Narrative Spectrums

There was a time when being a VJ was a real job. Aspirational! 

A time when the humble ‘music video’, a form of ‘visual poetry’ was everywhere. For years we were steeped in these mini visual pockets of archetypal dreamscapes…

There was a spectrum of narrative linearity in these mini visuals.

Some had clearly defined, full blown story arcs (think Last Christmas by Wham!)

Others had a smidge of story fixed to their choreography (Cold Hearted Snake by Paula Abdul, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush)

Some had the barest thread of story or barely any story at all. 

Sometimes the story was ‘we’re on stage! Watch us perform!’ (Jump by Van Halen) or ‘here we are singing in different locations’ (Shout by Tears For Fears) or ‘we’re dancing here!’ (Control by Janet Jackson).

The imagery held a lot of the ‘narrative’ weight in these videos. Less about story more about vibe. Or rather: the vibe is the story. 

What does this mean for storytellers of all kinds?

That the demand for literality has already been broken into pieces.

Beginning/middle/end may correspond to time but it doesn’t have to link to character, plot or setting to be meaningful.

The ‘marketplace’ prefers concrete endings and well defined genres…and yet hyphenated works persist and even new words like ‘dramady’ had to be invented because stories just would NOT stay in their lane.

The spectrum is wider than is usually acknowledged which means the sandbox for creative play is much bigger that you might at first assume and also…it isn’t a box at all, it’s a beach. 

Inspired by the humble music video, Aphrodite Pop Productions specializes in ‘atmospheric’ videos for projects, brands and also for self-exploration and personal moments.