An Example of Stuart Hall applied:
Stuart Hall applied to the video I am analysing:
Thursday 22 October 2015
Audience Theory 2: Stuart Hall
An Example of Stuart Hall applied:
Stuart Hall applied to the video I am analysing:
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Audience Theory 1: The Hypodermic Needle Theory
Hypodermic Needle Theory
The hypodermic needle theory looks at how the mass media has a direct, immediate and
powerful effect on its audiences. Based in the 1940s and 1950s the media was perceived
as a powerful influence on its audiences behaviour. Several factors contributed
to this strong effects of media theory of communication:
•The fast
rise and popularization of radio and television
•The emergence
of the persuasion industries, such as advertising.
The idea of the hypodermic needle theory is that through injecting or shooting the audience with
direct messages the mass media is able to influence their behaviour. The appropriate
messages they ‘inject’ are designed to trigger a desired response.
The theory suggests a powerful and direct
flow of information from the sender to the receiver. Hypodermic model suggests
that media messages are injected straight into a passive audience, which is
immediately influenced behaviour.
Media is a dangerous way of communicating
an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the impact of
the message. It expresses the view that people are passive and are seen as
having a lot of media material ‘shot’ at them. If there is no other source of
information people listen and believe what they’re told as there is no other inputs. The theory is under the assumption that as an
audience we believe everything we see/hear in the media.
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| This could be an example of what the hypodermic needle theory explains that the audience are subject to the media's messages and are influenced so powerfully the message immediately effects their behaviour which they act upon. |
Criticisms of the theory:
Out of date and invalid:
In modern times people are more aware of society and how institutions operate. To add to this technology has developed and how we consume media and the sources of where it originates have changed.
Not everyone watches the news/ consumes it
in the same way:
It is too much to assume that audiences are simply passive to believe media, more recent theories have proved this. Unlike in the 1950s, society is now surrounded by technology and media therefore individuals are so used to consuming media texts that they understand conventions and
know when to reject messages if they deem them insignificant.
Stanley Cohen's Book: Folk Devils And Moral Panics (1972)
Cohen believes that the media creates folk devils out of subcultures, particularly youths. The 'moral panic' is the reaction to a group or what the media has created, the reaction will view it as a threat to society. A recent example would be the fear of terrorism, through media amplification a moral panic is the result of how the media represents terrorism. The media has then created 'folk devils' out of Muslims, people may 'fear' Muslims because of how they have been represented in the media and linked to terrorism. When in actual fact it is a small number of Muslim extremists which have committed acts of terrorism, however, through how the media has reported on it heavily it creates fear in people and could effect their behaviour towards Muslims. Muslims may be more subject to be searched in airports and have people negatively react to them because of the folk devil which is imposed upon them. This links with the idea of the hypodermic needle as media is delivered to the audience and can have an immediate effect to influence their behaviour in this case, it creates a moral panic and folk devils.
Cohen's case study was based on how 'the battle' between the Mods and the Rockers was represented in the media in the 1960s. What he found was that through media amplification it showed the mods and rockers as folk devils. Through the moral panic which was created it put pressure on the police to sort out the battle. The police's response was harsh sentences and increased arrests. The police only reacted in this way because of the moral panic and pressure which the media placed upon them.
Stanley Cohen's Book: Folk Devils And Moral Panics (1972)
Cohen believes that the media creates folk devils out of subcultures, particularly youths. The 'moral panic' is the reaction to a group or what the media has created, the reaction will view it as a threat to society. A recent example would be the fear of terrorism, through media amplification a moral panic is the result of how the media represents terrorism. The media has then created 'folk devils' out of Muslims, people may 'fear' Muslims because of how they have been represented in the media and linked to terrorism. When in actual fact it is a small number of Muslim extremists which have committed acts of terrorism, however, through how the media has reported on it heavily it creates fear in people and could effect their behaviour towards Muslims. Muslims may be more subject to be searched in airports and have people negatively react to them because of the folk devil which is imposed upon them. This links with the idea of the hypodermic needle as media is delivered to the audience and can have an immediate effect to influence their behaviour in this case, it creates a moral panic and folk devils. Cohen's case study was based on how 'the battle' between the Mods and the Rockers was represented in the media in the 1960s. What he found was that through media amplification it showed the mods and rockers as folk devils. Through the moral panic which was created it put pressure on the police to sort out the battle. The police's response was harsh sentences and increased arrests. The police only reacted in this way because of the moral panic and pressure which the media placed upon them.
