be used in the males way.

Real Media Concepts - Analysis of Music Video-Goodwin

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song


Links between lyrics and music- in this music video Bruno and the monkeys' actions within the video constantly make reference to the lyrics. For example when they are talking about leaving a message on a phone then they make a phone with their hands and when mentioning the birthday suit they pull down their trousers.

Genre Characteristics- the genre of this video is Pop and it has some of the conventions of this genre such as dancing a  routine to the lyrics, also the up beat tempo to the video connotes pop. All of the characters are also wearing bright colours which could be seen as a convention of pop.

Intertextual Reference- within the lyrics MTV the reality television program is mentioned. This is the only reference made within the video.

Notions of Looking- Through this video Bruno Mars (the artist) is seen as a chilled out person and quite relaxed, within a house. In his other videos, 'Just the way you are' for example, he is also seen in this way so it is how the audience expects to see him. 

Demands of the label - Bruno's videos are all very clean and respectful so his label may want to represent him as a role model and good person which is very different to his personality in real life. So the label may be creating an alter ego for Bruno but through his music videos.

Applying my music video production to the theoretical area of Narrative

The media product I created was a trip hop music video to the song ‘To Catch a Thief’ by the band Lovage. Other music videos within this genre have a very strong narrative to them and tell a story throughout the video. For example Karmacoma by Massive attack has a strong narrative but to get to the meaning behind it all you have to look past the abstract image it portrays just as you have to do with my music video/ So through my own interpretation of a Trip Hop music video I wanted to follow the same convention.

The music video I helped to create told the story of a male bunny character who had been kicked out of his house by his wife. As a result of this the bunny turns to crime. He only turned to crime because of his sorrow and as an audience we should feel sorry for him. The bunny costume the character is wearing connotes the idea of disguise and also innocence to what he is doing and had experienced. We hoped that the audience could see this behind the costume and look behind the abstract image it may portray.

As a group we thought a lot about the idea behind the narrative and all that was involved in creating this short story/film. As the narrative is so strong, it can easily be applied to narrative theory. When looking at this the music video I have created can be most closely related to Todorov’s theory of there being five stages to narrative:

- an equilibrium

- a disruption to this equilibrium by an event

- a realisation that a disruption has happened

- an attempt to repair the damage of the disruption

- a restoration of equilibrium – which may be a new equilibrium

In my media product I feel that the equilibrium was the positivity seen at the beginning through the bunny gaining help from a wise counsellor. The disruption of this was the crime that took place by the bunny. The realisation was being caught by the police and sadness seen by the bunny and then the attempt to repair was being put in jail to correct the wrongs and finally at the end of the music video the restoration of the equilibrium was seen as the bunny revisited the counsellor.

I believe that because of another theoretical area (Genre) the narrative of this media product had become very apparent and therefore easily related to narrative theory.