Theories
We have studied about 4 theories:
Tadorov
Tadorov’s suggested that conventional narratives are structure in 5 ways:
- A state of Equilibrium
- Something goes wrong to create disequilibrium
- Plot climaxes
- Repair
- Equilibrium is back
Propp
Propp believes that all
characters have a narrative function which provides a structure for a text.
- The hero - a character that seeks something
- The Villain - who opposes or actively blocks the hero's quest
- The Donor - who provides an object with magical properties
- The Dispatcher - who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message
- The False Hero - who distributes the hero's success by making false claims
- The Helper - who aids the hero
- The Princess - acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain's plots
- Her Father - who acts to reward the hero for his effort
The Scenes of his narrative were structured like this:
- Preparation
- Complication
- Transference
- Struggle
- Return
- Recognition
Roland Barthes
Barthes’s theory states
hat texts may be seen as ‘open or ‘closed’ – meaning the narrative is clear or
unknown at parts.
Barthes wrote five codes
for his theory:
- Hermeneutic/Enigma Code
- Proairetic/Action Code
- Semantic Code
- Symbolic Code
- Referential Code
- Action code contains elements of action in the text, this brings excitement and suspense to the video.
- Semantic code uses connotation to suggest the meaning, e.g. seeing a girl in glasses and with a note pad represents a geek
- Symbolic code is when something represents something else
- Referential code refers to anything knowledgeable - so it helps us identify things in the video.
Levi-Strauss
Levi-Strauss’ theory states that we do not understand words
such as ‘villain’ due to the direct meaning, but due to the opposite of the
word. For example; we understand ‘villain’ as bad because ‘hero’ is known as
good, "Sane" and "Insane and also "Poor" and "Wealthy"
Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
Todorov
Equilibrium - This part is where the 'geeky girl' fancies/is in love with the 'handsome' and 'popular' boy next door, but he has a girlfriend and only sees her as a friend and isn't interested in the 'geeky girl'. At this specific time he has argued with his girlfriend and himself and the 'geeky girl' write notes to each other through the window, however as he is too focused on the argument he shuts the curtains and misses the note saying 'I Love You' she wrote to him.
Disequilibrium - This narrative is used when the 'handsome/popular' boy girlfriend cheats on him with a fellow team mate. This changes the 'normal' life that the handsome boy and the geeky girl had at the start of the narrative in the equilibrium. As the handsome boy has now been cheated on it has disrupted his life, and the geeky girl who she has fell in love with is now single, but she's wondering weather or not he is worth the chase or not as when he was in a relationship he didn't notice her.
Resolution - this part of the narrative is when the 'geeky girl' is transformed into a beautiful girl at her prom. The prom scenes shows that the girl meets up with the handsome boy that she is in love with. we can see through his facial expressions and body language that he has fallen for her also, and we are then shown both of them pulling out a folded piece of paper they normal show each other through the windows both saying 'I Love You'
Levi-Strauss
Geeky Girl:
- She unpopular - isn't noticed
- She's not very sociable as we never see her interact with anybody/talk to anybody because she's not popular compared to others.
- Her glasses empathises the facts she intelligent, this is not seen as a popular trait
Popular Boy:
- Very popular, he has a high popularity status being a high school jock
- Very sporty, this is seen as being very cool in high school
- Sociable, he is very sociable as he has a lot of friends
Propp:
The hero:
The 'geeky girl' is seen as the hero throughout this narrative because of her wanting something throughout the whole of it, because of this the audience sympathise with her. When the boy falls in love with her the audience feel happy because what they have wanted throughout has happened and they feel happy for the girl.
The Villain:
The girlfriend to the Jock is the villain throughout the narrative as she is the enemy to the hero. The hero has to tolerate the enemy and watch her be with the boy she loves within most of the narrative, however at the end of the narrative she finally overcomes her villain and is above her.
The Princess:
The boy is known as the princess in the narrative as he waits for the hero to save him. in the disequilibrium we see his girlfriend cheat on him which has an impact in his life, where then the hero comes along and saves him as he falls in love with her, so the hero is rewarded with the boy. Both the hero and the princess are happy at the end of the narrative.