Monday 12 October 2015
Narrative Theory 8: Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin (1992)
This can be related to Laura Mulveys 'Male Gaze' theory. In how music videos have frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This can be women and males who are portrayed in a sexual way although more often than not it is women who are presented as sexual objects. Voyeurism is commonly used as the notion of 'sex sells' and this is how music videos are showing women in order to sell the artist and their music. It can be shown through the use of props, cinematography, outfits. These can work to extenuate a women's sexual appearance.
How To Analyse Music Videos
Andrew states there are five areas in which the audience should look for when watching music videos in order to analyse them.
1. Thought Through Beat - 'Seeing what they mean or represent in your head'
Step 1: Take the song and look at the structure of it, including understanding the chorus' and verses
Step 2: Listen to the vocals of the song and the stars voice. The artists voice is unique and the way in which they sing the song can give us indication to the indication of the song and intentions. The audience will form an identification with the voice and relate it to the artists image. When we have covers of songs although the lyrics may be the same, factors of the singer will affect how the audience interprets the song, they can be as simple as the gender of the voice.
Step 3: The artist works to tell us a story, the third step is what the story is. We may view the artist as a story teller who is trying to show their story to us. The music video can help create a visual representation of the story to compliment the artists vocals.
2. Narrative and Performance
Goodwin believed it was important for the artist to be a main feature in the video. Whether they're the main character or seen performing their song in it. This helps the audience create a connection with each of the artists video as they see them play characters and perform, through the performance aspect it allows a sense of realism to the video and song. The audience also can become more engaged if they're a fan of the artist to see them in the video. However he also puts forward the idea that songs rarely come to a clear conclusion of the narrative. We can get the general meaning of the song but music videos can explore it in more detail to show a way the story can be interpreted. He adds that music videos should ignore common narrative as a purpose of advertising. Narrative and performance work together to keep the audiences interest and allow them to re-watch videos without getting bored. 'Roar' is a good example of this by Katy Perry, she is the main character but is also performing the song through lip-syncing. This keeps people more involved as they recognize Katy Perry therefore are interested in seeing the story unfold with her in it.
3. The Star Image
Building on the idea of the demands of the record label. It is important in a music video for the artist to have an image. Overtime an identity is created of the stars through their music videos therefore when it comes to the production of a new one they can take this image and adapt it to the screen and apply it in a way they know the audience will want to consume.
4. Relations of Visuals to the song
Another more conceptual video which uses this is Every Other Freckle by Alt-J. The scenes show what is described in the lyrics when it says 'cat beds into a bean-bag' we see a cat jumping into a bean bag.
Believes that music videos are highly complex narratives meaning can be created from the audience’s
interpretation. In 1992 he released a book, Dancing In The Distraction Factory, the book highlights these general key points:
- Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals.
How what we see on screen can be related to the lyrics. What are the similarities between the imagery and shots to the lyrics? Having these two key parts to a music video production relate, it can help the audience create their ideas of the song and its meaning.
- Relationship between the music and the visuals.
This is when the song is promoted through the relation of visuals to music. The video is in sync with the music and cuts and edits follow the rhythm and the beat of the song. This can create a visually pleasing video as people feel satisfied by the synchronisation of the music and imagery.
- Genre Characteristics.
Goodwin argues that music videos have genre characteristics, this is the expectations the audience creates of a music video based on the genre of the artist and song. In pop videos for example, people often expect bold colourings, dancers, the artist lip-syncing. A rock music video is often tagged with the characteristics of flashing lights, fast cuts and edits, dark colourings.
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| Tainted Love (Marilyn Manson) Video shows dark costumes and lighting, rebellious actions |
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| Pop Song, California Gurls (Katy Perry) Video includes, bright colours, lip-syncing, dancing |
- Demands From Record Labels
Record labels focus on creating a set image for their artists therefore it is advantageous for them to use close-ups and use motifs which reoccur through their videos. This will help make the image they're trying to create 'stick' in the audiences head so they relate certain features with the artist. Through all this they're effectively creating a 'star image' for the audience to consume and recognise. Music videos work to make sure the artist is the centre of attention. For example, Michael Jackson had a white glove he'd wear on one hand which became an internationally unique to his character. The gloves have been auctioned off following his death in 2009. One was sold for $330,000.
