Music Video Textual Analysis #4

Laura Marling
Rambling Man
3 minutes 15 seconds

 

 

Laura Marling's music video to Rambling Man was produced in 2010 through EMI Music. The song is interpreted to be about a fear of becoming something you don't want to be, something that others expect you to be. In a way this isn't dissimilar to the music video I am creating; Heather has a fear of being controlled by her "illness" again although it's something she cannot help. I have decided to analyse Marling's music video because, as well as the lyric meaning being similar, the music video structure is similar to the one I am creating. What's more the acoustic genre matches that of Emily Denton's.

 

One feels that there is a strong correlation between the lyrics and the visuals throughout the music video. The lyrics largely illustrate directly what is going on and seem to be a first person narrative of the male protagonist's life. At times it could be interpreted that Marling is narrating her 'side' of the story; so she is speaking about her role as a woman and her feminine identity. At the outset the lyrics are:

Oh naive little me,

Asking what things you have seen,

And you're vulnerable in your head,

And you'll scream and you'll wail till you're dead.

These lyrics are paired with emotive shots of the protagonist in different locations to illustrate, and in some cases amplify them. The shots are all close ups and extreme close ups with the exception of one, perhaps to establish the protagonist's appearance. The lyric "Oh naive little me" appears when the male subject looks up into the mirror, this is a direct illustration of his thoughts. Additionally, the line "And you're vulnerable in your head" is depicted almost throughout the entire opening. Vulnerability as a theme can be established in the lyrics and the visuals; the protagonist's bare body is exposed throughout the opening, representing him as vulnerable. Clothes can be interpreted as protective and concealing, therefore the omission of them make him seem raw and defenseless. He is "vulnerable in [his] head", this lyric is illustrated by the extreme close ups of him splashing water on his face and his eyes. The eyes are the most expressive part of the body, thus they would reveal to the audience his vulnerability by conveying his sadness.

The following verse is similar in that the lyrics are illustrated by the visuals. The lyrics are:

Creatures veiled by night,
Following things that aren't right,
And they're tired and they need to be lead,
You'll scream and you'll wail till they're dead.

The first line "Creatures veiled by night" is illustrated by the image of a hand in low lighting, only the fingers are visible by the light bouncing off them. It could be inferred that the "creatures" are the bad habits or bad things that the protagonist doesn't want to occur. Therefore, the dark lighting could represent the evil or extreme bad that enhibits the male subject. What's more, the hands are a very controlled part of the body; meaning an image of the hands being paired with "Creatures veiled by night" is suggestive of a greater force which is either out of the male protagonist's control or fully within his control (depending on the situation). However, the following lines juxtapose this illusion of a greater force: "they're tired and they need to be lead, You'll scream and you'l wail till they're dead". The visuals and the lyrics have a more implicit relationship here as the narrative begins to develop. Essentially, the lyrics portray the male's need to control his inner demons until they are no longer present. The images are close ups of him packing a bag with a beach towel - perhaps an indication of the escape from the person he's turning into. Ultimately, the  illustrative relationship between the lyrics and visuals provides evidence towards Andrew Goodwin's theory in Dancing in the Distraction Factory (1992, Routledge).

 

In terms of the music and visual relationship, there isn't a hugely strong connection. Significantly, this is because the video doesn't really cut to the beat of the song. On occasion, the video will cleanly transition on the "heavy", more prominant beats of the song but usually the video cuts aren't inline with the music. The length of the shots are varied, possibly due to the variation in pace of the music at times. Some parts of the song have a fast tempo and some are slow. It's crucial to note that as the beat on the song gets faster towards the end, the pace of editing becomes quicker and jump cuts are evident. The latter parts of the video, where the male protagonist is in the sea cuts mostly in time with the music.

Marling's music video is a mixture of peformance and narrative; similar to the video that I am constructing. Therefore, the shots of Marling are close ups and act as star image motifs. Marling isn't a fully established artist as she isn't known by many people, this the record company would be looking to sell her image along with the track in order to make her more well known. As mentioned, the close ups are used to establish her appearance; her face will be the main feature that sells at the outset as she becomes more established in the music industry. One notes that this use of close ups is a frequent motif used by Marling in her other videos, perhaps because she has yet to become popular in a mainstream sense. Her music videos to "Devil's Spoke" and "Cross Your Fingers" have both used close up shots during the performance aspects. Each of her videos are fairly similar in the performance parts; she is playing the guitar and singing. In contrast, her video to "Ghosts" is more of an animation and conceptual video. So, on the whole one would say this this video is fairly inkeeping with her previous materials. Having said this, her hairstyle and appearance is often different in her videos, perhaps an indication of her versitility in fashion and ability to appeal to more than one type of audience member. It's worth noting that Goodwin's theory is further emphasised at this point as he theorised that "the demancds 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)".

