One thing to make completely clear is that a music video is not 'the product'... it is an advert for a product! Music videos are, in general, freely accessible and viewed for free. While in the UK, we tend to call them music videos, in America they tend to be referred to as promos, and in Japan as PV/PMVs (promotional (music) videos). So, by and large, the world is pretty honest about their status as an advert!
A music video is a perfect example of media convergence.
Key term - Digital convergence - the coming together of two seperate media industries thanks to digital technology
The Scopitone and the birth of music videos
The Scopitone was a French invention, a kind of video juke-box that combined music and video. Popular in the 1960's, it meant that artists now had to record visuals as well as music.
Scopitone notes-
-performance not narrative based
-Originally manufactured in France in the late 50's
-Came to America 1963/1964
-Put in a quarter
-Big stars in France were making scopitone films, but when it came to the US it wasn't so a-list
-Titillation factor- girls minimally dressed dancing, amazing colours and visuals
-uses a magnetic soundtrack rather than an optimal one
Example- Chantal Goya - Si tu gagnes au flipper
Genre fluidity- how does this differ from modern-day?
-black and white
-fade transitions
-box edited in over photo
-composition- square video
-nothing really happens, just her singing and abstract images
-the camera is always still
-close up of her face- lack of sexuality subverts the male gaze
-introduction like a film credit- but it isn't- used as an intertextual reference
-no dancing
-just her singing with no added facial expressions
-close up means no emphasis on costume
Key term - bricolage - where a media product is constructed from a range of elements, often from completely different contexts and time periods
Rebecca- Vanity angel (1989)
How does this video use elaborate mise en scene and bricolage to construct meaning for the audience?
-mise-en-scene of the bright and aesthetically pleasing colour palette reflects her joyful and smitten feelings
-the close-ups of her smiling face and singing further connote the joy she feels
-The opening shot of the screens making up her face and her popping up in front of them act as a symbolic code, this isn't her star persona it's the real her, the screens represent her face in the media and her true self has jumped up to be open with the audience.
-The direct mode of address and lyrics position the audience as the person being sung about, this is reinforced by the mise-en-scene of her costume, hair and stylised makeup, hegemonically she looks very attractive and the audience feels attracted towards her, putting themselves in the position of someone romantically involved with her.
-Bricolage- 80s references, green screen, costumes, hair, band, low-quality video. The 80s was a time of party and excitement the references used highlight that and convey to the audience that the feeling she sings about are comparable to the mood of the 80s.
-The many settings used set a fast pace stopping the audience from getting bored and including them in the excitement as they get transported from place to place with dancer and musicians.
Kylie Minogue- Hand on your heart (1989)
How are women represented in this video? And how does the setting and mise en scene anchor this reading?
Women are represented very stereotypically. The audience is positioned as a voyeur watching Kylie dance around the set in tight dresses by the tracking shots and the way Kylie is centred in the frame of the shot, this sexualises her completely and represents women as people to be watched in a sexual manner, supporting Van Zoonen's male gaze theory. The focus on women's looks is further emphasised with the use of the mise-en-scene, the prop of the mirror Kylie is constantly looking into functions as a symbolic code for an obsession with one's looks and the theme of vanity. A long shot is used when she looks into the mirror to emphasise that she is viewing her own body and to encourage the viewer to do something, further attention is drawn to her body by the costume change between coloured tight dresses. This overall represents women as governed by their looks- something extremely stereotypical. Furthermore, it presents a hegemonical expectation of the ideal woman; they should look slim and pretty and be in touch with their emotions.
Woman are represented as in touch with their emotions with the mise-en-scene of semiotics and iconography. The heart symbol is used throughout to represent love, at various points Kylie sings inside of a large, red wooden heart, this use of setting suggests she is controlled by her heart and emotions as it is almost enveloping her, the bright red colour represents how strong the love is making her weak in comparison. The heart stitched onto her dress connotes love is a part of her, and although the costume constantly changes it is always there- there is nothing she can do to get rid of it and she does not want to. Overall this represents women as weak and controlled by their emotions.