Barthes narrative code:
Action code - At the beginning of the narrative we see the boy on the phone to his girlfriend, we can tell by his body language and facial expressions that he is having an argument with his girlfriend.
Semic - there are many meaning that within the narrative which are represented by the following:
Geeky girl:
- White dress - shows purity and connotates the meaning of innocence shown in the narrative surrounding that character
- Glasses - connotates and represents her intellectual side but also the stereotype of being a geek
- Books and notepads - symbols the meaning of her being a 'geek'
- Red car and Red dress - connotates evil representing her of a villain, the red car also represent richness with the colour red showing her spoilt nature
Referential code is used as we know with our knowledge that cheerleaders cheerleading at a massive football game is huge in America which helps us recognise that this video is American.
This music video has helped me a lot when it comes to my final project because it has made me understand all the theories to the pop genre. It has also made me understand the stereotypes of people involved in the music video and it also has helped me spot the locations and understand how i can make it clear to the audience where we are located.
Representation Theories
Semiotics Theory by Ferdinand de Saussure
Representation is constructed through signs such as words, images, sounds, colours, flavours, acts, and objects.
We receive meaning from these signs.
Visual Pleasure and the Male Gaze Theory by Laura Mulvey
Laura Mulvey was a feminist who believed that we watched film through the eyes of the male characters. She also states that female characters are generally represented as passive objects of male sexual desire.
The male characters are 'looking' whilst the women are being 'looked at'.
Stereotypes Theory by Dyer
Stereotypes are used to reinforce differences between people/characters. They're seen as a cultural shorthand.
Simulacra Theory by Jean Baudrillard
Baudrillard believed that we have become reliant on representations; so much so that we've lost contact with reality. A simulacrum is a copy that now has more reality than the object it is a copy off. We cannot tell the reality from the representation.
Rihanna
MCR
Christina Aguleria
Audience Theories
Hypodermic Model:
The Hypodermic model theory is when the indented message is accepted by the audience without much thought given about the information, so the viewers just accept it.
For example: its like somebody watching something on the TV then the "media gun" fires a "bullet" of information into the viewers mind which makes them believe it.
Uses and Gratifications:
Its the approach to understand why people seek media
This model suggest the audience make active use of what the media offer. the audience have a set of needs which the media meets.
- Diversion - an entertaining break from every day life
- personal relationships
- personal identity
- surveillance
Encoding decoding:
It emphasises the active role of the audience in interpreting the text.
The preferred reading of the text is encoding by the producers of the text in relation to the production context
the text is decoding by the audience in one of three ways:
- Dominate
- Negotiated
- Oppositional
Social and Cultural context
The meaning of the text will be constructed differently according to the discourses (knowledge, religion, prejudices). Individual's position in society and history have a big part in how you interpret something
Madonna – Like a Prayer
Hypodermic Model
The hypodermic model is trying to tell us that Madonna is religious.We see this throughout the narrative and when she sings the line, "Religion will save you". This part of the song is being sung when she is getting attacked in the street and the man from church saves her
Users and Gratification Theory
She signed to pepsi, had $5million off them and they promoted
her, but she then done her own video – she ignored the deal
The music video she made herself was banned in Italy
Dominate message
Treat people equally regarding of race - tell the truth, do
the right thing – also the idea that Madonna also does the right thing
Personally identify
Religion will save you – in time of crises go to church because
that’s where you’ll find the answer
Diversion – Entertainment
Personal relationships – how to get a closer relationship
with god
Black and white – relationships are accepted
Encoding
Madonna is a concerned Christian
Negotiated reading:
she tending Jesus, she’s the Mary style character, she wants something
personal from Jesus
Oppositional: Anti-Christian, Black Jesus, Burning Crosses,
costume – revealing chest, straps down, devalues religion.