Within the music video to "Rambling Man" there are many references to the notion of looking. Initially, the shots of the male protagonist are of his eyes and him looking at something. As mentioned, this could be because the narrative is being established and the eyes are an emotive part of the body. Furthermore, there is a shot of him looking into a mirror (similar to the one I have created in my music video). This references the notion of looking as the protagonist seems to be analysing his features and questioning himself when he looks in the mirror. The shots of Marling looking into the camera could also be seen to reference the notion of looking as she seems to be directly staring at the audience. Interestingly, the notion of looking isn't done in a sexualised way like many music videos of recent times. One might say this is because the music's genre is different from other studies I have looked at, therefore it's not a convention in this genre. Goodwin's theory can be referenced once more here as he thought that there was frequent reference to the notion of looking. However, his theory is challenged in that there was no voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

There don't appear to be any intertextual references within the music video. Perhaps this is because Marling was a fairly new artist at this point so she wanted to establish herself as an artist instead of referencing other texts media materials. Crucially, this places focus on her performance as an artist and the narrative as opposed to the video being endorsed by multiple brands or influenced by outside corporations. As stated, the video is performance and narrative based; the weighting of each category is fairly even. Goodwin's theory is further challenged by the fact that there were no intertextual references within the video.

 

To conclude, Marling's music video establishes her identity as a female performer whilst still attracting a target audience by incorporating a narrative which many people could relate to. The lyrics are strongly related to the videos narrative, however the music isn't explicitly related to the visuals perhaps due to the genre of music and the narrative needing to continue with some fluidity. Although there are some parts of the music video which provide evidence towards Goodwin's theory, it is challenged at certain points of the video.

Music Video Analysis: Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love

 

I have decided to analyse the opening 30 seconds of Gabrielle Aplin's music video to "The Power of Love" as it uses a similar colour overlay to the one that I will use in my music video. The blue-ish purple with hints of yellow forms a cross processed hue which is common within the indie, acoustic genre. By analysing the use of this overlay I will be able to note whether it will work in my own music video and how to use it successfully (i.e. whether it works throughout the entire video or whether it should only be used in specific sections).

The opening thirty seconds of the music video has six different shots which establish the locations of the music video. I will go through each shot and explain if I think the hue works and if I can apply this to my music video.

The first shot appears to be an old house or estate with an open gate. At this point the music video sound has not begun and the blue hue gives the video an eerie feel. It's obvious that it's autumn due to the leaves scattered across the floor so it could be said that the blue makes the location seem colder. So, the eeriness and cold atmosphere sets up the structure for the music video.

Following this the location of an older house is further established by a statue in the garden. The overlay continues the feeling of coldness and eeriness as the music is still yet to start. The build up of diegetic sounds such as wind and birds increasingly emphasises the autumnal feel that the video encompasses with the overlay included.

A ticking noise of the clock appears in this shot and the blue hue seems to have been made less noticeable. This could be to signal the change in location from outside to inside. Thus this is something I could incorporate into my video and use different hues depending on whether I am filming inside or outside. The light shining through the window is enhanced by the blue hue as it's clearly visible.

However, this is contrasted in the next shot of the bedroom where the blue-purple hue can be seen again. I think this gives the shot a very indie style and builds on the eerie atmosphere as the music still hasn't started. The ticking almost builds tension which makes it seem like the opening to a thriller film. Gabrielle's name is also something I can think about doing on my video.

A distant piano melody can be heard during this shot which continues the eerie theme. It's implied in the shots that the house is old and possibly derelict; old sheets and furniture is placed randomly. Blue hue makes the inside of the house seem cold as it supposedly has nobody living in it: no life. Blue has connotations of sadness; an indication of what the song is possibly about.

The final shot in the opening sequence reveals Gabrielle at the piano in one of the large rooms. This shot has more of a yellow tone but blue and purple can also be seen. The hue makes the shot look visually pleasing and very beautiful. It almost looks like an old picture instead of moving image.

In summary, I think this colour hue should definitely be used in my music video as it makes the video seem cold and sad - reflecting the song's lyrics. I think it really works in this video in making the shots seem beautiful and almost like an old picture. I might need to slightly alter the colour in the different shots depending on how good the lighting is and whether it looks right.