Many high angles of Kylie are used, she looks up to the camera and holds her hands up as though begging, this use of cinematography and mise-en-scene makes her look small and like she begging.
Pulp- this is hardcore (1998)
This song is about a subject completely inappropriate for general audiences (pornography). Yet the video cleverly uses symbolism to convey its message.
How does this video use mise en scene to function as symbolic codes?
-opening- men have dialogue and speaking roles whilst the woman literally has no voice, she plays the piano, something creative and 'soft'- stereotypical. The clapper board acts a symbolic code, telling the audience that this is what it's like within the media- porn included
-the different coloured backgrounds behind each man who are talking in the same tone with the same facial expressions encode the ideology that all types of men watch porn and are driven sexually
-the use of zoom and midshot positions the audience to be someone there luring in- they're voyeurs like anyone watching porn
-the woman wears red in a white room, red connotes lust and love is set up in binary opposition to the white which connotes innocence, all the non-sentient objects are white whilst the woman is red if you're breathing you're not innocent
-the close-up shot of the dead man acts as a hermeneutic and proairetic code, but the excitement is stripped away when he stands up and walks away- everything is fake
-previous shot shows the man in front of an orange screen, turning for the camera- connotes he was being valued on his looks and reflects message of song focusing on people's visuals
-this is emphasised by the unflattering low angle shots of the director- he is hegemonically unattractive and set up in binary opposition to him. those in front of the camera are good looking those behind it aren't- the song sings about wanting good looking people in front of the camera
-for the crime scene, the camera pans inwards positioning the audience as people leaning in to look at something bad...
-there's a crowd of people also staring, encoding the ideology that people are obsessed with spectacle
-but as he gets up and they all stand to walk away it's meaningless
-'scene missing' reinforces this, it's about spectacle not narrative and care
-the long shot panning the woman walking into the office emphasises her body, but she is covered by a large white coat making the audience want to see more, putting them in the position of someone watching porn
-the white coat suggests innocence which makes it more surprising when the man tied up appears on the screen, the lyrics begin and the words 'you make me hard' are heard as the tied-up man stares at the women- the lighting used to emphasise his face and the desire on it-this with the next low angle of the woman shows that she is in power, the man is one made weak by his sexual urges.
-the gun she holds acts as symbolic code of her power but could also be alluding to something else...
-woman's face in the pool of water functions as a symbolic code of the man wanting to watch her wet, he stares longingly at her face
-the greenery surrounding him is a symbolic code for being in a natural state and natural urges ie sex
Key term - hypersexualisation - literally 'beyond sexualisation', hypersexualisation is an extreme version of sexualisation, which aims to make it clear to the audience that it's sole purpose is to provide sexual gratification.
Benni Benassi- satisfaction (2001)
How does this video use symbolic codes to construct a representation of women?
-women are represented as very sexual
-the different types of drills etc are symbolic codes for sex the varied objects symbolising varied sexual acts
-the intertextual reference to adverts with the use of texts connotes they're being sold and encodes the ideologies that woman can be bought sexually and encourages it
-the use of red throughout represents lust and sex
-the bubble gum being blown acts as a symbol for something else being blown
-the use of stereotypically 'manly' objects and acts is in binary opposition with the woman but these two factors also demonstrate that the target audience is heterosexual men
-the only way women can be using these manly objects is to be sexualised
-the use of lip-syncing and close-ups emphasise their lips which are a symbolic code for kissing or oral
-the women are advertising building materials to men to represent sexual acts but they're using the building devices on objects, this use of a symbolic code means that they're objectifying themselves
Key term - Star appeal - where a performer has been constructed so distinctively, she generates audience adoration and her appeal goes beyond that of just being a 'performer'
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu- PONPONPON (2011)
How does the producer of this video construct KPP as a 'star' as opposed to a normal human being? Why should we look at her?
