Intertextuality is when a concept is borrowed, modified or recycled to create another text. This can happen with any object ranging from music videos to films.
Marilyn Monroe- Diamonds are a girls Best Friend
Marilyn Monroe is one of the biggest sex symbols of our generation and she was known for her roles in "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" and "Some Like It Hot". Her portrayal of the character Lorelei Lee was one of her most famous roles and gave her public appreciation. One of the things Marilyn was known for in that movie was her rendition of the song "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend" which showed her character as someone who preferred material love rather than actual love. The mise-en-scene of the scene is very vibrant and shows off a lot of expensive materials.
Madonna- Material Girls
This video is a idrect copy of the Marilyn Monro song. Madonna Wanted to use this video because she admired her and felt that the video and the theme of the video would fit with the theme of the song as it is about the material gifts that men can give to a woman.
How They are Similar:
the two are vey similar with their mise-en-scene, lighting, editing and cinematography. The co,ours of the setting, costumes etc are exactluy the same as Madonna wanted to pay homage to Marilyn as she admired her as an artist.
The promo promotes the band and their latest hits.
Shows each members personality
Stereotypical way of life- showing what they do each day makes them more relatable.
A full feature length film that promotes the band
Shows them actually playing/performing making it clear to the audience that they make their own music.
Bob Dylan- Subterranean Homesick Blues- 1965
Shows him interacting with the words
No performance
Unconventional
Top of the Pops- 1964-2006
Promotes singles and not albums
Records sold made the number one- this impacted sales
Created a need for promos as bands couldn't always appear on the show
Shows shots of the audience
The Beatles- Strawberry Fields Forever 1967
A turning point for the band
Strange editing
Colour filters
Backwards filming
Doesn't promote the band- it establishes the bands LSD stage
Purpose made promo- Illustrates the song
The Monkees- A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 1967
Relates back to the Beatles
Wants to be relatable to a younger audience
Surrealism
Jump cuts
Wacky comedy
Narrative and Performance
Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody 1975
Pace of editing is very slow
Links to the pace of the song
Performance
Close ups of Freddie- emphasising he is the lead singer
Lighting and Mise-en-scene are very out of the ordinary
David Bowie Ashes to Ashes 1980
Artistic impression
Iconic for lighting and SFX
Devo Whip It 1980
Western theme
Intertextuality used
Revolutionary
Performing
Visually Strange
MTV 1981
Created form Mike Nesmith
Started in America
Video killed the radio star
Duran Duran Rio 1983
Sexual representation of women
Clever editing
Visually exciting
Performance and Narrative
Inspired from James Bond
Women are seen as sexual objects
Humorous
Michael Jackson Thriller 1983
Short story
Voice overs
Elaborate costumes
SFX
Romance and interests
Aerosmith/ Run DMC Walk This Way 1986
Different genres of music merging together
Broke the white dominance
Made Rap music more accepted
Typical conventions
Madonna Like a Prayer 1989
Narrative and Performance
Black Jesus- Controversial
The narrative is the non-performance part of the promo which allows the band/ the director to take themes form the song and portray them in different ways. The narrative can be used in segments throughout the promo or it can be used as the promo itself which allows the band to explore the lyrics and have more of a creative input into the promo. It also allows the band to show how they would interpret the song in a visual form. The audience automatically look for a beginning, middle and end however the videos do not always run in a specific way as the audience would expect it to which would result in the audience wanting to watch the video more often because they like to watch promo that do not always follow the conventional way. A narrative is rarely complete and is therefore fragmentary. This also helps the repeatability of the video.
Andrew Goodwin- suggests music promos can interpret/ use the meanings in the song to make a
promo can be used in the following ways:
1.illustration- illustrates the narrative in the song lyrics- Avril Lavinie- Girlfriend
This video has clearly used illustration because you can see that the main focus is on a guy and his girlfriend and another girl trying to get with him which is the main theme of the song. The video uses stereotypical mise-en-scene because you can see how the boyfriend and the "wanna be" girlfriend have very similar clothing and are attracted to the same things where as the actual girlfriend is the opposite and is wearing lots of pink and stereotypical controlling girlfriend clothing which makes her stand out from the other two.
