Media Language 2

Media Studies: Eduqas GCSE, topic 1.1.2

Narrative

Narrative and genre can be established through analysing the codes and conventions used within media language.

Character roles can have a large part in creating narrative.
Vladimir Propp theorised that in a product there are usually stereotypical character roles in order to create a narrative.
These include:
- The hero, damsel in distress/princess, villain, the donor, the helper, the dispatcher, the false hero.

In contemporary media texts characters can embody more than one role.
The most common roles we see still are the hero, damsel in distress/princess and villain.

Narratives can create enigma codes, which simply means puzzles.
To keep a product engaging for the audience the narrative may withhold some information until the end.
- This creates an enigma for the audience.
Creating enigma is one of the codes theorised by Roland Barthes in this theory of semiotics.

The way narratives are presented can be linear or non-linear.
If the narrative follows a traditional beginning, middle and end structure then this is a linear narrative.
If a linear uses flashbacks and flash-forwards this does not follow the traditional chronological order and so would be non-linear.

The way narratives are resolved can have important significance.
The meaning of the narrative can include ideology.
This often reflects dominant ideology and widely held beliefs about the way society should function.

Narrative and genre can be established through analysing the codes and conventions used within media language.

'Genre' is a french term for category and is important when defining a media product.

Genres are made up of repetitions and variations, as theorised by Steve Neale.
Repetition is simple generic conventions.
- For example, a magazine should always have a masthead (name of the magazine) so the audience knows what the product is called.

Variation refers to the difference in each product.
- For example, in magazines the colour palette can change depending on the edition.
If all products used the conventions all of the time then products would be too similar and become boring for the audience.

Genres help an audience understand what the product should include and determine if they would like them based on their experiences.
Genres can also act as instructions for producers for how to make a successful product.
The genre of a product can help people to understand the purpose of the product.
- For example, the purpose of a charity advert is to encourage the audience to donate and spread awareness of the cause. So, charity adverts will be different to adverts selling products.

There are sub-genres within genres to help define the product further.
In the horror genre, there are sub-genres of slasher, paranormal etc.
Genres can also be blended together, which is known as a hybrid genre.
- Rom-coms are an example of this as they have borrowed conventions from both romance and comedy.

Who theorised that there are usually stereotypical character roles in products in order to create a narrative?
Who theorised that genres are made up of repetitions and variations?