Unit 1.2 Our Second Infograph on Rihanna

Unit 1.2 Our Infograph on Rihanna

Unit 1.1 Goodwin's Dancing In A Distraction Factory

Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See (2011) 

Music Video Demonstrates the Genre of the Audio

The Arctic Monkeys are a indie rock band formed in 2002 and consist of four members. The single Suck it and See was released in October 2011 off their fourth album Suck it and See. The music video is largely narrative and follows the story of a young couple who have a 'love-hate' relationship. It is set in the American outback and the characters are made to appear to fit in to the 'indie rock' genre by the mise-en-scene. The clothing they both wear, the area they live, their possessions and pastimes all illustrate the genre of the music. 

The band does not appear in the music video due to the use of narrative, this allows the audience to feel more involved in the video and audio as it makes them focus on the couple and the lyrics. 

Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals

The relationship between the couple is portrayed throughout the video in a bitter-sweet manner; the male and female are shown to convey both love and hate towards each other. However, their love always out ways the hate and it seems whatever they do to hurt each other will not affect what they feel for each other, 

'Be cruel to me 'cause I'm a fool for you'

These lyrics show that the girl could do anything to him and his view of her would not be altered; this puts him in a submissive position, willing for her to treat him in any way she feels. It is presumed that it is the man who is submissive to the girl due to the male voice of the lead singer, although the lyrics could also be what the girl feels for the man as visuals are also from her point of view. 

“You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock and those other girls are just post-mix lemonade”

Dandelion and Burdock is an uncommon drink and it is fairly rare to find some one who enjoys this drink; by comparing her to this drink he is saying she is rare and one of a kind. He refers to other girls as being 'post-mix lemonade' which is an extremely common drink and he is therefore saying that the other girls are boring in comparison and do not take his fancy like her. This is demonstrated through the visuals as she is the only girl featured throughout. 

"You have got that face that just says 'Baby, I was made to break your heart'”

These lyrics illustrate how despite his attraction towards this girl he knows he will get his heart broken. Her physical hurtful actions towards him will hurt him both physically and emotionally. The visuals show that even though they may fight he cannot stop himself from going back to her and comforting her. These lyrics link to the other lyrics within the song, all explaining his complicated feelings for the girl. 

Relationship between the visuals and the music

The visuals link to the music in various ways with the use of different camera shots and angles, the use of fast cutting and slow motion clips also creates a link. The speed of the visuals and transitions depends on the speed of the music; for example when the music tempo speeds up, between the end of the first verse and the chorus, the visuals are fast cutting and show the audience the first signs of violence towards each other. 
The music tempo always increases for the chorus and to show the change the visuals change to the violent scenes, whereas in the verses the visuals portray them as being calmer and more loving towards each other. The couples intimate moments such as hugging are shown in close up or medium shots as this illustrates their love to the audience. Some of the 'fighting' scenes are shown in medium/long shots, this therefore indicates the distance they feel towards each other. 

Intertextuality 
Relating to or deriving meaning from the interdependent ways in which texts stand in relation to each other. There is no clear intertextuality within this music video however the scenes with the motorcycles could related in some way to motorcycle chases seen in other films such as 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' (1991).

Selling the artist

The Arctic Monkeys are hinted at throughout the music video in a variety of ways such as on the mans 'Suck it and See' jacket. At the bottom of his jacket there is a label saying 'AMs' which stands for Arctic Monkeys; this reminds the audience of who is signing the song. The mans jacket plays a key part in selling the artist and the song due to having 'Suck it and See' written on the back; this jacket is worn many times throughout the video and stands out causing the audience to remember the song title. 
The band are not featured in the music video so the audience cannot see them throughout, therefore the small details will sell the artist. 

Voyeurism and the 'Art of Looking'

Voyeurism is portrayed throughout the music video from both the girl and the boys point of view. The man is seen to watch the girl, through the mirror, getting changed as he preens himself. This clip illustrates the man watching the girl whilst doing normal activities such as gelling his hair, yet she is naked and attracts him to her. 

It is also illustrated within the clip at the 'Death Ramps' where the couple are seen watching the other motorcyclists. This clip portrays how the couple are watching the others have fun with each other, whilst they sit out with their backs to each other, no doubt after another fight. 

