Vid EG7 The Heart Wants What It Wants- Selena Gomez

ACT: Selena Gomez

Track: The Heart Wants What It Wants 

Year: 2014

Director: Antonio Armato and Tim James

Genre: Pop

Main Audience: Females 13- 25+ (the reason to why she targets such a young age is because most people know her for previously starring in disney channel which means that she will appeal to a younger audience)

Lyrics

Relationship between visuals and lyrics:

The lyrics relate to the visual as the performer is referring to her love life and how hurt she felt once it ended which is shown through close ups her crying and flashbacks of her and her lover shown together. Furthermore, it is in black and white  which reinforces the idea that it is a sad sentimental song, as black connotes loss which is the message that the artist is making the audience understand.

 Genre Characteristics:

The lyrics are part of the genre characteristic as pop songs are usually known for referring to love and the performer's personal experience. Also another genre characteristic is the auto tune used to repeat the word 'want' almost like a broken record, further reinforcing the idea that the song is mainly focused around the performers past relationship.

 Performance, Narrative and/ or Concept:

The narrative is Selena looking back onto old memories of her and her lover and how upset she is that it all had to come to an end. She first introduces the narrative with a personal message at the beginning of the video before the song even begins saying "when i was on stage and i was thinking of.. i felt like i know, i know him and i know his heart and i know what he wouldn't do to hurt me.." already introducing the audience to the story that will be further developed within the song.

Performance Style:

The main performance is Selena Gomez lipsynching. However throughout the video she is shown through close up shots crying, looking very convincing for the audience in order for them to be able to understand how much in pain she is due to her having to give up on something that she really cared about. The performance of her crying also makes the audience feel pity as they are watching their idol expressing their pain not just through the lyrics of the song but also through their performance.

 Linear, Closed Narrative:

This is a linear narrative as there is a beginning and an end. Starting off with the brief introduction to what the story is about and concluding with an ending that the artists has given up with this love story and has got to move forward from it. 

 Looking, Mode of Address:

There is a lot of direct address made throughout the music video, however it is not used to intimidate the audience but more rather to make them understand the way in which the artist is feeling, because whenever she is presented in a close up shot f her face whilst addressing the camera, she is crying because she trying to make the audience understand that she really is in pain, and also for the target audience to be able to relate to her as they may have been in a similar experience before.

 Star Treatment:

Selena Gomez is the main focus throughout the song as the song is based upon her story. When she is alone in the dressing room, there is a contrast between the lighting by darkening the background and having high key lighting where she is sat. When seeing her from a close up shot whilst crying the lighting is very high key giving of this surean image of her. However, whenever she is seen next to 'her lover', the couple is shown through and oblique shot so that the focus is on them and not the rest of the crowd.

Representation:

The representation in the music video is a typical good girl falling for the bad boy. This impression is given off through the use of props as the male is dressed in a blazer, usually presented drinking a beer whereas Selena is dressed more classy (which is a typical convention for her) and not doing the same actions as he is. However, this relationship is a clear representation of the good girl being intrigued by the popula/ rebellious boy and in the end having her heart broken from it.

Male Gaze:

There is some male gaze because Selena is wearing a sheer top and a very short skirt. However the outfit has not been used to intrigue the male audience but more to add on to her persona since she is known for wearing classy, yet a bit revealing clothing, but it also relates to the character that she is playing  in the narrative as it is a party outfit and she is being shown in a party atmosphere.

Pace + Variation of Pace:

The pace throughout the music video is quite slow and there are a lot of long takes especially when selena is seen at a close up shot whilst crying. This is because the pace is reflecting on the meaning of the song since it's a nostalgic message being said to the audience.

Shot Variety + No. of Set Ups:

There are two specific locations in the video, the party when the couple is shown together and the the dressing room when the artist is alone. In the dressing room there are various over the shoulder shots of the artist looking into the mirror, long shots to show the isolation and close up shots when only focusing on her face to see her emotions. However at the party there are long oblique shots when just focusing on the couple and some long short to establish that they are at a party.

Locations + Mise-en-scene:

The locations where the artists is performing are conventional to her as they are places that she is mostly known to be at in real life not just in music video. Furthermore, her outfit is another convention because when watching the artist in interviews or walking the red carpet she is always dressed classy usually with her hair up, appealing to the institution that she belongs to because if we compare her to Taylor swift who is from a similar genre, she also wears classy clean cut outfits.

Vid EG 5 Creep- Radiohead

ACT: Radiohead

Track: Creep 

Year: 1993

Director:

Genre: Alternative Rock

Main Audience: Males 16-25+

Lyrics







Relationship Between Visuals + Lyrics:
There is no clear relationship between the visuals and lyrics as the lyrics talk about the story of a man trying to seek the attention from a girl. However, the visuals don't reinforce this idea because we are just shown with the band performing the song but not telling the story behind the lyrics.

Genre Characteristics:

The fact that the visuals and the lyrics don't add together is a genre characteristic to alternative rock because in most music videos the visuals don't add up to the story behind the lyrics. However, the lead singer could be talking from a personal experience referring to himself as 'The creep" and how his love story didn't turn out as he planned. Another genre characteristic is the distorted guitar sound whenever the chorus is about to come up as its is a typical convention to the genre. 

 Performance Style:

The band is shown throughout the video in a variation of close up shots whilst performing their song on a stage to a live audience. There is the typical musicians found in an alternative rock band performing (guitarist, bass player, drummer and lead singer). This widens the options of shot angles as the video has been made to create this atmosphere for the audience as though they are at the live concert watching the band perform their song.

Audience in Vid: 

There is a live audience presented in the video watching the bands performance because their location is on a stage. This is a typical convention for alternative rock (rock) genre music as in most music videos a live audience is present, watching the act perform.

Star Treatment:

Each one of the performers gets their moment of highlight throughout the video. What i mean by this is that there are different moment s when the spotlight is on them and camera goes onto a close up shot of that specific person whilst their playing. However, the lead singer is the one that stands out the most as he is positioned center of the stage and most of the time throughout the video the spotlight is on him since he is the one telling his own personal story through the song.

 Representation:

The song represents certain males who don't know how to express their love towards a woman, The reason for this is because the lyrics are told from a male performer which is why it is easier for the male audience to relate. Furthermore, if it were to target a specific social group it would be a gothic group as the lyrics are quite dark and quirry, as the words "i'm a creep" are repeated constantly making it easy for abnormal social classes to relate to them.

Pace + Any Variation of Pace:

The pace of the song has been made to fit the track, there are both long and short takes throughout the video. The long takes are mostly used when the guitarists is having his own personal solo so that the audience only focuses on him, however as for the lead singer there are a lot of short takes from different angles to give off the idea as though the person watching the video is at their live performance.

 Shot Variety + No. of Set Ups:

There is only one set up throughout which is the stage that the band is performing on. The reason for this is because it is giving off the impression that the band is giving a live performance to an audience that is being filmed live as it is taken from different distances such as close ups on the band or extreme long shots to make it seem as though the camera man is part of the crowd.

FX:

There are some special effects such as smoke coming onto the stage creating this mysterious and creepy vibe for the audience, relating to the lyrics of the song as the singer is referring to himself as a creep.

Vid EG6 Crazy Inlove- Beyonce

ACT: Beyonce ft Jay- Z

Track: Crazy In Love

Year: 2003

Director: Rich Harrison

Genre: R&B, Pop, Hip-hop

Main Audience: Females as they are the ones that can relate to the main artists (Beyonce) but the secondary audience would be Males as Jay-Z is present and he is typically known to appeal more to the male audience as his genre of music is typically dark and gangster like.

Lyrics

 Relationship Between Visuals + Lyrics:

In this music video we get beyonce playing various different characters which add up to making the persona that we know her to be which is a glamorous, fierce woman. In the music video she is presented as different girls to appeal to a vast majority of female audience, so that they are able to identify with one of the characters shown as every single woman can relate to the idea of being crazy in love, and Beyonce is addressing the different social groups by giving them something that they can all relate to.

 Genre Characteristics:

The Music video addresses the main convention for its genre, as it has got dancing relating to the hip hop aspect of it and the R&B as beyonce at the beginning of the song improvises on her dance performance which is what the genre is known for, featuring much improvisation.

Performance, Narrative and/ or Concept:

The Narrative is based upon this persona that Beyonce is portraying of a young girl being in love, and how she has engulfed herself within this love leading her to go crazy and doing crazy things such as going on a runway and having photoshoots. Furthermore, the performance shown throughout is the statement which we know Beyonce for, this is her dancing as she choreographs it herself and it's quite provocative giving off the idea that she is this fierce woman, the queen B as we know her to be. 

Performance Style:

Lip Synching from both artists (Beyonce and Jay-Z) and dancing from Beyonce alongside some backup dancers.

 Linear, Closed Narrative:

This is a closed narrative as there is no beginning nor clear end to visuals. This is because we are given the main concept that it is based upon Beyonce being in love for the first time and going crazy about it, but there is no clear story to develop on this as she is shown through different characters that don't necessarily add up to the story of the song but more to the persona of Beyonce, and to the genre of the song as it's an upbeat dance song which is what she is reinforcing with her performance.

 Looking, Mode of Address:

Throughout the video Beyonce stares into the camera which could be seen as a flirtatious approach toward the male audience watching the music video in order to intimidate them, but at the same time attract them, further reinforcing the idea that Beyonce is this flawless goddess that not only the women admire, but so do the males.

 Star Treatment:

Beyonce is the main focus throughout the song, and the way in which this is reinforced is through the use of props as whenever being presented within a group of girls, she is the one wearing the boldest colours or the most revealing clothes as it is a song based upon her love life. However, it also relates to the idea that she is this idol that other women look up to.

As for Jay-Z's presented in the typical conventions that he is known for, which is a dark character relating to his lyrics and his actual persona in real life as his genre of music is mainly Rap, usually known for having darker meaning. Thsi idea is contrasted with beyonce who is presented in bright colours and high key lighting, whereas Jay-Z is mostly shown in low key lighting and a rough looking location such as an abandoned alley with a fire burning at the back. Furthermore, when Beyonce appears next to him in revealing clothes, it is a typical convention to him as in most of his music videos he has to have a side chick.

 Representations:

The main representation in this video is ethnicity within gender as Beyonce is presenting the different personas a female could have; the sassy girl, the hip hop dancer, the side chick etc 

Male Gaze:

The music video is filled with male gaze as whenever Beyonce is presented, she is in very tight/ short clothing appealing to the male audience especially since she is known for being this sexy woman that young women look up to.  Furthermore, when Beyonce is shown next to Jay-Z that is when it definitely appeals to the male audience as she is wearing very revealing clothes, giving off the impression that if men are more like Jay-Z the'll be able to achive a woman like Beyonce. 

Vid EG 4 The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army

Act: The White Stripes

Track: Seven Nation Army

Year: 2003

Director: Alex & Martin

Genre: Rock/ Garage Rock

Album: Elephant

Main Audience: Males 15-25+ (secondary audience could be gothic females as their genre of music is quite dark, and both the military lyrics and the tune of the song reinforce this idea, as it is a song that represents political protest.)

Lyrics

Relationship between visuals + Lyrics:

In this music video there isn't a direct connection, however the singer emphasizes certain words by performing the actions which would represent them. An example would be that when he says "I'm gonna fight 'em off", he gestures his hands outwards as if he were implying that he has got the power to overtake anyone, because the position that he is presented in  connotes confidence, power. Furthermore, as he is positioned in the center of the shot frame, it suggests that he is the main focus of the song further reinforcing the idea of power. 

Genre Characteristics:

The lyrics of this song address different political views, however in an aggressive and unsophisticated way because there are words such as " hounds of hell"  giving off a negative vibe to the lyrics since the word 'hell' is known to be a negative location. However in this context the artist is referring to that not only does everyone here in the living world hear about each other, but also the afterlife does alwell, reinforcing the idea on how easily rumors/ secretes spread globally causing conflicts between politics, as this is a song going against the politicians (seen as a song of protest) which is a typical convention for this genre of music as this is how the artists send across their message to the audience on how they are unsatisfied with the way in which the world is being run.

 Performance, Narrative and/ or Concept:

The main performance in this song is the lip singing from the lead singer and the guitarists whom is the instrument that we hear of the most in the song. The concept of the song is that the artists are in a way doing a tribute to an organization called 'The salvation Army' which is where they got the idea for the name of the song, because it is an organization of protesting for those in need, and the band itself is portraying this through their music. The idea that it sounds like an army marching, relates to the name itself of the song 'Seven nation army' and the people who are part of 'The salvation Army' organization as they are; soldiers, officers and adherents.

Performance Style:
The performance is typical of a rock band genre, as we are shown with the guitar player, the lead singer lipsynching and the drummer whom are the typical musicians found in a rock band.

 Looking/ Mode of Address: 

There is some mode of address shown from the lead singer when singing, especially to reinforce the most powerful words within the lyrics such as 'Fight em' off' because he is putting the message across to the audience that he is protesting for those whom are seen as vulnerable through this song. Referring back to the organization 'The Salvation Army' as the band is speaking on their behalf.

Pace + Any Variation of Pace:

The pace of the song is quite slow, mirroring the idea of an army marching since it is a song addressed to this idea of war and protest. Furthermore, it links back to the name of the song since it's called 'Seven nation army', meaning that they are putting across the idea of a war not only through the lyrics but also through the music and pace of the sound making it seem as though an army is coming, because when you listen to it, its sounds as though an army were marching towards you.

Shot Variety + No. Of Set Ups:

There are no distinct sequences of filming. The director has done a continuous shot through a Kaleidoscopic tunnel of red, black and white either creating a triangle shape or a spiral shape. Seeing as they are mainly stripes, it could be seen as representing the symbol for the band as they are called 'The White Stripes', however the other idea that is suggested through the use of this Kaleidoscopic tunnel is the idea of inception as the same images are shown throughout to reinforce the message of rebellion/ protest to the audience  because the image that stands out the most whenever it appears are the skeleton soldiers who represent the sound of the marching soldiers. Furthermore, the  reason to why the band would have used a Kaleidoscopic tunnel for their music video is because when you watch the music video, it puts you into a trance as it's like watching an optical illusion, used to get the audience engulfed within the song in order to really understand the message of the song through the use of visual and lyrics.

Vid EG 3 Calvin Harris- Summer

ACT: Calvin Harris

Track: Summer

Year: 14^th March 2014

Director: Emil Nava

Genre: EDM (Electronic Dance Music)

Main Audience: M/F 15- 25+ (predominantly male as this genre music videos present a lot of male-gaze)

Lyrics

Relationships between visuals and Lyrics:

‘Summer’ is a concept video as at first we don't get a clear relationship between the visuals and lyrics as we are first introduced to a car race and it quickly transitions to a woman standing on a balcony in lingerie looking into the distance whilst the lyrics say” when I met you in the summer”. However, we could argue that this is literal as whenever the repetition of the line “when I met YOU in the summer” is said, in the video a woman is presented in a different location, usually in lingerie.

 Location/s + Mise-en scene:

The locations shown throughout the music video appeal to the lyrics of the song as they are a car racing track, a swimming pool, a luxurious apartment and a disco. This are locations that we associate to a summer experience, furthermore it is at these locations that this genre of music is most likely to be heard at as they are locations that suggest a lively atmosphere, and the music is further reinforcing this idea through the song.

 Representations:

There are two different representations in this music video, there’s the representation of the women and the representation of the artists. The women in the music video are presented as the attraction to the male as they are mainly dressed in revealing clothes and posing sexually towards the camera. Whereas Calvin Harris is represented as neutral, could be suggested that he is represented as innocent because he is dressed in white, however this idea of innocence contrasts whenever he is surrounded by the women because it gives the audience the idea that he is a bit of a player.

 Star Treatment:

Calvin Harris is usually surrounded by women which is a convention to the genre of music as in most house music videos the artists is surrounded by females or has a female beside him giving the impression to the male audience that if they listen to this genre of music, women will be attracted to them.

 Linear, Closed Narrative:

It is a linear narrative as it is seen as a flashback to a summer experience of the artists having various different affairs with women as whenever the lyrics ‘When I met you in the summer’ are said a different woman is shown on the shot, or various different ones of them are shown at the same time surrounding him, further reinforcing this idea of him being a player.

 Looking/ Mode of Address:

There is some mode of address from the women staring into the camera suggesting that the reason to why they are doing it is to intimidate the audience as they are being presented as these flawless powerful women, made to appeal to the male gaze.

Characteristics:

The song presents the general conventions of house genre music as there is a party presented at the end reinforcing that the music is targeted for parties, and would usually be heard at a club whilst dancing (as it is dance/ house music). Furthermore, the artists himself is dressed in neutral colors which is a typical convention as it reinforces the idea that the music is tech/ modern and the colors white and grey which Calvin is dressed in, are colors that are usually used when technology is present.

Male Gaze:

The music video is filled with male gaze as it focuses a lot on the females who are presented in revealing clothes such as; in the race most of the women are in mini shorts and crop tops leaning against cars and letting their hair blow in the wind giving off a sexual vibe because the women are seen as flawless, fierce and powerful due to their body language and the location that they are at. Furthermore, when seen in the apartment, they are mainly in lingerie laying on a bed, dancing or walking down the hallways. This suggests that the women are seen as an item because they have been presented in a sexual way to attract the male audience. Furthermore, the women are mostly always presented in black or at least wearing an item of clothing that is that color, suggesting that these women are powerful and mysterious as we are presented with various women causing the audience to wonder who is the mystery girl that Calvin is referring to in the song.

Pace + Any Variation of Pace:

The pace of the music video transitions fast through each shot, which is a typical convention to this genre as the music is upbeat and fun, and not only do the visual reinforce this but so does the pace of the editing as its cuts from shot to shot to further develop the narrative of the song which is the flashback of the artist and his summer experience.

Location/s + Mise-en scene:

The locations shown throughout the music video appeal to the lyrics of the song as they are a car racing track, a swimming pool, a luxurious apartment and a disco. This are locations that we associate to a summer experience, furthermore it is at these locations that this genre of music is most likely to be heard at as they are locations that suggest a lively atmosphere, and the music is further reinforcing this idea through the song.