Narrative Theory

Jasmine Fagg

Types of Narrative
Linear Narrative - starts in one place and ends in another. Circular Narrative -starts in one place and ends in the same place. Parallel Narrative- several stories happening at the same time. Flashback Narrative goes back in time and shows sequences from the past.

Linear Narrative
Arctic monkeys Why'd you only call me when youre high?

This video clearly follows a linear narrative as he starts out at a bar and ends up at a random house. It tells the story of his night out from beginning to end with no flashbacks or other story lines therefore it is a linear narrative.

This is a shot of him in the bar at the start of the night and the story.

This shot shows him at the end of the night where the video ends with him at the wrong house.

Circular Narrative
Ed Sheeran - A Team I chose this song to illustrate the circular narrative because the video starts of showing the end and finishes at the end to. It shows the woman and the effects of the drugs at the start and then tells the story of how she got there, then shows you the end again and puts it in context.

This screenshot shows the start of the video were she is suffering from a drug overdose. The video then goes on to give the narrative of how she got there.

This screenshot shows the end of the video were she is suffering from a drug overdose.

Flashback
Justin Timberlake Mirrors
This video is very complicated as the characters in it are shown at three different stages of their lives so it represents the flashback narrative but is also resembles a multistory narrative as it shows the different ages simultaneously throughout.

This shot represents the couple at the earliest stage in the relationship, it shows when they first met.

This shows the middle of the relationship where they fight but still love each other.

In this screenshot it shows the couple in the present at their oldest. These shots are shown more than the rest as if they are reflecting on their lives together.