Manufacturing the perfect narrative through evaluating others
Researching music videos from other artists is a vital form of research. The knowledge of the effects possible have started to become apparent to me in doing such research. I have learnt that you can experiment with narrative structure in music videos having choice between a disjunctive, amplified, illustrative, episodic, linear, thematic, anachronic structure having free will to combine two together to create new and refreshed effects for a music video.
Ayrtn – FLO’S
The narrative of Ayrtn’s – FLO’S is partially illustrative. He Lip-syncs the vast majority of the song and some features of it are illustrated like when he “hit’s up the chip shop” for example.
The structure is linear in that he phones a girl she isn’t interested and he then goes about his day as normal to then receive a phone call from the same girl later on who has had a change of heart. The ending makes me feel happy for the Ayrtn who is the singer and main character. It illustrates him as patient, deserving and endearing.
Asap Rocky – D.M.B
The narrative of Asap Rocky’s D.M.B can be best described as disjunctive. Its structure is anachronic and chaotic. The story follows a rapper and his girlfriend (who are actually dating in real life) and they go about doing outlandish activity (usual rapper things) The song is hip hop rap and the lyrics are fast and flowy. The edits reflect the pacing of the song which makes for an effect narrative, even though it isn’t illustrative.
The ending depicts that the two are actually in love. The fast paced photo montages and low lit kiss sequence helps the audience to understand their complicated by true felt love for one another.
FKA twigs – Honda
The narrative of FKA twigs’ Honda is disjunctive and amplified. This is because the entire music video is her riding on a car but the car is a Honda which makes narrative sense, thus the amplified.
The ending is abrupt and the narrative is linear because the car is travelling forward. And her performance is stylistic and fluid and creative.
Three of my own narratives:
Bake The Pie!: A teen boy enters a bake off with some extravagant and twisted hosts (who act like Willy Wonka) the bake off goes wrong when we find out the judges have ulterior motives – to kill the contestants.
At dusk: A woman is driving around at dusk and as she drives her attention is grabbed by a dancing crowd on the side of the road running a car wash. She pays the money and gets her car wash but the experience is otherworldly like an acid trip. The car washers turn into animals and food and get on the car dancing while the woman watches in awe.
Action man: A boy has this action man figurine that he loves to play around with. One day the boy gets home from school to see his parents have thrown a yard sale and sold the action figurine the boy went straight to his room to play with. He goes to the shop later that day still sad and sees another boy less fortunate than him playing with the same action man figurine. He decides to let him keep it.