Music Video analysis: RESEARCH

Music Video analysis
The Dance/Hardcore music videos I will be analysing will be:
• ‘Styles & Breeze: Amigos’.
• ‘Darren Styles - Save Me’.
• ‘Ultrabeat - Pretty green eyes’.
• ‘Basshunter – Now you’re gone’.
• ‘Darren Styles - Come Running’.
• ‘Styles & Breeze – Heartbeatz’.

Music Video 1: ‘Styles & Breeze: Amigos’.

Web Address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-KNMVX-ESU

This music video follows a storyline involving the artists Styles & Breeze and the female lyricist, who plays the role of main character throughout the video. This is emphasised using tracking shots of her as the main character. The video involves a car chase and a club scene; both of these relate well with the genre of music, dance/hardcore, because the car chase is fast paced, which is similar to the music itself and therefore makes the video more structured and congruent. The video was easily relatable to the demographic audience the song wished to target, as it featured many extras, and close ups of the main female character, so the audience would be able to engage with the character and become involved with the drama throughout the video. The location of the video was New York and props such as a Lamborghini car and the setting itself connoted the big budget, commercial feel of the video to the audience which made it seem more professional and high quality. The high quality video makes this video more commercial meaning it will attract a wider audience then if the video was of a lower budget. It also means the video is likely to be showcased on popular TV channels such as ‘MTV dance’ and ‘The hits’, which would most likely lead to more sales of the song itself. The framing throughout the video uses mainly medium close ups and extreme close ups, particularly for the female character when she was singing so that the audience could read and observe her emotions easily and clearly. The medium and extreme close ups shots also frame some characters body parts which gives the characters a strong sexual identity. However I noticed the video itself was not as sexually provocative as some videos which I analysed, therefore this may hint at a younger demographic audience, where sexual connotations would not be as appropriate. The female character is portrayed in some dance scenes and positions, which is also a popular convention of the dance/hardcore genre as it is a common reaction whilst listening to this genre of music. The female characters outfit was typical outrageous club wear, showing ample flesh in contrasting colours, which is worn by many clubbers who wish to stand out and, ironically, be original. This gave the female character a playful personality and was one which the audience could relate to and admire. The dancing shots gave the video a better atmosphere, which, in turn, gave the video more energy making it more engaging for the demographic audience. The lighting used was frequently dark and as the video setting was at night and this conveys a sense of rebellion to the audience, helping to add a sense of excitement to the audiences’ mundane, everyday lives. Overall, the big budget impression of the music video which is given to the audience adds a high quality feel, making the video seem more commercial, which would result in more sales of the song. The stereotypical codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre which the video follows, such as a female dancer and stock settings –the club- are effective as they relate to the song itself and therefore give the video a feeling of congruence and familiarity for the dance/hardcore demographic audience.

Music Video 2: ‘Darren Styles - Save Me’.

Web address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAwh1h4iD3s&feature=fvst