Editing: Cuts in the Music Video

To help me with the pace of my editing I will study an artist of a similar genre and who has a similar song to analyse the pace of editing. Lisa Loeb's song 'Stay' is similar to Emily Denton's song 'Home' as it begins slow and gradually increases tempo in the chorus. 

After listening to 35 seconds of the song (without looking at the video), I estimated that it had 14 cuts in it. I then watched the music video and found that there weren't any cuts, instead tracking and panning shots were used to convey the narrative. I feel that this made the video seem less interesting and slow because the action was only focused on one corridor - in which not a lot was happening. 

I will also study Stacey Randol's song 'Fragile Forest' as this is also a similar genre and has a close pace to Emily's song at the start.

After listening to 35 seconds of the song (without looking at the video), I estimated that it had 14 cuts. When watching the video I counted 8 cuts - all of which occurred during the key changes in the song. I thought that the music video would cut when the beat of the song changed as opposed to the change in key. When the shots weren't cutting they were panning or some sort of action was happening in the shot, for example Stacey was singing. This has inspired me for my music video as I can use a similar sort of concept for the performance parts of my music video. 

Idea Moodboard / Inspiration

As I have decided to base my music video on someone with some kind of illness I began research on music videos that are already popular based on this topic. It was the editing in Eminem's music video to 3 a.m. which intrigued me as I felt it strongly reflected the mental illness that the main character in the video had. The jumpcuts and transitions between shots convey the characters unsettling thoughts and feelings. Obviously I won't be able to mirror this effect exactly in my music video as this song is of a much faster tempo and it therefore works well, however I can still think about making the editing mirror the characteristics of my character. An idea that I could expand and develop is making the shots longer when the character is feeling weak and tired as it would demonstrate her slow nature. 

 Two shots within the music video that I found interesting can be seen to the left. The first shot inspired me to think about the locations in my own music video. I plan to make a part-performance based music video and, much like Eminem's music video, I want to convey entrapment and isolation with the location of this part of the music video. A forest setting would be ideal because the trees can act as physical and metaphorical barriers - demonstrating my character's battle with the illness she has. Conversely, I could choose to shoot this part of the music video in a small enclosed space such as a brick corridor or a small room. Both of these locations would indicate isolation to the audience.
The second shot that interested me was an out of focus shot of a knife. The composition of the shot has inspired me to think about props that I could use to convey my character's illness and how I could set the shot up to convey this. For example, the fact that this shot is out of focus could be interpreted as the mental illness distorting the main character's view on his own actions. This is because we typically associate blurred vision with someone who is unwell or ill-sighted.

I have previously analysed this music video by P!nk but I feel it's a good narrative example of someone with a mental illness. I thought the narrative in this video was particularly strong - the way that Todorov's narrative structure is followed. The video begins with equilibrium as the main character is shown, it then leads to disequilibrium when the audience learn about her life struggles and finally returns of equilibrium when she gets better.

Two shots that I found particularly inspiring in this music video are to the right. The first is a close up shot of the young girls face. I found this shot interesting because of the filter that's been used in the editing process which gives the video and yellow-ish tint to convey that this happened in the past and that the girl isn't happy. In my video I could experiment with hues and filters to convey a certain emotion - for example using a blue filter to create a sad atmosphere and convey my character's struggle with an illness.
The second shot that I liked was P!nk's performance shot where the video is being projected onto the wall behind her. This was demonstrative of the notion of looking and this is something I really want to include in my music video as it is has appeared in many of the music videos I have studied. What's more, the performance part of this music video is something I want to incorporate into my own music video - meaning I shall cast someone to be Emily Denton to perform along to parts of the song.

Aerosmith's music video to Janie's Got A Gun was different to the other music videos that I have studied for inspiration because the narrative wasn't explicitly focusing on an illness. However, the music video gave me inspiration for shots and also how to balance out the performance with the narrative. I feel that this video was evenly split with around half of it being the narrative and half being the performance. With my music video I think I would like to have slightly less focus on performance due to the fact that some of the song's lyrics do repeat themselves and I don't want to repeat the same shots over and over.

Two shots that I was inspired by in this music video can be seen to the left. The shot of the hand on the floor with the back lighting stood out as it revealed a lot about the narrative in such a short shot. The blue filter on the shot gave a cold and lifeless feel to it which connoted death and sadness. The back lighting placed focus upon the hand and could be seen as a symbol of the life being removed from the person. I'd like to recreate a shot like this within my video as I think it can be applied to almost any illness to convey a weakness within the character.

