At the beginning of our music video we were thinking of introducing the artist using a blurred image to draw the audience's attention to the artist, intriguing them to who or what the artist is doing or looks like. This intrigues the audience as we are wondering what is going to happen next. This also hides her identity and connotes the artist's feeling's of being broken/missing. In addition, the blurred technique also adds to the word 'war' as it could be represented as the aftermath of a bomb exploding and the horrors of war. In the music video Watercolour by Pendulum, they use the blurred images to represent the artist's life falling to pieces and show that he is fading away/feeling worthless. The image below shows the blurred effect.
Jessie J's music video 'Domino' also uses the focusing effect to emphasis moments. In particular, she uses it to work with the bass/beat of the song, so the audience can visually see the beats as well as feel them to emphasis it. She also uses overlay to create a dramatic effect which we want to use to create and reflects the artists emotion. In this video, the overlay could suggest a feeling of excitement brought on by the idea of loving someone, of which the overlay represents her moving rapidly from the adrenline/energy of joy or happiness running through her. However, the overlay could also represent the feeling of losing one's self and falling apart as the images look ghostly and disconnected.
Jordin Sparks music video 'Battlefield' is similar to Rita Ora's 'Love and War' as they both include references to war and relationships. Although this may be representing the anger and fighting of relationships we could use similar techniques that Jordin Sparks uses such as dark, depressing colours to represent deep emotion found in war and battles to keep relationships alive. The location in this video is set in an isolated field which may also be representing her loneliness, as well as the isolated occasion of an actual battlefield. The handheld camera movement towards the end is also a good technique to adopt as it creates tension/uneasy feeling. This could be a possible idea in our own music video.
'Shut Up' by Black-eyed Peas includes a split screen in their music video, and we liked the idea of using this in our piece to show both artists on the screen at the same time but within different locations/setting.
In Pink's music video 'Sober' she is filmed singing in the dark with a light moving over her face to add an effect. The fact that she is in the dark shows that she is depressed with a little light to enable us to see her. We could use this effect in our video to show the artists mood, also this effect is simple and easy which breaks the video up from the narrative scenes.
For the setting of the fight we are planning to ask the Barleycorn pub in Duxford, Cambridge if we could film outside the front of the pub. The fighters will wear normal clothing but will have hats or their hoods up so you cannot see their faces well. In addition, we will need a house with a mirror so that when the boy gets home we can do an over the shoulder shot of him looking at the damage.
We can also use fake blood to show he has been hit. When the boy goes to the girls house we can use makeup to show that he is bruised and beaten up, which will trigger off her anger.
Whilst the girl is waiting for the boy, she is in her house alone at the dinner table with candles, meals, wine glasses, wine and nice clothing. She can also have a bottle of wine that she keeps pouring herself to show how long she waits for him before giving up and going to bed (being upset and drowning her sorrows!)
When she is in bed we may use makeup to show that she is crying and in her pyjamas.
In a lot of R&B videos such as Chris Brown - Don't Judge Me, or Sweet Love the artist wears sunglasses, so we have now decided that when the female in the video opens the door to the male he will have glasses on to hide the bruises etc.
Other props would be phones to show when she is calling him that he isn't picking up, and a watch to show that she is waiting for him to arrive and he is late.
From looking at past student videos in our last lesson. They used an attracting layering technique which we could use in our own music video. By using overlay we can create a past and present shot, creating the idea that the artist is thinking back to a past moment when her relationship was strong and present and not falling apart. Furthermore, if we choose to use this technique we could use a sepia filter of the past image to further the idea that the artist is reminiscing.
To fit in with the genre of the music, we have decided that because the song is about love and break-up that the woman in the video should be the dominant part. Which means having mostly her on screen but flicking back to other things that are going on such as the boy in the fight and flashbacks of the couple at the beginning of their relationship.
Dominant woman
We have also decided that instead of having an organised fight it is going to be three guys ganging up on the main boy and he gets into a fight with them - we decided this because it is far more likely to happen these days that an organised fight.
From looking at the lyrics we realised that there is a different meaning behind the words love and war. Instead of actually being about war or fighting it is more about the good and bad parts of relationships. For example she is singing about making love and not making each other angry or upset.