Social and Cultural
Depending on your religion you can take it in different ways black people might find it empowering and white people – might be offended that Gods not white
Genre Theories
‘the very
existence of genre films and cycles is a product of the film industry’s attempt
to overcome the problem of uncertainty…of not knowing the future tastes of the
mass audience.’ - Robert E. Kapsis (1991)
Kapsis means
they use genre so they know what people want to watch so then it minimises the
uncertainty. Example, Iron man, people enjoy one so there are sequels because
they know people enjoy it
‘the
constitution of film cycles and genres is a never-ceasing process, closely tied
to the capitalist need for product differentiation’ - Rick Altman (1999)
Altman is
saying that the institution of the media’s primary need is to make money,
Example, iron man – each time there is a new iron man they change it slightly
‘The use
of generic or cyclical typing is one way Hollywood has always sought to create
commercial stability…Genre is one way many movies have been pre-sold throughout
the history of Hollywood.’ - Geoff King (2002)
Geoff king
said Genre is a way to create commercial stability, Example Christmas films,
Horror film on Halloween.
Central to
film industry practices is the construction of a ‘narrative image’ for each
film. ‘An idea of the film is widely
circulated and promoted, and idea which can be called the “narrative image” of
the film, the cinema’s anticipatory reply to the question, “What is the film
like?”’ - John Ellis (1981)
John Ellis
is saying that for every genre/product there is an image which is circulation
which prompts questions from the audience.
Audience
‘The
attraction of genre to the industry is closely linked to its presumed appeal to
viewers. Filmgoers generally like to
have a broad idea of what to expect from any individual picture. Genres are constituted not just by bodies of
films but also by the established expectations of viewers.’ King (2002)
King means
that genre is established by the audience, so the audience members expect to
see things in the film (code and conventions), Example, seeing a trailer to a
superhero film they will spot things that make it a superhero film and if they
like superhero films they’ll watch it
Ritual
Socio-cultural
genre theorists argue that ‘shifts in film content reflect changes in
society. The underlying assumption…is
that popular films are more or less an accurate mirror of social structure,
because by choosing the films it attends, the audience reveals its preferences
to film studios and distributors which…passively produce and finance films
reflecting audience desires.’ Kapsis (1991)
Kapsis is
saying that what happens in society influences genre, Example, superhero films
are popular now because of so much things are going on in the world like
terrorist, its making the audience want to escape, and at the end of superhero
films its all happy because the days been saved. People can also relate to it
because it topical.
‘the
Western, like any myth, stands between individual human consciousness and
society. If a myth is popular, it must
somehow appeal to or reinforce the individual who view it by communicating a
symbolic meaning to them. The meaning
must…reflect the particular social institutions and attitudes that have created
and continue to nourish the myth. Thus a
myth must tell its viewers about themselves and their society’ Will Wright
(1975)
Wright
means that people are told a myth about society because it helps them escape.
The Myth is always trying to tell us something about us or the society. It
reflects back to us then we can refer to it.
‘while it
seems more than likely that the sustained commercial success of a particular
formula is indeed an index of approval, there are no grounds for assuming that
the approval is ideologically based’ Steve Neale (2000)
Steve
Neale is trying to say that we go and see genres because we enjoy them however
there is no logical proof that the genres reflect our system of ideology
(ideas)
Classification and interpretation
‘genres
are not simply bodies of work or groups of films…Genres do not consist only of
films: they consist also…of specific systems of expectation…which spectators
bring with them to the cinema, and which interact with film themselves during
the course of the viewing process. These
systems provide spectators with means of recognition and understanding. They help render films, and the elements
within them, intelligible and therefore explicable.’ Steve Neale (1990)
Steve
Neale means that we expect to see certain code and conventions which we can
then recognise and interpret them.
Genre
criticism is made up of a triangular model of artist, product, and text. Genre conventions provide a framework which
acts as a form of ‘supervision’ over the work of the filmmakers, and the
interpretation by the audience. Tom Ryall
Tom Ryall
says that genre is about the artist and what product it is more over what actually is about the text, and working with the filmmakers can work with that and
interpret it
Elements of Genre
Genre is
comprised of:
·
Iconography
– elements of mise-en-scene specific to a particular genre which signify
meaning
·
Character
Roles
·
Narrative
Structures
·
Visual
Style
·
Values
and Themes (ideology)
The function of Genre
Music Video Conventions
Andrew Goodwin identified a number of music video conventions:
- Music videos demonstrate genre characterisations (e.g. Stage performance in rock video, dance routine in pop video)
- There is a relationship between the visuals, and the lyrics and music
- Lots of close-ups of the artist (who may have a visual style)
- Reference to looking
- Voyeuristic treatment of the female body
- Intertextual reference (to films, TV programmes, etc.)
