Narrative & Performance

WHAT WE DID: LINEAR NARRATIVE/STATE OF EQUILIBRIUM + DISRUPTION OF EQUILIBRIUM 

The style of the music video is one of the codes and conventions of music videos. The style includes things such as the performance of the artist and the narrative in the music video.

A narrative music video follows a storyline. There are two types of narrative, which are called linear and fragmented. A linear narrative has a beginning, a middle and an end, and these components are presented in that order, as with fairy tales. Whereas a fragmented narrative, however, might have a beginning, a middle and an end, but the components are mixed together. This means, that the narrative might start in the middle of the story, transition back to the beginning of the tale and then flash forward to the end. 

Todorov would explain that in the linear narrative there are around 5 stages:

1. A state of equilibrium - where everything is as it should be
2. A disruption of the equilibrium through an event in the film
3. A recognition by the characters that there has been a disruption
4. An attempt to repair the disruption
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium

When describing the narrative aspect, Vernallis suggests that the music video is a visual response to the narrative. She explains that the things that happen on screen reflect the choice of lyrics that the artist is singing. However, Vernallis also says that the narrative might not always be complete and can appear in fragments in the music video (fragmented narrative).

A great example for an artist that has created music videos with both narratives is Katy Perry. In her music video for the song Last Friday Night, the narrative starts at the end of the story, transitions back to the beginning of the story and then plays through to the end. This indicates a fragmented narrative. 

An example from Katy Perry for a linear narrative is her music video for Thinking of You, which tells the story from the beginning to the end, like a fairytale. 

A music video that focuses on performance, is where the focus is mainly on the artist performing in the video. A great example for performance is Beyoncé's music video for Love on Top and Single Ladies. In the two videos the artist is continuously performing the song and there is no narrative or other scenes in the video. This type of music video that only focuses on the performance is quite uncommon, due to the fact that the audience won't be able to engage with the song and the music video or relate themselves to the story/narrative that takes place. However, this type of music video, usually contains a dance routine, that the audience is then able to learn, which is a factor that makes an audience watch a music video again and again.

Uses and Gratification's Theory

WHAT WE DID: LET OUR AUDIENCE IDENTIFY WITH THE ROLE MODEL BY MAKING HER BE LESS SEXUALLY OBJECTIFIED/ ALSO LETTING THEM IDENTIFY WITH THE BREAK-UP

WE HOPE WE CREATED A WAY TO ENTERTAIN OUR AUDIENCE, WHICH ALLOWS THEM A FORM OF "ESCAPISM"

The uses and gratification's theory explains what people do with media and what they use it for rather than what media does to people. The theory assumes that the audience is not passive but takes an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. Furthermore, the theory says that audiences are responsible for choosing the media that meets their specific needs and interests. 

The uses and gratifications theory has to fulfill one of the following when we choose a form of media: 

1. Educate - That the audience is able to acquire information, knowledge and understanding.
2. Identify - That the audience identifies with a role model that has similar values to your own.
3. Social interaction - That the media product can produce a topic for a conversation between other people (for example the X-Factor programme).  
4. Entertain - The ability for the media product to let the audience enjoy it and create a form of "escapism", where the audience can forget the worries they have temporarily through the media product. 

It is simple to apply the uses and gratification's theory to the music industry. New songs and music videos are a great example of entertainment and social interaction. The lyrics for example allow the audience to relate to the artists suffering, happiness, anger or whichever emotion he/she is feeling. Whereas watching a music video that follows a linear narrative also allows the audience to relate and empathise with the artist. 

The song Who You Are by Jessie J is a great example of a song that has inspired many to stand up for themselves against bullying. 

In interviews, Jessie J has talked about how she was bullied and how that has built her up and helped her to become famous and not give up. Many young girls have been inspired by her and particularly this song and have therefore also been able to identify with the artist. A good example and proof of someone who has identified herself with Jessie J is a girl called Jillian, who auditioned with Who You Are at the X Factor 2012. 

Steve Neale Theory of Repetition & Difference

WHAT WE DID: APPLIED THE GENRE SPECIFIC CONVENTIOINS OF THE METAL CORE GENRE IN OUR MUSIC VID

Genre is a term that can be split up into different categories, based on characteristics that they share such as narratives and themes. It can be referred to different things such as a movie genre, book genre and in this case music genre. 

There are several types of music genres, such as classical, alternative, jazz, rock etc. These then have subgenres, which means that it goes into a lot more detail than you would think at first. 

When doing my research on this theory, I found a very interesting website that has a list on the music genres that cover the music genres that go back beyond the 20th century. It also has a test you can take on which music genres most people listen to and has over 80,000 votes with a 17% for the rock genre. If you are interested in the website click here. 