This then lead us to think differently about what the content of the video should show, therefore we came up with the idea similar to the music video 'Love the way you lie' by Rihanna and Eminem.
We decided to show how a boy's fighting causes problems between him and his partner and how she can not take it anymore and wants him to change. We were hoping to do this by setting up a scene where the boy is in an organised fight that is getting out of control and people are watching, shouting and betting on each of the fighters. This would happen when the music is saying 'this fighting shit is getting to old.' It could flick between two scenes where his partner is waiting for him to come and he chooses the fight over her.
Later on he could turn up at her houses bruised and bloody and and the girl has had enough and they argue.
We wants to use a range of shots such a close-up of the female singer occasionally similar to the shot of Rihanna from the Love The Way You Lie video:
And mid and long shots of for the fight as well as slow motion to emphasise the pain he is suffering:
And shots showing her loneliness, which would vary during the video as she would be doing different things like sitting at the dinner table waiting for him and on the bed waiting for his call:
There may be a possibility of doing flashbacks to when everything was good between them at the beginning or at the end:
Out of the choice of music we have been given we have narrowed it down to 3:
Craig David - Can You Feel Me
Pinback - Proceed to Memory
Rita Ora - Love and War
We have discussed general ideas for each piece of music, considering the beats within the music as well as the lyrics which would create a video that is engaging to watch.
We narrowed it down by considering things such as settings, mise-en-scene, costumes and camerawork E.G. we wanted a piece of music that has good, distinctive, rhythm that would make cuts look more professional.
We discarded pieces such as Cheryl Cole - Just Live because it was flat and boring. Therefore we did not feel there would be many chance of engaging the audience. We discarded other pieces such as The Killers - Forget About What I Said and Anti-Social Burn-outs - No Looking Back because we would need a band to fit in with the music and the genre of the piece and none of us would have been able to find a band that we could rely on.
We have also taken into consideration finding people that we can rely on to be a part of our music video that would also take it seriously for us, the pieces we have narrowed it down to we feel we will be able to get these people.
Each of the three pieces we have chosen we have been able to picture a narrative to go alongside the music including the lyrics. We want it to make sense when its being viewed.
One convention of Craig David is that in most of his videos it involves a girl that he has relations with. This would be have to be taken seriously by the actors. We know two people who are willing to do this for us and are very professional. The music chosen by him also fits into this convention so this is very convenient.
Pinback is an Indie Rock band. Typical conventions of this genre are that the video is normally in black and white, the artist/band is shown throughout the video, settings are normally in dark locations and camera shots normally consist of long and midshots as well as extreme close ups. This could give us the chance to experiment with out camerawork further.
Rita Ora is a Pop and R&B artist. Typical conventions of these genres are that if there are men in the video they usually have the fashion of having their tops off to show off there bodys, women are usually fashionably dressed and show as much as possible of there bodies to attract male viewers, the video is normally in greyscale or sepia tone, however if it is a slow song about love or break-up there is hardly any nudity and more about independent, dominant women.
The music video 'Dirrty' was released in 2002 by Christina Aguilera, feat Redman. It has received much controversy worldwide for the visual elements in the video. In Thailand, the video was banned for the Thai text seen in the background on the walls of the building they filmed in. In English it translates to 'Thailand's Sex Tourism' and 'young underage girls.' According to reports, the director and Christina did not know what the text actually translated into. Other than that, the video received negative views for many things.
When first watching the video, you notice the costume the female's wear. They wear little, revealing alot of flesh, with mini skirts, bikini tops, and even part of Christina's bottom is on show near the beginning with a medium close-up, and throughout the video while dancing. Speaking of which, Christina and other female dancers dance in these costumes, of which is in the style of dirty dancing (which contributes to the title of the music video). This depicts Christina and the other girls as sexy, where they even dance in water near the end to emphasis their bodies.
The location of the music video is set in an abandoned building with graffiti and a boxing ring. Both trespassing and graffiti are illegal. There are also other dangerous stunts of riding a motorbike in a dangerous way and place, and also playing with fire. This does not help to influence good behaviour of the audience (especially young viewers), but more of a bad behaviour that degrades a good society.