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| MJ, 2001. |
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| MJ, 1984 |
- Emphasis on 'Look'
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| General for music videos to have women dressed provocatively for the purpose of the 'male'. |
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| The use of the prop here is suggestive, males are rarely not shown this way. |
- Intertextual references.
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| Mr Brightside Music Video 2004 |
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| Moulin Rouge Film 2001 |
How To Analyse Music Videos
Andrew states there are five areas in which the audience should look for when watching music videos in order to analyse them.
1. Thought Through Beat - 'Seeing what they mean or represent in your head'
Step 1: Take the song and look at the structure of it, including understanding the chorus' and verses
Step 2: Listen to the vocals of the song and the stars voice. The artists voice is unique and the way in which they sing the song can give us indication to the indication of the song and intentions. The audience will form an identification with the voice and relate it to the artists image. When we have covers of songs although the lyrics may be the same, factors of the singer will affect how the audience interprets the song, they can be as simple as the gender of the voice.
Step 3: The artist works to tell us a story, the third step is what the story is. We may view the artist as a story teller who is trying to show their story to us. The music video can help create a visual representation of the story to compliment the artists vocals.
2. Narrative and Performance
Goodwin believed it was important for the artist to be a main feature in the video. Whether they're the main character or seen performing their song in it. This helps the audience create a connection with each of the artists video as they see them play characters and perform, through the performance aspect it allows a sense of realism to the video and song. The audience also can become more engaged if they're a fan of the artist to see them in the video. However he also puts forward the idea that songs rarely come to a clear conclusion of the narrative. We can get the general meaning of the song but music videos can explore it in more detail to show a way the story can be interpreted. He adds that music videos should ignore common narrative as a purpose of advertising. Narrative and performance work together to keep the audiences interest and allow them to re-watch videos without getting bored. 'Roar' is a good example of this by Katy Perry, she is the main character but is also performing the song through lip-syncing. This keeps people more involved as they recognize Katy Perry therefore are interested in seeing the story unfold with her in it.
3. The Star Image
Building on the idea of the demands of the record label. It is important in a music video for the artist to have an image. Overtime an identity is created of the stars through their music videos therefore when it comes to the production of a new one they can take this image and adapt it to the screen and apply it in a way they know the audience will want to consume.
4. Relations of Visuals to the song
Between the lyrics and the visual on-screen, there are three ways visuals:
Illustrate: Through different cinematography methods and specific images these are used to illustrate and explain the songs narrative. The lyrics and visuals can be connected and help create the same message/meaning of the song.
Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a music video which follows this, the visuals directly relate to the visuals.
Cyndi Lauper- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a music video which follows this, the visuals directly relate to the visuals.
Another more conceptual video which uses this is Every Other Freckle by Alt-J. The scenes show what is described in the lyrics when it says 'cat beds into a bean-bag' we see a cat jumping into a bean bag.
Disjuncture: The meaning of the song is completely ignored in the video and does not have a relation to the lyrics as much.
Amplify: Shots and images are repeated throughout the video in order to leave a memorable mark in the audiences vision.
5. Technical Aspects
A main part of the music video is technical features which can be seen to 'hold' the music video together. Key parts to this is, cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and editing.
Cinematography elements include camera movements, the speed of these, camera angles, range of shots, focal points, depth of field, shots.
Mise-en-scene adds authentication and realism to create a more professional look.
Editing, post-production can include various cuts, special effects and the order in which the music video clips are shown.
Lighting and colour are key parts to help set certain moods and creating emphasis on certain points of the song.
Beats of the song can be created when the music video cuts to the 'beat' of the music, this is useful to create an engaging and entertaining video. This is particularly usually associated with up-beat dance genre music videos.
5. Technical Aspects
A main part of the music video is technical features which can be seen to 'hold' the music video together. Key parts to this is, cinematography, mise-en-scene, sound and editing. Cinematography elements include camera movements, the speed of these, camera angles, range of shots, focal points, depth of field, shots.
Mise-en-scene adds authentication and realism to create a more professional look.
Editing, post-production can include various cuts, special effects and the order in which the music video clips are shown.
Lighting and colour are key parts to help set certain moods and creating emphasis on certain points of the song.
Beats of the song can be created when the music video cuts to the 'beat' of the music, this is useful to create an engaging and entertaining video. This is particularly usually associated with up-beat dance genre music videos.
