Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Monday, 29 September 2014
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Overview of analysing costume, props, setting and location in music videos
Rita Ora R.I.P - Pop
Rita Ora appears to change her clothes four times within the music video, all appropriate for the male gaze as they are open as well as her high heals also support Laura Mulvey's theory about the male gaze. Her costumes all suit with the location and genre which is Pop. Settings are mainly in an isolated underground place where it's quite dark which mainly puts Rita Ora in focus therefore, her casual but sexy clothing makes her stand out. The location also relates with the song and the lighting as the song implies a very deep meaning. The lyrics ' RIP to the girl you used to see ' relate to the dark lighting creating a slight depressing mood.
Heavy jewellery, hats and makeup/ red lipstick all contribute to the Pop genre. The red lipstick Rita Ora wears makes her appear sexy, supporting the Feminist Mulvey's theory about the male gaze. Rita Ora's heavy gold jewellery suits the pop conventions as well as her hat which she wears consistently throughout the music video. Her jewellery also connotes 'cool' 'dominance' and makes the video artificial and mainstream.
Video Two
This is Katy B's Dub-step genre music video
Katy B wears rather casual clothes as well as the other actors within the music video all wear casual clothing such as; jacket, jumper, jeans etc.The locations suit their clothings because mainly, the location is set in a house full of people having a good time although it isn't a party environment.
The props used in this music video are; hats, cars, cigarettes and large headphones which I believe definitely connect with the Dubstep genre because the audience will expect these props and locations within this specific genre. This is also quite similar to the props used in the pop video by Rita Ora, the audience can infer from this that both of these genres have some things in common.
This is from the House/Electro music genre by Dimitri Vegas. This music video doesn't look much like an ordinary music video therefore it's an example of a dis-juncture where the actor/singer doesn't sing at all.
The costumes are rather exposed and outrageously unique (especially the thief hats) because it's not manily what the audience will expect in a music video. The protagonist appears to be kidnapped by these girls who seduce him and he tries getting away from them etc. The video does have a narrative but it does not link with the song itself. Keeping in mind, this is a House music genre therefore there does not always have to singing anyway.
Guns, cars, little clothing is used in this video to present the kidnapping scene successfully. Glasses and bandages are used for the main protagonist to show that he's a 'nerd' and doesn't know why he's getting kidnapped. The props here, are used effectively to make the video and scenes convincing to the audience. The costumes and props play an important role within this music video.
Rita Ora appears to change her clothes four times within the music video, all appropriate for the male gaze as they are open as well as her high heals also support Laura Mulvey's theory about the male gaze. Her costumes all suit with the location and genre which is Pop. Settings are mainly in an isolated underground place where it's quite dark which mainly puts Rita Ora in focus therefore, her casual but sexy clothing makes her stand out. The location also relates with the song and the lighting as the song implies a very deep meaning. The lyrics ' RIP to the girl you used to see ' relate to the dark lighting creating a slight depressing mood.
Heavy jewellery, hats and makeup/ red lipstick all contribute to the Pop genre. The red lipstick Rita Ora wears makes her appear sexy, supporting the Feminist Mulvey's theory about the male gaze. Rita Ora's heavy gold jewellery suits the pop conventions as well as her hat which she wears consistently throughout the music video. Her jewellery also connotes 'cool' 'dominance' and makes the video artificial and mainstream.
Video Two
This is Katy B's Dub-step genre music video
Katy B wears rather casual clothes as well as the other actors within the music video all wear casual clothing such as; jacket, jumper, jeans etc.The locations suit their clothings because mainly, the location is set in a house full of people having a good time although it isn't a party environment.
The props used in this music video are; hats, cars, cigarettes and large headphones which I believe definitely connect with the Dubstep genre because the audience will expect these props and locations within this specific genre. This is also quite similar to the props used in the pop video by Rita Ora, the audience can infer from this that both of these genres have some things in common.
This is from the House/Electro music genre by Dimitri Vegas. This music video doesn't look much like an ordinary music video therefore it's an example of a dis-juncture where the actor/singer doesn't sing at all.
Guns, cars, little clothing is used in this video to present the kidnapping scene successfully. Glasses and bandages are used for the main protagonist to show that he's a 'nerd' and doesn't know why he's getting kidnapped. The props here, are used effectively to make the video and scenes convincing to the audience. The costumes and props play an important role within this music video.