Furthermore, there is alot of male cast compared to female. As the girls dance in the boxing ring, they are surrounded mainly by men, as if they were putting on a show for them. The cage at the beginning and the barriers of the boxing ring dehumanise Christina and the other girls as animals. Near the beginning of the video when Christina is sitting in the corner of the boxing ring with men around here, it makes her look trapped as the men stand over her. This sets a poor image of women being looked at as objects, which does not set a good example for women. At 3:22 on the video above, the men hold Christina like a prize.
Christina Aguilera is looked up to by many people as a role model, but she is setting a poor example for women to be sexy, rather than an individual. For those who do look up to her, Christina's size also makes girls want to be just as thin which can be dangerous for their health. Her recent song of 'Not Myself Tonight' released in 2010 is not much better to support the female image as she uses the sexy image once more. Surprisingly, Christina has recently become a bigger size than she was which means she is challenging the star image.
History of music video presentation
The presentation on the history of music video's has a good amount of detail, covering micro elements of mise-en-scene, cinematography and editing. Pictures are also used to show the artist they are talking about, however, they could do with using a few more pictures to illustrate points they are making. They could have also compared both music videos with similarities and differences to show the path between the old and modern videos.
Poster for artist
Very professional looking, however, this needs more information needed on the actual album.
Goodwin analysis - student video
There are good points made on the video, with some good detail, but points 5 and 6 of the Goodwin analysis are not present.
Goodwin analysis - Take That
There are good points made on the video, with some good detail, but points 5 and 6 of the Goodwin analysis are not present.
Individual blog post
Two of the members have contributed to this blog with very detailed posts, one using a video, and the other using a picture. There isn't much too improve, but the other member needs to post an individual post.
Directors study
All three director's study lack detail, and the two videos by Spike Jonze needs to be compared to each other. Abstract study
Not present.
Controversial music video
It is good that they have used facts on the video as it supports the points they have made, as well as good detail on the controversial elements.
Overall, almost every post in the blog goes into significant detail about the subject it is based on. The posts are well thought out and well written, and are engaging to read. The videos are a good addition, as it improves the appearance of the blog and makes it appear more professional. It is also good that the videos are of various genres, as opposed to being all songs by one artist or all sounding similar. Each post has an appropriate title that clearly indicates what a viewer will be reading about.
After some discussion, we have concluded that there is not much that we can think of to improve the blog, apart from keep up the current standard of work. Aside from that, try to use the widest range of music videos you can, as we believe that using videos that are drastically different improve any blog in general. :)
1. Poster for Lawson - Taking Over Me
The use of photoshop in this post has created a good professional looking poster for this band. Possibly use of different information outside of the band could be used as magazine pages usually include other information.
2. The History of Music Videos Presentation
There is a good variety of information including screenshots and an embedded video. A target for future presentations would be to have less text on each slide and more visual representations.
3. David Guetta - Titanium ft, Sia
There is good use of relevant information on this post and covers some good areas. However it needs clarity and more detail as at the moment it is slightly vague as to what the point of the post is.
4. Goodwin's Music Video Analysis - 'Bangarang' by Skrillex
This blog post has a vast amount of information and it is very clear to viewers what the point is. The use of images and videos also makes it more informative to the reader.
5. Looking at Celebrity Magazines
A good use of images are in the blog and some good information is present of each celebrity. The second task on the blog post could use more information to back up points that they have made and also images could have been used again.
6. Research - Andrew Goodwin's Theory of Music Videos
This blog has useful information that just reiterates previous blogs and is relevant to every task the group has posted.
7. Goodwin's theory on Ed Sheeran's Music Video 'Drunk'
Again there is a vast amount of all relevant useful information which goes into great detail and the inclusion of the video keeps it relevant and informative. However some points may become repetitive because of the amount of information used.
8. Wide Awake - Katy Perry
This blog post has a manageable amount of information to intake. However the post could do with subheadings to show clarity in each of the points made by the group.
9. Abstract Music Video - Lady Gaga 'Bad Romance'
Again this blog post has a manageable amount of information to intake. However the post could do with subheadings to show clarity in each of the points made by the group.