Narrative Theory 7: Kate Domaile
Kate Domaile (2001) believes every story ever told can fit into 8 different narrative structures:
1. Achilles: Someone has a fatal flaw which leads to weakness and creates destruction. E.g. Superman.
2. Candide: The indomitable hero who cannot be put down. E.g. James Bond, Indian Jones.
1. Achilles: Someone has a fatal flaw which leads to weakness and creates destruction. E.g. Superman.
Superman is a hero and saves lives however he his flaw is Krptonite which he cannot touch as it blocks his ability, it is also poisonous to him.
2. Candide: The indomitable hero who cannot be put down. E.g. James Bond, Indian Jones.
Bond is the hero who cannot be beat. In each film his character is unbeaten.
3. Cinderella: The dream comes true and there is a happy ending. E.g. Footloose.
At the ending of Footloose everything they wanted to happen did and the ban on dancing is broken. The main character also gets the girl and they fall in love.
4. Circe: The chase, we have innocent and the victim, good and bad. E.g. Iron Man.
5. Faust: Selling your soul to the devil may bring riches but
eventually your soul belongs to him. E.g. The Devil's Advocate.
6. Orpheus: Loss of something personal, the tragedy. It can also be following the loss of something, the retrieval. E.g. Taken.
7. Romeo + Juliet: The love story. A romance between two characters. E.g. Titanic.
8. Tristan and Iseult: Love Triangle. When a character loves another but is already spoken for or a third party becomes involved. E.g. Twilight, Bridget Jones' Diary.
Bridget Jones' Diary follows a woman who's eye catches two men, she also catches their eye and it becomes a tale of 'who will win the girl'.
Narrative Theory 6: Pam Cook
Pam Cook (1985) like Todorov she similarly believes stories follow a path to solve a mystery. Through this she says all classical Hollywood narrative structures should have linearity of cause and effect within an overall enigma resolution. Stories must have a high degree of narrative closure, audiences like to feel the story has an end so the chronological line of cause and effect keeps going. The fictional world must have some verisimilitude especially governed by spatial and coherence.
Sacrilege, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Looking at the narrative structure in terms of Pam Cooks theory I believe it does apply to a certain extent. Cook talks about the story having narrative closure. By the end of the video we have seen what events led up to what we are shown at the beginning (the girl being burnt alive). Therefore there is some kind of narrative closure that the audience can feel, however from reading comments and my own experience watching the video only once doesn't always satisfy this. The video is open to interpretation of what the sequence of her and the other people mean (imagination or real events) therefore in this way some viewers may not feel a complete degree of narrative closure until they come to their own decision on what happened in the video. However with this in mind the narrative does start with the end which goes against Pam cooks idea of linearity therefore it doesn't follow the traditional structure Pam talks about.
Cook also talks about fictional worlds having 'verisimilitude'. Through the mise-en-scene I think it is very believable that the town and its people could be real. The locations all represent ideas of what people would imagine a stereotypical small american town to have.
Sacrilege, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Looking at the narrative structure in terms of Pam Cooks theory I believe it does apply to a certain extent. Cook talks about the story having narrative closure. By the end of the video we have seen what events led up to what we are shown at the beginning (the girl being burnt alive). Therefore there is some kind of narrative closure that the audience can feel, however from reading comments and my own experience watching the video only once doesn't always satisfy this. The video is open to interpretation of what the sequence of her and the other people mean (imagination or real events) therefore in this way some viewers may not feel a complete degree of narrative closure until they come to their own decision on what happened in the video. However with this in mind the narrative does start with the end which goes against Pam cooks idea of linearity therefore it doesn't follow the traditional structure Pam talks about.
Cook also talks about fictional worlds having 'verisimilitude'. Through the mise-en-scene I think it is very believable that the town and its people could be real. The locations all represent ideas of what people would imagine a stereotypical small american town to have.