Genre - RAP
What are the conventions?/what do you associate with the the genre?
- Bikinis
- Guns
- Graffiti
- Jewellery - Gold Chains, Gold Rings
- Gold Teeth
- Low Jeans - with names boxers
- String vest
- Sports cars
- Tracksuits
- Swimming pools
- Massive Houses
- Mention of drugs, alcohol and partying
- All this shows their wealth and status
Convention:
- Low angle shots to make them look massive - over power the audience, represents manliness, implies they're important enough to have the whole frame to themselves
- Two shots - usually woman in the shot with the male rapper - they are shown as irrelevant, she is there to make him look desirable
- Dancing in time to the music - gives credibility to the song shows that people already like it and its already a success - makes it easier for the audience to like it.
- Usually males are featured with a posse to show they're the leader and not alone
- Close up - generally of the artist to establish them
- Cameo appearances of other famous artist - gives it more credibility
- Reference to looking - usually the artist are shown on TV or CCTV camera to show they've already made it and are constantly being watched.
Links:
Strong link between lyrics and visuals (in da club - they're in the club, going to the beat)
50 Cent - In Da Club
Institutions
‘the very existence of genre films and cycles is a product of the film industry’s attempt to overcome the problem of uncertainty…of not knowing the future tastes of the mass audience.’ Robert E. Kapsis (1991)This theory is used in the 50 cent music video because of the fact that all the stereotypical things you see in a Hip-Hop/Rap video is shown in the 50 cent video. So when people think of a Hip-Hop music video's they think of Sports clothing, gold Chains/gold rings, party's/night clubs girls dancing with the singer, etc. All these are shown in the 50 Cent video. This ensure that the music industry can keep its audience by recycling its conventions, therefore they are insure they can keep making money and sell records.
Audience
‘The
attraction of genre to the industry is closely linked to its presumed appeal to
viewers. Filmgoers generally like to
have a broad idea of what to expect from any individual picture. Genres are constituted not just by bodies of
films but also by the established expectations of viewers.’ King (2002)
This is used and important in the 50 Cent video because the audience who consume the product know the type of things they like to see in the video, so if they didn't follow the usual conventions of the genre, they wouldn't enjoy it. So it is very important to stick to the conventions the audience know and like so they can keep consuming it and keep enjoying it.
Ritual
Socio-cultural
genre theorists argue that ‘shifts in film content reflect changes in
society. The underlying assumption…is
that popular films are more or less an accurate mirror of social structure,
because by choosing the films it attends, the audience reveals its preferences
to film studios and distributors which…passively produce and finance films
reflecting audience desires.’ Kapsis (1991)
In this music video this theory is used because in society at the time the music video was made gangs and rappers in America were massive and were popular. Also Hip-Hop music was also massive at the time of society so this means more Hip-Hop videos are going to be made to please the audience.
Classification and interpretation
‘genres are not simply bodies of work or groups of films…Genres do not consist only of films: they consist also…of specific systems of expectation…which spectators bring with them to the cinema, and which interact with film themselves during the course of the viewing process. These systems provide spectators with means of recognition and understanding. They help render films, and the elements within them, intelligible and therefore explicable.’ Steve Neale (1990)
The audience expect to see certain codes and conventions in a music video, the Hip Hop audience have certain types of codes and conventions which help the audience identify that its a hip hop video and they can relate to it. In hip hop videos the codes and conventions are; Bikinis, Jewellery, Gold Teeth, low jeans, Femals dancing, Gangs, etc...
I think this video is a really good example to show how important code and conventions are to a music video. In this video majority of the conventions in a rap video are used and are very easy to identify, this allows the audience to connect themselves with 50 cent by the way her dresses and the things he does. This also means that 50 cent knows what his viewers wants and he gives that to them, this will make his target audience like and enjoy his music and him as a person more because they will believe he is showing a personal interest to his audience.