2. amplification- uses a key idea/ image from the lyrics and develops it into a concept from within the promo. a link between the lyrics and the promo- Travis Flowers in the window
This video takes the two themes of pregnancy and representing them as flowers and also gender representation because it is clear that the gender roles have been changed to make it more of a female dominated place.
3. Disjuncture- the promo has no resemblance to the lyrics or the meaning of the lyrics. often abstract/ unconventional, new range of meaning for the songs.
This video has very little do do with the song because the song doesn't mention anything about drowning however it is unique because it also has the lyrics inside the bowl which creates more of a serious element to the video.
What is a classical/ traditional music promo? - some sort of event to take place. has a start middle and ending. Chronological storyline. Introduced to characters in the beginning, something happens, then solution.
SYNAESTHESIA- WHERE ONE SENSATION EVOKES ANOTHER SENSATION!!!!!!
|_> in a song what sort of emotions do the lyrics/music generate? Minor chords- sadness etc.
The shots that featured in the music video were mainly mid shots and close ups. The reason the director has used these shots in particular is due to them wanting to add more emphasis on the band and on the events which are taking place both backstage and onstage. The director also uses long shots which over look the audience creating more concert like atmosphere making the audience who are watching the video feel more involved. This is also helped through the use of a POV (point of view) shot and a low angle shot as it emphasises the bands dominance. There are a lot of camera movements involved with the video and they mainly consist of women and guitars emphasising the masculine theme which is shown throughout. Both women and guitars are thought of as pleasures and desires (almost like an addiction) implying that these are things that men desire most which emphasises the stereotypical male mentality. The main camera movements that are used are tracking shots and pans. The tracking shot mainly featured the audience creating a more exhilarating environment drawing the audience in and making the event seem more realistic. The panning shots are mainly used to emphasises guitars and the more provocative areas of a woman's figure. The pace of these shots are quite slow which adds more emphasis on what is featured in shot as it allows the audience to clearly see what the directors are intending for them to see. The point of view shots are designed to give the audience a more realistic perspective of the performance as the directors want to give the audience members who are watching via the Internet more of a direct insight into what a bands life is like both backstage and onstage.
Editing/ Sound-
The editing in this music promo is very fast paced which creates a more chaotic effect and captures
the essence of a real performance. The editing changes with the pace of the song making it a more coherent video and making it a more enticing for the audience to watch. The main edits that are used are fades and the jump cuts. These effects create a more up beat video and also makes it look more chaotic. The cuts are used to speed up the pace of the video which links into the song as it has a fast tempo and matching the beat with the edits make it look busy which is embodying what the bands lifestyle would be like. The fades vary from showing the performance to the backstage area and visa versa giving the audience more of an inside look into what happens when the band are playing and what they do after the show has finished. One of the visual effects which runs throughout the promo is the black and white effect giving it a more vintage look. Another reason why the black and white effect was used was so that the video wouldn't look dated if it was out a long time as this is one of the downfalls to a lot of videos as people are less likely to watch the video if it looks dated so having the black and white effect will prevent that from happening. All of the sound on the video is non-diegetic due to it being a promotional video and artists wouldn't necessarily sing as good if they were singing live and they want the recorded version on the promo so that the audience who consume the product
will know exactly what it is that they are buying.
Mise-en-scene-
The setting that the audience sees is what seems to be the toilets. Stereotypically, drugs are done in private and are closed areas so that people do not see what they are doing and this shot could imply this. The camera is taken backstage and shows how the band are when they are not on stage and this could be seen as a privilege because the audience would not be allowed backstage in normal circumstances so this video allows the audience to get an insight into the bands life and their lifestyle. The women in the video are portrayed as being sexual objects which shows the audience what the band think of women and how they feel women should be seen as. The women are very contrasting to the men because they all appear to be drunk however the women do not seen to handle the drink as well as the men do which could imply that the band feel that women are "lightweights" and that they cannot handle the drink as well as the band can showing the bands dominance over the women as it shows them as being quite vulnerable. Their costumes also make them more contrasting as they are all wearing provocative clothing which again shows the bands sexual desire for women and what they feel to be attractive. This is a very stereotypical way of representing women because it shows them as being unable to handle their alcohol intake and dressing provocatively to get noticed by the band. The band are being represented in a very masculine way which is different to the women as they are seen a lot of the time with guitars, drums and amplifiers which shows them as being very masculine as the instruments are what people would associate with a band of that nature. The lighting is very bright backstage which emphasises the events which take place whilst they are in the dressing room/bathroom however the lighting is very different when the performance shots are shown because most of the shot is dark however there are bright stage lights which shows the performance section of the promo to be more like a concert and a live performance which is emphasised by the POV shot from the crowd. The music promo appeals to both females and male. Females would like the video because they could find the members of the band attractive and it is common for people to watch videos/films because they have someone they find attractive in it. the males would be attracted to the promo because of the instruments and because of the song in general. The band is very appealing to a young male audience because the band have very stereotypical views of women and of the world resulting in young males looking up to them and aspiring to their views.
