Narrative blog tasks
1) Give an example from film or television that uses Todorov's narrative structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.
In Spider man we see,
Equilibrium: Normal "outcast" teenage boy that is getting bullied, typical american high school stereotype.
Disequilibrium: Peter gets bit by a spider and gets powers and has to fight villains and save the world.
New Equilibrium: Peter saves the world from villains and becomes popular in high school.
2) Complete the activity on page 1 of the Fact sheet: 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.
The scene opens up with a junction that is completely isolated surrounded in what looks like a forest with one single police car driving towards the camera. We see the main character who clearly is a police officer based on his uniform get out of his car and we see an empty truck on its side which we establish is the disequilibrium as the scene carries on we see more abandoned vehicles that have been completely destroyed creating an enigma code as to how did this happen. The fact that this opening scene has no music nor dialogue also creates an enigma code as the audience does not know what to expect. We then see abandoned dolls, kids toys which makes us question even more what happened that this area is completely isolated. We then see dead bodies in cars with flies flying around them which shows us clearly something is going on that is killing the population but we still don't know until the end of the scene where we see a little girl that is revealed to be a walker (zombie) and we can interpret a zombie apocalypse has occurred.
3) Provide three different examples from film or television of characters that fit Propp's hero character role.
Hero= Spider man
Villain= The green goblin
Princess= Mary Jane Watson
4) Give an example of a binary opposition.
Good vs Evil.
5) What example is provided in the Fact sheet for the way narratives can emphasise dominant ideologies and values?
The winner often represents the dominant ideas and values of our culture. When the policeman captures the criminal in a crime drama– the ideology of the value of law and order is emphasised. When the girl wins the heart of the guy in a romantic comedy the values of heterosexual relationships and monogamy are reinforced.
6) Why do enigma and action codes (Barthes) offer gratifications for audiences?
The viewers are curious as to what actions will be undertaken and how the problems will be solved.
7) Write a one-sentence summary of the four different types of TV narrative:
- Episodic narrative (the series)
- Overarching narrative (the serial)
- Mixed narrative
- Multi-strand overlapping narrative (soap narrative)
Episodic narrative: These are fictions which have many parts but where the narrative arc is usually resolved at the end of each episode. (Common in sitcoms.)
Overarching narrative: The serial uses the conventional narrative arc over a number of episodes. Individual episodes do not tend to have a resolution; this comes at the end of the serial.
Mixed narrative: This is a mix of both episodic and overarching narrative in which this structure rewards the loyal viewer as larger stories take time to be resolved but the casual viewer can enjoy the text’s individual episodes.
Multi-strand overlapping narrative: This is a continous narrative and tells a number of different stories at the same time. This can be called an open narrative as there is no final resolution for the text.
8) How does the Factsheet suggest adverts use narrative?
In adverts the idea of the problem and resolution is crucial. Often adverts set up a problem (Bad breath) and immediately offer a solution (buy their toothpaste) to create a swift resolution (Fresh breath).
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