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| The town has a sheriff which is stereotypical of small town. We do not see any other police force therefore believe him to be the only one. He seems to be well integrated into society as he attends the wedding we are shown at the end. We imagine he knows everyone in the town and their business. |
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| The place which she escapes from may possibly be a motel although it could also be a block of small apartment. Motels in America which are found near or in small towns are often one floor and long in length. But the panels of wood on the exterior are similar to what is used on the exterior of american buildings. Again this reinforces the realism of the location. |
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| This scene also adds to the verisimilitude as most small towns will have a mechanics. This also reinforces the realism of the characters as we know that he has a job working in the town, showing the younger boy here with his car will also support the idea that within the town everyone knows each other and it is a community. |
Narrative Theory 5: Michael Shore
Michael Shore (1984)
Believes all music videos are recycled styles. Meaning through some way or another the same concepts are used and no video is completely unique at it will show some recycled styles. He uses the phrase 'information overload' to describe them and they're 'style scavengers' mostly all music videos use the same ideas. The idea of decadence in which music videos show of excessive indulgence. He talks about how music videos have an 'anaesthetisation of violence through chic' through being shown violence on-screen people are no longer shocked by it, for a lot of people it may be what they thrive off seeing in a video. Not many people watch violence on screen with outrage, generally it is consumed as entertainment. A lot of videos include speed, girls, wealth and power portraying adolescent male fantasies these lead into soft-core pornography with the recycled clichéd imagery. This argument can be brought into modern day society as there are many people who believe within the media women are sexualised and material is seen as too provocative for audience viewing. With the internet and new ways of consuming media nothing is very hidden from the public, and it is fairly easy for minors to access material they shouldn't be watching. A lot of the time people would argue it is not even hidden and is open for anyone to view, like how women are shown in music videos. The sexual objectification can be dangerous not only to girls themselves but give this ideology to younger boys as well who may then see this as an acceptable way to treat girls.
The fact the women are using power-tools which we stereotypically see men as using, shows how males using power tools aren't seen as 'sexy' however in this video females are breaking stereotypes by using them but it is used for sexualisation purposes.
A good example of 'anaesthetisation of violence through chic' is Bob Dylan's Beyond Here Lies Nothin' music video in which a woman and a man have an violent fight. We assume he had been keeping her prisoner and she escapes, the fight is quite explicit in terms of violence. At the end of the video the two end up kissing which for many was quite a controversial ending however throughout the video the use of sound amplifies the sheer scale of the violence. Some watching would feel uncomfortable at times but we still watch it and accept it as 'normal' because as an audience of fictional television, films and music videos we're used to seeing violence therefore have developed an acceptance when it is shown in videos like this.
Believes all music videos are recycled styles. Meaning through some way or another the same concepts are used and no video is completely unique at it will show some recycled styles. He uses the phrase 'information overload' to describe them and they're 'style scavengers' mostly all music videos use the same ideas. The idea of decadence in which music videos show of excessive indulgence. He talks about how music videos have an 'anaesthetisation of violence through chic' through being shown violence on-screen people are no longer shocked by it, for a lot of people it may be what they thrive off seeing in a video. Not many people watch violence on screen with outrage, generally it is consumed as entertainment. A lot of videos include speed, girls, wealth and power portraying adolescent male fantasies these lead into soft-core pornography with the recycled clichéd imagery. This argument can be brought into modern day society as there are many people who believe within the media women are sexualised and material is seen as too provocative for audience viewing. With the internet and new ways of consuming media nothing is very hidden from the public, and it is fairly easy for minors to access material they shouldn't be watching. A lot of the time people would argue it is not even hidden and is open for anyone to view, like how women are shown in music videos. The sexual objectification can be dangerous not only to girls themselves but give this ideology to younger boys as well who may then see this as an acceptable way to treat girls.
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| Satisfaction, Benny Benassi. Women are continuously shown in this video as sexual objects the use of slow motion, provocative behaviour and revealing outfits could be argued to conform to Shore's theory as it could be seen as a adolescent male fantasy of women. |
The fact the women are using power-tools which we stereotypically see men as using, shows how males using power tools aren't seen as 'sexy' however in this video females are breaking stereotypes by using them but it is used for sexualisation purposes.
A good example of 'anaesthetisation of violence through chic' is Bob Dylan's Beyond Here Lies Nothin' music video in which a woman and a man have an violent fight. We assume he had been keeping her prisoner and she escapes, the fight is quite explicit in terms of violence. At the end of the video the two end up kissing which for many was quite a controversial ending however throughout the video the use of sound amplifies the sheer scale of the violence. Some watching would feel uncomfortable at times but we still watch it and accept it as 'normal' because as an audience of fictional television, films and music videos we're used to seeing violence therefore have developed an acceptance when it is shown in videos like this.