The beginning of the video shows a picturesque view of the skyline and a male character -the artist Darren Styles– with his back to the camera and the audience. The character is framed using an over the shoulder shot, with the camera tracking the characters movements. From this tracking movement the audience know that his character is significant and therefore the framing and movement of the camera connotes his importance to the audience. The character then jumps off the edge of a large building, and begins to free fall down the building. This movement of the freefalling from the main character, along with the song itself, gives viewers a sense of escapism and freedom, meaning they can completely focus on the song and the storyline of the video alongside this. The feeling of escapism which viewers get from watching this video is effective as it gives the song a strong sense of empowerment, which the demographic audience can benefit from. The strong sense of empowerment and freedom is emphasised by camera shots of the blue, cloudless sky and the bright white sun which is depicted high in the sky. The plotline of the video works well with the song, titled ‘Save Me’, as the lyrics directly relate to the character and plotline of the video, which overall gives the video a more congruent feel, making the video more engaging for the audience. I found this video was atypical of the dance/hardcore genre because it did not feature any stereotypical stock settings such as a club, neither did it feature any overly sexualised female or male characters, the only other female character being depicted was shown through extreme close ups when the male character encounters flash backs of an old relationship, which also tied in with the songs lyrics effectively. The female character was not wearing typical outrageous club wear, as I found in the first video, and her expressions were not overly sexually provocative. Instead of looking into the camera directly with her lips parted, the character was smiling which helped to convey a positive and upbeat message to the audience. The extreme close ups of the female characters face allowed the audience to read the female characters emotions effectively, and were also contrasting to previous videos which I had analysed, because there was no framing of parts of the female characters body, consequently she was not portrayed to be a sexual object to the demographic audience. This made the female character seem more personable and relatable to the audience, showing the importance of her to the male character, which in turn helped the plotline seem more believable. The lighting used throughout the video was bright which also helped to give the song upbeat and positive connotations and generally gave the song a highly positive message. In general, the video was effective because although it did not follow many codes and conventions of the dance/hardcore genre, it directly related to the song itself which overall meant it was a refreshing change from typical conventional dance/hardcore videos. This meant that the video conveyed a completely different message to the audience in relation to other dance/hardcore videos which made it different for the audience watching it and this was conveyed effectively.

Music Video 3: ‘Ultrabeat - Pretty green eyes’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0FP1Y7Cuq0

The music video begins with an extreme close up of a female character torso and chest area, exposing her to the audience, also making her less relatable to them. She is then framed in several uncompromising shots getting dressed and ready to leave for something, which helps to build tension and the audiences’ anticipation. This beginning would appeal to both females and males because females would find her power over holding the opposite sexes attention appealing and aspire to be like this character, whereas the male characters would find her sexually appealing; because of extreme close up shots of the characters different body parts. The female characters costume, compiling of fish net tights and a revealing dress is typical convention of the dance/hardcore genre, especially the fishnet tights which have high sexual connotations. Along with this and other suggestive framing, this gives the female character a strong sexual identity, which is portrayed to the audience throughout the music video. Although the setting of the video is unclear in the beginning, it is where the character begins to get ready which leads the audience assuming the female character is in a bedroom of some sorts. The bedroom setting is a stock setting which is frequently used in music videos, particularly those with a teenage, younger audience who can particularly relate to this setting. Therefore, from the use of a bedroom setting, I am assuming the age of the demographic audience is similar to my groups demographic target audience; ranging from about 17-25. The next setting used is another typical stock setting, particularly to the dance/hardcore genre; in a club scene. Inside this location, the music video portrays lots of women dancing in the club, but no men are included in the mise en scene, which again gives the female dancers a strong sexual identity, which would appeal to both sexes again. This is emphasised during close ups of the female characters dancing, which are shown in slow motion to increase sexual tension and helps to build audiences anticipation. The lighting used is dark, with lots of shadows used, which conveys a sense of mystery to the audience akin to the main female character featured, as with the little amount of emotions portrayed on the characters face, she is also seen as mysterious to the audience. The male artist of the song is only included a few times in the video, and is shown to admire the female character, giving a small plotline to the video, however it is not as in-depth as other videos which I have analysed. Many of the shots used in the video could be viewed as derogatory of the female character, as she is framed frequently in many exposing shots. However, they could also be interpreted by post modern feminists to be empowering to other females because she plays a significant role throughout the video and holds a certain power over the main male character, who is seemingly enchanted with her. Generally, I think the video is effective because it uses a plot line to convey certain messages to the audience, but I think it would have been more effective if the plotline was depicted more, as some parts of the video were less engaging for the audience, as they had little to follow through the visual aspects of the video.

