Narrative Theory

Tim O'Sullivan - 1998
He argues that all media texts tell us some kind of story. through careful mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves, not usually our own personal storied however they story of us as a culture or set of cultures. Narrative theory sets out to show that what we experience when we 'read' a story is to understand a particular set of constructions or conversations and that it's important to be aware of how these constructions are put together. We are representing the human condition.

Kate Domaille - 2001
Every story ever told can be fitted into one of eight narrative types. Each of these types has a source, an original story upon which the others are based. These stories are fallous.

• Adilles - The factual flow that leads to the destruction of the previously flawless or almost flawless person e.g. Superman, fatal attraction.
• Candide - The indomitable hero who cannot be put down e.g.Indiana Jones, James Bond, Rocky etc.
• Cinderella - The dream comes true e.g. Pretty Woman,
• Cince - the chase the spider and the fly, the innocent and the villain e.g. Smokey and the bandit, duel, the terminator.
• Faust - Selling your soul to the devil may bring riches but eventually your soul belongs to him. e.g. Bedazzled and Wall Street.
• Orpheus - the loss of something personal the gift that is taken away, the tragedy of losses or the journey which follows the loss; e.g. Romeo & Juliet
• The love story - e.g. Titanic
• Tristan & Isulet - the love triangle, man loves woman unfortunately one or both of them are already spoken for, or a third party intervenes. e.g. Casablanca

A Song For Whoever - The Beautiful South

- Cinematography

• Close-up emphasising his emotion for the women.
• Pans to show the members of the group
• Medium close-up shows him lip syncing

- Ideology

• Identifying his audience by stating that he loves 'you from the bottom of my pencil case' he is addressing his target audience as young teenage girls because they are the type of people who are likely to own one.
• The mould a blemonge into a star

- Editing

• Edits to the beat
• Cuts straight to the very next shot

- Sound

• 'Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, sue' Naming many women suggests he cheats on them.
• He is obsessed with finding 'the one'
• 'cheap never cheap' could be suggesting that he doesn't go for cheap women

- Narrative

• the Blemonge represents 'the one', someone different.
• the jelly looked great but it couldn't sing, represents some stars, taking the mick out of them.

- Mise-en-scene

• Instruments show a live performance
• Wearing the same clothes to show they're all band members
• High key lighting on stage shows the performance more clearly.

there is not point in creating a media text if it doesn't relate to their audience. Narratives are based around what it is like to be a certain culture and relates back to the culture. Media creates narrative based on our society.

all conventions have iconic Mise-en-scene

Satine - The use of human to criticise or ridicule e.g. A Song For Whoever by The Beautiful South

There are basic themes that run through narratives and showed between everyone in society;

1. Narrative
2. Performance
3. Abstract