The second shot is a silhouette of a male's figure. This music video used lighting in a way to portray mystery and darkness  in a way that has inspired me to use lighting in a similar way. The silhouette shots not only convey to the audience that the character is hiding something but they can indicate that they are empty and have lost their identity - something an illness can do to a person.

Next I will begin to plan my music video in more depth thinking about:

• Mise-en-scene - locations, props, lighting etc
• Camera shots and movements
• Editing
• Sounds - not so much this as the sound track I have is already nearly 4 minutes and it will be difficult to continue the narrative for much longer than this time. 

Unusual Video Concept Inspiration / Contingency Plan

Lavie's music video to 'Her Morning Elegance' really intrigued me as it was one of the first professionally made stop motion videos I had ever seen. I loved the narrative that the video ran along and I felt that it mirrored the song's rhythm and meaning well. It would be interesting to experiment with stop motion, however I feel that with stop motion the whole video has to be done in the same style (not part picture and part video) for it to be effective. 

I found The Black Keys' music video to Lonely Boy to be very abstract and unusual. The concept of a lone man dancing and miming along to the track is unique and risque. The fact that they have chosen not to show the band and make an abstract video makes me wonder whether it would be a concept that I could try. Although the production difficulty and ideas would be simplistic and basic, it could work as being a more conceptual music video. 

Much like the previous video, this was a one take video however the concept differed massively. The narrative and scenarios that occurred during the video were intriguing and made the audience want to continue watching. It could be worth experimenting with one take videos also. 

After much research I stumbled across this music video for the song "Rabbit in Your Headlights". Obviously the concept would be impractical with the equipment and editing software that's available to me but I liked the filming location of the tunnel. This made me think more about the possible locations that I could film in. 

I loved Bat For Lashes' music video to "What's a Girl To Do" as the idea to have a mixture of performance and concept was really effective. I thought the people on the bikes was interesting and it prompted me to think about possibly having my 'band' performing an action when the performance parts are happening rather than just having them stand and play instruments. 

Again, the concept of this one shot music video was really interesting. The performance aspect is unique and the use of treadmills to create movement and allow the performers to move to the beat of the  song is unusual. 

Reepham Raiders Promotional Video

This is a promotional video made by Chloe, Amazon and I for Reepham Raiders dodgeball team. We sourced the music from a royalty free music site to ensure that copyright laws were abided by. The editing software that we used was iMovie. Essentially we constructed a preparation, match and celebration narrative to convey a story. 

Initial Unsigned Performer Ideas

So far my music video textual analysis tasks have all been based around 4 main genres: pop, rock, indie and acoustic. I feel that this combination of genres features in the charts regularly today as part of a hybrid genre and so I'm able to draw a lot from what's already on the market. Essentially, this is why I have taken the decision to find an unsigned artist with these genres in mind. Not only are these music genres ones that I enjoy listening too, they have many key features when analysing the music videos which will aid me when constructing my music video. In terms of setting, character and music video type, I believe that a genre of these sorts will allow me to be quite experimental with the music video and possibly create something that challenges the current videos.

To source my unsigned artist I will predominantly use unsigned.com. I feel that this site is easy to use and will allow me to browse through selected genres to find a suitable artist. Artists that aren't on unsigned.com I have found on Youtube. To document my search I'll create an initial list of artists that I like and make a final decision once I've got enough options to choose from.

• Andrea Storm Kaden / pop, indie, acoustic / Aus. 
• Brody / acoustic, folk, indie / UK 
• The Judas Tree, Waiting for the Ghosts
• Callaghan / country, acoustic, folk / UK
• It was meant to be
• Harrison Bruce / folk, indie, acoustic / UK
• Carl Hauck / acoustic, folk, experimental / US
• Martial Riesling 
• Jana Gilmore / acoustic, indie / UK
• Where are you now, Blue Eyes
• The 99s / indie, pop, rock / UK
• (What a Night) To Be Alive,
• The Nites / acoustic, pop, rock / UK

I found it hard to choose a few songs for the above artists because I often liked songs that would be impractical to produce a music video to. In the end I narrowed it down to a handful of songs which instantly gave me ideas for the music video upon first hearing them. Following this I will make a final decision on which artist I have chosen to use and how I have contacted them. 

