Theorists

In our lessons we have been learning and going over the theories of media.
The main theorists we have been looking at are:
-Propp
-Todorov
-Levi Strauss
-Barthes

Vladimir Propp analysed fairytales, and proposed it was possible to classify the characters and their actions/roles. This theory works for a lot of films but it is starting to fade out more recently with all the different genres, so this highlights similarities between different films.

Character roles.
The Hero
The Villain
The donor
The dispatcher
The faulse hero
The helper
The princess
Her father

We cannot apply all these to our practical, but some do work. Like Joel will be seen as the hero, he is the main character and people will like him, and empathise with his lyrics. His audience will be on his side. We don't get to know or see many other characters in the video, they are just background except for his girlfriend in the video who could be seen as the donor as she seems to try and help him, or she could be the princess.

Tzvetan Todorov is the theorist we can apply most easily to our idea for our video. Todorov says there are 3 stages in a narrative:

EQUILIBRIUM --> DISEQUILIBRIUM --> NEW EQUILIBRIUM
(State of -------> (disruption) -------> (new state of normality)
normaility)

START- Joel singing alone

MIDDLE - being disturbed

END - singing alone again but with people swarming around him


Roland Barthes suggested that narrative works with (five different codes*) which activate the reader to make sense of it. He also used the terms denotation and connotation to analyse images.

* 1) enigma code - puzzle
2) action code - signifies somethings going to happen
3) symobolic - connotation
4) semic - denotation
5) cultural - a narrative devise that audience can recognise as being part of a culture


Claude Levi-Strauss studied myths of tribal cultures. He examined how stories unconsciously reflect the values, beliefs and myths of a culture.
He also applied Binary oppositions to texts;
A conflict between two qualities or terms (pairs), for examplr western films:

Homesteaders --------------------Native Americans
Christian------------------------- Pagan
Domestic --------------------------Savage
Weak ------------------------------Strong
Garden ----------------------------Wilderness
Inside society--------------------- Outside society


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