Narrative Theories

What is a music video?

The first Music Video was made during the 1980’s. A music video is a short film incorporating a song and a moving image which is done to promote the song as well as the singer/band. The purpose of a Music Video is to promote a single, album and artists in an attractive and creative way this has been done to increase sales. A Music Video usually has a narrative or delivers a message which appeals to the target audience to attract them and persuade them to buy it.

Music videos enable the Artist and Directors to be creative and unique. It also enables the artists to show off their other talents such as dancing or acting. Sometimes, Music Videos promote more than just the artists they get sometimes get sponsored by manufacturers or electronics like Samsung and clothing lines such as Boy London. This is called Product Placement.

Here is a music video sung by Jay Park(박재범) which uses product placement. The music video features many clothing ranges such as Channel, Boy London, Seattle Sonic Apparel and Vans. They have used product placement in this music video as the manufacturers have either the same or similar target audience, it also allows their products to get as much exposure on camera which will attract a larger range or people. This will then lead onto a higher or an increase in sales revenue.

Music Video genres?

What is a Narrative

A narrative is a story told where elements are structured to make sense to the audience, this is done in an organized way so that it doesn’t confuse people.

Todorov’s theory

This theory must have a transformation. The characters in the video must undergo a disruption.

There are 5 stages for this theory:

Stage 1 – Equilibrium : a stage where everything is going well and is “Flawless.”

Stage 2 – Disequilibrium : a stage where the equilibrium is disturbed.

Stage 3 – Recognition : Acknowledgment that the disequilibrium has happened.

Stage 4 – Reparation : An attempt to repair the state of disequilibrium.

Stage 5 – New Equilibrium : A new outcome.

Here is an example of a Todorov's Theory in Kpop. 

Storyline: Lee Minho is a rich boy who attends a party and makes a bet with his friends that he can kiss the bartender (Dara), he suceeds and kisses her cheek resulting her to slap him. After a few nights he still kept thinking about her and he sees her at a concert and they start to date. But then he starts to show arrogance and she finds out about the bet. She then find him and the kiss plays an important part of the Music Video (MV) as she is saying that Lee Minho wins the bet but lost her.

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Vladimir Propp’s Theory

This narrative is focuses on the variety and types of characters instead of an individual such as:

The Hero – the one who is on the quest

The Villain – the one who opposes the hero

The Donor – the one who helps the hero by giving him a tool

The Dispatcher – the one who starts the hero on his way

The False Hero – the one who tempts the hero away from his quest

The Helper – the one who helps the hero

The Princess – the one who is the reward for the hero

Her Father – the one who rewards the hero for his efforts

Here is an example of the Vladimir Propp's Theory.

Storyline: The music video starts with Top and the girl who is giving a ring to him from her previous relationship with GD. It seems like she broke up with G-Dragon to be with Top. GD and Top then fight due to her. GD then gets angry and starts to wreck and damage things around him while this is happening we also see clips of the girl loosing hair which applies she has an illness. The end of the music video is located at a hospital and she has planned to be put down. On the other hand GD doesn’t know while the rest of his friends does. The main reason why the girl broke up with GD is so that he wouldn’t be sad after she dies, she acted to be with Top so that he would be mad instead. We then see Taeyang on the phone to GD where he’s telling him everything. GD then runs to the hospital but he’s too late. Top then says “She loves you a lot, sorry for lying to you.”

Villain - The girl for lying and breaking GD's heart.

Hero - Top for acting with her.

The helper - Taeyang for telling GD.

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Claude Levi-Strauss’ Theory

This narrative focuses on the binary opposites for example:

Good and Evil

Past and Present

Normal and Strange

Heaven and Earth

Love and Hate
Dead and Alive

Here's an example.
Storyline: Joon a professional assassin who's hired to kill the girl he love but suddenly change his mind & now they run for escape from the another assassin. The girl gets shot and Joon fight to win. He took her on his friend (Thunder) then leave and promised to come back soon. But the two fell in love for each other, So in the name of the love he sacrificially shoot himself. In the end, he gives the girl a plane ticket so they can escape the country and away from all the violence.