Introduction
My Dissertation explored concepts surrounding Narrative theory, highlighting the key historical and contemporary argument that narrative has remained the same throughout the course of time, and that being modelled from Aristotle’s Poetics (1920) which clearly portrays narrative as a six step process; Plot, Character, Thought, Dialogue, Song, and Spectacle.
Looking at a modern Television adaptation closely, evidently BBC’s Time highlighted how BBCs dramas clearly follow Aristotle’s narrative structure despite the heavy focus on modern implements such as black outs and on screen edits. This emphasis on a familiar and tested structure is not only key to understanding why audiences watch things, but also key to the future of television audiences.
Shakespeare’s work notably bridges the gap between older literature and media and current television by its obvious use of this narrative structure and its credibility as old work which continues to win awards through portrayals and adaptations which continue to be seen on televisions all over the world.
In order to continue to allow this narrative structure to make an impact on audience and television study, it is crucial that media is protected and preserved, this argument is key to this report.
The Industry
Television preservation explores the upkeep of digital television for future research and access. Theorists argue how ‘preservation is ultimately about access, [and] how can we make sure that the public enjoys access… [to] collections’ (Anderson & Lawlor 2020). Over the last century the industry has magnified greatly in its importance despite growing worries about the future of this preservation (Anderson & Lawlor 2020). Theorists argue strongly that this may be not getting as much attention as other more longstanding forms of media communications (Kelly 2022).
‘The history of the mass media is barely a century old’ (Taylor 1996) with historians and theorists highlighting how the Press, due to their long standing credibility, is taken the most seriously, then the radio, a lesser but still important, means of communication and creates a somewhat trivial view on television and cinema highlighted in the lack of consideration around television preservation.
It is key to consider how earlier digital media has been affected by the lack of preservation when considering the importance of Television preservation. Roughly only ‘50 per cent of the films ever made since 1896 have survived’ (Taylor 1996) and therefore have been lost with no way of tracing or replicating this ruined footage, due to this a huge proportion of twentieth century heritage has been lost.
Modern ways that audiences consume television is changing. Coined now as the “internet age”, Theorists explore how ‘It is crucial that scholars embrace and develop new analytical approaches and methodologies that are more tailored to the study of contemporary television’ and pushes the need for analysis and focus on interfaces and streaming services such as Netflix as a way of television preservation (Kelly 2022). Theorists have also highlighted that if the latter is not achieved this could cause a “digital dark age”. ‘Broadly speaking, the prospect of a digital dark age is based on the belief that digital and electronic media are, in many respects, much more ephemeral than their analogue antecedents’ (Bollacker and Keene cited in Kelly 2022) and therefore need preserving more urgently.
Currently Television episodes, series’ and media that has been preserved are causing friction and “mistrust”, to conquer this the media is being digitised in portions of their collections at a time, while also maintaining their analog recordings. ‘This leaves archivists in the unenviable and expensive position of preserving analog and digital versions of the same material ‘ (Anderson & Lawlor 2020). This mistrust is also partnered with an abundance of Legal arguments.
These arguments explore whether preservers are right in their want to record third party and non affiliated work, not registering the copyright of shows (Anderson & Lawlor 2020).
Despite the legalities surrounding this, ‘pirate archivists have built up personal collections of digital cultural files and are sharing them freely online, allowing numerous exact copies of these files to be stored all over the world. Thus, pirate archivists have constructed what is essentially an alternative cultural preservation system’ (De Kosnik cited by Anderson 2020).
As well as online both legally (through streaming platforms) and illegally (online pirated websites), Television media is also archived into digital private hubs, servers and museums (Ward 1979). Online archives consist of accessible websites such as the television archives, the national archives and BFI. There are also physical Museums and centres in which can be publically visited such as British museum, National Science and Media Museum and more globally, The American Archive of Public Broadcasting, The Library of Congress and The Museum of Broadcast Communications which have a combination of over 150 thousand television medias in total.
Despite the negativity, Theorists’ opinions remain united. ‘Preservation of new kinds of contemporary record material [like television] are likely to prove of enormous benefit to future generations of historians’ (Taylor 1996), and thus need to be researched, taught and preserved.
Organisation
The British Film Institute or ‘BFI’ was established in 1933 and is a ‘a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image’ (BFI 2022). The company’s ethos and missions include; supporting creativity, growing the BFI national archive, to educate and deepen public appreciation of the moving image, and to work closely with the media industry and government to extend the UKs screen industry (BFI 2022).
