Narrative Structures

Main narrative structures

Single strand narrative - A story that is told from start to finish with a point or moral to make the audience be
engaged with uasully follows the normal standard of equilibrium, disruption and equilibrium in that order. An
example of this is the music video Ed Sheeran shape of you where the story follows the set of the single strand
narrative. It starts from him building up to his fight with a sumo wrestler and wins at the end of the music
video.

Multi-strand narrative two or more stories together such as TV soaps which have different narratives for
each character of the show.

Linear - Equilibrium Disruption Equilibrium. (sequential)

Non-linear Middle-middle-beginning-flashbacks-ending (Non sequential)

Realist A story that is made to look like real life so the audience can relate to them

Anti realist A story that is based on fantasy to offer the audience a different reality than the usual real life.

Open endings A story that is not resolved at the end of the episode series such as becoming a cliff-hanger at
the end

Closed endings A story that is resolved at the end of the episode or series.
 Music video example

Clean Bandit - Symphony feat. Zara Larsson

This music video includes single strand narrative, realist, closed endings and its linear.

The music video starts of with the man riding his bike which is an equilibrium which follows the linear route, he
gets hit by a car and that is a disruption. He than is able to move his hands again because he is a conductor
which is the equilibrium. It also has the single strand narrative structure where a story that is told from start to
finish with a point or moral to make the audience be engaged with and follows the normal standard of
equilibrium, disruption and equilibrium in that order.
Furthermore the music video also follows the realist structure because it shows something that people can
relate to such as losing something precious to them and getting hurt in some type of accident.
Lastly it uses a closed ending because a closed ending is where a story that is resolved at the end which it has
in this music video of the person not being to move his hands and needs to practise to being able to do it in a
live theatre.
The theories that can be pointed out in this music video is the binary opposite theory of the person from being
injured and not being able to perform to being not injured and being able to perform. Furthermore the music
video follows the Todorov theory of having a equilibrium to disequilibrium back to an altered equilibrium.
Lastly it follows the Levi Strauss theory of having constant conflict of binary opposites such as this music video
which is control than panic as the two separate things.
 Music video example

David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia

This music video includes single strand narrative, realist, anti realist, non linear, open endings

In this music video it contains both the structures of realist and anti realist, this is because the realist side of
this is the normal boy going to places and its not in outer space or anything. However the anti- realist is when
the boy starts to use powers to push back the police away from him. There is also a use of single strand
narrative because there are no other stories apart from the main one where the boy is running away from the
police. The non - Linear aspect of this music video is that it does not have a happy ending or a happy start
which breaks the use of it being linear meaning its non linear because of this. There are no real endings and
it seems its left on a cliff hanger at the end which is called an opening ending. The opening ending is a story
that is not resolved at the end of the episode series such as becoming a cliff-hanger at the end.

The Todorov theory describes narrative as going from equilibrium to disequilibrium back to an altered
equilibrium which this music video does not follow but rather challenges it.
However it does follow Propps theory of that narrative is driven by the characters using a set of narrative
functions. The hero or the protagonist is seen to the boy that runs away, while the villain are the police that is
chasing him. Lastly it also uses the Barthes codes theories where it uses action code, enigma code, symbolic
code from the wreckage and running away from police.
 Conclusion

Overall I found out that Different types of music video uses different types of narrative structure. I found out
that these music video use also different theories that can be found such as Propps, Levi Strauss, Toderov and
Barthes. The main narrative structures I researched and found out will help me with my own music video
production because I now know the different types of narrative structures to have for my narrtive and what to
use. Furthermore most of the music videos I have researched are realist which means the story is meant to
look real and in the world we live in. In my production I might choose these types of narrative structure such as
single strand or multi, realist, non linear and a opening ending. Lastly I will be able to use this research into
my production.