Skepta ft. Preeya Kalidas - Cross My Heart (Official Video - Out Now)

Skepta's music video to 'Cross My Heart' was very controversial in both the media and music industry. The title ‘Cross my heart’ can be deciphered as one of to ways. The first way is the lady in the video, named 'Preeya Kalidas' declaring that she promises never to leave him even though the are not a couple. Despite this, Skepta is still surrounded by numerous sexy women that act provocatively towards him. Skepta claims to never go mainstream and has claimed 'I will never forget those who got me where I am today'. This is ironic as he has religiously followed the biggest stereotype of a black rapper for this video. There are very strong representations of wealth and status; such as the white mansion, white Lamborghini, both gold furniture and interior and also the extraordinary outfits he is draped in.  The 'star gaze theory' has been explored in Skepta's video as the women are only expressed as sexual objects. The purpose of this is to empower Skepta and make him gain a higher status, so other men would desire to be him. Even 'Preeya Kalidas’ is seen laid across the bed, seductively, every time she says “I promise”, making direct eye contact with the camera giving a feeling of connection for the viewer.

The setting for the video is only shows the inside and outside of the mansion, to present the viewers with Skepta's sucess. Fast paced editing is used to keep the audiences interest and also form a synchronisation with the beat of the song itself. As the video commences, it uses intertexuality to a flms opening credits, as gold names appear in front of Skepta and Preeya. The font style and gold lettering is brash and tacky; fitting the ironic representation of the codes and conventions found in most hip hop videos. The colour theme of the video is predominantly gold, as it connotes wealth.The video embeds various close ups of Skepta rapping. Andrew Goodwin stated this technique acts as branding and promotes the artist to the viewers. The audience is also able to relate to his emotions and empathise with his lyrics.  


The woman featured in Skepta’s music video have a very passive role. This is suggested by their demeanour. The woman in his video have been objectified and their presence in the video is to entice the male audience. They have not only been objectified by the men watching the video but also the men in the music video. Throughout this video, only the guest female singer moves, whilst the backing models act like statues surround the lead singer, suggesting they are only there to be admired. Some may decipher that they are not allowed to move as Skepta seems to 'own' them. not even being aloud to dance as if he owns them all. 

OK Go - End Love - Official Video: Stop Motion

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) - official video

Gotye is an indie rock / experimental singer-songwriter. The video was produced, directed and edited by  Natasha Pincus of Australian based Stark Raving Productions. 

The video is a very simple concept, showing Gotye naked against a plain white backdrop singing into the camera. As the song progresses his skin and the background are covered with a painted pattern, which is done by stop-motion animation. When the featured singer Kimbra sings, the view widens and she appears painted into the background and moves closer and closer to Gotye before she is singing into his ear. The song already has two perspectives, Gotye’s and Kimbra’s, the lyrics provide both sides of the story. The paint on their bodies gradually disappears during the final chorus which could be symbolic for their separation.The stop motion animation had to be blended into the live vocal footage.

The video doesn’t have a narrative because the song’s lyrics speak for themselves. The song is about a bad breakup. Gotye said in an interview with Rolling Stone Australia ‘It wasn’t a nasty break-up, but it was messy in the sense that we hurt each other more than we needed to because it wasn’t a clean break… We both realised we had to move on and we haven’t seen each other since.’ The video was incredibly well received.

OneRepublic - Good Life

Sepia effect

This video seems simplistic however this enables the viewers to focus on a couple effects that are considered unique and not done often in the music industry. This makes the video to One Life by One Republic entertaining to watch as it instantly grabs the audiences attention due the extracts quirky persona. 








The video is shot in a consistently bright and high key lighting, connoting that the song is uplifting and inspiring as it does not create a sombre mood. The  video is given an old Hollywood movie type effect which is rare nowadays but reflects to the humble lyrics which are sung by the band. The camera shooting mode closely resembles a sepia effect. This gives the video a rustic touch, emphasising on the earthy setting the singer is singing in. The mood created is sincere which makes the target audience feel warm and cosy. 

Same effect as above was used here but it used more
than one slide to show one scene

 The original video zooms out onto a canvas which is held by a person. The canvas presents the original video. The original video is set in what looks like the countryside whereas the background of the person holding the canvas contrasts heavily, as it is shot in a modern urban environment. The canvas is also regulary passed between a number of different people. There is another effect added in here where the original video in the slide goes at normal pace whilst the background progresses at a faster speed as the pace of the video has been increased during the editing process.                                                                                                           

Justin Bieber - Mistletoe

At 1 minute 40 seconds of the music video, Justin Bieber is promoting his new perfume 'Someday' as it is shown in the display. This is a common technique used by artists to promote their merchandise to their fanbase which is their target audience who view the artists music video. This will encourage Justin Biebers sale of his perfume.