Digipaks

A Digipak is a form of CD packaging which is used for singles or special CD editions. Meadwestvaco were the first people to create Digipaks but more manufacturers use it nowadays too. Digipak's have a gatefold (book-style), paper board or card stock outer binding with one or more plastic trays to hold the CDs.
The front of the Digipak is useful to represent the artist and their style. Typical logos or iconography might be used to allow the audience to become instantly familiar on first glance at it. The artist's brand is portrayed and any new messages within the music can be demonstrated which increases their popularity and fan-base.

DIGIPAK ANALYSIS

When analysing the Digipaks I decided to choose artists that I had already studied to ensure that I could analyse their style more accurately. P!nk's image overall is represented as feminine, sexual and powerful in the images on the Digipak. The two close ups of her face on the cover and on the insert use direct mode of address to connect P!nk to the audience. Her strong, black make up look and styling choices make her seem dominant and seductive to the audience - this would attract people to the CD automatically.  Although the image on the bottom left is high angled and would typically weaken the subject's appearance, P!nk is still represented as powerful due to the animalistic feathers and stance that she has taken. Her appearance is comparable to that of an animal waiting on it's prey or a majestic bird. The animalistic theme is repeated in the final image which conveys P!nk's entrapment in a cage. Although this would be seen as a sign of weakness for many, P!nk's casual, carefree pose and glamorous costume lead one to believe that she's in control. 

In terms of the black and white colour scheme with the red typography, one would suggest that this further represents her as a classic, well known artist. Black and white photos are symbolic of age; thus one would suggest that P!nk's label is attempting to represent her as someone who is experienced with their music and someone who's been around for a while. On the other hand, red has connotations of passion, love, power and blood - representing her as a strong female. P!nk's image is evident throughout the Digipak - this is how the artist will sell the single/album. In the insert an image of P!nk is seen on every other page with the song lyrics next to them. This allows the audience to sing along to the track if they wish and also provides them with further imagery of the artist.

Dissimilar to P!nk's digipak, Florence + the Machine's doesn't have any photographic imagery except on the insert. Interestingly, the cover image is a cartoon image of Florence; one feels that this is a risky design choice because some people wouldn't instantly recognise that it was her. Each page has the bordered motif which keeps the design regular and neat through each page. The black, lilac, yellow and white colours are all match well and suit the flowered design on the insert and back cover. Again, dissimilar to P!nk's Digipak, Florence + the Machine's one held 2 CD's so it had an extra fold out section. This is transparent plastic and is the only section which is not patterned - most probably to save the cost of trying to add in another design piece and so the audience can view both CDs easily. 

On the insert Florence + the Machine are represented as experienced and popular artists. Unlike P!nk's Digipak, this one gives an overview of their career and has information about the artist as opposed to lyrics. Although I think both are good ideas, I like the idea of the artist making a bond with the audience through giving them more in depth information. 

Music Video Textual Analysis #3

Florence + the Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Universal Island Records
October 2009

Analysis between 1:30-2:30

Florence + the Machine's music videos often follow a nature or light based theme. The indie rock

band's first music video "Dog Days Are Over" is no exception to this concept; the narrative unfolds in a woodland setting. The trees acted as barriers for Florence when she attempted to run away from the clowns inferring that there is no escape from her surroundings. Additionally, the natural lighting casts shadows along the ground and makes the area seem distorted. When analysing this further one notes that some of the subjects faces aren't visible due to this which brings about the idea of falseness and a dream-like state. One feels that this is because the subjects seem dark and almost monstrous and the shadows appear to be their hiding places. With the themes of shadows from the natural lighting and nature from the trees, one is led to believe that the physical and metaphorical barriers create a sense of entrapment for Florence. Other indie rock music videos have similar characteristics: set outside, natural lighting and the vocalist as the main subject.

Throughout the extract the camera seemed to be hand held and the director chose to use panning shots to convey movement and action. The hand held shots seem to add to the dream-like sense of the music video because they're not precise and static. Additionally, the editing of these shots mostly cut to the beat of the song. One feels that this made the video's pace much quicker and would therefore keep the audience engaged for longer. As well as this, one notes the slow motion action of the camera when the music slows down. This visual amplification of the soundtrack allows the audience to see the relation between the two and become more drawn to the action within the music video. 

Although there are no direct links between the lyrics and the visuals it can be suggested that the video mirrors the inferred meaning of the song. The song could be interpreted to mean that a bad time in someone's life is over but the bad things are catching up with the person: "The dog days are over ... The horses are coming, So you better run". One feels that the 'horses' are metaphorical and are represented by the clowns in the video. Clowns have many negative connotations due to them being stereotyped as unusual and evil. Their face paint conceals their faces and identities - so when "the horses are running" the clowns/bad things are chasing Florence. 

