Friday 13 July 2012

13th July 2012 - Rap/Rock music video analysis

Andrew Goodwin stated that music videos usually have specific conventions to them. He said that music videos;
  • Demonstrate the specific genre conventions
  • Show the relationship between the visuals, lyrics and music
  • Have a lot of close-ups of the band/artist
  • Have many references to looking in at the band/artist
  • Give a 'voyeuristic' treatment of the female body
  • Sometimes contain intertextual references (film, TV etc)
In the lesson, we then considered what conventions would fit into specific genres; we chose Rap and Rock.

Conventions of a rap music video that we discussed could be;
  • 'Bling' or lots of expensive looking jewellery (which could show the status of the artist)
  • Flashy or expensive looking cars
  • Many references to alcohol
  • Lots of 'scantily clad' women
  • Extravagant parties
  • Low angle shots of the artist (which could show the power the artist has)
  • Close-up shots of the artist (which could show the status of the artist as they take up the whole screen)
  • Two shots (mostly with women, which shows how appealling the artiist is while the women, or other person if women aren't used, is irrelevant)
  • Giant crowds or people dancing to the song (which could show how successful and catchy the song is, and also the credibility of the song as it has already made it into clubs/parties so it is deemed successful)
  • Clothing is usually items which are sporty, like baseball shirts/caps (which could display the physical strength of the artist)
  • A majority of males are shown with a gang or posse, (which shows that there is strength in numbers, which reinforces the artist's status)
  • Women can also be shown as fierce and empowering (Nicki Minaj is an example of this)
  • The general message is to party, get drunk and enjoy life
  • Cameos from other artists, which references their credibility (Eminem and Dr. Dre are an example of this)
  • Voyeurism, as it is like looking through a TV (which references the male gaze theory)
Some connotations of a rock music video could be;
  • Giant crowds and live performances (which shows the band's success)

letlive.

Renegade '86



  • Mosh pits (which shows the band's fans enjoying the music)


A Day To Remember

2nd Sucks



  • The band are actually performing (close-ups are used on the members individually to show their musical talent)



Slipknot

Duality





  • Smoke machines are often used in some videos
  • The singer sings into a microphone (which could, again, show case talent)



Chiodos

Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek





  • Some videos can often be in black and white


City & Colour

Comin' Home


  • The singer could often be advertising brands by wearing specific clothes
  • There is a clear link between the song and the visuals
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Music Video Analysis 1
Genre: RAP
50 Cent In Da Club

The video relates to the specific music genre of the song, as it has a majority of the connotations that feature in a stereotypical rap video.
There are a small variety of cameos of throughout the video, showing Dr. Dre and Eminem seeming to put together the 'machine' that is 50 Cent. By them putting together this 'machine', this shows that they were able to get 50 Cent where he is today. Xzibit appears briefly in the video alongside D. Dre and Eminem. Also, by having cameos in the video, this shows 50 Cent's credibility, and that by Eminem, Xzibit and Dr. Dre appearing his video, he is a very good artist to listen to.


















There is a bit where 50 Cent starts exercising in the gym straight after being 'built'. This exhibits his own physical strength and shows he is a strong individual.









50 Cent is also shown to have a 'posse' follow him around when he enters the club. This shows 50 Cent's status as he has people all around him.









There are many close-ups of just 50 Cent. This shows that he is a big star and he has a high status as he is the main object of viewing.









The main setting of the music video is at a club. This is the main environment for a lot of rap videos, and by having 50 Cent's song played in the clubs, this shows he'll become an instant success.









50 Cent is shown to wear lots of sporty clothes, like baseball shirts and an NY cap. This, like being in the gym, shows 50 Cent's physical strength. The clothing also looks high quality, which could show that he is quite rich also.









A feeling of voyeurism is gained at one stage, after you see Dr. Dre and Eminem peering in and looking at 50 Cent's actions. This could be shown as the equivalent to the viewer watching the music video.









Near the beginning of the video, a girl brings 50 Cent some water in on a tray, wearing quite revealing clothing. This not only reinforces the 'male gaze' theory, but it also connotates women as servants to men.









This music video meets my expectations of a rap video through connotations, as it contains a majority of the connotations from a rap video. It contains things like cameos from other famous artists, women wearing not many clothes, physical strength of the artist shown and that most rap artists have a gang following them.

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Music Video Analysis 2
Genre: ROCK
Red Hot Chili Peppers Snow ((Hey Oh))

This music video relates to the Red Hot Chili Peppers song Snow ((Hey Oh)) as it contains many features in which a rock music video would contain.
There is a giant crowd in the music video when the band are playing on stage. This could show that the band have millions of fans and that they are very well known. By the big crowd and the amount of people singing along, this could also show that the song will be a success.











Microphones are used by not only Anthony Kiedis (lead singer), but by John Frusciante (guitarist) too. This not only shows Frusciante's talents, as it sounds like a complicated guitar riff, but it shows Kiedis's emotions while singing.











A black and white colour filter is used in the video at the beginning of the song, then turns to standard colour when the chorus kicks in. This could be used to show the build up in the song, when it builds from a slow verse to a big chorus, but it could also be used to show the emotion of the song.











Close-up shots are used of each individual band member. This lets you see who is in the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, and also lets you see each members talents.











You see each member jumping around the stage and entertaining their crowd. They may be doing this to, as previously said, keep their peers entertained, but they may also be doing this to show that they are having fun with the music they are playing.










A few clips from the beginning to near the end show people who have come to see the show which the video was recorded at. This shows how different their fans are from each other, but how the band appreciates each fan.









A lot of rock music is associated with long hair, and a majority of the members have long hair. This could be shown as defying the 'norm', as most males have quite short hair.









Bright lights are used when the band are performing on stage. By using bright lights and screens, this keeps the crowd entertained as they have more to watch than just the band.











This music video met my expectations as it has the connotations of a rock concert and a rock music video. It shows everything you would expect in a rock video and has a large variety of connotations to back it up.

Andrew Goodwin's theories can be applied to both of these music videos. You can apply his theories to 'In Da Club' as it clearly demonstrates the genre conventions, you get the feeling of looking in on 50 Cent, you can see a link between the lyrics and visuals, you get a voyeuristic treatment of females, and close-ups of the artists. Also, you can apply them to 'Snow ((Hey Oh))' as you see close-ups of all the members of the band, you can see the genre conventions and you get references to looking in at the band.

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