Narrative Theory 4: Todorov
Todorov (1960s) states that narratives must have a solution.
Believes all narratives start in a state of 'Equilibrium' in which they're open to disruption, when the disruption occurs this sets off a series of events which lead to a quest in order to solve the problem so order can be re-stored resulting in a re-equilibrium. His theory can be most commonly applied to films however in music videos sometimes they have a more 'conceptual' purpose and do not have a clear narrative. There are five stages to Todorovs theory.
1. Equilibrium.
The first part to a story in which everything is settled and life is as normal.
2. Disruption
The part in the story in which something happens or a problem occurs to change this happiness.
3. Quest
After the disruption people realise there is a problem therefore set out to fix it.
4. Resolution
In the story they are working to fix the problem.
5. Re-Equilibrium
The ending to a story were all order has been restored and life continues as normal. Although because of the events that have taken place this means it will be different to the initial state as the consequences of the disruption and resolution will affect the re-equilibrium.
1. Equilibrium.
The first part to a story in which everything is settled and life is as normal.
2. Disruption
The part in the story in which something happens or a problem occurs to change this happiness.
3. Quest
After the disruption people realise there is a problem therefore set out to fix it.
4. Resolution
In the story they are working to fix the problem.
5. Re-Equilibrium
The ending to a story were all order has been restored and life continues as normal. Although because of the events that have taken place this means it will be different to the initial state as the consequences of the disruption and resolution will affect the re-equilibrium.
Narrative Theory 3: Tim O'Sullivan
O'Sullivan believes all media texts tell some kind of story and all narratives
have a common theme. Through meditation, media texts offer a way of telling
stories about ourselves not always about ourselves but the story as a culture. The concept of his theory is that stories reflect our culture, they can reflect society at the time of filming dealing with various 'themes' and 'issues' present in the time period.
Below is a chart showing how Tim O'Sullivan's theory works.
Ideologies present rely on the choices institutions make as
they decide what is important. Artists choose what interests them and their
values. Ideology reflects their technology and culture.
An example of this is Plan B's ill Manors song following the London Riots in 2011. It very much represents his ideas and values at the time based on the culture of the working class. Arguably people have labelled it one of the greatest protest songs of british history. Growing up in London Plan B (Ben Drew) describes his difficulties growing up, he states, "We weren't working class but we
weren't middle class, we were in the void in-between. I've always felt like a
social outcast."
Therefore he will have
experienced both working class ideologies and the middle class and seen how
treatment varies on the classes. The song isn't promoting riots and deeming the
behavior as acceptable. Its is more an attack on the government and its
policies which fuel the reputation of council estate youths. The irony is that he is describing the stereotypes people have of people living on council estates however this is the image the government depicts of them. Based on some incidents they generalize the whole group. People think of
London as a glamorous city with opportunities when the matter of the fact is
that it is sugar-coated and what is shown in the media, across the country council
estates exist and they do in London too, however the government just show these
as social problems, many of their policies is to highlight this and make other
people believe all council estate youths are deviant and criminals. However
there is no excuse for crime, Plan B is stating how youths of council estates
are set up from the start of life to be failures. The government does not help
this in anyway.
"When you attack someone because of the way they talk, the way they dress, the music they listen to, or their lack of education, and you do it publicly and it's acceptable to do that, you make them feel alienated. They don't feel like a part of society … For every person who uses the word chav there is a less educated person ready to embrace it. They say, well, look, I'm never going to change the way you think of me so actually I'm going to play up to it and fuel the fire. In essence that's what Ill Manors is about."
Who closed down the community center?
I kill time there used to be a member
What will I do now 'til September?
Another example of how it is an attack on the government, many community centers were closed down by the Touries therefore it is insinuating that again their policies work against the working class.
The effect of the video is so great because Plan B is a famous artist therefore when releasing the song initially fans will watch it. Many people will be interested in the song as of its release after the London Riots because it is relevant to what is happening in the society around them. The news present their viewpoint of the riots showing all who take part as 'criminals' however this video allows us to see the other perspective and it outlines the bigger issue in society, which Plan B believes is societies structure and the inequality of classes. We can see how this is reflecting the culture at the time of release and what he thought was social problems. Overall the video uses fast cuts, edits and ideologies of the working class and stereotypical 'deviants' from council estates to create an impact. The beat of the song works to make people 'feel' something, many may start to feel angry towards the system and agree with the message Plan B is trying to get across however others (many would argue the target of the video, upper class) may view it as offensive and rude.