Saturday, 27 September 2014
A Review Of My Best Student's Music Video
This video was one of my favourite student videos, the genre is Dubstep and the target audience for this video are teenagers as the setting is in a skate park. This video definitely suits the stereotypical Dubstep music video through the use of the camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene. Regarding Andrew Goodwin's theory, the narrative type of the music video is disjunctive as the visuals do not correlate with the lyrics.
There is an establishing shot of skaters in a skate park which is very urban and suits the Dubstep style music video, the repetitive shot of the artist is seen with a graffiti-covered wall behind her which is again very urban and suits the genre.
There is an establishing shot of skaters in a skate park which is very urban and suits the Dubstep style music video, the repetitive shot of the artist is seen with a graffiti-covered wall behind her which is again very urban and suits the genre.
In terms of Mis-en-scene, I specifically like the way that the students have used this tablet as a prop. The artist taps the keys on the piano app on the tablet in time with the electrical keyboard in the song which I thought was very clever.
I liked the editing in this music video, they incorporated
Andrew Goodwin's Theory
Andrew Goodwin’s Theory
Goodwin’s
theory states that there are 5 key aspects to a music video.
-
Thought through beat (seeing what the lyrics
mean in your own head
-
The relationship between the song and the
visuals.
-
The narrative and performance of the song.
-
Technical aspect of a music video
-
Star image (protagonist), lots of camera shots
and movement that make him/her the centre of attention.
Thought
through beat
Firstly, the step of this process is to analyse the music
structure understanding the chorus and verses.
Then, the second step (main voice of the song), the voice of
the artist would be very unique compared to others and will give the person a
form of identification that can be related to the star image or singer.
The third step would be the story of an artist which he is
trying to tell within his song. It can easily establish him as a story teller.
And the music video can aid this by showing us the video through the vocals of
the song.
Relation
between the music and the visuals
There are many ways visuals are used to promote a song/:
Illustration- Music videos use certain images and shots to
illustrate and explain the meaning of lyrics to their song and the genre.
Disjuncture- In this situation, the meaning of the lyrics
and the visuals do not match. The meaning of the song is completely ignored in
the music video.
Amplification/Amplify- This is when the images and camera
shots are manipulated and shown repeatedly throughout the music video and is
presented to the audience like this.
Relation between the music and visuals
Andre Goodwin believed that a music video can promote a song
by the way it analyses the lyrics. This is shown in many music videos when a
particular character does exactly what the song says.
An example of this will be when for instance the lyrics say
‘jump’ and the person does jump. Also
presented in the ‘head shoulders, knees and toes’ music video.
Narrative
and performance of the song
Andrew Goodwin believed that it was important for an artist
to be involved in the music video by performing/ acting out a role as the main
character. This helps to make the song appear much more realistic and engages
the audience.
Star image
(protagonist), lots of camera shots making him/her the centre of attention.
Goodwin referred to the star image as an important aspect of
the music video, he/she makes the music look more appealing to the audiences
while bringing a unique style to the music video. The star image is always very
unique in the way that the character is presented by through costume etc.
helping to promote the start’s image in public and also helps to promote the
video while creating a public reputation for artist.
Illustration is presented through this Katy Perry Video
Amplification is presented through the Ariana Grande Video
Disjuncture is presented through Drake's music video
Thursday, 25 September 2014
Andrew Goodwin's theory
Andrew Goodwin has 3 main theories of a music video:
Structure of music videos:
- Structure
- Role of the artist
- The way the images relate to the lyrics of the song (narrative types)
Structure of music videos:
- Follows the verse/chorus structure of songs
- Repetition of the same images/shots, like a song will repeat the same lyrics and beat
- Visual links for sound and lyrics
- 'Closure' at the end of the song
- Singer can be the performer, narrator and/or character of the music video
- Singer will look directly at the camera and break the fourth wall
- Illustration (visual images supports the lyrics of the song)
- Amplification (visual images support the lyrics of the song and add new layers of meaning)
- Disjunctive (little connection between the visuals and the lyrics)
Research: Laura Mulvey Theory (extended)
I have decided to briefly analyse 3 additional music videos that show elements of Laura Mulvey's theory however 2/3 of the music videos portray 'The Female Gaze' which has the same concept as 'The Male Gaze' but just how we view music videos in the eye of a woman which isn't portrayed as often.
