narrative theory

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Narrative Theory

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Page 1: Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory

Page 2: Narrative Theory

Narrative Theory

• Narrative can be described as: “The way in which the plot is told to the audience”

• Narrative is strongly linked to the audience and purpose of a text.

• Within film the condensing of time is important to narrative…This may be done through techniques such as camera fades.

Page 3: Narrative Theory

Roland BarthesRoland Barthes was a French philosopher who tried to bring meaning to text. According to Roland Barthes all narratives share structural features that each narrative weaves together in different ways.

Despite the differences between individual narratives, all narratives employ a number of organisational structures (specifically, five of them) that affect our reading of texts.

Barthes argues that we should view these theories as an invitation to take multiple readings from texts.

Page 4: Narrative Theory

Narrative theoryRoland Barthes' narrative theory claims that a narrative can be broken down into five codes or

sets of rules. These are:

Applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a cowboy draws his gun on an enemy and we wonder what the resolution of this will be.

Action code

Cultural codeAny element in a narrative that is

dependant on peoples knowledge about how the world works

because of where they have lived.

Page 5: Narrative Theory

Refers to any element in a story that is not explained and therefore exists as an enigma for the audience, raising questions that demand an explanation.

Enigma code

Any element in a text that suggests an additional meaning by connotations. For example a

skull has connotations of death.

Semantic code

Symbolic codeSimilar to the semantic code, but acts at a wider level where new meaning arises out of conflicting ideas.

Page 6: Narrative Theory

Applying Barthes Narrative theory to our filmWe

Our film posters contain enigma code in them. The poster pictured left has an unexplained figure in the background. He is dark and blurred to highlight the subjects domineering presence. In this image lighting and proxemics have been used to determine the protagonist and antagonist to the viewer. Our film also uses the enigma code through a series of unanswered questions which the audience are left to conclude

Semantic code

Enigma code

Here is an example of enigma code withinour film

Page 7: Narrative Theory

Applying Barthes Narrative theory to our film

Action codeThe action code that can be applied to our film, is when our protagonist is going into the woods the audience wonders what she is doing there in the first place.

Both posters use semantic code through colour. We chose to dress our actress in red to intentionally connote danger. The red jacket could also signify blood.

Semantic code