10. Auteur Analysis
The use of the videos in the post are relevant and informative to viewers, however the amount of information is to vague and brief. More points need to be made for a thorough analysis.
11. Music Videos that have caused controversy - Britney Spears 'Baby One More Time'
The information present is all relevant but more depth in the analysis could be added to back up the points you have made.
There is still controversy swirling over the content of the music video accompanying the song, Eminem's huge hit "Love the way you lie" featuring Rhianna. The clip essentially consists of actors Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan portraying a relationship prone to violence, but that also includes passionate lovemaking. Meanwhile Eminem and Rihanna both perform their vocal sections of the song onscreen. Entertainment Weekly posted in the press asking if the video portrays domestic violence responsibly. NPR's The Record complains about Rihanna, herself a victim of domestic violence, being relegated to the hook in the song. The storyline however, worked to engage the audience, especially as the two actors used are very well known. It is a subject that is not often addressed as openly as it is shown in this video but it grabs the audience as a lot of people do not see what it is like and are fascinated by it as it does not happen in their everyday life. It is also done by someone who has been a victim of domestic violence herself and is therefore not seen as the artists joking around about things as terrible as this.
Britney Spears's Music Video 'Baby One More time' has caused controversy especially on parents as her 'small' outfits have provoked a lot of attention and caused an outrage among parents association as they believe it is too 'hot for TV teen sexuality. Her music video suggests that Britney a school girl has gone bad and may be a bad influence on teenagers who may see her as inspirational.
I believe that the provocative nature of this music video has helped attract attention towards Britney Spears as in 1998 when it was first released people were more careful with the way they dressed. Britney Spears shocked people when she danced in the school hallway with very little on, with parents believing her to be a bad reputation.
Both of these videos are directed by Michel Gondry and they both share similarities which make Gondry an Auteur director. Both videos are very repetitive as both Kylie and the dancers follow a revolving circuit in the setting of which the video is filmed. In addition, both videos are very colourful and bold.
Lady Gaga's Music videos are very abstract, strange as well as imaginative. The whole of this music video has the atmosphere of a stage production almost a thriller. There is a lot of dancers that are synchronised which helps to suggest a rehearsed production. Lady Gaga plays the role of a mind-controlled and drugged sex-slave who is being prepared to get auctioned to members of the Russian mafia. The video is full of symbols and images representing different aspects. For instance at the beginning her senses are being covered which may represent her suffocating, being deprived of her senses almost referring to a form of torture.
There is a frame within a frame shot in the film where Lady Gaga is looking through a mirror wearing sunglasses, the camera is focusing her reflection whilst her back is turned. This is reminiscent of "The Who's Tommy movie', where a deaf, dumb and blind boy only becomes responsive when staring at the mirror. [1]
In some of the shots of this music video Lady Gaga's appearance eyes are very large, this could represent her drugged up or her innocence towards the terrible things that she is ongoing. Also the fact that she is wearing white suggests her purity and also refers to her innocence.
This music video is really imaginative as there is a wide range of different and abstract costumes that are completely different and do not reflect normal, casual everyday lives. The target audience for her work would be a range of ages and people who are very open-minded, and enjoy strange, abstract and imaginative work.
Background behind the video:
According to websites such as the one below, the 'Wide Awake' video by Katy Perry is based on ideas generated from a term called Monarch mind control. This is a term used for children who have been through a traumatic experience and their mind has protected themselves by creating multiple personality disorder. The other person they want to be is often more mature and sophisticated.
Content:
This is shown in the Katy Perry video when Katy Perry and a little girl are running away from a man who is taking pictures of them. However in the video, it is not Katy who saves the little girl but the little girl who saves Katy from illness and men pretending to love her. At the end we then find out that the little girl is called Kathryn so could therefore be a younger version of Katy Perry. This suggests that Katy is using the idea that when she was younger she was strong and didn't let anyone walk over her and that now she is famous she is far more vulnerable to trusting the wrong people.
Audience:
This impact or idea may have been desired to inspire young girls to stay strong and trust in themselves and therefore the audiences would be to young girls.