Unit 1.1 Goodwin's Dancing In A Distraction Factory

Maroon 5 - Payphone ft. Wiz Khalifa

Music Videos Demonstrate Genre Characteristics

“Payphone” is a single by the American pop band Maroon 5, from the album Overexposed which was released on April 16 2012 by A&M/Octone. This song also features the American rapper Wiz Khalifa, signed to the record label Atlantic after leaving Warner Bros. Record (coincidentally both are subsidiaries of Warner Music Group. The genre of the “Payphone” is, as aforementioned, pop and this is evident from the way the music video has been constructed. The whole music video is a story which has a beginning, a middle and an end, similar to pop music videos such as “Material Girl” sung by the acclaimed “Queen of Pop” Madonna the second single from her sophomore album Like a Virgin. The video explores the fantasy that a man has over Madonna and eventually goes to see her at a film set. They meet and inevitably fall in love, with the audience presuming that they live happily ever after. Another example is the Chris Brown single featuring Justin Bieber “Next to You” which starts off with both the singers with their partners, happy and content. But then misfortune strikes and an explosion occurs, separating both the singers from their on-screen girlfriend. The video concludes with Justin Bieber finding his partner and sharing a tender kiss.

Another convention that is projected through this music video and various other pop videos is the fact that the song and music video is about relationships and love. This seems to be a common theme through pop genres and is shown, once again in, in “Material Girl” and “Next to You”. Material Girl shows the love of the actor in the music video for Madonna, claiming “she's fantastic” and expressing a desire to meet her, resulting in them both falling in love. In the music video its is made obvious that both the singers are in love and have a healthy relationship. But then they are tragically divided and the video is about both the singers having their love tested. The music video reaches a climax with Bieber sharing a kiss with his girlfriend.

One more convention that can be listed in nearly all music videos is the fact that the artist will always appear in the music video singing their songs. The best example would be Michael Jackson and all his music videos. It is in fact these videos (after appearing on MTV) that had launched Jackson. The previously mentioned music videos, “Material Girl” and “Next to You” also feature Madonna and Chris Brown singing their songs respectively. 

 

There Is A Relationship Between Lyrics And Visuals

This song is about Adam Levine saying how that his and his girlfriends relationship is not the same anymore and this is expressed by him remembering the events that we presume happened earlier and resulted to him arriving at a payphone at the beginning of the song and that is where the song actually starts:

“I'm at a payphone trying to call home

All of my change I spent on you

Where have the times gone

Baby it's all wrong, where are the plans we made for two?”

The above lines are the chorus and they are constantly sung throughout the song and from the video begins with Levine physically in a payphone calling a girl and this is also how the video ends. It repeatedly echoes the title of the music video and brings the audience back to this. This music is about how the relationship that the two people share are turning sour and that is resonated by the following lyrics that Levine sings:

“And in our time that you wasted

All of our bridges burned down...

“If happy ever after did exist
I would still be holding you like this

All those fairytales are full of sh*t”

The scenery and action that surrounds Levine throughout the video is desolate and shows that something is wrong. First of all there is a bank robbery in which he and his assumed girlfriend are running away, but towards the end of the music video his car explodes and “burned” to rubble. He is being chased by the police although he is not at fault, this just shows that the relationship they have is anything but a “fairytale”. 

 

Links Between Visuals And Music

In “Payphone” the relationship between visuals and music is not as apparent as it would be in other music videos, however there is a relationship there. For example the scene would change from Levine in the payphone to the actual narrative of the bank heist once Levine starts singing the chorus “I'm at a payphone trying' to call home...”. The director of the music video has had the scenes change at certain drum beats, which gives the effect that they are running and are taking part in an action sequence. There are a lot of diegetic sounds such as bombs exploding, shooting, glass smashing etc. which accentuates the action that is taking place in the music video, including the car chase, robbery, explosions.

