{planning} Our music video narrative and a look at Vladimir Propps theory.

I just wanted to write a bit about how we're improving the narrative structure of our story. If you look at our original storyboard you'll see that it's a very linear "plot", and it's real weakness is that it has no disruption to bring out the best of endings. Most stories can be described in their most simplistic form as having a "Setup"-"Disruption"-"Equilibrium" formulae or something similar, I very briefly mentioned this while looking at Andrew Goodwin earlier. Perhaps now would be a good time to delve more into story theory with a look at a 20th century russian fellow called Vladimir Propp..


Propp analyside a large number of russian folk tales to come up with a typology of narrative structure. His functions or "narratemes" have been applied across cultures and to modern pieces such as Star Wars of the X-Files. He also devised seven distinct architectural character types!
I won't type/copy up all 31 of his narratemes, you can read those here, but here's a little summary:
The First seven narratemes look at the who, where, when and why as the initial story setup is introduced. That is,

1. ABSENTATION
2. INTERDICTION
3. VIOLATION of INTERDICTION
4. RECONNAISSANCE
5. DELIVERY
6. TRICKERY
7. COMPLICITY

This is were the real adventure begins, the next 4 narratemes will push the hero into going on his or her quest.

1. VILLAINY or LACK
2. MEDIATION
3. BEGINNING COUNTER-ACTION
4. DEPARTURE

The hero's actual quest, these next steps cover many escapades and the story might find it's self resolved by the end of them.

1. FIRST FUNCTION OF THE DONOR
2. HERO'S REACTION
3. RECEIPT OF A MAGICAL AGENT
4. GUIDANCE
5. STRUGGLE
6. BRANDING
7. VICTORY
8. LIQUIDATION

Finally Propp presents us with a possible continuation of the story, since not all stories continue after the resolution/liquidation the following are more of a suggestion or guide.

1. RETURN
2. PURSUIT
3. RESCUE
4. UNRECOGNIZED ARRIVAL
5. UNFOUNDED CLAIMS
6. DIFFICULT TASK
7. SOLUTION
8. RECOGNITION
9. EXPOSURE
10. TRANSFIGURATION
11. PUNISHMENT
12. WEDDING

Of course that's all well and good, not entirely relatable to a music video but helpful to know none the less, but does any of that really apply to our current video plan? nope!
That's why we've decided to alter our story a little. What we feel it needs is a bit more interaction, something that ought to be introduce into any music video. As an example of what we should be trying to achieve, this video by the verve is brilliant:

The chap in the video maintains his rhythm, attitude and voice throughout the song, had he just been walking undisturbed this would have gotten very dull to watch. However introducing the other bit characters interacting, or at least trying to interact with him makes this video really interesting and even entrancing to watch.


We want to combine some of all these elements into our own story, so we're going to introduce a third character (Other than Coco or Mr Blue). This character will become the turning point in the story, while she is presented as a friend she will disrupt coco's day out and stall her from meeting Mr Blue sky. Particularly for a youthful audience familiar with the difficulties of balancing friendship and romance, and who also have a love of drama, this will really be the missing piece that will result in a thoroughly good music video.