2. States that in a media text there are five stages:
Original Equilibrium (normality)
Disruption
Recognition (of disruption)
Attempt to restore (original equilibrium)
New equilibrium
This can be applied to many music videos, for example ‘Antartica’- Sound of
Guns
TODOROV

3. ‘ANTARTICA’- SOUND OF GUNS

4. ORIGINAL EQUILIBRIUM
We first see a happy couple, clearly all over
each other and enjoying being together in
their relationship. This is the normal situation
in the music video and is therefore the original
equilibrium

5. DISRUPTION
The disruption occurs in a bar when the
girlfriend accuses another girl of flirting
with her boyfriend. This then escalates and
the girlfriend attacks the other girl.

6. RECOGNITION (OF DISRUPTION)
The recognition (of disruption) is the
next day when they both realise what
happened last night and how serious it is.
Both are shown looking down in
disappointment and realisation and the
seriousness is shown when the boyfriend
is looking at his bruises.

7. ATTEMPT TO RESTORE
(ORIGINAL EQUILIBRIUM)
The attempt to restore
original equilibrium
occurs when instead of
breaking up, the
boyfriend and girlfriend
stay together and try to
make it work
(attempting to restore
the normality of
before). However, none
of their attempts work
and the girlfriend ends
up drinking and the
boyfriend smokes
drugs. They argue and
hit each other on a
more frequent basis.

8. NEW EQUILIBRIUM
The new equilibrium occurs after the
girlfriend pushes her boyfriend down
the stairs and he dies. In the
background, police sirens can be heard
so it is clear that she is going away for
manslaughter.

9. After analysing folk tales, Propp developed a theory that within each narrative
there are a set of stock characters, which reappear in every storyline.
Using ‘Sometimes’-Sound of Guns:
•Hero- the singer of the band, saves the love of his life from her kidnappers.
•Princess- the love of the hero’s life, gets kidnapped by the villains and rescued
by the hero.
•Villain- the kidnappers who take the princess, only to be beaten by the hero
•Helper- the hero’s best friends and other members of the band
VLADIMIR PROPP

10. After analysing folk tales, Propp developed a theory that within each narrative
there are a set of stock characters, which reappear in every storyline.
Using ‘Sometimes’-Sound of Guns:
•Hero- the singer of the band, saves the love of his life from her kidnappers.
•Princess- the love of the hero’s life, gets kidnapped by the villains and rescued
by the hero.
•Villain- the kidnappers who take the princess, only to be beaten by the hero
•Helper- the hero’s best friends and other members of the band
VLADIMIR PROPP