-the mise-en-scene of the pastel colour palette, childish objects and conventionally childish outfit creates a stereotypically Japanese perception of 'cute'
-the pile of props around her are taller than she is, making her look small and reinforcing this
-the use of the direct mode of address highlights this again- the high angle looking down on her and the use of eye contact emphasises her petiteness but also her large, round, brown eyes
-a cute, playful dancing persona is created
-her dancing follows the same themes- it is childlike and highlighted by the long shot of it used
-binary opposition between the faceless woman who's suggested to be older by the mise-en-scene of her grey hair and figure
-KPP is passive throughout the entire video, she dances but doesn't actually ever do anything, she stays in the same place as abstract objects fly around her. the objects have more reign than she does representing her as helpless and encouraging the audience to help her
Blackpink- ddu ddu du (2018)
How does this construct and subvert representations of women?
-as powerful
-the camera pans up to them dancing, the audience is looking up at them performing putting the girls in a position of power
-the direct mode of address of the hard stares they give the camera further conveys their power and dominance
-the use of bold block colours of the setting act as binary opposition to each other but convey power with the juxtaposition
-the camera zooms in to Jennie rapping, she is sitting on a throne which connotes power, but is also part of a chess game- alluding to her being a queen
-chess is normally associated with black and white but in this scenario the dominant colour is pink, she is the queen the pink represents her femininity as empowering
-the small dog acts in binary opposition to her power emphasising it but also reinforces a stereotypical womanly trait- nurture, but like the pink, it is used to empower her
-the tiara and jewellery connote wealth
-many shots of Jennie are used in succession, the camera focuses on her in the same position over and over and nothing else, this use of editing reflects how all the attention is on her at all times
-the camera then zooms out to a chessboard atop a chessboard, but Jennie is larger than both of them to assert her dominance
-she knocks over the chess piece on the word 'pink'- this ties into blackpink's concept, their name is supposed to represent their duality, the 'pink' being the well known Korean 'cute' concept whilst the black is the 'girl crush' one. the majority of blackpink's comebacks have been black with only one pink one. knocking over the chess piece on the word pink is a symbolic code for how whilst the girls can do both today they're focusing on dominance and forgetting about trying to be cute and weak.
-her eyes light up pink when she says the word savaging- continuing the theme of femininity empowering them
-this is reinforced when lisa's rap starts, she's holding a bird connoting she owns it. this is key because the word bird is a term often used by men to describe women, her holding the bird is a symbolic code for her taking the phrase for herself and 'owning' it
-the machete functions as a proairetic code, telling the audience she is going to do something powerful, the word Blackpink etched on it shows brand identity and the fact their name is everywhere shows their dominance
-in the shot of Lisa dressed in all pink holding their lightstick this is encapsulated. the board behind her is covered in intertextual references to blackpink, their songs and their music videos. She is holding the official Blackpink lightstick like it is a weapon, a symbolic code for the power blackpink has but also blinks, their fans who own the lightsticks, (their target demographic is girls so not only are the females in the music video empowered but also the ones who watch it) and the colour palette of black and pink is a blatant reference. combined this shows the attention on all blackpink, their brand is everywhere and dominates all the shots (commodity fetishism?)
-Lisa stands by a safe connoting she is precious like money.
-the mise-en-scene of her costume conveys her power as well, she doesn't stay in the same costume for more than a few seconds. owning and wearing so many outfits connotes money and versatility
-symbolic code of the fox tail when she says 'i'm foxy'
-extremely low angle of Rosé positions the audience to be literally and figuratively looking up at her
-the duplicate of herself represents the two versions, a theme further explored in the kill this love music video in which she destroys the weak version of herself to become stronger, that anchors this scene
-mise-en-scene of the setting- tainted windows and bricks suggests it's a church. the lighting and white costume compares Rosé to something holy, like an angel
-this is reinforced by the use of slow mo when she directly addresses the audience, it makes her look graceful and elegant
-the weaker version of Rosé looks up to the camera but fills the frame, she has a determined strong facial expression which tells the audience that even at her weakest she is strong.
-binary opposition between weak Rosé and strong Rosé
-The video focuses on members individually for their parts with no cross cutting, each gets their moment to shine and doesn't have to share the spotlight conveying their power
-Jisoo's costume acts in binary opposition to her surrounding's to emphasise her beauty and power
-She stands calmy in a long black dress with extensive jewellery whilst the world around her falls apart, the cars in the background are destroyed but she is composed and not harmed at all
-Sparks are a proairetic code which connote danger but all Jisoo needs is an umbrella to protect herself and she still stands strong and proud
-close ups of her face as she stares into camera build tension
-long shots used to accentuate her body and represent her as beautiful (long shots were also used for all the other members)
-The way she holds the umbrella and the white gleaming jewellery connote wealth, wealth=power
-Her stance is wide and stereotypically unladylike subverting expectations
-low angles used of the members whilst their dancing to represent them as powerful
-canted angles build excitement and position the audience as unable to stay still whilst the song plays and blown away by the dancing
-costumes are short to accentuate bodies- stereotypical representation, van zoonen's theory
-sparkles on each costume connote wealth, common theme throughout the video
-lisa wears a hegemonically 'mens' jacket, she has taken the power but wears it with pink bedazzled boots and shorts. using femininity to be strong
-binary opposition between Jennie in black and Jennie in white- she can do both, reflecting blackpink's name
-she's sitting on a stereotypical male prop- the tank but it bejewelled to highlight theme of using femininity as a weapon- reinforced by completely pink setting
-genre iconography of an action movie
-large letters of 'blackpink' further example of brand identity
-shopping bags are extremely stereotypical of women, but placing them on the shooter of the tank reinforces using femininity as their main weapon- the video subverts female representations by using conventional representations in a non-conventional way, genre fluidity and hybridity
-Jennie eats popcorn whilst sitting on the tank to show how relaxed she is, represents her as 'cool' and subverts stereotype that women become emotional/panicky by action, action doesn't scare her it entertains her. encodes message of the song that she's going to 'ddu ddu du' the man
-big hat is a symbolic code for her power, it's perfect because it is very feminine but also large and able to draw attention
-tank crushes the presents- the presents are conventional in romance movies for the man to win back the women with, having them crushed under her tank highlights the message of the song. they can't be won back and from now it's destruction
-close up of jisoo but with pink hair, the wig connotes this is a different persona of hers and the bright colour suggests it's a star one
-she is completely calm as she walks through the crowd of people
-the camera goes backwards, tracking her positioning the audience as someone being pushed back by her or guiding her with them- polysemic
-binary opposition of black hair vs pink- blackpink symbolic code
-her painting filling the wall behind her encapsulates her power and beauty, the fact it is painted connotes she is as beautiful as art, the size of it shows her dominance and suggests people are so obsessed with her they need a massive version of her
-the obsession theme is reinforced the flashes of the phones going off, but they're not taking pictures of pink jisoo, they're taking pictures of black one. it is connoted that they photo-takers are men by their costume and build, they're represented as stupid for taking pictures of the fake jisoo as the real one walks right past them.
-jisoo controls them easily whilst fitting with the theme of using femininity as power. she trips on her heel (heels are hegemonically only worn by women and falling down suggests weakness something else very stereotypical of women), the crowd then turns and looks at to take photos- Jisoo remains completely composed and smirks at the camera- this direct mode of address connoting she knew exactly what she was doing
-the use of masks covering the men is polysemic- it rids of them their identity leaving them powerless, it suggets it could be any man, it rids of them of their looks whilst jisoo is represented as extremely attractive and most importantly it means that no man's face is in the music video for a song about a man
-when the phones were pointed towards the wall the men had no masks on and the phones were being used as phones, when the phones were pointing at jisoo they were recreating guns and the men were wearing masks- further use of the action genre iconography to encode themes song (action metaphor for love is also further explored in the kill this love music video). this suggets that men are drawn in by looks and further shallow elements but can't handle the person that comes with it.
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