1. SECTION A:
THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
OF COURSEWORK
Narrative Theory

2. Section A: Theoretical
Evaluation
 You will be asked 2 questions about your
coursework.
 Question 1(a) will ask you to describe and
evaluate the development of your coursework
from your AS Production to your A2 Production.
 You will be asked to do this in relation to one or
two of the following areas:
 Digital technology
 Creativity
 Research and Planning
 Post-production
 Use of media conventions

3. Question 1(b)
 Question 1(b) will ask you to choose one
coursework product (either AS or A2) and
evaluate it in relation to a theoretical concept.
 The exam will specify one concept from the
following:
 Genre
 Narrative
 Representation
 Audience
 Media Language

4. Narrative Theory
 Narrative theory analyses the way in which media
texts communicate meaning about events.
 Narrative theory can be applied to range of
different media including film, TV. Photographs,
and magazines.
 Narrative analysis of internet based media is more
problematic, though may still be relevant. For
example, you could consider how someone’s
Facebook profile creates a narrative about their
life.

5. Key Narrative Theorists
 Branigan
 Propp
 Barthes
 Todorov
 Levi-Strauss

6. Edward Branigan
 Branigan argues that narrative is ‘ a way of
organising spatial and temporal data into a
cause-effect chain of events with a beginning,
a middle and end that embodies a judgement
about the nature of events.’
 What is Branigan saying? Can you think of an
example?
 Branigan’s key point is that the narrative will
embody a judgement – ideology and narrative.

7. Vladimir Propp
 Propp suggests that there are a limited
number of character types that share a
function.
 When an audience reads a media text it
deploys its knowledge of these character
types in order to decode the meaning of the
text.
 Can you relate any of the character types to
the characters in your coursework products?

8. Tzvetan Todorov
 Equilibrium – disequilibrium – resolution.
 How might this be used to analyse the
ideology of a media text?

9. Roland Barthes
 Barthes identifies 5 narrative codes which readers
use to decode texts.
 He emphasises the active role of readers in
creating meaning, and their ‘culturally formed
expectations’.
 The narrative codes are:
 Action
 Enigma
 Semic
 Symbolic
 Cultural

10. Claude Levi-Strauss
 Narratives are structured by pairs of binary
oppositions.
 How can this be used to analyse media texts?

11. Review Theorists
Theorist Why does this theory
apply to my film?
Todorov
Propp
Levi-Strauss
Barthes

12. Narrative Analysis
 Apply one of the narrative theories to the
analysis of the music video.
 Narrative analysis involves considering how a
range of elements (including mise-en-scene,
editing, camerawork, sound, as well as
events) create meaning for the audience.
 Narrative analysis focuses on how the
meanings made by the audience are
constructed?
 How useful is this approach?

13. Todorov
 Equilibrium – the geeky girl is in love with the
boy next door who only sees her as a friend.
 Disequilibrium – the boy’s girlfriend cheats on
him?
 Resolution – the geeky girl is transformed into
a beautiful girl and gets together with the boy.
 What sort of values are reinforced by this
narrative structure?

14. Propp – character types
 Hero – character who seeks something – Taylor
Swift
 Villain – character who the hero must overcome –
the girlfriend
 Princess – the boy – he is the reward for the hero.
 What effect does the use of these character types
have?
 Why might the hero and villain be female?
 What values are reinforced by this?

15. Levi-strauss – binary oppositions
 The video involves a number of pairs of
opposites reflecting (and resolving) the
narrative conflicts.
 There are different sets of oppositions
between the jock/the geek, and the
cheerleader/the geek.
 These oppositions identify the central
ideological messages of the video.

16. Binary Opposites
 Male
 Sociable
 Popular
 Sport
 Object
 Female
 Studious
 Unpopular
 Reading
 Subject
Jock Nerd

17. Levi-Strauss
 What are the key conflicts?
 Which values are dominant in the pairs?
 How are the conflicts resolved?
 What messages are conveyed through this
narrative?

18. Barthes – Narrative Codes
 Action – Viewers are expected to connect
different pieces of narrative (e.g. The boy is
shown arguing on his phone – viewer assumes it
is with his girlfriend).
 Enigma – Will the jock and the geek get together?
 Semic – glasses, book, notepads, red car,
uniforms, white dress/red dress
 Symbolic – conflicts between male/female,
popular/unpopular, different types of femininity
 Cultural – the video draws on stereotypes/cliches
of teen movies – jock, cheerleader, geek, girl next
door, prom, etc.

19. Narrative Revision
 Remember to go into the exam with key points
on theories relevant to your film:
 Propp
 Barthes
 Todorov
 Levi-Strauss
 Postmodern Theory