Steve Neale's theory states that 'genres are instances of repetition and difference' and 'genres are not systems, they are processes of systemisation'. He believed that there was a system of expectation and that by using own knowledge and applying conventions of the genre, the audience should be able to infer the narrative and storyline of the music video. This is exactly what we did, we applied the genre specific conventions of the metal core genre in our music video, which I created a vodcast on. 

Laura Mulvey - Male Gaze Theory

WHAT WE DID: ELEMENTS OF MALE GAZE DUE TO FEMALE PROTAGONISTS SLIGHT MAKE-UP AND LONG HAIR / COUNTER TYPING - NOT AS SEXUALLY OBJECTIFIED AS OTHER WOMEN IN MUSIC VIDEOS

Laura Mulvey is a feminist film theorist from Britain who is predominantly known for her theory regarding sexual objectification on women in the media, more commonly known as "The Male Gaze” theory.

Mulvey's theory implies that the male viewer is the target audience, therefore their needs are met first. According to her, this "problem" stems from an old fashioned, male-driven society.

The Male Gaze theory, is where women in the media are viewed from the perspective of a heterosexual man and are represented as passive objects of male desire. Typical examples of the male gaze include medium close-up shots of women from over a man’s shoulder, shots that pan and fixate on a woman’s body, and scenes that frequently occur which show a man actively observing a passive woman.

A great example of a music video that has elements of male gaze is Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus, which I created a post on. 

In this video, the camera is fixated on her naked body on the wrecking ball, but also on her movements with the hammer and her body as she very sensually slips her fingers and the hammer over the wall. The glamorous look of blue eyes combined with the make-up of red bright lipstick and the mascara and eyeliner makes the artist appeal to a male audience as well.

In an interview Cyrus suggested that the kind of femininity and sexual imagery she is allowed to portray in her music videos is heavily controlled within the media. Due to her rise in stardom in the Disney channel series Hannah Montana, Cyrus believes her image is restricted because people “feel like they really know” her. The insidious nature of what can be read between the lines of this statement is not the frustration that Cyrus must feel, but the lack of ownership that she has ever had over her own image. 

Cyrus suggested that she didn’t want to be “objectified” by the music industry and that it was necessary to go “full on post-Disney”, which is what caused the major change in style, music videos and music. 

Through the self-determination of her own sexual agency Cyrus demonstrates a will to both redefine the boundaries in which women’s sexuality can be expressed, whilst at the same time ‘having it all.’

Andrew Goodwin’s 6 Features of Music Videos

WHAT WE DID: 

LINK BETWEEN MUSIC AND VISUALS E.G. CUTTING TO THE BEAT - SEE EVAL QUESTION 1A + LINK BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS - UNDERWATER POOL SCENES + STAR IMAGE - LOADS OF CLOSE-UPS WITH COLOR POWDER


In his book Dancing in the Distraction Factory, Andrew Goodwin points out features and characteristics that can be found in music videos. There were 6 main features that he believed were the common conventions of the music video genre.

These are:

• Music Videos demonstrate genre characteristics e.g. a dance routine for a girl band/ boy band -very often a music video with a girl band/boy band contains a certain dance routine that others, such as teenage girls decide to copy. One older example is the one from the girl band Las Ketchup. They released a song in 2002 called Asereje, but was world famously known as "The Ketchup song". Their dance routine with the iconic hand movement does still exist today, 14 years later, in 2016 when playing the song or hearing it on a radio.                                                      

There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images, which can be contradicting, amplifying or even illustrative. A great example of a band that had an illustrative relationship between lyrics and visuals is my favorite band Fall Out Boy with their song "My songs know what you did in the dark". When the singing "light em up" fire lights up the screen. 

There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. The beat of the music in the Joan Jett - I love Rock n roll music video reflects the movements they do such as clapping. The relationship between music and visuals is especially focused on the impacts on editing, and variation of pace, meaning that there is a selective cutting to the beat. 

4. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. An example of this is Guns N' Roses music video for Welcome To The Jungle, in which the camera focuses on the back of the female body rather than the front and is panning from her feet up until her bum. This ofcourse is also to have elements of male gaze. 

5. Star Image, having a lot of camera shots of the central protagonist so that he/she is the centre of attention.

6. There is often intertextual reference to films, TV programs, other music videos etc. In my opinion a good example to demonstrate this, is the music video by the french singer Stromae who created a song based on the music from the worldwide famous opera "Carmen". This music video therefore is an intertextual reference to the opera.