Other desires:
There are also very dark ideas such as the gothic clothing, the dark snowy skies and the maze which may suggest she is los in a dark place. This inspires people that no matter what situation there is always a solution or a way to be happy again. Later on in the video it becomes bright with flowers, butterflies and brighter clothing. The sparks coming out of her hands and the pushing of the walls also shows that she is gaining strength. This is shown again when she smashing through the mirror - these aspects go back, again, to the fact that she is still strong!
Ed Sheeran's song 'Drunk' categorises into the genre of Indie folk. Characteristics of this genre
are shown in his music video and song, for instance the use of his acoustic guitar is shown by Ed playing it, the cat playing as well as using the guitar as a prop, which symbolises Ed's passion for playing the guitar as well as his signature style. We know that an acoustic guitar is a well-known characteristic of indie folk as most indie folk bands are built around the singer/ songwriter with an acoustic guitar, in this case Ed Sheeran and his guitar. 2. Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
The fact that the title of this song is 'Drunk', we can predict that the video will be surrounding the topic of Ed being drunk/ or drinking, and this prediction is proven correct in this video. The main relationship between the lyrics and the visuals is that Ed is seeing his cat talking and even takes him to the pub - this shows the psychological effect of drinking. There are a lot of extreme close-up shots of Ed and his cat opening beer cans, holding shot glasses as well as mid-shots and close-ups of the two especially Ed drinking them. The reason for Ed's drinking is shown in the close-up of the Iphone and the text message, that he is showing to his cat, that reads 'I don't want to see you anymore.' - therefore Ed is trying to drink away his sorrows, emotions and feelings for his ex-girlfriend, whilst his cat is trying to cheer Ed up by wanting him to meet new girls. The lyrics also states ' Should I, Should I? Maybe I'll get drunk again, I'll be drunk again, I'll be drunk again, To feel a little love'. There are a lot of mid-shots of his ex-girlfriend as Ed is thinking of her, drinking away his past. The close-up of the lego heart that she crushes represents their relationship as well as Ed's heart. He then shows his anger and being 'All by myself' when throwing his beer can at the photos of them both together.
3. Relationship between the music and the visuals
The beat/ pulse of the drums and guitar maybe representing the alcohol pumping around Ed's body as he is drinking and resulting in him seeing and hearing his cat talking. It could also be representing the atmosphere of the night club/pub's atmosphere or even the pounding of his head, and the confusion that the alcohol has done.
4. The demands of the record labels - close-up of artist - any motifs occurring across their work? (visual style)
There are alot of close-ups of Ed, which is the main focus and central part of this music video, as well as the talking cat. A lot of the time Ed looks straight into the camera, and most of the shots of him in this video are close-ups and mid-shots. The fact that he is looking straight into the camera maybe engaging to the audience as they to can relate to his experience of hard times, breaking up with loved ones etc. He also 'cheers' with the audience when drinking his shots. There is also a high angle close-up of Ed (at side). In this video Ed is wearing very casual clothes of jeans and a t-shirt which is up to date and fits in with this era, which can also relate to many people with a similar fashion. He also has a long, sweeping hairstyle which is in fashion with many boys and men especially teenagers. The close-up of Ed and his fashion style as well as his acoustic guitar and style of voice are all motifs across his music and video work.
5. Notion of looking (framing, screens within a screen, looking through a telescope etc.)
There is an example of frame within a frame in this video, when the ex-girlfriend is looking into the mirror and the camera is filming her reflection and her back is to the camera. Also this girl is holding an object - a black circle with a hole in the middle (maybe a record) the camera zooms into the hole as the audience is watching as the shot transitions to Ed drinking away his sorrows. There is also a divide in the screen on two occasions where we are watching Ed and the cats at the same time.
6. Intertextual reference to other media texts (film, TV etc.)
There is not an obvious intertextual reference to a specific media text, only that they may have got the talking cat idea from Garfield, a cartoon animated cat who has appeared in comic books, children's television series as well as several films.
In Andrew Goodwin’s book ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992) he explains and points out characteristics and features that can be found in music videos.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).
There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
There is a relationship between the music and the visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc.) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is often intertextual reference to other media texts (to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc.).