Intertextuality

Pastiche - “An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche

The intertextuality shown through this music video is pastiche of many action/thriller films. This is strongly shown through the bank robbery that takes place within the music video and the chase that commences straight after. This is reminiscent of many films that has graced the screen over the years, for example a recent film which includes a similar bank robbery is the 2008 film The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. The film comprises of a bank robbery carried out by The Joker (played by Ledger) and his accomplices, in which The Joker orchestrates their death one by one so that he can have the money all to himself. The robbers, just like the ones in Maroon 5's “Payphone” were masked and entered a vault to fill their bags with money. The antagonists in both scenes faced a civilian with a gun. Another film which shares a media relationship with this music video is the 2010 film The Town, starring and directed by Ben Affleck. This is a American crime film that has multiple ban robberies, including one where the actors in the film dress up in a nuns outfit and rob a bank. After they are chased and cornered by the police, only to fire at them which eventually leads to them escaping. In “Payphone”, Levine carries out a resembling act by forcing the police cars to crash into each other and blow up into smithereens.

 

The Demands Of The Record Label Will Include The Need For Lots Of Close Ups Of The Artist And The Artist May Develop Motifs Which Recur Across Their Work (A Visual Style).

Being the lead singer of the band, this music video constantly focuses on Adam Levine and the director makes the audience very familiar with him by creating the video using a lot of close-ups of the American. The music video starts off with Adam Levine and also ends with him, leaving a lasting impression of him on to the audience. The beginning starts off with a fade in of Levine at a scene that is on fire, the fade in allows the audience to slowly come to terms with what they are witnessing and forces them to pay attention to Levine. The first clear image of Levine is one of him wearing a white vest, with his tattoos bulging and blood running down the right side of his mouth. This composes a mental image of an action man figure, and it is this style and characteristics that become his motif throughout the music video. Roughly 27 seconds into the video we have 6 quick close-up cuts of Levine's face, which emphasizes his importance in the video, especially after quickly browsing through the face of surplus actors. An important scene of the music video is when Levine is in the payphone alone and it is a mid-shot of him singing through the phone. The fact that he is in the payphone, all alone, would give his figure added impetus considering the title of the song is “Payphone”. Once the robbers have got everyone on the floor with their hands on their heads, it is Levine who jumps up, grabs the gun and makes an escape. This little action shot would make the audience more familiar with Levine due to the role of the protagonist Levine plays. Another part of the music video which helps promote Levine and Maroon 5, is when he steals Wiz Khalifa's car. After doing so he is chased by numerous police cars but manages to evade their clutches and drive off to safety. The fact that all the cars in the scene are the same except for his, would single him out and make him stand out. Even more so due to the fact that he executes impressive stunts with the car, and reinforces the idea that good will always prevail.

Shot 1

Shot 2

Shot 3

Shot 4

There Is Frequently Reference To Notion Of Looking (Screens Within Screens, Telescopes, etc) And Particularly Voyeuristic Treatment Of The Female Body.

This music video, “Payphone”, has voyeurism appearing throughout the video, although it is kept to a minimum. The narrative of the music video is about Levine escaping a bank which is is being held hostage by robbers and the video is hugely influenced by action movies, which inevitably would have people looking. The best example of this is when Wiz Khalifa is standing outside the compound where Levine is driving into before his car explodes. This is like a typical action film scene where extravagant action takes place and then all seems normal. This allows the audience to understand that the scene has reached an equilibrium. Another notion of looking within the music video is when the police officers chase Levine and the lady but then lose track of them. They are left standing there watching after them, which aides the audience understanding by making them aware that both the characters have escaped the clutches of the police, and they would expect the video to unfold from here. 

 

 

Unit 1.1 Goodwin's Dancing In A Distraction Factory

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Deadmau5 ft. Rob Swire - Ghosts N Stuff (2009)

Music Video Demonstrates the Genre of the Audio

Deadmau5 typically produces tracks within the progressive and electro house genre; the mix 'Ghosts N Stuff' is no exception. The award winning track was a collaboration with Rob Swire and was released 21st September 2009 off the album 'For Lack of a Better Name'. Deadmau5 promotes himself as 'having no specific genre' and this music video illustrates his originality and creativeness. Progressive house music videos often show the artist and throughout this music video Deadmau5 is pictured with his trademark mouse head; this is similar to Encode produced by Hardwell, however the singer is not shown. The main character 'the Ghost' illustrates the way the audience react to this type of music and the crowd is pictured; this is as seen in other house music videos. The other characters within the video are suited to those who are likely to listen and enjoy this type of music which appeals to the audience. 

