Media language: narrative structure (equilibrium, disruption and resolution, and character roles) and genre (the shared conventions that group products and create audience expectations), and how producers use and play with narrative and genre to make meaning (Todorov, Propp).

What this dot point is asking

Eduqas places narrative and genre in the media language area because they organise meaning at a larger scale than a single sign. Narrative is how a story is structured; genre is how products are grouped by shared conventions and how audiences come to expect them. This dot point covers Todorov's narrative structure (equilibrium, disruption, resolution), Propp's character roles, what genre is, and how producers use, combine and subvert genre to make meaning and position audiences.

Narrative structure

Todorov's structure is a reliable way to read almost any narrative product. The disruption is the engine of the story, the enigma (the unanswered question) is what keeps the audience watching, and the resolution gives a sense of closure. Propp's roles help you explain how characters function: the detective is the hero, the criminal is the villain, a colleague is the helper. Naming these structures shows you can read narrative as a system rather than summarise the plot.

What genre is

A genre is a way of grouping media products by shared conventions: typical settings, character types, narrative patterns and iconography. Audiences learn genres, so a few signs tell them what kind of product they are watching and what to expect.

• Iconography is the recognisable imagery of a genre (a detective's office, a city at night and police tape signal crime drama).
• Genre conventions are the expected features (a crime drama has an investigation narrative, a detective protagonist and an enigma to solve).
• Audience expectations are what the genre leads the audience to expect, which the producer can meet or play against.

Producers use genre because it gives audiences something familiar to choose, builds a recognisable brand, and reduces commercial risk.

Using, hybridising and subverting genre

Genres develop over time as producers add new conventions, and successful products spawn imitators. Explaining how a set product positions itself within its genre (a faithful example, a fresh hybrid, a knowing subversion) is a strong analytical move.

Worked example

How this is examined

Narrative and genre appear in the media language questions on both components and in the in-depth study of television and music. Short questions ask you to define genre or describe a narrative structure; longer questions ask how narrative or genre creates meaning in a product. The reliable approach is to map the narrative with Todorov, assign roles with Propp, name the genre conventions, and explain how each positions the audience, reaching a judgement on how the product uses its genre.

Try this

Q1. Using Todorov's theory, explain the narrative structure of a media product you have studied. [5 marks]

• What the marker wants. Equilibrium (order), disruption (a problem), and a move to a new equilibrium, applied to the product, with the effect of the disruption and enigma on the audience (AO2).

Q2. Explain why producers use genre conventions. [4 marks]

• Cue. Genre gives audiences the familiar to choose, builds recognition, reduces risk, and lets producers meet or play against expectations (AO1 and AO2).