As lead vocalist, Florence is the main subject of the video. Many close ups of her face are used to ensure that the audience instantly recognise that it's her record. Furthermore, this aids the sales of the

record because when the audience hear the radio version they are able to make the connection back to the video. Within the extract there are references to the notion of looking - especially looking at Florence. The low angled shot of the clowns looking down on Florence give the audience an uneasy feeling about the situation that she's in. This juxtaposes many current music videos which usually portray the vocalist, mainly females, in a overly sexualised way. Moreover, a spotlight is angled towards Florence during a close up of her face. Again, this could be a reference to the notion of looking because her face is lit up much like it would be if she were on stage with lights pointing towards her. Thus, the audience are drawn to look at her face.

Happiness hit her like a train on a track
Coming towards her stuck still no turning back
She hid around corners and she hid under beds
She killed it with kisses and from it she fled
With every bubble she sank with her drink
And washed it away down the kitchen sink

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had and what was left after that too, oh
Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back
Struck from a great height by someone who should know better than that

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses?
'Cause here they come

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run

Music Video Textual Analysis #2

Anna Calvi - Desire
Directed by: Aoife McArdle
June 2011

Analysis between 1:10 and 2:10 minutes.

Throughout the sequence that one analysed there were references to Calvi and the 'Devil' being connected. The lyrics, "it's just the devil in me", were amplified by the shot of the black and white tiled floor and the red carpet. These two are connected by a piece of wood that runs between them; much like a ligament which connects them together. One would assume that the red carpet represents the devil as red is negatively associated with danger and evil, whereas the black and white tiles could represent Calvi and her split personality with the devil. What's more one can tell from this that Calvi and the Devil are represented as 'equals' in status due to the high angled shot looking down on both of them. In the same way, this link in their personalities is also suggested by the high angled shot at the red and green carpet. The contrasting colours being connected and patterned between each other could symbol a development in the relationship between Calvi and the Devil; before they were connected but now they are one being. When linking this to the mis-en-scene and Calvi's costume it's clear that she is wearing red which is indicative of desire, danger or passion. One could suggest that the colour of her costume and the colour of the carpet makes a further connection between her and the devil.

 Multiple explicit and implicit religious references can be identified throughout the sequence. In terms of the mis-en-scene, props such as a Mary and Jesus figurine, a cross and an angel with a harp. These religious props are all indicative of the motif that runs throughout the video. Furthermore, the snake on the carpet could be a symbol of Adam and Eve; thus the repetition of "desire" might be linked with being a sin instead of something more passionate like it suggested is some parts of the video. Also, the lyrics reflect this religious motif: "devil", "heavenly" and "God". It could be suggested that, due to the religious props being placed upon the red carpet, that they have been somewhat tainted by the unseen "Devil". Notably, the props are all well lit and are often in soft focus, perhaps because McArdle wanted them to be visible and identified by the audience to place particular significance on them. Not only does this add to the importance of the religious motif but it emphasises the effect of the lyrics on the video.

When referring to Mulvey's "male gaze" (1975) theory, one can identify that Calvi's image is represented as being attractive, passionate and edgy through the use of camera shots, angles and the mis-en-scene. The extreme close ups of her eyes and mouth, essential emotive facial features, allude to the passion that is related to the "desire". Moreover, the red colour of her lipstick further indicates the sexuality and femininity as the colour red has connotations of passion and love. The lens glare acts as an attention grabber and the audience are able to note Calvi's appearance - which is further shown through mid-shots and long shots. Calvi's appearance can help the record company to sell the music and also gets the audience to recognise her image instantly. One can identify that even when Calvi's back is turned to the camera her power and dominance is still demonstrated in the shot by her central positioning and striking clothing items.