Goodwin states that music videos are often created around the link between the lyrics and the story/visuals and also the artist’s influence.Relationships in the video are created through the artist on screen to the audience giving them a representation therefore creating more publicity for the both the artist and their song. Furthermore, to increase the video’s attractiveness ‘Voyeurism’ is used particularly for and to gain male attention.
1. One example of the current cultural 'ideal' would be Peter Andre as he has taken part in lots of charities, has been in adverts and has also had his own TV Reality show and everyone has heard about his ex-wife Katie Price and their split. Also some people share the same experience of having and looking after a child with down-syndrome.
2. One example of a challenge to the 'ideal' would be the singer Adele as she is bigger than a stereotypical artist. This challenges the typical artist impression of being 'perfect' and stick thin.
3. One example of a comparison between us and the 'ideal' is Kelly Brook as she is seen paying for her car park ticket. Magazines show this to make her appear approachable and we can relate to her.
Task 2 Beyonce 1. Beyonce is known for her curvy body but does not have a particular USP. This does not matter as she is liked for her music and her voice.
2. Beyonce conveys ideologies about women expressing themselves and working independently. This is shown through making a name for herself by making good music and not anything else.
3. Beyonce conveys these ideas outside of her music as she works independently without her husband.
1. This music video definitely shows the genre characteristics of a rock video as there is a band performance with a singer and two electric guitars. These instruments are an essential part to rock music. The singer and main focus within the music video wears quite casual and baggy clothes, to make him look laid back and lazy like a stereotypical rocker. The colours are also stereotypical of rock with red and black, where the singer is in red to stand out from the guitarists who are dressed in black. The location is also similar to what rock music normally involves in it's videos with the band on a roof top or abandoned/dirty building. They seem to be performing on top of a roof.
2. The music video illustrates the lyrics. The lyrics are about the artist having a good time partying like a typical rocker would do, and telling the audience to not care what you look like and just have fun. The lines 'dressed like we are' and 'just try kind of hard to make it not look like you tried at all' are examples of lines that support this message. In the video, they even use actions to fit words, such as when the word 'shoes' is mentioned, the artist lifts up his foot, and when it mentions about messy hair, the artist shakes one of the guitarist's hair with his hand.
The first line 'That was a hell of a party last night' introduces the party animal in the artist, where he wakes up in his clothes from the night before. When the artist see's the police line outside his door, the next line goes 'I can't believe I helped you break up a fight.' Rockers are also stereotyped for causing trouble, so the police tape helps to create this wild image about him. His leather jacket, trainers and messy hair also supports the rough look. What I also notice about the song is the fact he is talking to a certain person rather than the audience because of the use of second person of 'you.' They use direct address to the camera with the artist to make it look like he is talking directly to this person. We feel as if we are in this person's shoes as he is looking at us, which makes us feel more involved in the video.
3. The music video is edited to the beat of the steady and pacy rhythm, lyrics and guitar texture in the song so the video fits with it. Each shot goes from one to another on a beat, and scenes normally change on the start of a verse or chorus. There is alot of rapid editing to fit the pace of the song, especially in the chorus and the end when shot reverse shot is used to emphasis each word in the last line of the song. The transitions are as fast as the pace of the song to mimic it with things such as quick pans and screen wipe effects, and a clever graphic match on the artists face from one scene to another. Text is edited in the video as well to emphasis some of the lyrics.
The video has a short narrative of a man who meets up with someone after a party the night before. However, the man he meets at the end is himself, which could suggest that the party animal in him has made him unstable. His mental state is also suggested with the effect to make things go backwards, while he is going forwards when he puts on his shoes and walks through the streets. This creates audience focus on the artist as he is the only one walking forward, being the odd one out. The artist lip sync's to the lyrics to make it look like he is actually singing in the video; the same being with the guitarists who 'play' to the guitar. The audience believe that they are actually in the narrative of the video because of this, as well as the artist's direct address to the camera. The artist uses gesture with his hands and legs, and moves around to the beat of the music so that there is always something fitting with the song in the video. Dancing also shows that he is care free and energetic to give the artist a personality thats relates to the energy of the song he is singing.
