Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

Music video narrative structure

Music video narratives can be either: Linear/non-linear or multi strand.
The narrative is basically the storyline that the music video is following. In this task I will be looking
at three different music videos from Katy Perrys Last Friday Night, Ke$has Tik Tok &
MGMTs Life is a Lie and how they follow certain narrative techniques and theories that are
common in the music industry.

Music videos are structured based on the themes presented in the song. In music videos the
structure of the narrative only applies to narrative based music videos and it can be either
linear/non-linear or multi-strand.

There are 3 different typologies of music videos:

- Performance Visuals oriented to viewers that the recording of the music is the most
significant element.
- Narrative Linear, love stories are the most popular.
- Conceptual Metaphors to create a mood, offer multiple meanings.

Whether the message is direct or indirect to viewers is dependent on the typology used above.

Andrew Goodwin and Lyrics, Visual & Music

The narrative contains:

- Illustrative (Images provide a literal representation)

- Amplifying (Repetition of key meanings & effects to manipulate the audience)
- Contradicting (Images contrast with the music)
- Disjuncture (When the meaning of the song is completely ignored)

From Andrew Goodwins theory it could be said that music videos may actually contain elements of
more than one category.

For example, in describing Madonnas music videos, suggests that the essential narrative
component of a music video is found in its ability to frame the star, star-in-text, as all Madonnas
videos seem to do so.

Anti Realist
An anti-realist narrative is a narrative that doesnt contain themes of realism. The themes are
accomplished through a change in the lighting, setting, camera-work, costumes and mise en scene.

Realist
A realist narrative contains themes of realism. The themes are accomplished through a change in the
lighting, setting, camera-work, costumes and mise en scene.

Chris Wotton
Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

Linear
A linear narrative is a storyline that starts from the start to the end, and doesnt contain any another
highlights such as flashbacks. (This is a very simple and basic narrative)

Non-linear
A non linear narrative usually contains flash forwards or flashbacks, and therefore the video dosent
just play through but more likely has an interruption of some kind.

Closed Endings
A closed ending narrative generally comprises of many years placed into one narrative of say a 2-
hour movie. These narratives generally contain a lot of non-diegetic music. The film About time is a
clear example of this narrative technique as the narrative has an ending to the story.

Single Strand
A single strand narrative is based around one character or theme and it continues that way
throughout the entirety of the music video.

Multi-strand narrative
A multi strand narrative on the other hand is based around more than one character or theme and it
continues that way throughout the entire film.

Open ending
An open narrative usually comprises of many different characters and it has no foreseeable ending.
A good example of a narrative that is open is a soap opera such as coronation street which has no
foreseeable end.

Katy Perrys Last Friday Night

This video follows a non-linear narrative that is the opposite to a linear narrative. It can be seen in
Katy Perrys video where it starts with the morning after the party, and then goes back to the start of
the night before and then continues the narrative. This none chronological order of scenes makes
the video more engaging to watch, as the audience do not get bored while watching the video as
easily.

In the morning after scene, it shows how overwhelmed she is and how the night before was not a
normality; the structure of the events makes this clearer to the audience.

Non Linear narratives are typically used to grab viewers attention as they are disrupting the flow of
a typical narrative, which makes the video more engaging to watch and better for creating hype for
the artist or band as has been done here by Katy Perry. This music video is in line with the ideas from
levi strauss and his binary opposites theory as there is populouar kids and less popululour weird kids
that is in fasct twisted in the narrative as the flashback shows Katy perrys character as changing her

Chris Wotton
Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

apearance to be seen as mor eattractive to the male counterpart shown in the extract.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlyXNRrsk4A

Ke$has Tik Tok

This video follows a single strand narrative that is focussed around one of the characters, and
continues that way throughout right until the end. Its also conventional for the narrative to be
based around the artist, like in this case ke$ha. The narrative is all about her daily life and how she
likes to party and drink and the narrative is based around her entirely. This type of narrative
structure contends with the character type that women should be a mans reward, but in fact she is
living a completely different lifestyle and enjoying he life instead of waiting to please another mans.
This will ultimately make the music video stand out as it doesnt follow the conventional attributes
of propps theory however it is now very common for artists to act this way and unless you back say
30-40 years most female artists are now very powerful in how they are represented and they are
living the life that they want to.

Chris Wotton
Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP6XpLQM2Cs

MGMTs Life is a Lie

This video follows a multi-strand narrative as it is focussed around many different characters and
develops in the video in many different ways. The use of many different characters allows the
producer to use several different characters to portray the narrative to the audience. The video is
very quirky and therefore this produces a lot of engagement for the viewer. Editing techniques such
as jump cuts are used between each Line spoken and camera techniques such as close ups mid
shot and birds eye view shots are used to present the meaning behind the narrative to the audience
viewing it. I would also say that this complies with Barthess theory as the narrative is revealed it also
becomes apparent that there are many possible meanings for the narrative and that it can be
perceived very differently. His theory also links with this music video very strongly as the viewers are
left guessing what will happen next and this is clear use of enigma; the line life is a lie combined

Chris Wotton
Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

with lots of different camera shots makes the video that bit more engaging for the viewer, and they
are left waiting for something else to be revealed that makes the narrative clearer for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cye-1RP5jso

Conclusion

After researching several different music videos, I found that they are all very different and they
follow different narrative structures in their music videos. I also found in my research how music
videos such as Ke$has Tik Tok doesnt comply with hardly any theories and therefore it stands
out from other competing music videos, and this therefore produces more hype for her brand and
music releases. While some of the other music videos do comply with more theories such as
MGMTs Life is a Lie complies with Barthes theory whereby the music video contains many
different shots, suggesting that the meaning change based on the viewer as it could have many
different possible meanings. In our own music video we will be producing a video around the pop
genre, this was a group decision; but from my independent research undertaken in this task I will be
looking at complying with certain techniques and competing with certain theories such as props
character theory as we are going to potentially have unique and un-conventional character types
such as strong women and weak men, competing with propps character types theory.

Chris Wotton
Note for self Include Theories (Propp, Toderov, Levi Strauss, Barthes).

Chris Wotton