Music Video 4: ‘Basshunter – Now you’re gone’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgFwiCApH7E

The beginning of the video depicts a female and male character, both shown using contrasting shots in different locations; the first one used was a bedroom which has proven to be a stock setting for many of the videos I have analysed. The bedroom location also hints at a younger demographic audience who would be able to relate to this location effectively. The contrasting shots of the main female and male character convey to the audience that the two characters are linked in some way and extreme close up shots of both characters are used so that the audience can read their emotions easily, making both characters more appealing for the audience. The music video portrays both characters getting ready to go out which I have found is a common convention of the dance/hardcore genre videos, as it allows tension to build for the audiences as they anticipate where the characters are going. The next location used was at a club, which is also a common convention of the genre dance/hardcore and once again this stock convention is used because it is relatable to the audience which helps to add realism. The main prop used throughout the video is a mobile phone, which also helps to add realism and is a simple way of conveying the characters feelings to the audience. This makes it easer for a plotline to be interpreted by the audience and gives the video a more commercial feel as both characters are using technology, which gives the video a high quality feel. The lighting used was bright and flattering for all of the characters, which is significant especially because only good looking characters were used in the video, consequently this would appeal to the audiences as they would aspire to be akin to the characters, giving them a sense of escapism and freedom during the watching of the video. The video itself is fast paced which also helps to keep the audience engaged and interested in the plotline. I could apply Todrovs narrative theory to this music video because it begins with a sense of equilibrium, which is then disrupted, finally ending with a familiar sense of equilibrium. This is effective because it would be a familiar narrative theory for the audience and in general this would make the video easier for them to follow. I also found I could also apply Propps character theory to the video as I noticed it included a ‘hero’, ‘princess’ and ‘villain’ character, which would also be familiar to the audience. As the demographic audience would be familiar with the narrative structure and character roles, this would give them a greater sense of escapism as they would not be confused with particular elements of the plotline. In essence, this makes the video very effective in engaging the audience through its interesting and exciting plotline. The stock codes and conventions used, significant within the dance/hardcore genre, allow the audience to identify the music genre quickly; and therefore is more likely to appeal to the demographic audience. This video is effective as it allows audience members a form of escapism, which is important to most audience members when consuming certain types of media, particularly music videos.

Music Video 5: ‘Darren Styles - Come Running’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNp5vbCi7Lo

This music video follows a plot in which two women are infatuated with the main male character, played by the artist, Darren Styles. This plotline relates to the song and its lyrics because it features the main characters running, portrayed using tracking shots and therefore it makes the video seem more cohesive and structured, because it directly relates to the song and the lyrics within it. The video itself features lots of couple shots of the female characters which connotes to the audience they are related and, in this case, have a common goal in attempting to attract the main male character. The contrasting shots used with the two female characters and the main male character convey they are also linked in some way. Typical stock settings are used, mainly being a club and a hotel room; the club particularly being a significant stock convention of the music genre and therefore this helps to convey the music genre dance/hardcore to the audience quickly, so that they can become more engaged with the song and the plotline of the music video. Some camera shots used would appeal to the male audience because they depict the women in sexual compromising ways, through a variety of different methods including costume – such as skimpy outfits; another stock convention of the dance/hardcore genre which the music video follows. The red lipstick of both female characters connotes danger and sexual promiscuity to the audience, heightening the audiences’ tension and engagement. The extreme body close up camera shots, which expose different parts of the females’ bodies, including the chest and torso, also emphasise the females’ sexual identity. However, the video challenges the conventions of the dance/hardcore genre in some way because there are also compromising, exposing camera shots used of the main male character, which would appeal to the female audiences. I think this is effective because it helps to give the main male artist a sex appeal, making him more commercially viable for the music institutions, in the case of future releases or music videos. This would help built a ‘brand’ for the artist and could result in ludicrous advertising campaigns or tours broadcasting his music, if enough female and male audiences would find him appealing. The artist would also appeal to the male audiences as he has been portrayed to be a bit of a womaniser, especially featuring two attractive women in his music video and consequently could be looked up to be a role model for the younger male audiences. The lighting used throughout the video is mainly dark, which adds an element of mystery to the music video and keeps audience members engaged. The dark lighting also helps to build tension which throughout the video is effective because it keeps the music video interesting for the audience. I found that similarly to the previous video analysed I could apply Todrovs narrative theory to this music video because it shared a common narrative structure which is one that the audience would be familiar with. However I could not apply the Propps character thory particularly effectively to the music video –apart from the main artist being the hero- and this could be an example of the music institutions attempts to challenge certain codes and conventions. In general, the video itself works well because conveys a strong sense of the artist which appeals to both male and female audiences and gives the artist strong commercial viability. Although most codes and conventions were followed a few were also challenged which gave the video a refreshing difference, which I believe would be uncommon for audiences. It gave a good representation of the song, because the video itself was well structured and organised, therefore the video itself was one which was well made, well produced and thought out, which is clearly portrayed to the audience.