Relationship between the visuals and lyrics

The lyrics of this track indicate how the Ghost is trying to break out of the social 'norm' and the expectations of a ghost. During the first two and a half minutes, the Ghost is seen to be alone and isolated from the rest of society, therefore the lyrics of the song portray how he is going to ignore what people say, 'find himself' again and most of all enjoy himself. 

"It's been so long I've been walking the line on my own, lift me up to the stars we are coming home"

The visuals support how societies preconceptions can cause individuals to feel excluded and unwanted; it also portrays how people change and act 'fake' to fit in with societies expectations. The Ghost gets a space invader tattoo which indicates his unique personality and how he is striving to be different from the crowd. This tattoo is seen on the man in the hospital once he wakes up which shows how he should use this 'out-of-world' experience and break out of the social norm.

"When you're burning down, it's the way that you fake it I know it's too late"

The lyrics also suggest that he cannot help anyone else remove themselves from social trends, yet they should learn from their experiences of acting fake to fit in to be themselves and enjoy life. There may also be a sexual innuendo related to the lyrics of this song. 

Relationship between the visuals and music

The links between the visuals and the music are clear due to the range of shots used and the movement of the characters. The track has a bass which remains throughout, only cutting out on the chorus. The use of fast cutting scenes to the beat of the track enables the video to flow with the music. Scenes within the video change to the beat of the song, however towards the latter of the video the changes become more flowing which may indicate he is relaxing and enjoying himself. The use of slowing down and speeding up clips also enhances the audiences experience and allows the visuals and sound to be in sync with each other.

Intertextuality 

There is no reference to any other videos/films therefore there is no intertextuality to discuss. 

Selling the artist

The record company of which Deadmau5 is directed and supported by will want to ensure that he is promoted throughout the video to help the audience remember him and buy his tracks. The use of short clips of Deadmau5 shown throughout this video aids the audience to remember and enjoy his uniqueness; the use of the mouse head makes Deadmau5 seem different to other artists and also gives him a sense of mystery. The element of mystery and creativeness may cause the audience to want to view other videos made by him and perhaps purchase them, therefore selling him to the audience. 

    

Voyeurism and the art of 'looking'

There is no visuals illustrating voyeurism, however there are short scenes where the Ghost tries to interact with others. Within these scenes the other people just look at him whilst he attempts to 'scare' them and as he walks away they carry on walking, without giving him another look. This indicates that the art of 'looking' is not promoted within this video due to the meaning of the lyrics and visuals, such as feeling excluded and ignored. Although within the last clips with the dancers, Deadmau5 may been seen as watching the Ghost through the crowd; this may convey that he has seen him find himself and break out of the social norm, giving him a sense of pleasure. 

Unit 1.1 Goodwin's Dancing In A Distraction Factory

Madonna, Material Girl (1985)

Music Videos Demonstrate Genre Characteristics

Material Girl is a song sang by American recording artist Madonna, which was released January 30, 1985 by Sire Records as the second single from her sophomore album Like a Virgin. The genre of Material Girl' by Madonna is pop and throughout the music video there are examples of this. One convention of the genre pop is dancing, and other pop music videos that show this are Womanizer by Britney Spears, Stupid Girls by Pink, Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake and many more. This video consists of Madonna and a group of men, who are well dressed up, dancing to the the music. They dance from near the beginning of the music video till the end. Pop music tends to include the artist in their music videos, like Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson where the music video is only on her, Piece of Me by Britney Spears where she is also in a lot of cut scenes singing by herself and many more. In this video she is the only female in the video compared to the mass of men around her, making her the centre of attention. She is also the only person that is singing in the video. 

