Narrative

Narrative

Narrative/Story/Plot: A spoken or written account of connected events.

Syntax of the plot: A set of rules or an analysis.

Protagonist: The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

Antagonist: A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

Climax/ Crescendo: The most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.

Equilibrium: A state of physical balance. 

Disequilibrium: A loss or lack of balance or stability.

Enigma Code: Drives narrative by an unanswered question.

Proairetic/Action code: Drives narrative through anticipation of an action's resolution.

Linear: Chronologically arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line.

Non-linear: Not chronologically denoting, involving, or arranged in a straight line.

Circular:  A narrative that has certain plot points repeated.

Parallel narrative: Multiple narratives happening simultaneously. 





Narrative in 'The Stars are Out Tonight'

The type of narrative used in this video is the idea of Equilibrium vs Disequilibrium. The video begins with a familiar scene of a happy, mature couple in a supermarket, mutually agreeing with each other that they "...live a nice life." However, this initial equilibrium is interrupted when on the next isle, a couple of 'celebrities' antagonists appear to be stalking them. This disequilibrium continues throughout the video, being emphasized when the celebrities begin to interfere more personally; i.e. climbing onto Bowie in the as he sleeps and entering a clawed finger into his mouth, then appearing on the sofa behind the female protagonist as the celebrities watch footage of her and Bowie sitting on the sofa watching the TV, taken from a previous shot. The celebrities then proceed to corrupt the woman, and turn her into a celebrity. Bowie watched over his wife as she begins to become more and more corrupted, till she is begins to look and act like the celebrities; moving with unnatural, sped-up movements. Bowie then becomes the outsider as he has to fend for himself, trying not to become corrupted by the celebrities and his wife as they try to convert him too. Tragically, Bowie is also converted and him, and his wife wear the costumes formerly worn by the celebrities, as the celebrities where the clothing formerly worn by Bowie and his wife. Now that all have been corrupted, a new Equilibrium has been formed.