Rock:
Mise-en-scene -
- grungy, laid back clothing
- Messy, unkempt hair
- Live performance of the band
- Artist or band is shown throughout
- Mixture of narrative and performance
- Camera angles and shots tend to emphasise the musicianship and the band - playing instruments - shows how skillful they are
- Smoke machines
- Casual clothing
- Main singer sings into microphone - pulling mic closer
- Dark colours and simple settings
- lots of emotion, particularly in musicians face
- often black and white
- Shots of fans - show how popular they are
- Links between songs and visuals
Institution
‘the very existence of genre films and cycles is a product of the film industry’s attempt to overcome the problem of uncertainty…of not knowing the future tastes of the mass audience.’ Robert E. Kapsis (1991)
Kapsis means they use genre so they know what people want to watch so then it minimises the uncertainty. Example, Iron man, people enjoy one so there are sequels because they know people enjoy it
This is used in this rock video 'The libertines - Cant stand me now' because they use the stereotypical code and conventions to advertise their song, The lighting is very black and white and are performing live at a gig where they are playing the song and the crowed are going wild to the song and dancing/bouncing to the beat. This is because the institute knows it works and sells so they are doing it to sell the records.
Audience
‘The
attraction of genre to the industry is closely linked to its presumed appeal to
viewers. Filmgoers generally like to
have a broad idea of what to expect from any individual picture. Genres are constituted not just by bodies of
films but also by the established expectations of viewers.’ King (2002)
King means that genre is established by the audience, so the audience members expect to see things in the film (code and conventions), Example, seeing a trailer to a superhero film they will spot things that make it a superhero film and if they like superhero films they’ll watch it
In The Libertines rock video cant stand me now they are performing live to a crowd, this will appeal to the audience as they expect to see this on their music videos, it also gives them an idea of what the atmosphere would be like if you want to one of their gigs. All the expectations are met in the song because they use the normal codes and conventions used to represent rock, such as close ups the the band members singing or playing their instruments and the use of black and white.
Ritual
‘while
it seems more than likely that the sustained commercial success of a particular
formula is indeed an index of approval, there are no grounds for assuming that
the approval is ideologically based’ Steve Neale (2000)
Steve Neale is trying to say that we go and see genres because we enjoy them however there is no logical proof that the genres reflect our system of ideology (ideas)
In this music video you can tell by the audience shown that they are enjoying it their, however by the way someone of them look you can tell that they don't go for the stereotypical dress sense as 'rock 'n' roll' people do.
Classification and Interpretation
‘genres are not simply bodies of work or groups of films…Genres do not consist only of films: they consist also…of specific systems of expectation…which spectators bring with them to the cinema, and which interact with film themselves during the course of the viewing process. These systems provide spectators with means of recognition and understanding. They help render films, and the elements within them, intelligible and therefore explicable.’ Steve Neale (1990)
Steve Neale means that we expect to see certain code and conventions which we can then recognise and interpret them.
In this video codes and conventions the audience/viewers expect to see are in there. The audience of rock videos expect to see; close up to the band members playing their instrument, close up to the main singer singing, black and white effects, dark clothing and performing live at a gig and its all in their. By using these conventions the audience can take meaning from them, by showing them shots of playing their instruments shows their talents and by showing clips of the crowd enjoying themselves it shows that you would have a good time if you went.
After watching this video ive notice that in rock videos there are a lot of clips of the band performing life on the stage and this has made the music video more exciting and has made me want to listen to more of their music and would love to see them live because ive just witnessed them performing on screen. By seeing the fans going crazy over them shows that they would be good to watch live. This will make the target audience more keen to watch the music video and help the artist sell more gig tickets. However i started to get a bit bored throughout the song because the music video is just them playing at live gigs and their is no narrative or anything else shown in it. So taking all this into perspective i have realised that for my music video i should have loads of clips of the band performing on the stage live and a narrative to it also so the viewers don't get bored.
Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin identified a number of music video conventions:
- grungy, laid back clothing (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Messy, unkempt hair (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Live performance of the band (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Artist or band is shown throughout (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Mixture of narrative and performance
- Camera angles and shots tend to emphasise the musicianship and the band - playing instruments - shows how skillful they are (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Smoke machines
- Casual clothing (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Main singer sings into microphone - pulling mic closer
- Dark colours and simple settings (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- lots of emotion, particularly in musicians face
- often black and white (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Shots of fans - show how popular they are (USED in Cant Stand Me Now)
- Links between songs and visuals
Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent (all theories)
Music Video History
Timelines
After doing this timeline I've come to the conclusion that in a music video it must be easy to spot the conventions of the genre, just by watching this video i know that oasis consider themselves as an Indi rock band and i could tell this through the conventions used. I also know that the narrative much match the lyrics perfectly to understand the narrative and this music video is really good for that.
