Narrative codes

To show my understanding of Roland Barthes' Narrative codes I have applied them to popular music videos and films. This is also to help me include some of the codes into my production.

Enigma Code - Offers a puzzle and delays the answer - For the Enigma code I feel that a good example would be Eminems' "Not Afraid", this is because he is standing at the top of a building and the audience doesnt know whether he is going to jump off or not, however this is revealed at the end when he steps down from the ledge.

Action Code - An event having a series of logical consequences which helps the audience understand the narrative better - For this code I have chosen "The Taking of Pelham 123", which is a crime thriller film that I used to reference my AS production from, In this film the 'crime film' conventions are apparent. For example first the train is taken, then people are taken hostage, negociated with and then a happy ending. Much like that of "Phone Booth".

Semic Code - The connotations suggested by the characters, settings and props. In Kanye Wests' "all of the lights, the little girl is wearing a white jacket connoting innocence and vaunrability, this is also connted through the age of the girl.

Symbolic Code - The idea of narratives being based around opposing forces.

Cultural Code - The knowledge that audience's have to bring to a video to fully understand it. A member of my class found a really good example of this which was "Moves like Jagger" by Maroon 5. The audience would have to know his dances to understand the narrative of the video although clips of Mick Jagger are shown throughout.