I wanna go to the sunHold my life like I've never doneBut it's just the devil in meThe devil that's calling as I come undone
The sky is getting dark tonightDarker than the fear that's gonna pull us apartThe beating is the sound of loveThe sound of love is beating like a fevered heart
And it's the fire, the fire, the fireIt's heavenly, heavenlyDesire, desireDesire, desire
I wanna lay in the dustThe dust is gonna fall here when I lieGod knows it's just the devil in meThe devil that's taking my hand to the fire
I never wanna leave you nowLeave you like the sun is gonna disappearBut it's just believing nowBelieving in my heart is what I've come to fear
And it's the fire, the fire, the fireIt's heavenly, heavenlyDesire, desireDesire, desireI've got desire, desireI've got desire, desire
And only the lonelyOnly the lonely fallOnly the lonelyOnly the lonely fallFall
Oh, and I go to the fireBut God knows it's the sound of, it's the sound of loveIt's the beat of my heart that youFinally beating, it's coming, coming, coming for you
And it's just the devil in meIt's just a door to the devil gathered in disguiseTaking me by the handAnd leading me, leading me off to the fire
And it's the fire, the fire, the fireIt's heavenly, heavenlyDesire, desireDesire, desire
You don't have to be lost(Desire, desire)You don't have to be lost(Desire, desire)You don't have to be lost(Desire, desire)

Music Video Textual Analysis #1

P!nk's music video to her single "Perfect" (the clean version) was produced by Radical Media and LaFace Records in 2010 and was released in 2011. The genre of the music video is pop-rock; this is P!nk's typical style. However, conventional pop and rock characteristics cannot be seen individually in this music video as it's taken the form of a hybrid video. When researching typical rock characteristics, one notes that bands/artists use abnormal settings and locations, high and low angled camera shots of the band/singer, fast paced editing that mirrors the narrative and typical iconography related to the particular band/artist. On the other hand, typical pop characteristics include: colourful/fun locations and costumes, dance routines, positive teenage scenarios and are narrative driven. One can identify that the blend of the two genres - creating a hybrid - has formed the general characteristics of the resultant pop-rock genre. Essentially, this video is illustrative and the narrative reflects the lyrics and the music. 

Throughout the video the lyrics are illustrated by the visuals; for instance when P!nk sings "mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood" a high angled close up of the younger female character, Angel, is used when she's being told off for bullying the boy but he started it. Thus, Angel is "misunderstood" and "mistreated" because she's being told off for something that she didn't do - this is represented in the camera angle also because she is being belittled as the audience look down on her. The fact that it's being projected onto a brick wall could suggest many things: Angel feels that she's being humiliated for something she didn't do and she wants people to see that it's not her fault - hence the projection. Alternatively, the brick wall could be symbolic of the emotional barrier that she's put up due to being "misunderstood". Furthermore, when P!nk lip syncs "like you're less than, less than perfect" a two shot and over the shoulder shot is used to show an older aged Angel being told by her mother to change her clothes. The two shot is clear in demonstrating the negative relationship between Angel and her mother as the shouting and pointing can be seen clearly within the shots. This is followed by an extreme close up of both of their faces where Angel's sad face and the mother's angry face is evident. In addition, the relationship between the lyrics and visuals can be further seen in an over the shoulder shot of Angel carving into the wall. P!nk sings "filled with so much hatred" and in the shot the girl is carving a negative message into the wall of the fitting room. The lighting in this shot is blue which has connotations of depression and sadness - this directly correlates to the lyrics in the song which suggest that Angel dislikes her weight.

Similarly, the music and the visuals directly relate to each other. At the outset the music cuts to the beat of the guitar strumming. This is because the action is fairly slow paced and the camera movements are slow and steady - possibly using a tracking dolly and tripod. Towards the middle of the song the steady pace is broken and the shots don't cut to the same beat of the music because the camera angles and movements are much faster and irregular to demonstrate Angel's angered feelings. One can identify that when the song reaches its chorus, P!nk's image is always partly shown. Her emotion is conveyed by her hand gestures and the fact that she is looking up to the sky. The music relates to the visuals here by portraying P!nk's power and strength through close ups and mid-shots to show her connection with the song. What's more, the music stops when Angel is lying in the bath after she self harms. The relationship between the music and visuals here allows the audience time to reflect on the narrative and also splits the song into two halves - the initial negative first half ("pretty, pretty please, don't you ever ever feel, like you're less than, less than perfect") and the more positive second half ("you are perfect to me"). 

 

When referring to P!nk's image, one recognises that this video is different from others that she has previously created. Her image is usually edgy and she's often dressed in clothes that make her appear sexually attractive to the audience. Crucially, one feels that the record company has chosen to portray her as more relateable and serious in this music video due to the topic of the song being serious and recognised by a lot of her teenage audience demographic. Mid shots have mostly been used so only her top half is visible; the black scarf/cardigan that she has over her shoulders and the black top that she's wearing makes her seem less significant so more emphasis is placed upon the narrative. This could have been preferred by P!nk or her record label because they wanted people to listen to the lyrics and watch the video instead of being fascinated by P!nk or what she was doing/wearing - this way they can get the message across more easily and the audience will be attracted to the video. One could suggest however, that P!nk's hair is an essential part of her image as many people recognise her because of it - thus this is a repeated motif throughout her videos. What's more, P!nk is portrayed as a hero and a trusted icon in this video because she is seen to 'help' Angel by telling her she is perfect. This is reiterated in the latter parts of the video where P!nk is seen within the art gallery raising her glass to Angel when she's turned her life around. The audience would see P!nk as a positive role model and someone who is able to help them through her music - much like she 'helped' Angel.