Timeline 2
John Lennon - Imagine
Music Directors
Music Industry
Narrative, Conceptual and Performance Videos
Narrative = Narrative videos follow a story throughout the video, love stories are the most common narrative for music videos. The action in music videos is male dominated; they do something which the female then passively reacts to or waits for something to happen.
Conceptual - Conceptual videos rely on poetic form, they are generally used as a metaphor. Instead of using a narrative they create a mood or feeling to be evoked whilst watching.
Performance - Performance videos use footage of the band/artist performing at a live concert to a crowd, who are going crazy for their music. The aim of the video is to convey the in-concert experience to the viewer, which will also make the viewer more likely to see them live.
Institution
A music video is a way to advertise a song. A song can exist without a video but a video cannot exist without a song.
Censorship
Censorship is the act of banning something due to offensive language/behaviour or containing material which is unsuitable for the viewing public. The first video to be banned by MTV was in 1982 with Queen's "body language". This was due to the homoerotic undertone, lack of clothing and the amount of sweat featured in the video. The BBC banned the song "Girls on Film" in 1981 this was just as MTV first started to come out it got banned because they thought it was too sexual because a number of fetishes were shown throughout the video. Once MTV came out they started to show the music video but they edited out all of the nudity. Madonna's "Like a Virgin" was banned in 1984 due to the sexual connotations used. Other Madonna songs were banned due to references of homosexual activity and group sex. One of Michael Jackson's dance routines was banned by MTV due to inappropriate touching. In 1998 Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" was banned in several countries because of references to drugs, nudity and sex. Another song (Firestarter) was banned by the BBC due to the obvious reference to arson. The most recent music video to be banned is Two Door Cinema Clubs "handshake" it banned by all TV shows because of its horrific graphical storyline this was banned in 2013.
Narrative
This Video's narrative seems to be inspired by beauty and the beast. Meatloaf's character is 'ugly' and the beast of the narrative. The quote at the beginning "I have travelled across the universe through the years just to find her." suggests that he is looking for a woman, and this woman in the narrative is the 'beauty' of the video. The beast is also being searched for, much like the Disney film.
Time and space
The video skips through a lot of time and space and doesn't really make much sense over all. The video therefor is telling us that time and space isn't very important within music videos, as they aren't films and the narrative is made to move on quickly to get to the over all moral.
My person opinion
I personal dont like the video, i think it is too long and boring. The narrative doesn't make much sense as it jumps from time to time. He has basically out a film and shortened it into 7 minutes.
Music Video Narrative
There are three types of music videos:
- Narrative
- Performance
- Conceptual/Abstract
The main function of music videos is to highlight the star
and to showcase the lyrics and music. Music videos are not a short film, so
they don’t have to complete the narrative. The lyrics, narrative and sound have
to work together so that the music video looks professional and is effective at
showing the artist. It is very important when making a music video to remember
that the narrative should be simple and easy to follow, and the song should
never be an accompaniment or in the background.
This Video's narrative seems to be inspired by beauty and the beast. Meatloaf's character is 'ugly' and the beast of the narrative. The quote at the beginning "I have travelled across the universe through the years just to find her." suggests that he is looking for a woman, and this woman in the narrative is the 'beauty' of the video. The beast is also being searched for, much like the Disney film.
Time and space
The video skips through a lot of time and space and doesn't really make much sense over all. The video therefor is telling us that time and space isn't very important within music videos, as they aren't films and the narrative is made to move on quickly to get to the over all moral.
My person opinion
I personal dont like the video, i think it is too long and boring. The narrative doesn't make much sense as it jumps from time to time. He has basically out a film and shortened it into 7 minutes.
Narrative:
Two girls escape from their school and go out into the world to do things they won't have done before. The things would be seen as 'crazy' because they aren't normal things to do, but also as it links to the lyrics and name of the song.