An example of this is Plan B's ill Manors song following the London Riots in 2011. It very much represents his ideas and values at the time based on the culture of the working class. Arguably people have labelled it one of the greatest protest songs of british history. Growing up in London Plan B (Ben Drew) describes his difficulties growing up, he states, "We weren't working class but we
weren't middle class, we were in the void in-between. I've always felt like a
social outcast." 
Therefore he will have
experienced both working class ideologies and the middle class and seen how
treatment varies on the classes. The song isn't promoting riots and deeming the
behavior as acceptable. Its is more an attack on the government and its
policies which fuel the reputation of council estate youths. The irony is that he is describing the stereotypes people have of people living on council estates however this is the image the government depicts of them. Based on some incidents they generalize the whole group. People think of
London as a glamorous city with opportunities when the matter of the fact is
that it is sugar-coated and what is shown in the media, across the country council
estates exist and they do in London too, however the government just show these
as social problems, many of their policies is to highlight this and make other
people believe all council estate youths are deviant and criminals. However
there is no excuse for crime, Plan B is stating how youths of council estates
are set up from the start of life to be failures. The government does not help
this in anyway.
Plan B on the song and the term 'Chav':
"When you attack someone because of the way they talk, the way they dress, the music they listen to, or their lack of education, and you do it publicly and it's acceptable to do that, you make them feel alienated. They don't feel like a part of society … For every person who uses the word chav there is a less educated person ready to embrace it. They say, well, look, I'm never going to change the way you think of me so actually I'm going to play up to it and fuel the fire. In essence that's what Ill Manors is about."
This is essentially saying that by labelling people with the term 'chav' and 'criminal' they become isolated and therefore end up conforming to the label which is the process of the 'Self-Fulfilling Prophecy'.
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| The use of a child in the video also shows how kids are exposed to the violence and are effected by the state of the government. Their policies effect childrens future. |
"Keep on believing what you read in the paper
Council estate kids, scum of the earth"
These lyrics show how he is saying the media generate this image of what council estate youths are like, it is sarcastic as this is how they're presented but he's saying they're not all like this, upper class create the image of what they want us to believe.Who closed down the community center?
I kill time there used to be a member
What will I do now 'til September?
Another example of how it is an attack on the government, many community centers were closed down by the Touries therefore it is insinuating that again their policies work against the working class.
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| The video sparked debates and conflict. These comments show one example of how different people interpreted the video. |
Narrative Theory 2: Sven Carlson
Performance can consist of three types, dance performance, song performance and instrumental performance. Videos can combine these all together depending on their strengths. For example in a lot of Beyonce's videos she lip-syncs to the song while dancing, combing dance and song performance.
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| Lana Del Rey, Born To Die. Here she is performing her lyrics to the song therefore this is an example of song performance. |
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| Single Ladies, Beyonce Dancing performance example |
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| Ex-Girlfriend, No Doubt, Instrumental performance example |
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| Lana Del Rey, National Anthem. This shot is developing the scene. As you can see she isn't 'performing' but developing narrative. |
Tame Impala - Half Full Glass Of Wine below is an example of a music video which is purely conceptual.
FKA Twigs - Water Me is an example of a music video which contains performance but there isn't a narrative it is abstract. She is lip-syncing to the song however there is no story present. The video focuses on a close-up of her face, there is an edited 'tear' in her eye at one point but the main part of the video is her face and head movements.
Sven also created a 'Mythical' method in which he analysed music videos. Focused on 'modern music embodiment'. In which he believes there are three types of performance..
1. One type he believes the performer is no longer a performer but a commercial exhibitionist to sell products. The song isn't always the selling point but the fact they're on screen.
2. The second type is the idea that the performer in this music video is a televised bard. the artist is a modern version of a bard, (a story teller, entertainer) but the medium they use for their 'stage' is television. The stories they tell have visual images on screen-instead of relying on the listeners imagination and physical performance. Many could argue the internet is now used as their platform.
3. The last type of performer is the electronic shaman sometimes believed that their voice and rhythm are what creates the visuals and holds them together. They are seen to have alter-egos in which people can find something to believe in them. They consume their music as they believe in their ideology.