1. Dizzee Rascal- Holiday
1. Dizzee Rascal- Holiday
- All the females featured in this music video are wearing a lack of clothes. (Majority are wearing swimsuits or a bikini) which clearly portrays a males vision of having a setting of 'half naked' women.
- In contrast to the females, the artist himself is seen fully clothed alongside another performer which suggests that one of the key concepts was to have the bare female figure displayed throughout the video.
- Multiple close-ups of the females from the waist down are used and a specific focused around the females' chest, legs and bum is exaggerated which instantly sexualises the woman and shows where the male attention is. This relates back to 'Are the females enjoying being portrayed in this manner?'
- The audience can see the leading male topless which is followed with a close-up of his body, as the performer envisions the male character as her love interest, the convention expected is for him/her to be presented as 'Young, Attractive & Fit'.
- As the male is seen revealing most of his body throughout the video this portrays what a female would enjoy seeing also know as 'The Female Gaze'.
- Multiple close-ups and extreme close-ups are used of the male models at the beginning of the video, particularly focusing on the facial features (eyes,lips) to identify that they are attractive. This is followed by medium shots of the artist with a 'man in a suit' which is usually seen appealing to the eye of a female.
- A jump shot leads us to show a topless model having physical contact with the performer representing the model in a sexual way.
- Throughout the video, wide shots are seen of the performer surrounded by a number of topless males however the artist herself is seen fully clothed which brings the focus to the 'half-naked' males. The artist successfully shows reverse psychology in this video as this goes against what we would see in the majority of music videos today.
Research: Laura Mulvey Theory
To conclude Laura Mulvey's theory, as a audience we view the content of a music video through the perspective of a male which is referred to as 'The Male Gaze'.
Mulvey studied that 'The Male Gaze' projects its fantasy onto the female figure and as an audience we see that majority of music videos will present females wearing a lack of clothes such as in the genre of Hip Hop/Rap. This portrays that the man behind the camera wants to capture the women in a sexual image, but do the females actually enjoy being represented in this way?
Below are examples of Hip hop/ R&B videos that show 'The Male Gaze' being captured:
1.Chris Brown ft Usher & Rick Ross- New Flame
Example 1: The music video opens with an 'appealing' view of a female wearing a lack of clothes, as the camera pans across her face and body projecting that the woman is attractive.
At 0:16, a wide shot is seen of a "faceless" female in a bikini as she perches her body upwards whilst sitting, clearly 'showing off' her assets to the camera or the 'man' behind the camera who envisions her in a sexual image.
This emphasises on Mulvey's theory of projecting a fantasy onto the female figure through the eyes of a male.
2. T.I ft Iggy Azalea- No Mediocre
Example 2: Throughout this video, majority of the base tracks used show a female in a sexual image as we see them wearing revealing clothing or captured in the specific area of the chest, legs or bum. 0:15, 1:15 and 1:56 are examples of how the main artist/ man behind the camera wanted to have the women visualised.
At 0:15, A mid shot captures the main performer is fully clothed with a female model who is wearing a revealing swimsuit, which represents his image of how he prefers a female to dress.
At 1:15 & 1:56 we see more females captured in revealing clothing, as the camera shots exaggerate the focus on their assets through the use of close ups clearly reflecting 'The male gaze'.
Mulvey studied that 'The Male Gaze' projects its fantasy onto the female figure and as an audience we see that majority of music videos will present females wearing a lack of clothes such as in the genre of Hip Hop/Rap. This portrays that the man behind the camera wants to capture the women in a sexual image, but do the females actually enjoy being represented in this way?
Below are examples of Hip hop/ R&B videos that show 'The Male Gaze' being captured:
1.Chris Brown ft Usher & Rick Ross- New Flame
Example 1: The music video opens with an 'appealing' view of a female wearing a lack of clothes, as the camera pans across her face and body projecting that the woman is attractive.