Character:
The teenagers are seen as promiscuous characters and their actions suggest that they aren't the best of people, as they steal things etc. The shopkeeper is a creepy character as he looks the girls up and down, suggesting that he likes the look of him. This makes him appear oblivious to them stealing the products from his shelf. The young boy at the end is the hunk of the video, but isn't an essential character.
Connections
The two teenage girls in the car sing along to the song which is being promoted, this is showing that the song is already a success. The two girls also do crazy things and show that someone could make you do crazy things for them.
Camera shots - The entire video is a point of view shot from the character and is handheld. This is used to show real life and this was really good and effective because it showed things you would never normally see in a music video, this video is basically showing reality unlike normal music videos, this has also made the music video and the band memorable. However due to the music video it has been censored.
Sound effects have been added such as police sirens and the toilet flushing. This also helps to make the music video look realistic and create a real life atmosphere.
In the video we see a gender-less person getting ready to go
out, we see them showing and dressing but cant see no body parts. They then go
out to a kebab shop and then a club taking drugs and drinking alcohol. The
person frequently tries to grope girls and because of this activity we
instantly think it’s a man. The character heads out to a strip club and steals
a car. When the character looking in the mirror at the end of the video the
audience are aware that the character was a woman and not a man.
The connection from the narrative and lyrics are that the woman holding the camera is treating woman quiet badly connecting with the lyric "Smack my b*tch up"
Technical conventions of a music video
· - Editing is linked closely with the song
· - Editing is used to ensure that no single element gets the upper hand
· - It keeps momentum
· - Jump cuts are used a lot and Long dissolves tributes smooth arrangements
· - Short takes keep us focused on the beat of the music
· - Graphic matches are used in music video. The genre has reason to draw attention to its materials and production methods
· - Edits can match dance moves
· - Crane shots can start low and work high to give a fill view of a figure
· - There is no typical shot order for music video
Meaning and sound
· - Music videos are discontinues
· - A video will hint at a characters personality, mood, goals and desires but will never reveal them
· - We read emotions into the image before us and with the help of the song, make connections
· - Close up of the star
· - Figures also have to interact with sound e.g. flick of the wrist on the beat
· - A video often places the singer at the front and centre stage
· - When a star jams his face in front of the camera, we suddenly hear the music in a different way, it makes us aware that we should be more concentrated
· - Lip syncing is essential
· - Viewers play less attention to the lyrics
· - You need something different for the verse and the chorus
- Mise-en-scene
· - Acting styles are different. The music video genre is about giving direct address
· - The setting is part of the artist world
· - When it comes to location you have to consider 3 things; The setting itself, the presents of the setting and what meaning is created
· - Setting provides a way for the audience to identify the genre
· - Setting communicate a message such as; class, genre, ethnicity, disability and sexuality
· - Props help communicate meaning
· - Many music videos can use genetic setting to draw upon cultural associations between a type of place and the music elements of the song
· - E.g. rap genre likes to represent a specific city like the east or west coast
· - Heavy metal genre takes place in abandoned industrial sites, represents being an outsider, music is meant to be played really loud.
· - Setting are often influenced by an appeal to the stars particular status
· - Clothing marks the boundaries between performer, supporting characters and the band.
· - Must have 2 setting changes, and 2 costume changes
Cinematography
· - Long shots are used as they give greater prominence than figure
· - Mid shots are used as they space and the figures are equal
· - Close ups are used to show dominance
Example:
Lady gaga – Poker face:
· Jump cuts right from the opening
· Shes in the centre of the frame
· Change of locations and change of costume in one line
· Setting looks expensive
· Image matches lyrics – playing poker whilst saying poker face – link
· Backing dancers are in different clothes to her –darker cloths so she stands out more
· Special effects were used when she was split up, she was on the screen 4 times
· Mixtures of long, mid and close up shots
· Lady gaga’s music make her want to party and enjoy life because that’s what she’s doing on screen.
· Setting communicates that she’s wealthy and successful already
Example 2:
Plan B – She said
· Movement of the characters matches the beat of the song
· Lip syncing used throughout the song
· Narrative setting changes
· Lots of different settings
· Setting changed in one line
· Narrative is complete
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