Narrative Theory 1: Bordwell & Thompson
Bordwell and Thompson 1997 believe narrative is made up of two parts, the story and the plot. Within the story and the plot it is then broken down into sections, say A B C .
A) Inferred Events.
Events we already presume have happened and have not being shown in the video. For example if there was man and his wife leaving their house to go for a meal an inferred event is that they have gotten married and bought a house at some point before the current event.
B) Explicitly shown events.
These are are events shown directly on screen. Example, if the man and woman go to a restaurant and we see him spill a drink on her.
C) Non-Diegetic material.
Events which happen off-screen during the film. An example is if the man and wife return to find their house has been robbed however we did not see the robbery.
The story is what happens this is made up of A + B. As through inferred events we assume parts of the story of what will of taken place for them to get to this point and explicitly shown events will develop the story we see unfold before us.
The plot is how we are shown what happens in a narrative, made up of B + C. Explicitly shown events will work with non-diegetic material to reveal the plot to us. Non-diegetic allow the plot to move along at a acceptable pace as we cannot see all events of a narrative otherwise it could make for a long film.
Applying Bordwell and Thompson to Sacrilege by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The construction of Sacrilege is in reverse chronological order however we can still apply Bordwell and Thompson's narrative theory effectively.
A) Inferred Events.
Events we already presume have happened and have not being shown in the video. For example if there was man and his wife leaving their house to go for a meal an inferred event is that they have gotten married and bought a house at some point before the current event.
B) Explicitly shown events.
These are are events shown directly on screen. Example, if the man and woman go to a restaurant and we see him spill a drink on her.
C) Non-Diegetic material.
Events which happen off-screen during the film. An example is if the man and wife return to find their house has been robbed however we did not see the robbery.
The story is what happens this is made up of A + B. As through inferred events we assume parts of the story of what will of taken place for them to get to this point and explicitly shown events will develop the story we see unfold before us.
The plot is how we are shown what happens in a narrative, made up of B + C. Explicitly shown events will work with non-diegetic material to reveal the plot to us. Non-diegetic allow the plot to move along at a acceptable pace as we cannot see all events of a narrative otherwise it could make for a long film.
Applying Bordwell and Thompson to Sacrilege by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
The construction of Sacrilege is in reverse chronological order however we can still apply Bordwell and Thompson's narrative theory effectively.
Sunday 11 October 2015
Narrative Theory Introduction
Narrative is looking at the story, meaning, idea and structure of my chosen music video. When analysing my music video I will look at narrative theories and structures and examine whether these apply or not to my video. I want to look at the video in-depth to create a detailed analysis of the narrative of my music video.
Theme
As a starting point I'm going to look at the overall themes of the music video and song.
'Sacrilege' is the song name, meaning 'a violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred' - (Oxford Dictionary) words associated with it are blasphemy, desecration and impious. All these words generally are used in relation to religion, therefore with only the title as information we may see religion as a possible theme. Or it could suggest a rule has been broken and not relate directly to religion. To fully analyse the video I'm going to start by looking at the lyrics without comparing them to the narrative, this will then allow me to go back and comment on how the lyrics and narrative of the music video link. This isn't looking at the song structure but just the general narrative and what the lyrics may suggest.
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| First Lyric Analysis |
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| 1 |
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| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
From looking at these lyrical analysis I think the main idea behind the story is the hypocritical views of the towns folk themes within the song and video are religion and love and how they interweave to create a sustainable story.
Below is my analysis of the song structure and how it is set out for effect.
The formal structure of the music video is played in a non-linear format (one scene leading to the next commonly with overlaps) and plays in reverse chronological order. Therefore the story starts from the end revealing how events led up to the 'beginning' (present). The fast paced shots and song make for an exciting, surprising story which for many people didn't predict the end. I also think the video is nondescript in that it opens the story up to the audience for interpretation. Many suggest watching the video more than a few times to fully create a theory of the story. After reading many comments of peoples opinion of the story it has allowed me to see all angles of how what may seem a simple story however there are many different viewpoints towards the story.
I also looked at the video as inverse, which shows it in chronological order instead of reversed. I think this shows how it changes how the audience will view the video. The idea of that the sequence showing her sleeping with each of the characters is in their imagination I do not think comes across as much in the inverse version and it appears more like she did commit adultery with all of them. However this is subject to individual opinion. But it is interesting to see the video 'backwards' to how it should be.
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