At 0:16, a wide shot is seen of a "faceless" female in a bikini as she perches her body upwards whilst sitting, clearly 'showing off' her assets to the camera or the 'man' behind the camera who envisions her in a sexual image.
This emphasises on Mulvey's theory of projecting a fantasy onto the female figure through the eyes of a male.
2. T.I ft Iggy Azalea- No Mediocre
Example 2: Throughout this video, majority of the base tracks used show a female in a sexual image as we see them wearing revealing clothing or captured in the specific area of the chest, legs or bum. 0:15, 1:15 and 1:56 are examples of how the main artist/ man behind the camera wanted to have the women visualised.
At 0:15, A mid shot captures the main performer is fully clothed with a female model who is wearing a revealing swimsuit, which represents his image of how he prefers a female to dress.
At 1:15 & 1:56 we see more females captured in revealing clothing, as the camera shots exaggerate the focus on their assets through the use of close ups clearly reflecting 'The male gaze'.
Research: Carol Vernallis Theory
Carol Vernallis study is specifically based around 'media language' however, in the case of music videos this breaks down into the 3 elements of Mise-en-scene, Camerawork and Editing.
Vernallis' theory suggests that editing and camera especially are used in more detail in a music video in oppose to a film. Mise-en-scene is simply focused on 'what do we expect to see in the video of that genre?' For an example, in a R&B music video as a audience we may expect to see the focus on the main performer, back dancers, a possible love interest along with an acting scene which would portray the singer as a narrator as well.
Camerawork is in a similar context to mise-en-scene but is much more 'broad'. 'What camerawork do we expect to see in a music video?'
Carol Vernallis studied that we would expect to see a repetition of extreme close ups/ close ups and medium shots of the main performer. Camera movement such as panning and tracking shots as well as the artist making continuous eye contact with the camera to engage with the audience.
Lastly, editing is interpreted as the most significant in a music video.
The main elements that define editing for a music video are:
- Jump cuts
- Slow motion
- Special effect editing
- Use of base tracks
Vernallis' theory is that all of these elements are normally used collectively to produce a 'successful' video.
The use of base tracks is defined to be a 'master shot' which is frequently used to give the video structure. The following video Rihanna- Where Have You Been contains the elements of Carol Vernallis' theory.
As the video begins with a wide shot, at 0:04 we see the effect of slow motion as the artist is moving through the water.
At 0:22, the slow motion continues however the previous wide shot is then followed by an extreme close up of the artist's face, moving towards the camera.
Obvious use of editing appears at 0:28, where we see a split screen of the artist 'mirrored' as if she is looking at herself. Alongside the use of slow motion and special effects, jump cuts and base tracks are used continuously throughout which structures the video to match the tempo of the song.
Vernallis' theory suggests that editing and camera especially are used in more detail in a music video in oppose to a film. Mise-en-scene is simply focused on 'what do we expect to see in the video of that genre?' For an example, in a R&B music video as a audience we may expect to see the focus on the main performer, back dancers, a possible love interest along with an acting scene which would portray the singer as a narrator as well.
Camerawork is in a similar context to mise-en-scene but is much more 'broad'. 'What camerawork do we expect to see in a music video?'
Carol Vernallis studied that we would expect to see a repetition of extreme close ups/ close ups and medium shots of the main performer. Camera movement such as panning and tracking shots as well as the artist making continuous eye contact with the camera to engage with the audience.
Lastly, editing is interpreted as the most significant in a music video.
The main elements that define editing for a music video are:
- Jump cuts
- Slow motion
- Special effect editing
- Use of base tracks
Vernallis' theory is that all of these elements are normally used collectively to produce a 'successful' video.
The use of base tracks is defined to be a 'master shot' which is frequently used to give the video structure. The following video Rihanna- Where Have You Been contains the elements of Carol Vernallis' theory.
As the video begins with a wide shot, at 0:04 we see the effect of slow motion as the artist is moving through the water.
At 0:22, the slow motion continues however the previous wide shot is then followed by an extreme close up of the artist's face, moving towards the camera.
Obvious use of editing appears at 0:28, where we see a split screen of the artist 'mirrored' as if she is looking at herself. Alongside the use of slow motion and special effects, jump cuts and base tracks are used continuously throughout which structures the video to match the tempo of the song.
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