4. The main singer takes up most of the camera time in the music video with many close-up's and mid-shots, with the camera tracking his movement. There is at times some long shots of him and the band, but there is no close-ups or camera track of the other band members so the singer attracts more audience attention. The video uses handheld camera movment as well for most of the camera footage to create tension and an edgy feel to it. It also helps the audience to feel involved in the video as it looks like someone watching them or portrays the artist's movement. Camera pans are also used alot as a transition when the artist looks like he is spinning the camera/person he is talking to around.
5. There is a notion of looking when the artist looks around the street at people, as they are acting 'differently' to him by walking backwards. The video also uses the technique of using screens within screens. These show two different locations or time periods at the same time to give the audience more information, and refer to a different location while singing to lyrics (e.g. when he says 'sitting by a table side by side,' we see a table in the bottom left to illustrate his words). There are also female's in the video, but they are not being looked at in a voyeuristic way. They are used to hold up signs with words on them from the lyrics to emphasis them. However, they are also there to attract a male audience.
6. No obvious reference is in the music video, only stereotypical traits of rock music with the artist appearance and personality, and mise-en-scene. Saying that, they may have been inspired by other music videos that have used the backwards effect, and the same people coming face to face.
How to analyse a music video...
Andrew Goodwin writing in ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992)
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).
There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.
There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).
1. Genre Characteristics - 'Bangarang'is a song that fits into the dubstep genre. A typical characteristic of dubstep music videos and a feel of the music is that it is commonly quite dark. In the 'Bnagarang' video this is shown by a performance of children that grow into adults and commits crimes such as theft from the ice cream man and later robbery from a truck with money in. This is also shown in another Dubstep music video by Skrillex where a young girl beats up a young man who is following her.
2. Dubstep is usually instrumental with no lyrics, unless it is made into a hybrid with garage or grime. This therefore means that the video has nothing to link to and usually shows whatever the music video producer wants to as long as it fits in with Dubstep characteristics (dark- crime, violence etc.).In the music video 'Bangarang' the lyrics say 'shout to all my lost boys' and at the beginning of the video it shows 3 different boys all out on the streets with lots of dogs which suggests they do not belong to a family or a home so they are 'lost'. It also says 'we rowdy' which is illustrated through they 3 boys then becoming chaotic and causing problems for the old man. 3. The music is fast which links in with what the boys are doing in the video; running around, trying not to get caught and causing troubles. It is filled with energy just like the boys in the video are, and the boys have a lot of adrenaline. 4. The artist Skrillex never actually appears in the video but there are visuals used which may have been recommended by the label. For example, there is a storyline which causes the person watching the video to carry on watching to see what is going on and how it ends (a bit like a book). This is a motif of Skrillex's- to create a story to go along with the music instead of having close-ups and shots of him actually creating his music like other artists like Lawson (band). 5 Skrillex does not often have music videos for his music but when he does there is no visual effects, his videos are simple and have simple storys that the audience will understand and be able to follow. 6. There are no intertextual references within Skrillex's videos, all the stories told are made simply to go along with his videos and are made up not to link to anything else.
1) The song was released in 2012 by David Guetta, featuring Sia. The genre of David Guetta's music video 'Titanium' is mainstream pop, house and urban dance. The song uses the techniques of these genres with a fast and regular rhythm to suit the urban dance genre; this will be suitable for dancing as the steady beat will give timing and pace for dance movement. Rapid editing and handheld and fast camera movement suit the tempo and the genre, where a variety of camera shots are also used to make the video interesting. The video uses modern techniques like these compared to little movement, simple shots and slower editing used in old music videos, which suits pop as it is a fresh, punchy and a popular genre. Music's main target group is young people, so a lot of energy and pace is created in music today to compliment youthful energy. Lastly, just like pop, the music builds up in the chorus to make it the most memorable part of the song.
