This music video has elements of the omnipotent narrative device when the mother starts packing and the father is at a boxing match and doesn't realise. Starting from 2:08,connoted is the woman coming into the room which a bunch of clothes. At first it doesn't seem bad, but later she starts putting the clothes into empty boxes and suitcases, connoting that she's leaving him. This section is omnipotent as the audience feel 'godlike' as they know what's going on where as the man doesn't. The emotional effect this has is that the audience feel sorry for the man as he's going to come home from his match and wonder where they have gone, but the audience know exactly where they are.
2:33 - she starts packing the clothes
Plot twist - You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
This video by Taylor Swift shows an example of two little plot twists, which change the narrative. At 2:22, you see the main male go to his girlfriend after he wins, only to see her flirting with another guy, leading to them arguing. This is a plot twist as it changes the course of their relationship, they probably broke up. This then leaves the male single for Taylor Swift. Another plot twist occurs at 3:25 when Taylor Swift ends up going to the prom and brings her 'I Love You' note with her. The male then also brings his 'I Love You' note and shows her. This plot twist changes the narrative as the audience didn't know that he loved her, it's an exciting twist. It makes the audience feel emotional and happy for Taylor Swift as she's finally with the guy she wants to be and she's happy, instead of being hidden away admiring him from afar.
3:26 - she brings out her note.
Flashback - The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
At 0:26, the flashback starts with old Katy Perry stirring her tea, it then goes to her ex-boyfriend stirring the water with a brush. The scene then goes into them painting in their room and laughing, doing what couples do. In then goes back to old Katy Perry, then the young couple at a wedding party. This shows a flashback as the first scene is the old woman with her current husband, but the scene then goes to her reminiscing about her ex-boyfriend. This makes the audience feel sorry for the old woman as with the lyrics of the song, 'the one that got away' it becomes clear that she really loved that boyfriend, but in some way he slipped away. There's then a plot twist towards the end at 3:53 which shows the same boyfriend driving his car off a cliff. The plot twist makes the audience feel even more sorry for the woman as she didn't just lose him, he died.
0:26
3:54
Music Video with Structure
Taylor Swift's Blank Space video is one that shows Todrov's narrative theory well. At the start of the video, from the beginning to about 1:40, the narrative, is the state of equilibrium, the couple are getting along and they seem very happy. This fits the equilibrium as this would have been normality for the couple, they would be happy almost all the time. The disruption occurs at 1:49, when the female looks at the male texting and starts shaking her head. This connotes that the guy may be texting another girl or someone the girl doesn't like. This fits the disruption stage, as the girl goes from being happy and in love with him to being angry at him. The recognition happens at 1:59, when the female starts to argue with the male, he realises that he's doing something wrong. The arguing could also be a recognition of the girl realising the guy is cheating on her. Trying to restore the equilibrium happens at 2:29 when she slashes the picture of him and starts to cut up and set fire to his clothes. This fits the restoration stage as she's trying to get back to normal, she's trying to drive him away so she can be happy again. The equilibrium is restored when the guy eventually leaves in his smashed up car at 3:45. The new equilibrium occurs when a second car, a red one this time comes into the house, copying the shot at the start of the video (0:04), but this time with a new driver. This is the new equilibrium as the situation is the same, but with a different male. This little cliff hanger makes the audience believe that the same thing will happen again, especially as the last shot is of the female smirking at 3:53, wearing the same costume and make up as the first shot. The whole cycle of Todorov's narrative will complete it's self again.
0:49 - equilibrium
1:49 - disruption
1:59 - recognition
2:29 - restoration
3:49 - new equilibrium
3:53 - new equilibrium
Cause and Effect Music Video
This video, shows Barthes Narrative codes; enigma and action. The first enigma code happens when the wife starts to take her ring off at 1:15 and then starts to break down at 1:23. It's not clear to the audience why she's so unhappy as at the start of the video, she said to her husband 'give me a kiss' and sent him off to work. At 1:32, an action code then comes, it beings evident that the husband is cheating on her as he stares at another woman in a bar lovingly and touches her waist. This moves the story forward as we see why the wife is unhappy, yet however still question how she knows. Another enigma code happens at 1:56, when denote is the wife in the car, it looks like she's going to confront her husband, but will she? It's unclear where she's going, leaving a question for the audience. At 3:34, denoted is the wife burning a pile of her husbands clothes on the front garden. This is an action code, as it progresses the story. It makes the audience believe that she's going to confront him when he comes home, then leave him. The last enigma code happens right at the end (4:34), when the husband returns and greets her and she takes him in, smiling and lets him kiss her. It sets up the question of why she didn't confront him or say anything, and also the question of does he know that she knows?
1:23 - Enigma
1:32 - Action
3:34 - Action
4:34 - Enigma
Character Music Video
The 'Black Widow' video is one that shows a few characters from Propp's narrative theory. In this video you see a hero, helper, donor and villain. At the start of this video in 'Big Wandas', it becomes evident who the villain is, the loud mouth man in the grey suit who acts rude towards the waitress. The hero is the waitress as she's taking everything from him and the helper is the girl who came in with the man as she's trying to help the waitress and be nice to her. This little scene is then foreshadowed in the waitresses imaginary 'ninja' life. It's clear that Iggy is the hero as at 2:32 she's the one being trained to kill and the one being helped by the donor. The donor is the old 'sensei' who helps her train in the room (2:39). He plays the character of the donor as he is preparing Iggy to fight and provides her with the skills to handle the weapons. The villain is again evident when Iggy recieves a piece of paper with the mans face and the word 'Destroy' at 2:52. He is also shown when the helper receives a message on her tablet at 3:30 with a picture of the same man saying 'Target'. Both of the girls have been ordered to kill him which connotes him as the villain character. The helper character is connoted more clearly at 4:24, when she comes to help the hero when she's surrounded by the villains helpers, she rescues her from being killed. The good helper then starts to help the hero and kills all of the villains.
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