Music Video Comparisons

Aerosmith - I Dont Wanna Miss A Thing

Aerosmith – I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

I have chosen to analyse the music video of ‘Don Wanna Miss a Thing’, by Aerosmith. Throughout this analysis I will mention the use of Costume, Make-up, Location, Lighting, Atmosphere, Sound and also other details I feel relevant. I will be comparing this music video with Andrew Goodwin’s writing in 'Dancing in the Distraction Factory' (Routledge 1992) 6-point analysis theory. This music video is more performance based than narrative or conceptual; however they do play a slight role in this video.

Aerosmith are an American Rock Band and the famous director Mark Wright produced this song ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing’. It was recorded in 1997 and released in 1998. This song was however, originally written for the film, Armageddon. Hence, the clips from Armageddon throughout the music video. This music video is very dramatic and passionate; it also creates tension for the viewing audience.

Throughout the music video there are lots of close ups on all the Armageddon characters, showing their emotional facial expressions. By showing their facial expressions it makes the viewing audience relate and listen more the words being played in these scenes. Similarly, the artist gets a lot of camera time. This relates to Goodwin’s 6-point analysis, as the record label wants their artist to have publicity at the same time as they are getting viewers for their song. The camera movement and camera angles play an important role when creating dramatic effect. For example at the beginning of the video, during the introduction to the song, the camera slowly zooms through space toward earth. This helps to create the dramatic tension before the song; the director uses this to set the mood before the song.

The director Mark Wright uses graphical matches to link the song with Armageddon. They uses special effects to have the rocket taking off in the background of where they’re performing and the smoke from the blast covers them when singing. they do this by using CGI. Also to have more exposure for the artist but still have the theme of Armageddon, the artist has been put on the TV, in the place of the father. This also helps to create more of a link between the artist’s performance and the film, Armageddon. Along with everything else, it also ends the same in the music video as it does in the film of Armageddon. This helps the viewing audience to link the two together. Once again, this relates to Andrew Goodwin’s 6-point analysis theory, relating to his point that the music links in with the visual relationship.

During this music video, Goodwin’s 6-point analysis comes into play when matching the lyrics with the visuals. There is a moment in the music video when the two Armageddon characters kiss just as the lyrics ‘when I kiss your eyes’ is sung. The kisses within this video also help with the idea that this song is passionate, although they are a rock band they use this very well to keep their rock like music but also create soft passionate love songs. Another way the director helped o emphasis the passion is by having the daughter on Armageddon crying in a close up shot, this makes the audience feel for the girl, especially if the viewer has seen this film and knows what is happening.

The lighting when Aerosmith are performing is very low key lighting. The lighting is placed on the main singer, this shows the audience he is the main singer and by having closes up with low-key lighting helps to create the dramatic effect the director wants. When the rocket takes off the lighting helps to emphasis the smoke and creates a mysterious yet dramatic atmosphere. The location of the music video is performed in a church; this could symbolise the love, life and death faced in the film Armageddon. The stain glass windows in the background also help to emphasis the idea of God and how he will be watching over them. By having the camera frames go back a forth between the all the Armageddon characters crying creates emotional feelings within the viewers and the fast changing pace helps heighten this.

To conclude, this music video uses all the techniques to create the perfect dramatic effect. Engaging the audience and keeping there full attention the whole way through, not only through their music but through their visual outlook as well. Personally I feel that this music video is fantastic and has all the elements needed. It made me want to watch it over and over again. By using clips from Armageddon it helped to create an emotional atmosphere, as all the passionate, dramatic and sad bits from the film were used. I felt like crying when watching that video along with the lyrics and visuals together, they created the perfect atmosphere. Mark Wright has used Andrew Goodwin’s 6-point analysis very well.

By Sasha Thompson

Music video analysis: Coldplay - Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

Every teardrop is a waterfall by Coldplay was inspired by Chris Martin, who is the singer and front man of the band, watching Biutiful by Alejandro Gonzalez. There is a night club scene in it and the track in the background was based on “I go Rio” by Peter Allen and Adrienne Andersen. The director, Matt Whitecross makes use of various techniques which allows the portrayal of a successful and appealing music video.