2) The name of the song is called 'Titanium,' which is a very strong metal that takes a lot of force and effort to penetrate. This song is using titanium as a metaphor to describe how mentally strong the boy is. He will not be taken down without a fight. The reason for using a young boy is because he looks vulnerable compared to the adults, and to raise issues on bullying, which is the reason for the school location at the beginning. The lyrics are sending us a message too be strong and not let anyone bring us down. The line such as 'I'm talking loud' and 'raise your voice' are telling those who are bullied or hurt to speak out. Although the lyrics mention nothing of the boy, the video is illustrative as it tells a story based on the meaning of the lyrics to stand up for yourself, of which the boy does in the video.
There is a lot of reference of guns in the lyrics; examples include 'I'm bulletproof,' 'fire away, fire away' and 'but all your bullets ricochet.' They are using guns in the video to illustrate the lyrics, because they are threatening and deadly, just like people can be. However, the lyrics 'you shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titantium' suggest that nothing people say or do to him will hurt him. This explains the boys powers (such as making the keys come to him and blowing the police away at the end) as he is being depicted as independent, strong and unstoppable, similar to a superhero. The location in the woodland makes him look isolated and vulnerable, which emphasis his independence.
3) Despite being part of a dance genre, there is no dancing in the video. Instead, the editing and movement of actors in the video fit with the rhythm and tempo. For example, when the boy is in the woods, the beat comes in when he starts running to express his heartbeat going fast as the police have found him. Near the beginning, the boy walks slowly when the music is at it's calmest. However, when the boy sees a teacher calling the police on him, he realises he is in trouble, so he starts to move fast where the music builds to match his movement and anxiety. As well as the actor's movement, editing matches the pace of the music.
Rapid editing is used on the scene such as when he is riding fast on his bike to get away from the police, but is more simplistic in slow parts of the song such as walking through the wood. The fast pace of the music represents when the boy is scared, and dramatic parts of the story. However, slow motion is also used in slower parts of the song, such as the beginning of the video, so the camera footage fits well with the music. The slow motion represents the calm parts of the story to contrast with the tension created in the rest of it. Slow motion also emphasis important scenes of the video, such as the end when the boy uses his powers to blow the police away. It allows the audience to appreciate the footage for longer.
4) The video plays with the genres it has been labelled with as we follow the story of a young boy instead of the artist who created the song. Although, the video still uses close-ups and most of the camera time on him. Saying that, it also differs with the fact that there is hardly any parallel editing or different scenes in the video of the artist. It sticks with the boys journey from his school to the woodland where police try to catch him, with the police having little camera presence. This video is very unusual for David Guetta's normal style of music video as there is normally a scene of partying, the artist having direct address to the camera or David seen being a DJ doing the actual mixing of the song. None of these normalities are in the video, but they still use David Guetta's fast pace in the music, slow motion to emphasis key moments and editing made to fit the beats and pace of the music.
5) What is also used a lot in David's videos is voyeuristic imagery of woman, such as his video 'Where Them Girl's At' (Featuring Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida), where attractive woman are wearing tight clothing that shows off a lot of flesh to emphasis their figures. This engages the male audience, as well as the female audience for a sad reason: they compare themselves to the girls in the video as they want to be just like them with the skinny waist and 'sexy' clothing. In 'Titanium,' there is no female cast with the exception of two female characters who are only in two shots, but are stereotypically not seen as beautiful. The fact that they are jogging to get thin is ironic of 'Where Them Girls At,' as this could be someone trying to lose weight to be skinny. The boy is represented as a vulnerable child, but proves to be more powerful than expected to connote the message that appearance doesn't matter. The police on the other hand are stereotypically thought of as a good part of society and having a strong position, but they are represented as the antagonists in this video and lose to the boy's powers in the end. This is a metaphor to suggest that even the most powerful forces cannot bring you down. The other notions of looking in this video is when the police look for the boy, and the boy looks out for the police. There is also a close-up of a TV screen broadcasting news of what the boy has done, with a zoom-in to emphasis the boy's realisation of how much trouble he is in.
6) There is no obvious intertexual reference in this video, but the idea that the boy has powers may be influenced by comic books or superhero films such as 'Superman.' The fact that he has supernatural powers of mind control, making objects float, and blowing people away is similar to something you would see in 'The X Files.' The director is suggesting that you can be as strong to stand up for yourself as someone with superpowers.
