Monday 10 December 2012

Music videos in theory


Many music videos have a narrative. Sometimes it can be somewhat loose (abstract). Other music videos may be entirely performance. Theorist Tzvetan Todorov looked at narrative and discussed the following structure:
Stage 1: Stable equilibrium - everything is satisfied, calm and normal
Stage 2: Disruption - some kind of force created disequilibrium
Stage 3: Recognition - the main protagonists realise a disruption has happened
Stage 4: Conflict - the action taken against the disruption - re-creation of equilibrium
Stage 5: Restoration / re-equilibrium - consequences of reaction = to change the world of narrative and/or characters so the final equilibrium isn't the same as it initially was.

I believe the narrative in my video is somewhat loose. It shows the performer waking up from a sleep, going on a thieving rampage, and falling asleep again. It could be played in a loop and it could still make narrative sense. When the performer awakes he begins to disrupt the equilibrium, and only after he has gone into a sleep again do we assume the equilibrium is being restored, only for him to tarnish it again when he awakes.

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