Theory
Narrative
Narrative Power
Narrative is the art and act of telling a story. It is very useful in a variety of fields, because humans are drawn towards stories. In writing, film, theater, television, and radio, the connection is obvious; but narrative is also used in politics and advertising, and is used in the sciences to describe how things got to be the way they are now.
Narrative Basics
Aristotle said that a narrative included a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is most commonly rendered in movies as the Hollywood 3-Act. Act one is the Setup, act two is the Obstacle, and act three is the Resolution. In the setup, we are introduced to the characters and the situation. In act two, the main character attempts to resolve the situation, and learns what they need to know to finally push through their obstacle. In act three, it all comes together; the character resolves the situation (usually in the nick of time).
What Effective Narratives Do
Effective narratives reveal something about the subject (whether that is a person, place, thing, etc.). They can be used to build empathy so that the audience can relate to the subject, or aspire to be like the subject. They often use architypes like mother, father, leader, teacher, student, idiot, wise-man, etc.
Montage
Montage is the art of juxtaposing two or more images on the screen at the same time. Composite a man's smiling face next to an image of an apple pie, and we will as an audience naturally infer that the man is excited about eating the pie. Now replace that pie with an image of a woman in a bikini, and we will naturally infer that he is interested in the woman. One montage shows us hunger, another shows us lust. This is because of what happens in the viewer's mind when they see the images; they connect the images and try to make sense of them. Sergie Eisenstein said that "Any single image is neutral".
Narrative in Politics
"Framing the Narrative" is to create a framework with a clear set of stories about a person, place, or event, and then holding to that framework; this ties that entity (usually a person) to that framework and helps to "brand" them in the public's consciousness. In politics, both sides will try to frame people or issues in this way, and the side that has the strongest narrative framework (and talent for crafting stories within that framework) usually wins.
In 2004, Karl Rove framed the election to be about "homeland security" and 9-11, managing to crowd out the other social issues. In 2008, Obama used a narrative of "hope and change" to take the election.
Narrative in Advertising
United Breaks Guitars
Dave Carroll's $3500 guitar was broken by United Airlines and he complained by making a humorous video about it. He created a narrative that people can relate to; this negative publicity led to United finally compensating him for his loss. Carroll also gave his band a healthy dose of atttention.
Montage is used here (whether consiously or unconsiously) by showing guitars being broken by careless United Airlines employees. The viewer takes this meaning as "United doesn't care about my guitars or other precious luggage", and tarnishes the image of the company.
Apple's 1984 Launch of Macintosh Computer
In 1983 Macintosh painted themselves as the liberators of mankind by creating an Orwellian story of oppression and gloom, broken by this colorful and powerful woman with a hammer. They framed the PC solution as the old, restrictive regime, and the Mac solution as freedom and life itself. Framing the narrative is often exaggerated to heighten emotion and clearly differentiate ideas.
Montage comes into play here also, leading the viewer to associate the gray, drab regime with the PC, and to associate the young, beautiful, heroic athlete with the Mac, throwing the hammer at old ideas.
Chanel's Perfume Romance Narrative
Chanel created a story around Chanel Number 5, where the perfume is the catalyst that brings a young woman together with the romance of her life in a break-neck trip across Europe. The message is that if you buy the perfume, you can experience the romantic adventure. Another exagerated example that fits the medium nicely, and has even been edited down to few different versions (short vs long) for viewer preference.
Google meets a French wife and has a baby
Google's 2010 Superbowl ad used Google searches to tell a story of meeting a French wife, traveling, romance, and ultmately having a baby together, suggesting the world of possibilities available when one uses the search engine. The entire sequence happens with a quick and effective pace, something Google would gladly associate with their search engine.
Mercedes-Benz Narrative
While there are many traits that a company like Mercedes-Benz could choose to empahsize in an ad, here they chose to focus on smoothness and quiteness of the ride, by having a jazz singer record during a test-drive on a track. It's a novel approach and lends itself well to the medium of the web. Along the way, they strengthen the brand's association with class, style, success, and beauty.
Narrative in Video Games
As discussed in the section on game design, video games can range from pure gameplay (as in the case of Tetris) to games that have a strong narrative structure; the Oregon Trail is a classic video game example, where the player's task was to outfit a wagon, join a wagon train, and journey safely across the country. In Half-Life, a scientist must rescue the world from the evil he unwittingly unleased. Often, the back story for the game is filled in with text or cut scenes before the actual game play begins. The story gives the player a frame of reference for their actions and experience.
Narrative to Inform
The Meatrix
One of the best examples of using narrative as a tool to inform viewers of activist causes is The Meatrix animation series. The Meatrix is 2D, online animation, based on the movie The Matrix, where farm animals embark on a mission to combat the greedy and vile practices of corporate farming and cruel treatment to animals. The narrative for the Meatrix is very tight, drawing connections to key elements of The Matrix, but applying each of those elements to the plight of farm animals. The series is entertaining and holds the viewer's attention long enough to make a powerful point.
Strategic Narrative
The Narrative as a decision-influencing tool
CBS 60 minutes team recently did interviews with a former Islamic radical who described The Narrative, which is the story that radical jihadists tell to young prospects; that the United States and her allies are trying to destroy Islam. This narrative has been a powerful tool in their hands in a campaign of terror. There are other stories being told for the gain of power and minds as well. The blog Strategic-Narrative.net has a regular dose of insights into how narrative is being used to influence policies all over the world.
Narrative in Online Writing
Narrative Nonfiction / Journalism
Narrative journalism is a form of creative nonfiction, where the author chronicles an event, often with the help of interviews and photographs, and also injects their own perspectives on the event. Perhaps the most well-known exmaple of this genre is the Philiadelphia Inquirer's nonfiction serial Black Hawk Down. The good and bad of narrative journalism is that the stories can be compelling, but the public may not always know how much of the story is fact and how much is fictionalized in order to increase its emotional appeal.
Narrative Fiction in Online Magazines
Online writing of all kinds is rapidly replacing the printed word. Beneath Ceaseless Skies is only one of many online fantasy / fiction magazines that offer countless stories and scenarios.
Narrative Fiction in Blog Format
Narrative fiction can also be used in blog format. Fox McGeever's Parawerthan is a fantasy adventure diary using blog format in a rather novel way, as if the blog were a diary, and presenting latest storyline additions first, so the home page is always showing new content. In his writing he is using many character and situation archetypes. The main character is on a journey in another dimension, trying to rescue his wife, who has fallen under a spell. Along the way, he has to confront his own weaknesses and fears if he is to have any hope of saving her.