Narrative codes blog
- 1. Narrative CodesAction Mystery Semic Cultural Opposition Roland Barthes devised these 5 different narrative codes to analyse media products.
- 2. Action Code The audience will recognise an action code in media texts as it is used to indicate what is the next logical step. It advances the narrative e.g. the buckling of a gun belt in a Western film signifies the start of a gun fight. In my opening for example one of the characters will go over and grab his jacket, this signifies he is going somewhere. Mystery/Enigma Code This code is used to explain the narrative by controlling what and how much information is given to the audience. It grabs the audience’s interest and attention by setting up an enigma or problem that is resolved during the course of the narrative. In my opening for example it will show the murderers hand over someone's face and the audience is left questioning who it belongs to?
- 3. The Semic Code The Cultural Code This code is basically about the signs and meanings in a text that tell the audience about its narrative and characters e.g. in a horror film, the supernatural would be signified by the fear of light/garlic, an increase in body hair etc. This code is used in order for the narrative to make sense to a culturally and socially aware audience. It makes reference to the elements from the real world that the audience will recognise e.g. Aston Martins in James Bond films.
- 4. Code of Opposition • Women VS Men • Young VS Old • Black VS White • Hot VS Cold • Nature VS Civalisation • War VS Peace • Weak VS Strong This code refers to a narrative that relies on binary opposites. If you don’t know what binary opposites are I will briefly explain… they are a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. For example: In my thriller opening these aren’t made obvious. Weak VS strong is vaguely used in my thriller as the group of teenagers who go out by themselves into the woods and into a log cabin are the vulnerable characters and basically the ‘weak’ ones whereas the killer in the film is obviously the ‘strong’ character as they have all the power.