Friday 20 September 2013

JV - Deconstruction of Music Videos

Institution and Audience

Naughty Boy - La La La

How might this video be consumed?
  • The video itself has over 100 million views on YouTube but was also the fastest single in the UK according to the 'Official Charts Company'. From this information we can gather that the single itself can and has been consumed in multiple ways.
  • The video itself provides a deeper meaning and intricate music video which gives people incentive to watch it on channels such as YouTube, this is due to the popular Wizard of Oz story line that is paired with it.
  • However, I feel that the song and video came from ambient viewing, this is because the artist 'Naughty Boy' is not that recognised (at least in the UK) so would not have been intentionally searched at first. But using Roland Barthes theory of semiotics and codes implemented within the video, the fact there's a specific meaning and story to the filmic piece gives the audience a reason to keep watching the video for example perhaps cultural codes in the way it shows the struggle of a family that live in worse off conditions opposed to modern and contemporary ones. The father obviously abusing his son shows the different ways people live in different cultures and societies.


Think about the institutional context of this video - considering the genre and the artist, what role would the record label play in creating these promotional texts?



  • As mentioned before I do not think that the artist is that popular so consumers would not of been enticed to go listen/watch it. The genre itself is Pop - Soul, Pop is obviously popular being one of the dominant genres in recent years which would of helped the song out a lot

  • The record label would of played a big part I feel, Virgin EMI Records is obviously a subsiduary of the large  conglomerate 'Virgin' itself and would of had a lot of media attention. Also due to being a large conglomerate it is able to promote the song itself using its different forms of media texts available to it

Genre and Narrative
Rudimental - Not Giving In

Using Goodwin, what are the forms and conventions evident in the video?



  • The usual conventions of a song within the genre of Drum and Bass and Soul is that the video is almost always a narrative, especially the mainstream videos. In particular Rudimental's video consist of a narrative with their main singles.
  • A fast cutting rate is used in order to fit with the fast tempo of the song and gives the video a much faster flow to it.
  • Regarding the camera angles and shots used in there, it varies with close ups to long shots used however a juxatapostion occurs as the majority of shots consist of either mid shots or long shots opposed to close ups which is the typical shot you would use to a song which has fast aspects to this, this is due to the narrative to allow the audience to see whats happening.
 
Is this an example of illustration or disjuncture or amplification?
  • The video is amplified in the way that the ideas represented in the video correspond with the title and the lyrics. The title of the song 'Not Giving In' following the story of two brothers that live in horrible conditions in which one chooses the wrong path while the other goes on to fulfill his dreams.
  • Furthermore, the video is illustrative in which the song makes you create images in your head when it is played as there is a meaning shown within the lyrics and the video.
 
Could this video be considered as art?
 
  • This video could be considered as art as an artist uses their piece to show some sort of meaning and in this case there is a meaning to both the song and the video. Furthermore, the use of detailed shots and camera angles make this a very intricate filmic video and in which most art pieces involve.
  • As Rudimental is a mainstream group and appeals to the youth it may be for commercial use as they are related to the genre but may also appeal to older as the meaning of the video may not necessarily be just for younger people.


Media Language and Representation
Avici - You Make Me

What is the message or the purpose of the video?


 
  • The message running through the video is about love and how one person can complete another, hence the title 'You Make Me'. About how that despite people trying to interfere with others relationships and this is apparent in the video with the ex of the main girl fighting the her new lover, love will always prevail.
 
What visual techniques are used to do this any why?
 
  • The video adopts a sort of old styled video game fighting scene and is similar to that of Scott Pilgrim vs The world. A lot of slow mo is used especially during the fighting scenes and comes up with names and titles in a superhero font when showing each individual.
  • The camera work revolves mainly around longshots and close ups to show the emotion on peoples faces and to show whats happening during the video so the audience can get a better understanding.
 
Is there any intertextuality/ references to pop culture?

Representation


 
How are the band/artist represented?
 
  • The artist 'Avici' is not presented at all in the video as it is entirely narrative based, this adds to his persona as the majority of his videos he is never present and when he is it is only very shortly. This adds to a sense of enigma and makes the audience want to see more this is through consuming more of his products which enables him to sell more.
 
How are different social groups represented?
 
  • The main social group shown in the video is of young people and makes them out to be rash indivuals in which they do not care for other peoples well being which is shown by the large brawl that breaks out in the club. However, another way to look at this is that they are willing to fight in order to get something and are determined individuals/
 
Idealogical Discourse
 
  • The main dominant ideologies is that males are shown as the stronger sex in the way that they fight and the females sit out.
  • However more progressive ideologies which challenges these is that during the night both males and females are working in the club although the males are given a more subtle role and the females are given a much more voyeristic one it still shows a sense of equality.
  • As in most music videos there is a particular scene in which dance breaks out and in this case it entails both females and males which again challenges dominant ideologies

4 comments:

  1. Some accurate observations and good use of media terms, this is around a C grade at present and could be improved by filling in gaps and more development of ideas. Give it a go and ask me on Wed if you don't know what to do.

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  2. Also take out underlining as it implies a hyperlink

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  3. Excellent work Jordan! uploading some great work.

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  4. I like the idea if the track has a fast tempo, you will need a fast cutting rate.

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