Music Videos Analysis
Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z
Location:
The locations that have been denoted in this music video
are: the recording studio, on stage, backstage and large room for extra
performance elements of the music video. The recording studio is a location
which connotes that the artists are working whilst ensuring that they maintain
a relaxed vibe. The large room used for parts of the artist’s performance is
used to denote the main artist as well as backup dancers. An aspect that is
clear is the denotation of separate room sets for the male dancers and the
female dancer. The male dancers dance with the male artist of the song in a
group in a dance that is choreographed with lights flashing and moving around.
This contrasts with the set in which the female dancer is dancing in as she is
dancing alone with minimal clothing and dancing on a wet floor and in slow
motion shots. This contributes to the sexualising of women in music videos.
Camera Language
The camera language connotes the style of the music video
and the tone of the narrative. There are no moving shots; all of the shots are
static. This is a style which makes it stand out from other music videos. The
static shots give the effect of a camera being present to portray a story being
captured, rather than the camera being a part of the diegesis and moving to
connote something about the characters.
Costumes
The costumes denoted in this music video include suits and
ties. This parallels the title of the music video and reflects of the lyrics as
some of the lines mention clothing such as “dress” and “suit and tie”. The
denotation of suits connotes a tone of elegance and sophistication. It also
connotes a sense of power that the artists have as they are seen to be dressed
very elegantly and they stand out.
Actors/Artist
The actors used in this music video are the backup dancers
and the artists themselves. This is a very useful technique to increase the
hype emitting from the target audience as they get to see the artists they
admire in a very different light compared to other music videos. This includes
both artists. The artists act the role of artists performing in very
sophisticated club of some sort. This is a very interesting way to portray
artist as they are performers in the diegesis as well as characters within the
narrative of the diegesis of the music video.
Genre
I think the genre for this music video would be film noir.
This is due to the fact that most aspects of the music video derive elements of
a traditional noir film. This includes aspects such as the black and white colour
as well as the attire which are suits and ties. Noir films are known to be very
character driven stories which I feel that this music video has a done a fine
job at as the artists are very much in focus of the audience even though they
are surrounded by a lot of dancers and people.
The Weeknd - Starboy (official) ft. Daft Punk
Location:
The locations used in the ‘Starboy’ music video are both
internal and external locations: inside a house and a long road. The house
segments of the music video are very darkly lit which connote that it is not a
positive place for the character that the artist is playing to be there. This
further connotes that this house belongs to the man that he killed at the start
of the music video.
Camera Language
The camera language creates major implications to the
position of the artist in the music video. There is one particular shot in
which the artist is walking across the corridor with the cross in his hand.
This shot is denoted in a low angle, making the artist look dominant and in
control over the location. I wish to use this technique in my music video to
emphasise what my artist is feeling and to also reflect the actions that my
artist is doing, much like this music video.
Costumes
The costume worn by the artist in this music video is
monochromatic. He wears black attire which is all in the same shade. This can
connote that his outer dark appearance originates from his dark inner
personality. His denotation is similar to a black panther. This is a denotation
and a connection that was lead into the final act of the music video in which
he is driving with a panther beside him.
Actors/Artist
The actor used to portray the two characters in the
narrative of the music video is the artist. They used the artist to portray
both looks of the artist, the old look which is killed by the new image of the
artist. Using the artist instead of actors would not have created the same
impact, as his fans are very familiar with his old look, so the story worked
best for him and that the artists would not have been as excited to see just a
random actor instead of the artist.
Genre
I would categorise this music video in the genre of a
thriller and this can be defined through moments in which the artist is killing
his old self. This genre is very unexplored in music videos as audiences are
not usually exposed to this kind of material, however it is a bold move and
something that I wish to implement in my music video as it can create
excitement for the audience.
Kendrick Lamar - ELEMENT.
Location:
Denoted in this music video are various locations which I
believe are based within one area. I think that the locations denoted are in
Compton. This is due to the fact that Compton is mentioned in the lyrics of the
artist’s rap and the artist, Kendrick Lamar, is very well known for praising
and admiring his home town Compton publicly. If this music video was indeed
filmed in Compton, it supports the motif and reinforces that this is one of the
artist’s motifs. The artist uses the location, making out to the audience that
it is Compton, even if it were not filmed there. His praises for the town are
vivid in each of his music videos; however he is not a victim of glorifying the
location. He shows the struggles very much in this music video and it brings
upon connotations of what the location is known for and what happens in such
areas. This can be denoted by shots of a heavily bleeding man and a fight on
the streets.
Camera Language
Camera language is a key aspect in this music video. The
simplicity of the shots has a very great impact on the way I viewed the music
video. Almost every shot in the music video is static; there is no movement at
all apart from the actors and the elements within the composition. This
connotes that the actions within each shot are direct and there is no budging
(like the camera) from the reality what occurs in that town.
Costumes
The costumes worn by the people in the music video enhance
the verisimilitude of the diegesis that is portrayed. The men denoted in large
groups are wearing street wear attire such as vests and tracksuit bottoms. The
plain costumes connote the plain lifestyle of these characters. On the other
hand, Kendrick Lamar is seen wearing this clothes as well as clothing such as
denim jackets and beige trousers. This connotes that he is higher up in the
society in terms of hierarchy and he is someone that is looked up to and has
achieved a lot. However, he is seen within the crowd and his position within the
compositions when he is amongst the group does not look as if he is trying to
stand out, rather he is still one of the ordinary men in the town.
Actors/Artist
The actors used in this music video are dominantly black
male actors. The age range of the actors is wide as there are young children,
middle aged men, and old men denoted within the music video. This connotes that
the community in which the music video is taking place has a lot of black males
and females and that further reinforces the connotation that this may be set in
Compton as Compton is a town that’s majority consists of black or African
American individuals. The choice of actor has been well decided as it portrays
a specific part of the artist’s upbringing which allow his fans to get an insight
on his views about the people he grew up knowing.
Genre
Personally, I would categorise this music video
in the genre of interpretive music videos. This is due to the fact that it
denotes the lifestyle of those that the artist may have seen in his life. This
can also be an interpretive music video as the visuals are derived from the
perspective of the artist, Kendrick Lamar, and the director’s view on how they
should be illustrated. This contributes to the hypodermic needle theory as it
creates a preferred reading for the audience to have about the Compton society,
more specifically the
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