Music Videos

Music Videos

LO: To research selected case studies for use of media language and representation

List A = 'mainstream', representation of 'street life'

List B = alternative or less comercial artists, do not feature the artist in the music video

• name pf artist 
• name of song and release date
• link to lyrics and summery of song meaning 
• description of what is happening (terminology)
• descriptions of how artists has been represented (terminology)
• explanation of how video links to song (terminology)

List A choice 

Song - Heaven

Artist - Emeli Sande

Released on - 

Lyrics - https://genius.com/Emeli-sande-heaven-lyrics

Meaning - The song is all about how Sande wants to be seen when she is gone and what it means to be good in this day and age. 

Themes - Religion, drug taking, Guilt and regret

List B

Song - Burn The Witch

Artist - Radiohead

Released on - 3rd May 2016

How is rita ora presented in this official wallpaper?

• highlighted eyes and lips yo make her look more attractive
• direct address shows her confidence
• low angle shot represents her power and status
• position of hands and stance connotes sexuality
• neutral background compliments and contrasts Rita Ora making her stand out in the photo
• pink hair makes her look feminine but rebellious  

How is Emeli Sande represented in this official 2013 album cover?

• modern and fresh
• feminine
• black and white connotes simplicity
• often photographed with no direct address which connotes modesty 

Cultural Context

Emeli Sande 'Heaven'

• filmed in bethnal green, London - where Sande lives. Emeli Sande said ' we wanted to capture areal British scene'
• directed by Jake Nava
• Homelessness was on the rise in the uk during the time the video was released 
• Austerity in uk when the song was released 
• Emeli Sande said 'Heaven came from a conversation i was having with my producer Naughty Boy, we we're talking about what it means to be good in this day and age.'
• widespread negative feeling in uk 

Religion

• statue of the Virgin Mary
• passer by carrying a cross
• talks about 'heaven' and has shots looking up at the heavens 
• 'Fear is your only God' is written in dust on a window
• represented as a positive thing in the video
• representation of western christianity in the video

Class

• shows people on the streets
• absence of middle and upper class representations 

Ethnicity

• video uses people from different ethic backgrounds
• Sande herself has african heritage
• at the time there was a lot of negative representation of young black people

Masculinity and Femininity

• shot of woman in red dress connotes femininity 
• non stereotypically attractive people used in the video
• Sande is represented as powerful
• positive shots of women 
• negative shots of men
• fallen angel is male, angle with spread wings is female
• women not made to look stereotypically beautiful

East London

• scenes shot in different parts of east London
• drugs represented

Radiohead 'Burn The Witch'

21st January, 2019

Intertextuality

LO: To research and explore intertextuality and exam style analysis

In Radioheads 'burn the witch' features intertextuality with the 1960's children's TV program Trumpton and Camberwick green and the film the Wickerman.

• innocence of children's TV
• Religion based on witchcraft
• cults
• British culture
• goes back to the time of intolerance to different people
• shows that the way we treated witches in the medieval ages is no different from how we treat immigrants and people from different ethnic backgrounds today

How and why is intertextuality used in the video?

Intertextuality is used in this video to emphasise how the treatment of people who are different from us in this day and age is no different from that of treatment of witches in the past when Britain was a very religious and intolerant country. Radiohead included direct references to the burning of the outsider from the Wickerman. 

In what ways is this product considered to be alternative?

The music video for Radiohead's video doesn't fit the typical conventions of music videos. for example a typical convention of music videos is that you see the band/artist in the video. However the Burn the Witch video is set in the stop motion children's TV show Trumpton and doesn't feature the band at all.

What does it have to say about surveillance culture in the era?

 23rd January 2019

• Social realism - the realistic depiction in art of contemporary life, as a means of social or political comment.

• Transcendence - The existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.

• Post modernism - Something that is based of something that has already been done

• cinéphilic recreation -

• filmic - relates to fim or cinematography 

• value-transference - transference of values 

Performance Based Music video

Lil Peep - Benz Truck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkJ3L5Ce80

Target Audience - Males and females aged 17 - 25 years old 

How is the artist represented (What aspects of their image have been highlighted) - 

In the video Peep has been represented as the alternative and quirky artist he was. Peep is often filmed showing his tattoo's in this video, this shows that it is would have been quite a personal video for Peep to film as his Tattoo's where very important to him.

How are the target audience positioned? - For this video the target audience are positioned in a way so they see Peep as a young musician that quirky and unique and isn't afraid to show it and embrace it. They are meant to feel as though they are there with the artist and be immersed  in the song.

What values are being celebrated?

The values being celebrated in this video are the idea that it is ok to express and embrace individuality. In the video Peep is seen sing and seemingly enjoying himself while openly revealing many of his tattoos that most people would see as alternative and give him judgement for it. However in this video Peep is celebrating them as part of who he is.

Narrative Based Music video

Bruno Mars - Grenade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR6iYWJxHqs

Target audience -  Males and females aged 16 - 30 years old

How is the artist represented (What aspects of their image have been highlighted) -

In this video Bruno Mars has been represented as determined young man who is prepared to do anything to get the girl. the video features mars pulling a piano across a city, and starting by a window looking out at a rainy night. The image of being a determined and forward thinking young man has been highlighted in this video.

How are the Target audience Positioned

the target audience are positioned in a way that means they will feel sympathy for the artist as they see the struggles he is going to to get his girl. This is then emphasised even more when we see his girl with another man. 

6th February, 2019

Explain how Representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist(s). 

Refer to two of the music videos you have studied to support your answer.

In the two music videos that i have studied representation have been used to promote the artist. In the list a music video 'Heaven' by Emeli Sande, many aspects of the video are used to represent sande in different ways. for a large part of the video, Sande is shown singing on the streets of London. This alone gives us an idea of the intended representation of Sande in this video. The way that the producers of this video want us to see Sande is as alternative and breaking conventions. Sande is shown in sharp deep focus on the busy and grimy streets of London, a place that pop stars wouldn't stereotypically  associate with.  

Sande is also made to look evangelical in the video. This is is done by having shots of Sande singing up at a clear blue sky with a bright light behind her, making her look like a she could be an angel. this is also accompanied with the lyrics she sings during these shots, repeating the word heaven again and again. The representation of being different and alternative is also present in the video for the Radiohead song 'Burn the Witch'. 

In the Burn the Witch video The band aren't featured in it at all, breaking conventions for this genre. Instead the video only features animations from the classic children's TV shows Trumpton and Camberwick green. This suites the narrative of the video as it roughly follows the story of the film 'The Wickerman'. This idea that is represented in the music video is effective as its all about burning the outsider, and radio is making themselves seem like an outsider as they are breaking conventions with this video. This shows the representation that we are intended to think of Radiohead through this video. These representations are that the band are alternative and adventurous with their brand image. 

Radiohead seem to be more alternative and adventures in their representations than Emeli Sande, however Sande does still have strong representations in her video 'Heaven'. She shows herself to be a forward thinking, strong woman who  can give a strong and moving performance. This is helpful in promoting her as a modern and strong, qualities that make her popular with so many people.