MIGRAIN: Narrative

 Read Media Factsheet 14 - Telling Stories: The Media's Use of Narrative and answer the following questions:


1) Give an example from film or television that uses Todorov's narrative structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium. 

The equilibrium introduces the four boys playing inside a suburban family home - identifying the social norms suggested by the narrative. This sequence focuses on the idea of the nuclear family living in a suburban home as the norm, with responsible parents caring for their children.

The disequilibrium is Will's disappearance - this suggests Will is more vulnerable as a latchkey kid, reinforcing social norms around the nuclear family.

There is no resolution of the main narrative arc in episode one. Will's disappearance is not resolved until the final episode of season one.



2) Complete the activity on page 1 of the Factsheet: find a clip on YouTube of the opening of a new TV drama series (season 1, episode 1). Embed the clip in your blog and write an analysis of the narrative markers that help establish setting, character and plot.

Temporal Marker: we couldn't actually tell what time of day it is because it doesn't show a sky nor does it show colour but it may be before sunset because it wasn't too dark as we could see the characters. 
Geographical marker: we could only tell that it is set in south Korea maybe because of the text, writing  and language however it could also be north Korea. 
Historical marker: the beginning of the opening actually makes us think its set in 1960s as its in black and white and kids playing outside in an empty field of just sand a few toys as in they are in a playground , however this alters when the text colours and fonts come on the screen and the clear and bright colours of shapes and texts. 
Character marker: we don't see much characters but we can see kids in 2 teams or separated playing a game outside alone, one is on the floor that looks devasted or upset that he may have lost the game against his teammates but also is the only one in the triangle that no one else is in. 
Generic marker: the mystery of the characters, place and narrative makes a suspense and makes the audience curious to see what is going to happen next and who are the children and who is the person sitting alone and what's behind all of this mystery and odd font and colours and shapes and what's behind them, horror sounding, suspense, mystery tv show.  

3) Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.
Harry Potter (Harry Potter)
Peter Parker (Spiderman)
David Harbour (Stranger Things)

4) Give an example of a binary opposition.
Good , evil 

5) What example is provided in the Factsheet for the way narratives can emphasise dominant ideologies and values?


6) Why do enigma and action codes (Barthes) offer gratifications for audiences?

7) Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:
  • Episodic narrative (the series)- narrative arc that starts and ends in the same episode. 
  • Overarching narrative (the serial)- Uses the conventional arc over a number of episodes with each episode not tending to have a resolution with that instead coming at the end of the serial.
  • Mixed narrative-  both episodic and overarching, the episodes usually deal with a number of small conflicts which resolve at the end of the episode.
  •  Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative)- more than one narrative at the same time.
8) How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?  
In advertising the idea of the problem and resolution is crucial. Often adverts set up a problem  and then immediately offer the solution to create a swift resolution.  

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