Friday 11 September 2009

Narrative Codes

Roland Barthe had a theory about each narrative having some kinda of code, included in the narrative. he's suggests that each narrative has either an open or closed story my music video has a sort of closed narrative, where you only get one obvious interpretation of the narrative. in my music video the thing that i am trying to get across is the fact that no matter how many or how little people you have around you there is someone looking over you. this is what i am trying to get across to the audience.
Roland Barthe also had the theory that each narrative has '5 narrative codes'.
*The Action Code - This is any action or sound that may give the audience the hint that something is going to happen, for example if someone pulls a gun out of there pocket, the audience assumes that there will be some kind of fight coming soon.
*The Enigma Code - This referrers to any element in the story that isn't explained within the story. It leaves you asking questions about the plot. for example. when the episode or film has finished it will leave you asking questions about the character, questions such as what happens to her next. its sort of an un-obvious cliff hanger.
*The Semantic Code - This is an element within a text that suggests a certain way of thinking. for example if you saw some snow, you would automatically think; Christmas, winter, Santa, presents, family etc.
*The Cultural Code - this is when a part in the text or narrative suggests something. that is only understood when and if the audience has some kind of background knowledge about the subject of the text. eg if there was a society where school was not known about or needed then no one in the society would make a good audience for something like 'grange hill' simply because they wouldn't understand why the people would be in a massive building, or wearing matching cloths etc. they wouldn't understand why they're there or what they're doing there.
*The Symbolic Code - This is the grey areas that you as the viewer fill in yourself, the narrative doesn't tell you. the audience is given two points eg, a healthy person, and an unhealthy person. we as an audience fill in that the unhealthy person has done something to make themselves unhealthy. its individual, each person interprets the two points in there own way. The two points that would be interpreted would be 'binary opposites'. two things that are completely different but when you say one, you automatically think of the other. some examples are,
black white Grey
rich poor Middle class (just getting by with what they have but not rich nor poor)
fat thin Just the right weight (healthy)
old young Middle Class
happy sad Indifferent feelings
The symbolic code would be the things you figure out between these things, examples are shown in blue

I am going to try and involve some of these codes within my music video.

0 comments: