Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis Ellie Rawlings

Music Video • The main purpose of a music video is to promote the album or song to get the audience interested in the song, and also to help aid the story in the story as it will be clearer watching it on screen. • Representation - Another purpose of music videos is to represent certain political problems in society, it can also represent a certain group or individuals, for example the ethnicity, gender, age and sexuality. The male gaze theory can be applied to Rap music videos where women are used as sexual objects and are just there to make the video more appealing to a male audience. - Female Gang leaders, Female Singer (Best Coast-Our Deal) • Ethnicity – Black people treated unfairly (Changes- Tupac)

Promotion • Music Videos are used to promote an album or song. There is often a single with a music video released before the whole album is released to give the audience a taster of what they can expect the tone of the album to be with the video helping to show the storyline and creating interest from the audience. • Link to Film/TV • Many artists that create the soundtrack to a film/TV programme will have one main song and create a music video containing parts of that film/TV programme, this helps the producers of both the album and the Film/TV to promote • Paramore – Decode http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnkAtWcKYg • Music videos have evolved in the way that they are now not only linking the videos to a Film or TV programme, but they are almost turning into their own short films to create synergy throughout two media platforms, promoting the song and video more. • Men in Black http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSRF3slguhI • An example of this is the Best Coast- Our deal video in which the don’t just create a video to a song they create a story which it prompted by the music and the music is added as an aid to create certain feelings and an atmosphere through the video. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn5dsvSwb64

Producers’ Strategies • Producers could use music videos as a platform to get their name out into the music industry as if there is a successful video more people will watch it therefore the more well known their name will be. This could be used to promote their music label or a new band, also it could be themselves as a Director. An example of this is Drew Barrymore, she is not known as a music video director but as an actress/Film director, this is promoting herself and showing her diversity in that she can go through and merge separate platforms.

In Too Deep – Sum 41 • Sum 41 is an alternative band with their song ‘In too Deep’ being one of their most iconic. The style of this video is a lighthearted funny video of a diving competition which plays on the title. • The band members fit in with the ‘punk rock’y look, the main singer has the spiky hair and red and black stripped top, this is a typical convention of a punk rock music video. Also, the other members of the band have the spiky black hair wearing black clothes, this is again also a stereotypical convention of a punk rock music video/style. The band are also, put in a pool surrounded by amps, which gives the impression the sound/acoustics would be good as they are in a bowl. The band doesn’t look as though it is lip synching which gives the impression they were performing live during the video and the track has just been placed over the top of the video, which could give the impression that the band are very good live and sound the same as they do on their CD, this could lead to people paying to go to their concerts as it will be worth it. There is no dance choreography, which makes sense as it is not a pop video, but there is the jumping, screaming and head banging of the audience and the band, again this is typical of a music video, this could also depict a scene from a live concert of theirs where everyone is enjoying themselves, which is very good for promoting their band and making people go to their gigs.

There is a lot of blues used in this video, this could show how that band are cool and laid back, which would boost their reputation and add to the idea they are easy to get along with which only makes the audience more comfortable with them. • There is also the red speedos of the professional divers, this could mean; danger, lust, passion or anger which could relate to the women finding these men attractive and showing they are more physically attractive than the band members, or that they are cocky so the male audience might get angry at them. The connotation of this song is being too deep into a relationship and being held down by it, which could mean lack of freedom the partner/friend/family is giving you and you trying to break free of that and live your own life, which is relatable to everyone on the planet as at one time in their life they have felt pressured and as thought they cant escape. • There is a strong link to Wheatus and Blink 182 which is why I decided to look at this video to get ideas to see what people who like this video will like in mine to make for a more successful marketing strategy and music video.

There is a linear fiction narrative used in this video, it is used to show a diving competition, its funny and lighthearted because the band show up skinny in baggy trunks and looking as though they would never be any good at diving and wouldn’t have practiced a day in their life, then there is 4 tanned muscly men in speedos who you can imagine training everyday. Even though the band isn't as good they get higher scores and bigger screams because the dives they do are funny, this is important for the audience to see as they can then relate and see that this band doesn't take themselves too seriously and hopefully the audience would feel they can have a laugh and joke with the band instead of feeling intimidated by them, which would cause them to feel comfortable with them and enjoy their music further and possibly ending up going to see them live. • This video attracts the audience by representing the band members in a cool, lighthearted way, whilst still making them look approachable because there is a group of people surrounding them when they are in the empty pool with their instruments and amps, this is like a private intimate gig where they are just playing for fun, which could give the audience the impression that the band just want to have fun with the audience and play them their music, which again could be used as a marketing strategy making the audience want to see them live and experience that atmosphere. The band members can be seen as icons because men would want to be them as they are rich, get girls and have fun, while women, due to the ‘Male Gaze Theory’ could find the men attractive and watch the video for this reason.

The video is very fast pace and there are a lot of cuts between the people diving and the band playing, these cuts happen on the biggest most prominent beat of each set of 8, there is also cutting from the face of the band member and then to the whole diving board and pool, this is to allow a stunt double, but then it goes back to their faces mid air, they are pulling funny faces which is good for the audience as they can laugh and mess about with the band. The angles used in this video are pretty straight forward, there is a lot of tracking shots involved to follow the divers as they are about to jump or to follow the crowd and band around the empty swimming pool. Playback and lip-sync are used to create this video, this is where the audience and band can hear what part of the song they are meant to be singing/dancing to, this makes the audience screaming, dancing and singing along more realistic as they can actually hear and get into it instead of being off timing and not as enthusiastic. There is also a lot of zooming in and out in this video, this is making the audience look at what the director/producer wants them to see and focus on, mainly seeing the facial expressions of the band and divers which lets the audience feel accustomed comfortable with the band members. • Overall it is a very good video that causes the audience to have fun with the band and the way it is marketed with the crowd messing around and dancing with the band causes the audience to want that experience as well so they will be more likely to buy tickets to their concerts and enjoy themselves and the music.

Stacy’s Mom- Fountains of Wayne • There are typical conventions of a 80’s pop video, the clothes that the school boys are wearing at the beginning of the video are all suits and things that kids would wear back then, also this shows that they are trying to look older than they are to impress older people, which is relatable through most teenagers, whilst also making it funny to look at. This is in contrast to ‘Stacy’ as she looks casual and cool, which could be why she is popular as she looks like she has a lot of money when her mum drives up in an expensive looking red car. The band members are all wearing suits as well when they are in the pop art picture frames, they are also lip-synching to the track of the song to help with timing, this helps set a tone and style to the music video, which gives the audience a basis to relate to. There isn’t a ‘deep’ meaning to the song it is literally just about a boy fancying his friends mum, which makes it easy listening for the audience because they don’t have to try and find a deeper message within the song they can just listen and maybe relate or just think its funny. • Fountains of Wayne is a Pop Rock band with their song “Stacy’s Mom” being one of their most popular songs, where everyone from the ages of 12 onwards have heard, this song put them on the map for teenagers all over the world. The style of this video is similar to that of Sum 41’s In too deep as it is lighthearted and just takes the mickey out of a boy who fancies his friends mum, and is willing to clean their house just so he can see her mum.

There isn’t any dance choreography but there is the band not so much jumping but bouncing around the set for the video, it doesn’t really focus on the band so much but the storyline of the video, this allows the producers to add everything involving the story to be included in the video to aid the storytelling and help the audience understand what exactly is going on. • There is a lot of red and black colours used around the mum character, this could show; passion, lust, danger or love. The black could symbolise how she is mysterious to the boy there for dark and interesting, the use of these colours could evoke certain feelings throughout the audience, manipulating there mood and creating a certain atmosphere. • Around the young girl character there are a lot of blues used, this could show she is calm and cool which would again raise her popular status as she rarely lets anything distract/get to her. Also, there is the use of the red fizzy drink the boy has in the swimming pool, it then explodes when he sees Stacy’s mom getting undressed, this could also be a sexual reference to his attraction of her mum, this is funny for the audience to watch because although it is suggestive they know exactly what its meant to represent and there is the point of laughing at others misfortunes or embarrassment.

There is a linear fiction narrative to this video, it is used to show the progression of the boys feelings for his friends mum, and also used to show his own fantasies surrounding “Stacy’s Mom”. There is also the side story of Stacy herself liking the boy, creating for a humorous sense of irony. This video is funny and lighthearted as the song is quite upbeat and catchy and then coupling that with the video it sells very successfully, there are a couple of sexual references that appeal to a slightly older audience but not so obvious that the younger audience would find funny for the right reason. This is most prominent in the red fizzy drink scene when it fizzes over when he sees Stacy’s mum getting undressed, and at the end where Stacy walks in on the boy in the cupboard fantasising about her mum.

This video very much relates to Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze theory as the mum in the video is very pretty and has an amazing figure, she is seen multiple times in the video wearing nothing but a bikini or underwear. This would attract a male audience as they see her a visually appealing and attractive, there is also the attractive daughter who is extremely cool and rich for the younger audience, this would mean they can widen their target audience as there is someone for all ages. Also, the boy is in a position where he is surrounded by a big house and pretty girls so people could aspire to be him or be in his position. It attracts a female audience because the young boy is attractive for younger girls and then there is also the attractive older masseur, with also both female characters being attractive a female audience could aspire to be them.

There are a lot of panning shots used in this video to show the contrast of Stacy to everyone else in the opening scene and there is also a lot of close-ups used in this video so the audience have to focus on what the producer wants them to see, this is mainly close-ups of the mums body to show off how good her figure is and also of Stacy’s face to show how pretty she is. There is also cutting shots when there is certain fluctuated beats to keep timing and make it look more natural. While the angles in the video are pretty straight forward there is a slight change according to what character it is focusing on, if it is the boy he is shown from a high angle which gives the idea that he is a child and inferior or in a lower position, the daughter is shown from a straight on angle or slightly low angle to portray her status and that she is rich pretty and popular which makes her superior to the boy, finally there is the mum, she is shown at low angle shots through the whole video to show her superiority and authority compared to everyone. The producers used lip synching while playing the track back for the band so that they would be in time with the music, this is only for a very small part in the video as the band are not really focused on but the story is. • Overall, I think it is a very good video which allows the audience to have fun watching and be in on the joke. The colour and cuts also stand out which is why I was drawn to this video and is something I would like my own audience to feel.

Summary • In summary, both videos have very unique qualities to them but more importantly are fun with a strong story to them, this appeals to a young audience which is something that I hope to achieve as we have a similar target audience. Both videos are also very American which gives them a certain style. • I will be influenced by these videos by making a fun video where the audience can relate or at least imagine themselves in that position, while still conforming to the ideas and preferences of my target audience from the questionnaire I did and the results I got back. I would also like to stick to the ‘American’ theme, in making the colours bright and very teenager targeted, to satisfy the needs of my target audience. I will also take note of what certain angles convey in these video and what shots are unique and are effective, and reflect and recreate this in my work.

Textual Analysis