The main concept for this video is the denotation of the lyrics, and so focus on them, as well as the performance of the song. The performance is conveyed in two parts: firstly, with the use of stop motion and secondly, with the use of slow motion techniques as well as strobe lighting and vibrant colours throughout both. I will be using Andrew Goodwin’s 6 point analysis to analyse this video.

The use of stop motion in the video is largely present. This means that it occurs at the majority of points throughout and therefore gives it an entertaining presence and gives us, as an audience, a slightly surreal experience. Stop motion is used from the very beginning of the video when we see the shots of the city. This then goes from the stop motion of the real world to a graffiti image of it on a wall. This can portray an interpretation of the song as some believe it to be in regards a young shut in who uses music to block out the real world and so may reflect a false society. Therefore, the use of this reflects the fantasy world in which he lives. The use of graffiti is then used continuously until he goes through the doorway which is indicated by the stop motion graffiti with the image of arrows to show us where the singer is going to go. This graffiti is used to portray the lyrics by actually depicting them around Millennium Mills, which is close to London City Airport and has featured in a large number of other music videos, for example by Snow Patrol, Artic Monkeys and The Smiths. As well as this it is used as imagery as at various points there are shapes either reflecting what is going on in the scene, i.e. the guitarist playing and the images on the wall behind them of music notes, or to reflect the lyrics. For example, when “my heart is beating” is stated a pumping heart is present behind the singer. This then reflects Goodwin’s theory as the portrayal of lyrics and so the relationship between audio and visual is clearly present. 

Accompanying these lyrics is a great deal of performance. The first member of the band we see is Chris Martin who is singing in stop motion whilst the camera circles around him. Other members of the band are shown as well, however the main focus is on Martin. This also reflects Goodwin’s theory as in which it states that record labels will demand close ups of the artist, and in this case the band, and by focusing on the singer it is well stated. 

The second segment of performance takes place after Martin enters the indicated doorway. We go into a scene which largely resembles a rave with its fluorescent and neon colouring accompanied by strobe lighting. The lighting gives off an almost ultraviolet effect and these rave-like attributes are not usually associated with this type of rock/pop song and so this video is not necessarily conforming to all genre characteristics, meaning that it does not stick to Goodwin’s theory. In this performance slow motion is used to create a dramatic effect and give with performance a greater depth. This also uses a lot of dissolves to black which bring about a sense of mystery and the use of such does somewhat confuse the audience as they find that it is a rather obscure aspect to include in a music video which contrasting conventions. However, it does capture the audience’s attention.

The colouring used throughout is bright, vibrant and brings a sense of fantasy to the video. This is as the colours firstly used in stop motion are bright; however, the majority of it is blue as to fit with the idea of tears and waterfalls. We follow the blue graffiti, which is almost like following a river, going up a wall and down the other side, conveying the waterfall.  The splashing waters create a steady pattern of endless rhythm which is reflected in the unsteadiness and disorder of the colouring near the end of the video which reflects chaos. The bright colours at the end reflect this as it is no longer following the waterfall idea and eve when it does conveys the concept of teardrops they are pink and black which is not a common attribute of tears. These also jump onto the screen at the end covering up the stop motion image of the drummer and bringing the video to a close.

The performance then goes back to them performing outside at the end of the video which is once again in stop motion. In this we clearly see the entire band. This cuts to them in different positions in various shots which once again makes the video more entertaining. Before this Martin goes back out the doorway to join the rest of the band. We see him in various shots, longs shots, then mid shots, then close ups, which provide us with a great variety of angles which allow us to become more entertained by the video. 

The sole purpose of this video is to entertain. We can see this through its various techniques such as stop motion and the bright and luminous performance scenes, which reflects Goodwin’s theory as they follow genre characteristics.        

By Hayley Cook

Michael Jackson Analysis Essay...

Michael Jackson – Thriller

I have chosen to analyze the music video of Thriller, by Michael Jackson. Throughout this analysis I will mention the Costume, Make-up, Location, Lighting, Atmosphere, Sound and also other details I feel relevant. I will be using Andrew Goodwin’s analysis theory to help me. (Andrew Goodwin’s writing in “Dancing in this distraction factory” Routledge 1992) Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 14-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983 and directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson.

