G324 Planning Music Video - Change of Synopsis

I have changed the amount of people to appear in the video, instead of four it has now changed to two. The contextual references that would appear in my video will remain intact. The video is now about a young man who reunites with an old friend, he is a 'cool' and 'energetic' type of character to connote the behaviours from 'The Inbetweeners', the young man feels awkward as his friend had changed, by the end of the video the two then become best friends once again.

Also locations, shots and main outline of the plot will remain the same.

G324 Research into music videos - “Audiences always want a beginning, a middle and an end”. What drives the audience consumption of Blur’s ‘Coffee & TV’ narrative?

The music video for Blur’s 1999 track ‘Coffee & TV’ uses a linear narrative structure which can be fully understood applying Tzetvan Todorov’s narrative theory. The theory involves the idea of a feature being split into 3 acts, the acts are known as ‘equilibrium’, ‘disequilibrium’ and lastly ‘new equilibrium’.

The video begins with the equilibrium which depicts the living milk carton walking towards London’s centre in search for a missing person who appears to be Graham Coxon who is the band’s guitarist and lead vocalist of the song as opposed to Damon Albarn who is usually the main vocalist in the band. This search for Coxon is then disrupted when the milk carton faces dangers such as people and other ‘deceased’ bottles and cans. The new equilibrium then begins when the milk carton finds Coxon with the other members of Blur, Coxon is then lead home by the carton and returns to his family, Coxon then consumes the contents in the milk carton and throws it in the bin.

The video also has a prologue and epilogue to accompany the main video. The prologue establishes the main plot of the video, this is introduced with the image of Coxon on the side of the carton and the sadness and despair that his family is going through during his absence. The epilogue then takes place immediately after the milk carton is thrown into the bin, it displays the carton flying up to Heaven and this creates a

comedic and happy ending, this leaves no further questions of what will happen next as the epilogue will answer possible unanswered questions. The epilogue also creates satisfaction that the ending is clear and answers questions, this is all due to the issue being resolved and completed fully, the main video then adds on a sad note as the milk carton dies and is thrown into the trash, this is reversed when the milk carton rises as an angel and goes to Heaven therefore creating a happy, comical and warming note and leaves the audience with a smile. The resolution that is projected in the video is considered to be an ideological closure as it is resolved in a positive way, Coxon is found safely and unharmed and the milk carton is now a good samaritan and goes to Heaven.

By examining the narrative in the Coffee & TV video the audiences will be able to clearly identify the beginning, middle and end of the video, the beginning establishes the plot, the middle establishes the dangers that the carton faces and the end establishes the safety of Coxon therefore the issues are resolved and answers questions of where Coxon was and that he is safe.

The video also uses a proairetic and enigma codes to create uncertainty and tension within the video’s plot. These codes are linked to Roland Barthes’s narrative codes. Proairetic builds up tension which refers to any other action or event that indicates something else is going to happen, the audience is guessing as to what will happen next. Enigma codes is when a certain concept, thing or person is hidden and mysterious. An example of Barthes proairetic code is when the milk carton faces the dangers of man and other cartons and cans. With the carton continuously facing dangers it is unknown on what he will face next but it is explained and revealed later on the video as the plot progresses.

The enigma code is used in the milk cartons missing sign, the audience may not be able to tell who it is fully as the name is blurred so it cannot be read easily, the audience also have no knowledge why the missing person is not to be seen within his family’s home and how he went missing, this creates a tense atmosphere as the audience will need to continue watching the video in order to answer their questions about the missing man.

The video thirdly uses of narrative device, the example that the Coffee & TV video uses are images. There are multiple images of Coxon in the video including a family photo, a portrait within the family’s house and on the milk carton. The multiple use of Coxon’s photo creates an important aspect for the plot, and also to create a main focus for the plot. The images disappear after the milk carton finds Coxon with the rest of the members of Blur. 

G324 Planning Music Video - Narrative Devices and Storytelling Techniques

In my music video project I will use the following storytelling and narrative devices:

• Symbolic Devices -

- Definition = The use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them meanings that are different from literal sense.

- Example used = I will use the time on the mobile phone to connote that time flies and life is too short for people. The car used in the mid and final section of my video will serve as the symbol of freedom and escape.

-Examples of Media = Arctic Monkeys 'The View From The Afternoon'

• Repetition -

- Definition = The recurrence of a certain action or event that took place.

- Example used = I will repeat the prologue at the end of the video which will serve as the epilogue to connote the realism of life and how boring it is on a continuous basis. This method will also contribute to my narrative taking the form of a cyclical story.

- Examples of Media = Björk 'Bachelorette'

• Embedded images / photos -

- Definition = Images that are embedded within the video.

- Example used = I will use this method within the group photo at the end, the camera will zoom out of the photo and show the phone which has this photo as a wallpaper.

- Examples of Media = Death Cab for Cutie 'Grapevine Fires'

• Clocks -

- Definition = In media terminology this is the use of time within the video (literal showing of time).

- Example used = I will use the alarm on the phone to show the time of work and boring lifestyle, this is also used to connote that time goes by way too quickly. I will also use different times of the day to show that the day has gone once again quickly and create a juxtaposition that work life is slower and dull in comparison to fun and happy times that are bright and go by quickly.

- Example of Media = '24' TV Series

• Ellipsis -

- Definition = The filling of a gap within the video's narrative.

- Example used = This will be used within the transitions of the three sections, also I will use this within my prologue to fill in the times of getting ready and going to work.

- Example of Media = 'The Walking Dead' (Use of 'now' and 'then' to fill time)

• Framing Devices -

- Definition = In literature, film, television, music and other forms of media, a framing device is a technique where the same element such as a setting, event or piece of music is used in the beginning and the end of the video.

- Example used = This would be the prologue and epilogue of the video as it will take place in the same area (bedroom) and the phone will be used the exact same place, time and context.

- Examples of Media = 'Lost' TV Series

• Proairetic Code - 

- Definition = The opening of an action which the audience want to see the close of it, this builds tension and does not directly raise questions, this foreshadows future events.

- Example used = The alarm will connote a foreshadow of the use of time, a text from the characters boss may also appear in my video which my connotes him being scolded for taking time off work in the future.

- Examples of Media = 'The Walking Dead' (Many Examples - Prologues foreshadow events), 'Breaking Bad' (Mike's investigation throughout the series, each section of a series leads Mike to the breaking point of Walter and leaves him without support).