NARRATIVE BLOG TASK!

 

NARRATIVE BLOG TASK:

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

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

Wallace and Gromit in the curse of the were-rabbit (Parks and Box: 2005). This film starts of with an exposition by telling the audience a bit about the scene such as what is happening and where the scene is set. The plot story of the movie begins which is usually known as the problem/ disequilibrium. Which is when the home fills to the brim with rabbits. This film then turns out to be even more complicating as the problems seems to get worse even after trying to solve the problem as the beast further tries to attack the towns vegetables. This part of the structure usually takes up most time in a fictional media text. After the complication/problem of the movie the movie reaches to the climax part of the structure as Gromit battles to save Wallace before it is too late. It is the highpoint of the text which enables the characters to reach the resolution.

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.

How could you show that the scene was taking place early in the morning? (temporal marker)

During the sunrise possibly at 6am which is known to be the morning start of the day. The setting at the back should show the sunrise as the sky would be a golden orange colour. To go with the sky setting I could show the scene was taking place in the morning by birds chirping in the background.

How would you show your film was set in London? (geographical marker)

I could show this by shooting the scene in famous London buildings such as big ben or London bridge (as these buildings are very well known and famous in terms of London. Even by showing the red TFL buses will be able to tell the audience that the setting is London.

What methods could you use to make it clear the text is set in the 1960s? (historical marker)

By setting the scene in a very dimly lit area possibly editing it so that the scene is black and white this is because people in the 1960s only viewed movies in black and white. I could also reduce the quality of the film a little bit so it is visible to watch but for it to create the effect of the olden TV's.

How could you make it clear one of the characters is a married policeman? (character marker)

The potential character that is a policeman wearing the uniform of a policeman and wearing a wedding ring on his ring finger.

What could you do to show the audience they are watching a thriller? (generic marker)

The film will most likely end in a cliff hanger. The thriller movie will have a lot of lowkey lighting in the scenes with shadows to create tension.

Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.

• Vin Diesel: who is probably more appropriate as a hero in an action film.
• Zach Braff: who is more of a romantic/ comedy hero 

 Give an example of a binary opposition.

when the girl wins the guys heart in a romantic/ comedy. This is what usually something that doesn’t occur and if it does it’s usually the guy following after and trying to get the girls heart

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

Conventional narrative offers gratifications for audiences. Problems and their complications create enema Barthes) for the audience. The viewers are curious as to what actions (Karthes) will be undertaken and how the problems will be solved.

 Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:

• Episodic narrative (the series): Episodic storytelling is a genre of narrative that is divided into a fixed set of episodes

• Overarching narrative (the serial): indicate that you are talking about something that includes or affects everything or everyone
• Mixed narrative: mixed narrative is when both episodic and overarching narratives are used. 
• Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative): continuous narrative that tells multiple different stories. Each narrative strand involves a different character 

 How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?  

Paper based advertising often provides the solution a problem that is not stated but is understood by the audience

Documentaries use the same structures to help construct their stories

Broadcast news uses narrative structure and character roles in its bulletins

A newspaper story may be part of a larger narrative arc which is in the complication stage. For example, the Beckhams' move to Los Angeles, was presented as another episode in the ongoing narrative of their lives

Photographs and still images cannot easily show the passing of time which is central to a moving image narrative but often the narrative is implied

Newspaper photographs are often chosen specifically to reinforce the character role of an individual