The basis of this music video is the narrative that runs throughout, but the narrative is broken by P!nk singing in a room with brick walls that have the narrative 'projected' onto them. Significantly, the notion of looking is referenced here because it's acting as a screen within the screen. One suggests that this has been chosen to make a connection between P!nk and Angel, showing how P!nk's inspirational and encouraging lyrics have helped to positively shape Angel's life. More obscurely, one might suggest that the room P!nk is in is a symbol of Angel's brain and the memories that she's reliving whilst in bed (seen at the outset). Interestingly, the notion of looking is referenced again when Angel is in the changing room carving on the wall and she's looking at the "popular" girls who are slim and barely dressed as they are trying on other clothes. Therefore, the background actresses are on sexual display as Angel watches them due to jealousy of their slim figures. One notes that this was probably chosen to convey the contrast between Angel's low self esteem and negative body image and their confidence and positive body image.

In conclusion, P!nk's music video to "Perfect" (the clean version) is a hybrid genre video that blends characteristics from both pop and rock genres. It's unlike most videos that P!nk had made before this one as her image had changed from edgy to relateable and caring. The illustrative narrative of the video made a strong relation between the lyrics and visuals and the music and visuals.

Homework: Music Video Responses

Jump cuts were used in Foster the People's music video to Houdini to keep the tempo fast and mirror the beat of the song. Additionally, close ups were used to establish the band at the outset and long shots were used in the latter parts to demonstrate their image and what was going on in the narrative. The band were the characters that the audience mainly focus on in the music video as the narrative involved them - this is possibly because they are still a relatively new band and would want people to recognise their music and their image immediately. In terms of lighting, the band are always lit with an unnatural light source so their appearance can be immediately recognised by the audience. Although these are sometimes not in the shot, the back lighting is always visible and flashes at the same tempo as the shot transitions and the music. The computer generated images (CGI) aids the narrative in coming back to an equilibrium because the band members are able to perform again. 

I thought Foster the People's music video to Houdini had a unique concept and encouraged me, as an audience member, to continue watching to the end until equilibrium was returned again. I think the range of shots (close ups and long shots) established the band well as the audience can see them from a range of angles - something fans of the band would find appealing. 

The music video for The Shins' Simple Song was based around one narrative of an elderly man dying and pretending to leave his house deeds somewhere in the house for one of his children to find. This narrative begins before the music starts at 00:45 seconds. The shots varied but were similar to Foster the People's in that close ups were used of the band to establish who they were and create audience recognition. There was a mixture of blue/grey video overlay hues for the sad scenes at the outset and colourful video overlay hues for the past scenes. These effects contrasted each other and signalled a time change to the audience. The shot duration is much longer in this video than Foster the People's perhaps due to the slightly slower tempo or so the narrative could be conveyed clearly as it's the central part of the video.
I thought this music video was quite unusual and I didn't like it at the outset. I thought it was quite morbid and didn't reflect the meaning of the song that I had predetermined. However, I thought the shot range was interesting and added to the narrative by indicating the emotions of the band/characters.

Cyriak's Powers of Ramsay is an extremely unconventional music video as the song has no lyrics and it's genre cannot be identified exactly. The CGI used helps build the comedy and is the crucial element in producing a video with graphics of this standard. The comedy element (noted as it was on BBC Comedy's YouTube channel) is rarely seen in music videos because artists usually take their music very seriously and don't want to be seen as a joke. However, this challenge to typical music video conventions is intriguing. The shot types are more difficult to comment upon because the entire video is supposed to be a zoom in on Gordon Ramsey's skin so the camera is supposedly in a fixed position. Sound effects are used to make the 'Ramsey creatures' seem menacing - mirroring his TV personality. 

To a certain extent I found this music video entertaining and funny, however it didn't seem like a music video to me. The music soundtrack wasn't really focused on and the comedy aspect made it hard to take the artist seriously. Conversely, it served it's purpose in creating entertainment for the audience and it was memorable because of this.