There Is A Relationship Between Lyrics And Visuals

This song is about Madonna being too 'expensive' for anyone. In this video men are trying to woo Madonna by giving her expensive gifts but she is saying that they are not worth her standard. Here are some of the lyrics:

“Some boys kiss me

Some boys hug me

I think they're OK

If they don't give me proper credit

Then I walk away”

“They can beg and

They can plead

But they can't see

The light

Cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always Mr. Right”

In this video she is ignoring and rejecting them. So there is an illustrative relationship between the music and visuals. There are also close up shots of her which shows her importance, and most of her movements seem to be degrading the men, to show that she is like a material girl, hence the name of the song Material Girl. 

Links Between Visuals And Music

In Material Girl there is a great relationship between visuals and music. The music in this video is very upbeat and rhythmic and the dancing is as equal. At the chorus part when the beat changes, so does there dance routine, in the latter part of the song when the chorus part comes up they walk down a step at a time, in time with the music and as every beat changes they do a different move, like they put their hands inside their blazer, then they open their blazer and then they lift Madonna up. When all the men get in a straight line behind Madonna they all open one part of their blazers one by one and go down the line, with a domino effect, all in sync with the music.

 

Intertextuality

In this video there is clear intertextuality, with the music video referring back to the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical comedy released in 1953 starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. The song Material Girls is referring back to the scene in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes where Marilyn Monroe is singing “Diamonds are a girls best friend”. In that scene Monroe is wearing a long pink dress with diamonds around her neck, wrist and fingers. The men are wearing lavishing suits and are following Marilyn Monroe wherever she goes like an obedient dog. In Madonna's music video everything is replicated from the dancing routines to the costumes. Props, that were used in the scene from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, are also exactly the same in Madonna's music video. Like when the crowd of men brought out a cardboard cut out of love hearts and showed it at Marilyn Monroe, this is exactly what happened in Material Girl, men flashed out love hearts at Madonna and she rejected them. The background in Diamonds are a girls best friend is all red with a a couple of steps, just like Material Girls. The dance routine in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes consist of Marilyn Monroe generally being lifted and in Material Girls Madonna is generally swept off her feet.

The Demands Of The Record Label Will Include The Need For Lots Of Close Ups Of The Artist And The Artist May Develop Motifs Which Recur Across Their Work (A Visual Style).

In this video Madonna is the sole focus, this video is all about her as she is the artist. The director of the video makes this happen by having loads of different camera angles on her and close ups. One thing that the director done really well in selling the artist is by making her the only female in the whole video, so this video would really appeal to the male audience. In the video Madonna is wearing a long 'lustful' pink dress that make her stand out between her male dancers who are wearing dark suits. Madonna has also been made to look very extravagant with jewellery on her from head to toe. Madonna is also being lifted in a seductive manner around the scene by the male dancers. In the music video there is a scene where there are two lines of men behind her and one of them drapes a fur scarf over her neck. She then acts really seductively with it and the men, two by two, go across her shoulder and touch her. This really sells her face, her figure and her as an artist. This sexiness in songs has become her motif, throughout a lot of her music videos she has been acting flirtatious and that is a way everyone remembers her, they remember her for her tempting routines. 

 

There Is Frequently Reference To Notion Of Looking (Screens Within Screens, Telescopes, etc) And Particularly Voyeuristic Treatment Of The Female Body.

This music video, Material Girl, has voyeurism throughout the whole song. It ss meant to be a flirtatious video so Madonna's face can be cemented into everyone's head and her name would become a household one. In the video there is an example of screen within screens which is at the beginning, there are two males who are looking at a cinema screen with close-ups of Madonna in it and talking very highly of her. In this video a colour she mostly wears on her clothes is pink and pink is seen as a lustrous, seductive, enticing colour which really attracts the eyes of male audience, so there is voyeurism in her clothes. The routine in the video that they follow is a very 'touchy' act, in the video all the male dancers are picking her up in a sexy manner. In the video she is holding a fur scarf which she is caressing with her face and getting touched by men as they move across her shoulder, which shows a lot of voyeurism. At the end of the video Madonna kisses a man and gets intimate with him inside a car he rented, which is basically voyeurism in it self. There is also an over-the-shoulder shot at the beginning of the music video where the two men are watching Madonna on a cinema screen. A simple action like that supports the idea of looking and shows voyeurism.