Music Video Auteurs.

Restricted narration: narrative is tied to one character and audience only sees or knows what they know. Creates a feeling of mystery as audience don't know what's going to happen.


Omniscient narration: narrative not tied to one character and camera reveals elements which characters may not have voluntarily wished to do so. Audience knows more than the character. Audience waits in suspense for something to happen

Michael Gondry:
Example: The White Stripes- Fell in love with a girl.

From looking at a number of Gondry's music videos, it is clear to say that they are unusual and use a high level of special effect camera work. The example I have chosen out of the many video's that Gondry has choreographed in recent years, is the white stripes video- 'Fell in love with a girl'. The use of Lego figurines is imminant right the way through the video and is shown in a repetitive manner. I feel this video swings from the entropic side of music videos, but also represents a redundant side. An example of this is that Lego character's can't physically show human emotion, but it is now in this day and age that animals and man made objects are shown with human feelings on music video's and films.

Vladimir propp:
Vladimir Propp 1895-1970, believed in a theory known as 'spheres of action' which in simular terms means things that occur to make things happen. This usually consists of a variety of different characters including a hero, a villian, a helper, a donor, a princess and the father's princess and also a false villian. This appears to be shown quite regularly throughout children's television shows and child orintated films, where a hero's quest is made more exiting and adventurous, due to the help of these characters. An example of this scenario in a music video:

Wheatus- Teenage Dirtbag.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jJVRcCdvyY&ob=av2e

From viewing this particular video a number of times, it is clear to me that the main character (the nerdy male) is trying to get the girl of his dreams, but unfortunately her boyfriend at the moment is 'popular lad' or the villian.

Although this is only a vague example of Propp's theory, it still processes the importance of a hero's quest, destructing the villian with the help of the helper (the band on stage)and eventually capturing the princess which is the girl.

Claude Lévi-Strauss:
Narrative tension is based on opposition or conflict. This can be as simple as two characters fighting, but more often functions at an ideological level.
Lévi-Strauss's theory believed that narratives from all over the world,are only identified/struggled through binary oppositions. For example,good behaviour can only be identifed when bad behaviour occures. just like the basic linguistic units.


Todorov:
Todorov proposed a basic structure for all narratives. He stated that films and programmes begin with an equilibrium, a calm period. Then agents of disruption cause disequilibrium, a period of unsettlement and disquiet. This is then followed by a renewed state of peace and harmony for the protagonists and a new equilibrium brings the chaos to an end.