Michael Jackson is known for his funny fashion within his music videos. In Thriller, he once again lives up to his expectations. Costume is important to this music video, as if they were wearing everyday clothing then this video would make no sense and the audience would not be very interested. By using the costumes they do, they make it look as though they are in the 1950’s, it also engages the audience and make them want to watch the video as well as listen to the song. Michael Jackson, being the main singer, needs to stand out and be seen in his video, saying that there is no way he could be missed. He is dressed in a bright orange suit. Therefore being in a Graveyard full of dull, dark, black and white zombies, he is going to stand out a lot. Another reason for the video being so successful is the costumes and make up of the zombies. To pass as a zombie you not only need to act like one but look the part to. If you don’t look like a zombie then it ruins the whole atmosphere. Therefore costume and make up are essential to be successful.

By using the location as a movie theatre itself and having the music video starting off as a movie, makes the film seem more interesting and makes the audience feel a part of the action. So from the very beginning the audiences are engaged. The main location for this video is the graveyard.  By using the graveyard, it automatically creates a mysterious atmosphere and engages the audience even more. Here we can immediately see that this is a horror film as the location in isolated and there is no one around to hear him or her scream. The graveyard and the zombies heighten the fear and mysterious atmosphere grows and makes the audience feel as though they are there. Personally it made me shiver. Which is perfect as one of the lines, the lyrics are ‘your body starts to shiver’ which is true. Once again engaging the audience.

The use of lighting with the smoke in the graveyard heightens the mystery in the video. In the graveyard scene, the lighting isn’t directed at the dancers or Michael Jackson. This makes them more mysterious and adds to the atmosphere of the movie. Walking down the street, its dark and mysterious, which is another convention of horror films, the music then starts and Michael is singing in the dark, which makes him more mysterious. Then as they enter the graveyard, the smoke comes in to create dramatic effect. In the main dance scene the zombies start appearing everywhere; the smoke draws over the screen, adding to the dramatic effect.

 

During the music video there is a deep voice over the top of the music with Michael singing in the background, this is the voice of Vincent Price. By using his voice it makes the words he saying even scarier as he says it in a creepy way. This is called non-digetic sound, as you cannot see the Price saying these words. Dramatic sound when Michael is a zombie as well. The camera zooms out to see the zombies dancing, with Michael Jackson in his bright orange suit, contrasting with the zombie’s dark, ripped clothing. By doing this it makes Michael stand out more, as he is the singer. There is a low angled shot of a woman with a flower on her head. This creates contrast as zombies are dead and the flower symbolizes life. Girl runs into the darkness, into a dark, mysterious building. Music is really quiet and you can hear all the noises of the zombies and every sound is heightened. The crashes, the screams of the girl, the smashing through the doors and windows. Zombies gather around the girl, they’re closing in on her and they are in the darkness so you can’t see any of their faces, this creates dramatic effect yet again. Extreme close up on her eyes, wide with fear. Zombie Michael comes into the light and we see his dead face. Girl screams and Michael reaches for her then all of a sudden, Michael is fine and looking down at the girl, in the living room of a house. She is confused and scared, but soon realizes that she was dreaming.

 

To conclude, Thriller uses all the techniques within the music video to create the perfect dramatic effect. Engaging the audience and keeping there full attention the whole way through, not only through their music but through their visual out look as well. Personally I feel that this music video is fantastic and has all the elements needed. It made me want to watch it over and over again. It gave me shivers and scared me a little, which in my opinion I think is a good thing as you are making the audience feel like there really there.

Sasha Thompson

Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire

The music genre presented here is Indie Folk. The artist uses various choices of imagery to promote the music genre, through costume, location, camera angles and the positioning of the band.

To begin with, before the song has even started, the audience is presented with a still image of a falling leaf against a plain black background. This creates a sharp contrast against the flickering of light, which already indicates that the location of this music video will take place in perhaps a dark and sinister setting. Once the music has began playing, the audience is introduced to an extreme-close up shot of the artist, which is a generic technique often featuring in certain music videos, such as Razorlight “America” and The Kooks “Naive.” Close up shots are significant aspect of a music video as it enables their fan base to familiarise themselves with their identity, therefore the viewers are able to recognise members of the band when they release a new album or go on tour.