The BFI’s archive collection covers approximately 625,000 Television accounts with two thirds of the amount being non-fiction. Their catalog also includes Film and other media channels such as radio and print. BFI also has an educational academy and prides themselves on having inclusive opportunities (abid).
As a charity, the vast majority of their capital comes from the public, with the charity relying on donations, explaining how they ‘need your support to rebuild and reconnect, so that we can protect our heritage, our artform and our industry’ (BFI Join and Support 2022).
The audience of the BFI differs throughout the company’s wide range of media. The BFI has conducted independent research into Film audiences and regularly highlights the importance of Television audiences. They understand how to appeal to different audiences and when these demographics are going to engage in Media (BFI 2019).
The BFI created a future audience plan for 2022. This covers three in-depth points in which they aim to unpack and develop over time; ‘1. To offer a Rich cultural programme, 2. To engage young audiences across the uk and keep them for life, and 3. To ensure that everyone, everywhere in the UK will be able to enjoy more of the UK’s moving image heritage’(BFI 2019). This will not only relate to their already huge audience but hopefully draw in more younger and local audiences.
Overall the BFI is a widely recognised champion of preserving media and narrative. As a company they are dedicated to the future upkeep of digital media and strive to connect with audiences both nationally and globally.
Literature review
Narrative structure explores the theory surrounding storytelling. Despite there being many theories around the origins of storytelling, with some scholars suggesting it’s always been there, theorists remain united when exploring philosopher Aristotle as one of the first to create a structure enabling audiences and theorists to understand it (Barthes & Duisit 1975).
BFIs research into narrative theory is something that is ever expanding.
Theorists and writers for BFI have found that having a clear understanding of narrative ‘Maintains audience engagement over many episodes and seasons’ (BFI 2017) whereas a shorter part series can also grip audiences by having a clear plot point and limited range of characters due to their focus on the action within the series. As well as an overall look at narrative effects within Television, the BFI have also begun winding their research by looking at how narrative affects particular genres, with added focus on drama and crime due to their popularity in the UK (BFI 2017).
A key and timeless statement made regularly by theorists is that despite the evolution of stories, mediums and technology the sole principles of narrative have remained intact (McCabe & Peterson 1991). This lack of change communicates to scholars that older films and television works are, and in the future, will still be able to be enjoyed by contemporary audiences. This finding also highlights the importance of the narrative structure, which arguably still follows key Aristotelian principles which were accumulated in the times of Ancient Greek theatre. Audiences relations with media, despite a worry about a ‘decline in Television audiences’ (Fiske 2010), are larger than previously recorded, especially among ‘audiences with conflicting social interests and experiences’ (abid), this enables researchers and media scholars alike to be confident that the narrative structure is remaining to hook and draw in audiences, both new and old (Fiske 2010). Due to this it is integral to the future of media studies that Television continues to be preserved by companies such as the BFI in order to continue having a positive audience impact and monitor changes to narrative.
Shakespere, despite being present in the Elizabethan era of drama, theatre and media, is a playwright still used in the contemporary world to explain feelings, events and emotions. Shakespeare’s work arguably feels very human and relatable and has been used throughout television and film to draw in audiences of all backgrounds. His work inspires media makers of today and allows for remakes and basis for inspiration on many projects both old and upcoming and provide that feel of escapism to its audience, this could be the result of how his work, when written, was expected to give ‘a social shape, order and sanction’ (Montrose 1996 p.32) to the people of the Elizabethan era.
The structure of Shakespeare’s work follows that of Aristotle’s beginning, middle and end and is ‘commonly framed in Aristotelian terms – the fall from greatness, the fatal flaw, the moment of catastrophe’ (Dewar-Watson 2005). This continuation of narrative structure, further highlights Shakespeare’s importance in the television preservation field.
Shakespeare’s impact is highlighted by the BFI by its housing of Shakespeare’s work and adaptations. Their events of Shakespeare on Film and Shakespeare on TV cover selections of ‘classic televised plays and bold re-interpretations’ (BFI 2022) and showcase them online and in person, through ‘film, TV and special events in cinemas worldwide and on BFI Player’ (BFI 2022). The events are a ‘part of the British Council’s Shakespeare Lives – a major programme of events and activities celebrating Shakespeare’s’ (BFI 2016) and we co-created with the help of Actor and BFI supporter Sir Ian Mckellin who has ‘been praised as one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of our time’ (BFI 2016).