Narrative/Genre
The promo has a few segments of performance throughout the promo and this gives the band credibility because it proves to their audience that they can play the instruments that are seen and that they are able to perform live infront of an audience. This becomes more appealing to the audience because they would be more willing to watch them live because the promo proves to them that the band are able to perform live. The rest of the video doesn't have a straight forward narrative like most videos do as it doesn't consist of a beginning, middle and end of a story which is what an audience member would normally look for. The narrative is an illustration of the song because the song is called "Cigarettes and Alcohol" and whatever is featured in the narrative shows people smoking and drinking alcohol. The purpose of this is to show how much the band both smoke and drink and gives the audience an idea of what the band are like backstage after a show. The genre is important to the promo because come people only listen to one style of music and the music genre has to be shown through the promo. Oasis is a Brit pop/rock band and the promo emphasises this because they use the stereotypical "rock god" image and made the band look rebellious and have a luxurious lifestyle and get what they desire, it also shows the audience how the band perceive the rock and roll lifestyle making them more popular with young musicians who are looking to get into the industry because they think that they are going to do those things when they become a professional musician. The lyrics in this song are very influential as it serves as a basis for the promo which we can see because the main focus of the promo is cigarettes and alcohol which is a clear illustration of the title.
The music promo by Travis takes a more unconventional approach resulting in the video, at first, looking obscure and un-relatable to the song however the director has amplified the song lyrics and made represented them in different forms. For example, as theme of pregnancy is shown throughout the video, it could be suggested that the "Flowers" represent babies as a further lyric "let them grow" would suggest that they are describing a child as it grows. The women are seen to do more masculine jobs such as being a car mechanic or driving a lawn mower which emphasises that there are no men around other that the band members. This could be seen as role reversal as the phrase "it's a mans world" (suggesting that women don't belong) has been changed so that there are more women and very little men implying that women are now being seen as more dominant figures in society. At the very end of the music promo the audience is introduced to a man who is chained up and is in a caged area suggesting that he is being held captive to father the women's children which again is role reversal as before woman's rights were introduced they were only expected to carry a child and look after it whilst the men went to work. This emphasises role reversal and is an unconventional way of showing women as being the more dominant force because an audience would not expect to see a place where men are few and some are many. The purpose of this video could be to shock people because the video is very unconventional and not what people would expect to see in a promo that is about flowers/children. The shock element appears at the very beginning when the audience is introduced to all the women who have baby bumps and that there are no men other than the band. It would shock people because the video is so obscure and something that an audience member wouldn't necessarily think of when hearing the lyrics "flowers in the window". There is no performance during this promo and it makes it appear more like a short film rather than a promo. In previous videos the band were the main focus and as the band started to get bigger they started doing less conventional videos which featured a performance showing that their purpose was no longer to promote the band members but for people to watch their promos for the music and the entertainment that surrounds the song.
The sound of the promo is very upbeat and cheerful which makes the promo seem more pleasant and more appealing to a target audience. The song is non-diegetic as they use lip sync with the band to make the promo sound exactly like the single which allows the audience to know exactly what they are going to hear when purchasing the song. The car driving is diegetic and this gives the promo a more conventional appearance and gives it some sense of normality before the unconventional part of the video appears.
The editing is slower compared to the pace of the music. It could be used to draw more attention to the events which are unfolding and also to emphasis the obscurity of what is happening around them. It also emphasises how surreal the concept is because it's such a diverse and unconventional promo that requires the audience to fully absorb what they are seeing to understand visually what the lyrics are saying.