Repetition of match on action close up shots of a bucket of reflective water and the shot of the artist face is continually switching throughout the beginning sequence, with the fast cut editing. This connotes the speed and energetic beat of the song. The affect of these shots is that not only do they indicate a fast beat, yet the bucket of reflective water acts a key symbol here in allowing the audience to guess what location the band is playing in. The bucket of water therefore symbolises perhaps a stable where animals are kept as that’s what they drink from, and this is reinforced by the following sequence shots of the other band members in an open stable with dripping water and flying birds. This choice of imagery and location tells us that the genre is very unique, and can be presented in many forms as Indie Folk is a genre which experiments with choices of imagery often. Examples include where The Kooks filmed a vast majority of their music video “She Moves In Her Own Way,” on a bus ride where they chase after a female protagonist.

Particular camera angles used throughout the beginning sequence are formed mainly of low angle shots, allowing the audience to gain identity of the dimly lit location, alongside repetition of a close up of a bird, which exaggerates the dirty and sinister location; which is a reflection of the genre of the band.

The costumes of the band are also typical of the Indie culture which although used to be a unique genre in the 80s, is now simply a reflection popular culture amongst young adults. The costume which the band members are wearing consists of skinny jeans, (a generic convention) scruffy shirts, brogue shoes and messy hair, in an attempt to attract a female audience.

Throughout the music video, the link between lyrics and the visuals is strongly represented through the obvious lighting to connote fire, to link with the dominant lyrics “Sex On Fire.” Throughout the chorus where these lyrics are belted out, the camera specifically focuses on images of instrumental sections where the band are playing in the stable. The purpose of this technique is that because Kings of Leon are heavily associated with the instruments they play, it allows their fans to watch visuals of the band playing so they can engage in the action themselves, whilst also acting as form of escapism, whereby the fans can fully engage in the music video and forget about the reality of where they are. The lyrics of “Sex On Fire” is also amplified by mid-shots of the lead guitarist and vocalist portrayed on a bed, and having to be constrained by his fellow band members, which connotes frustration and illustrates that the lead guitarist feels as if his insides are burning up, which is an obvious link with the lyrics.

The lighting used in the music video is a significant aspect of the visuals, as in order to connote the symbol of a fire, the produces have cleverly juxtaposed dark and light together, in order to present fire looking fierce and dominant. The darkness is also typical of the location they have decided to shoot in, and a stable is often linked with aspects of dirt and sinister.

However, the culture presented isn’t culturally specific, yet the mise en scene used of a stable yard does indicate a very Westernised culture, alongside the costume and props of the band. For example, stables are often symbolic of England or the USA, as stables are usually located on a farm in the countryside and in urban settings, which is more typical of England and the US, as in Europe or Non-Western cultures farms aren’t as typical. Moreover, the props of the instruments, a bed and a book which are heavily used images in this music video indicate British or American culture, as expensive band equipment combined with the Indie Folk genre is stereotypically associated with England and the USA as the Indies originated in the United States and England in the 80s, with bands such as The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Mary Chain. Therefore, the instruments used and images of the band playing in a slightly odd setting conforms to the generic blue print. For example, the mid shots of instrumental sequences when the chorus begins to play is a typical generic signifier, which was often used in music videos by The Smiths, Mary Chain and the modern day equivalent of the Indie band The Kooks. The purpose of including footage of the band playing is that the audience can emerge themselves in the music video, and gain an identity with the band.

The mid shot also allows us to see the generic Indie costumes, especially the iconic symbol of the skinny jeans, which men who used to dare to wear skinny jeans in the 80s were considered to be laughing stock and queer; where –as now walking through a British city a vast amount of the population of teenagers now copy this style. In terms of the music video juxtaposing the idea of reality with illusions (the reality of the stable setting contrasted against the illusion of fire) shares very similar traits to The Stone Roses music video “Begging you,” as throughout their music video the producer also juxtaposes light with darkness.

 As a whole, the music video is performance based, combined with concept-based ideas on the burning sensation that the lead guitarist and vocalist is fighting against throughout the music video. However, the appeal of this is that there is no complicated narrative structure for an audience to follow, yet the combination if images creates an easy flow of sequence which is fairly clear to understand, as it’s easy to guess that the lead guitarist/vocalist is fighting back the burning sensation throughout his body, which is an obvious link to the lyrics of the song.

