Critical Theory

Tzvetan Todorov
Suggested that stories start with an EQUILIBRIUM, which is then DISRUPTED by some event, causing an ENIGMA, which start a chain of events of Who? What and Why? The enigmas are then solved, RESOLUTION, which create a NEW EQUILIBRIUM

MY MUSIC VIDEO: The narrative of my music video, does in some ways, contain some aspects of this theory. Yet, not fully. My narrative does start with an Equilibrium, with is her with her boyfriend, although we don't see them happy together, we can gather that they were in a good and fun relationship with we see through the reminisce montage during the music video. This is the disrupted by a break up from the boyfriend, which creates the enigmas of Who? and Why? It is later resolved that the now ex is with another lover, so quickly after the break up that he cheated on her, which is the resolution. However, a new Equilibrium is not created, but instead she is left is distress and confusion. Yet, this could be a new Equilibrium, that she is no longer with a person who treated her so badly, but we have yet to see this in the music video.

Vladimir Propp

Propp looked at 100 folks stories, which he gathered that they all identified 8 character roles:

the Protagonists (the Hero), the Antagonists (the Villain), the Donor, the Helper, the Father Figure, the Dispatcher, the Princess and the False Hero.

MY MUSIC VIDEO: The majority of the character roles do not apply to my music video, yet there are a tad that do. The protagonists would be he girl featured in the music video, as we follow her tale of events, as well as see her first and the majority of the times. The antagonists would be the boy that broke up with the girl, not that he has a malicious intent, but because we feel hatred or emotion around that that would make him appear the villain for causing such pain for the girl. It would also appear that the boy is the false hero, as he appears such a loving person during the montage, but then we later witness him with another girl, in which he dumped the protagonists for.

Levi Strauss & Binary Oppositions

Strauss argued that the structure of narratives were dependent on Binary Oppositions, which are sets of opposite values that reveal that structure of media texts. A conflict between two terms. For example:

Young <-> Old

Male <-> Female

Gender Stereotypes: Masculine - strong, competitive, ruthless, independent, aggressive, professional, rational.

Gender Stereotypes: Feminine - domesticated, weak, emotional, co operative, communal, passive, sensitive, supportive.

The tension between the two conflicting terms drives the plot.

MY MUSIC VIDEO: This theory does apply to my music video, as the tension between the female and male are apparent. We are concluded with the thoughts and feelings of the female emotional state, who appears weak and sensitive, against the males ruthless and apparent opposite feelings of the break up. The tension drives the plot on, which is mainly that of the girl, who seeks understanding and we follow her through her emotional journey to fulfilment of why?