Analysis of typical music videos

Lady Gaga: Telephone

 

Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' is a very successful music video as it questions societies' views on the female body through both objectification and empowerment. Wide angle shots and mise-en-scene shows the female dancers to be people and not objects, whilst less clothing shows body positivity for young girls to aspire to. In one shot, Lady Gaga is wearing an outfit made from police tape saying "no entry", to show a belief of self control over her own body. On the other hand close ups of provocative female body parts demonstrates objectification, as the framing of the shots suggests the sexualised body parts are disconnected from the female's overall personality. These features of the music video question societies' connotations with the female body, whilst trying to take back control and power of it.

 

 

Telephone was produced by Darkchild, an American producer who started out in Gospel Rap with his brother. At the age of 17 he accepted a record deal with EMI music Corporation. He has sold over 160 million records world wide, and worked with artists including Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

Darkchild, or Rodney Jenkins, has worked for multiple record companies, writing and sometimes performing with huge artists all around the world.

Rihanna: Rude Boy.

Concept/ performance based music video:

• No real story line
• Very unusual- doesn't use typically colour features

Media Language:

• Close-ups of sexual body parts
• Lots of two shots with Rhianna and sexualised men
• Fast paced editing
• Direct Address

Representation:

• Men are objectified sexually
• Colours and props link to culture (Caribbean)
• Costumes/fonts/patterns are urban

Narrative and Themes:

• Narrative does not have a deep meaning behind it
• The meaning is sex

Audiences:

• Aimed at both genders
• Teenagers mainly
• Girls want to be like her
• Boys want to be with her
• Colours are youthful

Institutions:

• Brand is very sexualised, video supports that
• Still in control
• Very centralised

Objectification:

• Sexualisation of body parts (male dancers and body parts)
• Isolating body parts from her overall personality (lips, bum, breasts etc.)

Mise en scene:

• Sunglasses and makeup displays anonymously
• Makes it easier for fans to become her
• Takes away her identity
• Caribbean, cultural colours
• Abstract setting
• Minimal clothing shows that she has control over how she wants to dress (countertype)
• Riding powerful lion (dominance)
• Choreography is very sexualised/ provocative
• Choreography is very free
• Colours are youthful

Editing:

• Lots of Rhianna's (duplicated)
• Cuts between different things that are going on and different costumes
• Edited to show just body parts (especially lips)
• Black and white sections show sophistication

Metropolis Studios Produced the song and music video for Rude Boy, a production company established in 1989, and located in London. The company works in the music industry, film and television. The company has worked with the Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams and 50 cent, making the music videos for all of them.

Eminem: We Made You

Concept based:

• Parody video, making fun of culture
• Uses look-a-likes to question celebrities and their role in society
• This was a clear technique used to attract Eminem's audience

The mise-en-scene used in the video follows a theme of parody, so the props and set is purposely made to look a little bit fake. The set has very bold, solid colours that are simple and don't take the attention away from the crazy antics of the artist and actors. All of the sound is the backing track, and there is no sound of the actions in the background. This gives a removed feel to the actors, and enforces the "us and them" feeling through out. The camera is constantly a longshot with the occasional mid shot thrown in, this is to make the viewer connect with the scene, as a pose to the actors in particular. It uses the editing technique of freeze frames with comical writing to allow the viewer to fully appreciate the meaning of the video.

The single's music video was directed by Joseph Kahn, who also shot "Without Me" from The Eminem Show is in the same vein as past videos under the Slim Shady persona, and the first of its kind since Encore's "Ass Like That". The video was filmed in Las Vegas and features star appearances by Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Denaun Porter, Bobby Lee, The Palms hotel owner George Maloof, Francesca Le, Melissa Peterman, Vanilla Ice, Trisha Paytas (playing Jessica Simpson's role in the The Dukes of Hazzard), Derrick Barry (of America's Got Talent fame) (playing Britney Spears), actress Gabrielle Salinger (playing Amy Winehouse) and pornographic actress Lisa Ann as Sarah Palin. 

Joshep Kahn directs music videos, films and television series, working with artists such as Lady Gaga, Snoop Dog and Dr Dre, making a name for himself in parody music videos. His other Eminem collaboration "Without me" showed many similarities to "we made you", helping create and identity for Eminem and his style of rap.