The type of world being presented here is quite threatening, in terms of the references of fire combined with sexual connotations in terms of the lyrics used in the song. Therefore, the world is fairly sophisticated and exciting, yet un-realistic in terms of settings used and symbols and ideas portrayed in the music video. In order to strengthen the promotion of the artist, a wide majority of the shots are close ups of the bands faces, in order to strengthen their identity and so their fans can becomes familiar with their brand Indie Folk style. Therefore, the close ups will help with selling their tracks as the band is heavily used in terms of images of them being frequently portrayed, in contrast with purely a narrative based structure whereby no members of the band are actually present throughout. The shots of the band playing however idolise them, as by featuring sequences of them playing their instruments, their fans will aspire to be like them and therefore copy their ability to perform well. However, due to the lyrics used and the symbol of the bed, the artist implies sexual activity and display, which reinforce the notion of males perhaps being the more dominant sex than females. However, because there are no references to females in any sexual way, the music video can’t be interpreted as being crude, as the sexual indications are very weak and are more associated with the connotation of fire.

This music video also references Goodwins theory, by stating that it is essential for there to be a link between lyrics and the visuals, alongside being a link between music and the visuals. This music relates to these aspects of Goodwins theory due to the fact there is a strong link between the lyrics "Sexes on Fire" and the beat.

Overall, the music video would appeal to their fans largely due to effective illusions of dark and light, combined with footage of the band playing, which make a good quality music video which is typical of the Indie Folk genre. Therefore, the music video doesn’t present any realistic value, because the visuals used simply connect to the lyrics of the song, yet don’t connote any views such as feminism or green issues, and don’t join together to make a clear, structural narrative.

The expected target audience who would be interested in watching this music video will be within a demographic of 17-22year old males, and this is apparent through features of the music video which would especially appeal to males more than females. For example, the dark and sinister setting, the theme of fire alongside the subject matter of sex. This is a typical music video representing the wide scale Indie genre, as not only are there generic conventions in term of costume, there is footage of band performance which is often a regular feature in Indie music videos such, as The Smiths "How Soon Is Now."

Comparison of Music Video Genres

The two genres that I have decided to compare is R&B/Rap and Pop. The styles differ greatly, but sometimes find common ground. Pop Music has one of the widest styles that can be classed as Pop Music. The R&B/Rap genre is a very male orientated base for their music videos, often with a lot of underdressed women and narcissistic imagery. 1. Props and Clothing - Kanye West’s music video for the song 'Power', involves mythical imagery and Kanye West as a god like figure. The clothing and columns that Kanye West is walking out from, are based on ancient greek designs. The main contrast between the two music videos is, that in Kanye West's there isn't a performance aspect to it at all. This maybe because most of the instrumental tracks in the video (apart from the drums) would be produced electronically and mixed in a recording studio. Even though the music video is based on mythology, modern influences have been added to the costume and set design, such as Kanye is wearing a large gold chain, and at the end of the video an explosion of phyrotechniques is used, (obviously digitally edited) but similar to those used when a performer makes an entrance onto a stage. Compared to the Hurts' music video for 'Stay' there are large performance based areas with a more melancholic colouring to the shots. In Kanye West’s music video there are very vibrant colours like a classic Degas painting. In this one there is no colour apart from the woman in the music video and the dancers clothing which is an emerald green. Even though there are many instruments used in the song, there is only a piano and vocals used in the music video. The clothing worn by the singers are tieless suits with a bland look not typical to the genre, but pop music is so diverse it is hard to discern what is typical. 2. The Technical Aspect - In Kanye West’s music video it starts with a close up of the artists face and eyes. Exaggerated colouring of the eyes. The camera then loosens all the way to long shot very slowly over one minute fourteen seconds of the song. Until it reaches a point where a succession of five close ups of different areas of the long shot. At the end everyone is taken out of the shot except Kanye West and two people jumping towards him swords in hand. The whole sequence is done in slow motion and sped up with people moving more quickly, like the woman at the top right pouring water on herself. The Hurts' song has a very different approach to their music video compared to the more R&B style of Kanye West. The Hurts' have a long establishing shot in their performance parts of the music video, normally about five or six seconds long followed by a quick succession of close ups while the artist mimes. This keeps the viewer interested in the song as not much happens narratively. 3. Mise-en-Scene and Imagery - During the Hurts' music video they use dancers wearing thin material while they dance, so that the wind machine that is used exaggerates their movements. Most of the footage is of the band performing live. Kanye Wests music video contains a more egotistical style typical of the R&B/Rap genre. The use of woman as objects and them in pure admiration of him crawling towards his feet. Also there is a lot of sexual reference throughout the music video such as the women pouring water on themselves and a woman dancing erotically on the left hand side. The design of the shot for the music video reminds me of the painting that depicts George Washington as a god like figure, it is painted on the interior roof of the Capitol buildings rotunda.

Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are

I am going to be analysing ‘Just the way you are’, written and sung by an American singer - Bruno Mars. The song itself was released in the US on July 20^th 2010 and the video was released September 8^th that year. This song is from his album - Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Simply from the name, one can tell that the album will be quite different and entertaining. This is why I chose to analyse this video because I believe it shows a variety of different dynamics to portray the genre. Throughout it, Bruno Mars ensures his star image is made and sustained. He carries this out through a number of ways but one that is most noticeable is his choice of clothing - his trademark hat, his tight trousers, a formal check shirt and his informal shoes. His style is very casual yet unique. It defines him as an individual and through the clothes his personality emits. His consistent style of clothing allows creating a brand image and it places him in that specific gap of the music market. Creating an identity is useful for him as a solo singer, as it allows him to be recognized by his demographics easily and to be appreciated in this business.

It begins with a mid-shot using tilt camera movement which slowly moves upwards from the stomach of a woman to her face - here we see the protagonist in the video. A reference to the notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body is evident here, from Andrew Goodwin’s six point theory. Beginning instantaneously with the protagonist is a technique to convey her significance to the video. She is shown to be listening to music in her large headphones. These large headphones create a vintage element to the video. The music is very loud and can be heard audibly; consequently inhabiting Foley track. This is purposely carried out in order to permit the audience to hear it too. This is advertising the song in a positive way, by showing how good it is, as she is listening to it quite deafeningly. Rendering is taking place here to convey the feelings associated with the situation on-screen. Bruno Mars then enters into the scene and disturbs her by taking the cassette out of the player. Another point of Andrew Goodwin’s theory has been identified here. The demonstration of genre characteristics is visible – he grabs the cassette tape and turns it off, disclosing the stereotypical role of a man. Indirect mode of address is visible here and throughout the video. This helps to accentuate on the romance. All of these factors immediately illustrate who the two main characters are. The flirtatious facial expressions convey the two lover’s feelings. This right away illustrates the possible genres of the song – romantic, heart-felt and joyful. All of the possible genres portray positive and upbeat characteristics of the song.

The music stops whilst he takes the cassette out, sits down and unwinds the cassette reel. Another use of foley sound here is used to emphasize on the situation. There is no dialogue at any point, which helps to enhance on the romantic atmosphere being created, as they seem to be doing all the communication through their eyes. This emphasizes on the lust between the two. The music then starts clearly from the beginning. The overall video has a very simplistic style, which adds onto the concept of 'simple love' they are trying to convey. Stop motion is visible from 17 seconds onwards. The stop motion is seen through the cassette reel, which makes it very different and interesting. The cassette reel becomes a drum in which he flicks on, it transforms into himself singing, it introduces the title of the song and it shows other objects as well including a bell. 

On the right is a print screen image from the music video conveying one aspect of its' simplicity. The location chosen, equipment and props used were purposely very minimal. Considering the title and the purpose of the song is to show how a woman is perfect just the way she is - without putting effort into herself. He is playing the piano for his 'loved one'; portraying men to be gentleman's and also to show to the demographics that one does not need to go overboard to impress someone. This makes the video relatable. The seems quite low-budgeted on purpose because if it were a high-tech video, the producers would be contradicting themselves.
On the left we can see an example of one use of Stop Motion. It was used very cleverly throughout the video. Most of it was displayed in an animatic way as if he was reeling out the cassette tape and drawing these items himself. Over here he is flicking the drum, which then adds onto the soundtrack of the song. This made the video more exciting as the viewers could visually see where the background music was coming from - on-screen medium. This idea was used throughout the video with the piano being played, the cassette recorder at the start, the drum, the recorder at 2.01 and the bell at 2.38. All of this makes the viewers perceive that he, himself, is creating the sound.
On the right is an image of Bruno Mars himself being illustrated through the cassette reel. If an object is going to be shown through the use of stop motion; it is conveyed in a repetitive way. All the scenes with the cassette involved have the same point of view shot from Bruno Mars' eyes. In the repetitive shots, the audience views Bruno Mars' arms only, the table, the cassette in the middle and the moving image coming out of it. Repeated scenes in videos help to enhance on the concept they are portraying. In this case, the main genre and key concept is cute romance. Thus, the idea of him communicating with the protagonist through drawing everything himself, with the cassette reel, is seen to be very sweet and romantic. Consequently, doing this repeatedly compliments the genre very well and creates the amorous atmosphere required.