Music Video 6: ‘Styles & Breeze – Heartbeatz’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nesWJRbddZ0

The final music video I analysed featured three different locations; one for the DJ, one for the female lyricists and one for the dancers, the three different scenes frequently contrasting with each other. It was interested for the audiences how the three different scenes were portrayed and I found both the female lyricist and the female dancers scenes were highly provocative, whereas the male DJs featured used less risqué costumes and camera shots within the mise en scene. The dancers used all wore the same costume –a nurses outfit- which I found not effective as it did not relate to the song or the plotline of the video. The outfits also contained fishnets which have large sexual connotations to the audience, which was also emphasised using provocative dance movements, the camera shots exposing extreme close ups of various different body parts. There was little interaction between the dancers and this in itself dehumanised the characters, portraying them to be little more than objects of desire rather then able minded people. This again was portrayed to the audience because all the dance movements were the same and this connoted a robotic feel to the audience. I noted the female lyrist, was depicted throughout the video using high angle, which connoted to the audience that the female was weak and vulnerable. Although this would appeal to the male audience members of the group, it slightly perturbed me as a female audience member analysing the video, because the portrayal of the male and female characters was of stark difference and in this way I found this video was the one which least challenged codes and conventions and dominant ideas within society. The male artists featured were portrayed using a couple shot throughout which helped to convey the two artists were related and together. One way which the video challenged conventions was not featuring a plot line, in contrast there was three contrasting , completely unrelated with each other played randomly throughout the video. I thought this challenging of typical conventions was ineffective because it gave no escapism for audience members and there was a sense of divergence running throughout the video. The stereotypical codes and conventions which were followed throughout the video were mainly the use of female dancers and the female singers, and their costumes outfits, where there was a large contrast to the male DJs. I think the video was ineffective in targeting their particular demographic audience, because although it followed some stereotypical conventions it became predictable and was not as engaging as some other videos which I had previously analysed; I thought it lacked originality and innovative ideas. I found I could not apply either Todrovs narrative theory or Propps character theory and although in retrospect this is not necessarily a negative thing, videos must contain something to entertain and engage audiences otherwise they will relate this to the song itself and hold a negative opinion of it. I have learnt that in order to create a successful video, I must engage and interest my audience otherwise it will not be effective. Consequently, I will attempt to do this whilst producing my video as then overall I will stand a better chance of creating a successful product.

Typical Codes and Conventions of the dance/hardcore genre which I Have Found During Analysis:

• Stock Settings, which include: Clubs, hotel rooms and bedrooms.
• Female dancers/ singers overtly sexualised, depicted in extreme close ups.
• Male figure in videos are shown to be permissive and omnipotent.
• Usually follow a plot line.
• Women wearing outrageous club wear outfits, which feature contrasting colours and fishnet tights.
• Videos glamorise life in contrast to normal, everyday reality.

Now I have discovered frequently used codes and conventions, I can decide which were most effective and apply this during the making of my video, in an attempt to portray effective messages to the target audience and create an effective video.