Evidently, the BFI plays an integral role in sustaining narrative and housing content that without media preservation would be lost. As explained in an earlier section, around 50% of digital based Media during the twentieth century has been lost, with some that was successfully preserved being distorted;
‘‘Prior to 1951… film was produced on perishable (and highly inflammable) nitrate stock and before such organisations as the Imperial War Museum or the National Film (and, since 1993, Television) Archive could do what they could, with limited resources, to convert those which had survived into a more durable (and safer) format of acetate, much had already been lost forever. Even the newer post-nitrate acetate stock is subject to a form of deterioration known as the ‘vinegar syndrome’’(Taylor 1996).
This lack of both narrative and digital media makes an interesting argument exploring whether there were changes in narrative throughout this era that are now lost and therefore non-research-able and irrelevant to this field.
To combat this, the BFI consistently works to preserve as much Television and media as possible. The BFI’s goal is to ensure that television and film can be enjoyed by everyone with focus on audience and stories (BFI 2022). This ethos strongly overlaps with Aristotle’s Narrative principles which are often looked as the 6 stages of creating a narrative, Stated in his Poetics;
A Narrative must consist of ‘A beginning [of a narrative] is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it; an end, that which is naturally after something else, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it; and a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it’ (McCabe et al 1991).
Theorists and researchers in both cases were working to sustain and support narrative progression and the upkeep of story themed media. Adding emphasis to narrative further supports the need for media preservation and the work carried out by the BFI in relation to the upkeep of television media. This comparison also heavily works to strengthen the bond between older concepts of narrative structure and modern Television narrative structures which you can find present within the BFI archives.
Finding and Analysis
Aristotle’s Narrative structure is preserved in contemporary media. This clear indication of the structure helps provide credence to BFIs claims that preservation is important. The preserved media, due to its links to Aristotle’s structure, can have an impact on today’s television media and its audiences. Acknowledging this may also have a positive impact on funding applications to aid the BFI to grow and to continue preserving this media.
Highlighting the presence of Aristolian narrative structure in Television programmes and media allows theorists and scholars to track progression of narrative while also acknowledging whether audiences are responding positively to story lines which are still heavily influenced by said narrative structure. This also allows producers to capitalise on the familiarity of structure and tailor adverts and programmes to follow this and then due to the comfort of knowing it brings audiences, subsequently will draw more attention to their programme (Kent & Allen 1994).
This cycle of attention from both scholars and producers highlights the importance in BFIs work. Without their work in preserving this media, there would be little to no record on the television programmes and media produced and therefore lesser knowledge on the impact of structure, such as Aristotles, and audience findings which are key to understanding whether media produced has had a positive reception.
Television has always been something that is familiar to its audience. Familiarity is good and is a constant positive in drawing audiences back to television. A researcher for Think Box (2018) explains how ‘From a behavioural perspective, we …tend to favour ‘safer’, familiar options that minimise mental exertion and maximise potential satisfaction’ which emphasises why audiences remain large in television narrative as they feel safe in knowing the contents and (Aristotle’s narrative) structure that shows follows. This research further highlights how preserving media, audience participation and media texts surrounding television are beneficial to future audiences and scholars.
Conclusion
Theorists have highlighted how narrative is a key tool in Television studies. In order to continue research into narrative theory and concepts there needs to be a heavy emphasis on Television preservation (Taylor 1996).
Research highlights how Aristotle’s narrative theories are clearly present in modern television media with the structure engaging audiences through its use of familiarity. The BFI can not only capitalise on the knowledge of a familiar and practised structure, but can use its relevance to draw in new audiences, and also to push their need for funding and passion for media preservation on the grounds of sustaining historical artefacts and providing a service to a growing audience. This is not only key to the future of audience and participation, but also to preserving media and growing future understanding of both television studies and narrative theory.
In order to communicate this importance I plan on configuring a zine which can be put on display both virtually using BFI’s website, and physically in the National Science and Media Museum. Using both British Archiving platforms will add an emphasis to the preservation of British based television media. This Zine would alert audiences of the importance of them as viewers, actively engaging them to donate to the museum and also educate them on the importance of story narrative through television, adding emphasis on Aristotle’s Narrative structure’s impact on the current structure of story.
Bibliography
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