 As the lyrics begin, he starts drawing the protagonists' features according to what he is singing about. Consequently, there is a constant relationship between the lyrics and the visuals throughout the product - another aspect of Andrew Goodwin's theory. For example the first line was: "Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining." Therefore, as seen in the image on the left, we see him drawing his love interests' eyes. The next set of lyrics are "Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day." As the lyrics move onto this, the eyes disappear and Bruno begins to draw her whole face including her hair. He ensures that he is relating the visuals to the song. While he does this he keeps gazing upon the protagonist in an enticing manor. This is seen through his facial expressions - he has a smirk on his face and his eyes seem to be smiling as well. These facial expressions reflect on the sweet and innocence concept of love in the video. They are portraying love in a naive, fresh and positive way. Usually, most songs involving love end up to be rather seductive and the women are conveyed to be 'toy-like' items. The producer's of this product are therefore, rejecting Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze. She holds a high status in the feminist theories. Feminism is the response to society's assumptions that women should be subservient to men. Until the emergence of feminism, women were treated almost as objects, passive agents in a male world. Thus, she believes that until this feminist approach took place, we lived in a patriarchy society. A patriarchal society therefore is one where the men dominate and the media are constructed for them as audience. Although in the beginning the protagonist was introduced  in a fetish manner, it was not done in a stereotypical way. The intentions seem to be that they wanted to show all her perfection, including the body.

They used many conventions throughout the music video to portray the genre and the romantic concept. An example is on the right. This image conveys the concept through various ways - the camera shot/angle, the mis-en-scene and the facial expressions. The camera shot is over-the-shoulder to emphasize on the facial expressions between the two lovers. They look very intimate and gazed into one another's eyes. However, they are both blurred in order to enhance the stop motion in the back on the table. At this point, Bruno Mars was singing as an animated cassette reel. The conceptual idea was using the cassette reel to add in another piece of art. This was highly repetitive, which amplified the notion, to drum it into our vision. As mentioned, through this stop animation, he expressed his love for her. He creates the images himself which then start   adapting into a life of their own. It is a very simple song and video which, reflects on our personal music video ideas - this was another reason I chose to analyse this. Another key feature of the video is his voice itself. This is the main factor to attract the audience - if the voice is not pleasurable, people will not listen to the song. He has represented his voice in a very positive way. He made sure it reflected on the concept of the song. As it was a very calm, peaceful, mellow song; he ensured the way he sang conveyed that. The way he sang it was in a very soothing manner whereas, in some of his other more aggressive songs (such as Grenade), he emits a very soulful and powerful tone of voice.

This song is mainly aimed at young girls. The main key theme of the song is to show the idealistic man that most women would desire to have and the idol woman that most women aspire to be like. Therefore, they have shown it in a way where they seem to be engaging the female viewers by showing the respect the man has for his partner. This does not primarily attract the male audience as Bruno Mars does not convey this generations persona of being a "man." 

Andrew Goodwin states that songs can be seen as stories and the artist, being the storyteller, conveys it through the music video visually. In addition, Bruno Mars acts as the narrator as well as the participant (the lover of the protagonist). This assists to increase the authenticity. This was also supported by the lip syncing, which remained through most of the video, to certify and increase the realism the audience takes from it. Bruno Mars stated that he was the main director of this video. Furthermore, this is expressed in this song; many of his interviews he states that this song was written and dedicated to his real-life girlfriend.  Therefore, the protagonist in this video would be illustrating his girlfriend. The way he treats the female central character probably reflects his relationship with his partner. Consequently, he seems to be expressing the positivity within his life.

To conclude, music videos are significant when releasing songs as singles. They help in numerous ways to promote and portray the meaning of the song. Music videos are either (or all); conceptual, narrative and/or performance. This video was mainly conceptual and performance. This was because the artist himself was visually seen a lot in the video singing, which showed the performance side to it. The conceptual aspect, on the other hand, was shown through the idea of both live action and stop motion. Overall, I found this video highly interesting as I believe Bruno Mars sells himself in a very smart manner. He is aware of who his demographics are - young females - and consequently, produces his work accordingly. His music is portrayed in his point of view, thus, one would assume that the females cannot relate to his work. However, this is not the case. Young females enjoy his work due to the fact that it makes them go into this 'dream world' and want what he supposedly gives to women. This demonstrates another point of Andrew Goodwin's theory. The demands of the record label include the needs for lots of close-ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style). This is visible evidently in Bruno Mars' work.