The bands costume is quite basic. It consists of jeans and a t-shirt showing them as being quite casual people but also shows them as being more masculine as the environment that they are in shows them being dominated by females and their costume allows them to separate themselves from the abnormalities. The females costumes over emphasise the baby bump and their femininity as they all have their bump showing. They all have overly bright coloured costumes which mainly consist of a crop top and a short skirt which are seen as provocative pieces of clothing which is a contrast to what an audience member would stereotypically see a pregnant lady wearing. The props that the women use are seen as stereotypical female objects that they would have in every day life, for example, the tea cups that are used at the club are very feminine as they are pink with flowers on (which links back to the song) showing women as being sophisticated even though the environment they are in is the opposite as they are in a "gentlemen's club" but due to the role reversal the women are portraying what the men would be like if they were there. The lighting for the promo starts off as natural daylight which highlights the obscure surroundings and events which are taking place. However the lighting at the club is dark but with areas of orange and pink showing it to be a feminine environment however in the next shot where you see the lead singer in a darker lighting but with a green tint which differentiates him from the females at the club and emphasises his masculinity. The setting of the
promo appears to have a western theme at the very beginning as the first shot is of a car speeding down a road in the middle of nowhere and they arrive at a small town which again has a western theme however all that changes when the women appear. The town seems to be quite mysterious at the start but is also colourful which emphasises the surrealism of the promo. The bright colours would also entice younger audience members to watch the video as they feel bright colours are eye catching and create a positive vibe.
The first shot is an extreme long shot which sets the scene and shows the environment that the band are in. It also make that audience feel uneasy as they do not know where the car is going or why they are in such a strange environment. Throughout the promo the shots break the 180' rule as it cuts from being on the left side of the town to the right side and visa versa which disorientates the audience and emphasises who unconventional the promo is. The most common shot and framing is the close ups of the bumps. The bumps are the main focus of the promo because it emphasises how strange the environment is and it also shows how contrasting the women are from the band members.
A music promo has many purposes. One purpose is to advertise the song by using a short clip that would mainly consist of a verse and a chorus of the song. The reason music producers used this method of advertising was because it enticed the viewers into watching the rest of the video and ultimately buying the song. Another reason why producers make video promos is to promote the artists who are involved. People use promo videos as a way of expression and also for art. It can also be used as a short film or a catalogue of reference. Some videos can be used as a new form of theatre as the video promotes the artist and they get recognised through their videos, much like actors such as Charlie Chaplin who became famous from his stage work.
Advertising
They are mainly used to advertise the artist: example- Green Day- Minority
Most of the shots that are used in this promo are of the band and of the main singer which promotes the band and their performance. The promo doesn't have a specific narraitve which gives the viewers a more concert feel and like they are watching the actual band play.
Art/Expression
Green Day- 21st Century Breakdown
This promo has a more artistic approach which adds a more creative element to it. The promo has a coherant storyline and relates to the song as the song is about the lead singer's life and how he grew up and the events which occured whilst he was growing up. The first line "born into Nixon" referes to his birth and gives the audience a better understanding of the events that occured around that time making him more relatable to the audience. The promo is in black and white to give it a more vintage feeling which prevents it looking aged when time progresses. The spray-painted wall effect was inspired from the works of the artist Banksy who is ronouned for doing wall art. The band decided to use this as agin it gives it a more timeless feeling and insures that the video won't look dated. The camera work is very diverse and unconventional. The shots differ from tracking shots to show the progression of the narrative or mid shots to show the characters emotion.
Short Film
Green Day Wake me up when September Ends
This promo has a more involved narrative which is more interesting for the audience as they can get more involved with the characters and realte more to the song. The promo has a mixture of performance and narritive which makes the audience more interested and more willing to watch the video. There are a range of shots from close ups to show the emotion on the characters faces and extream long shots to show the environment that the characters are in. The director has chosen to have a narrative that relates to the Iraq war and how it effects people and their relationships. The story builds as the song builds which gives the video natural progression and effects the audience on an emotional level. The editing is very fast paced when the music builds giving the promo more tension and more emotion because it could be seen as the characters emotions being very conflicting.
New form of theatre- Beyoncé Listen
This promo is a good example of a new form of theatre as the video is based in a theatrical environment as it includes a performance on a stage and a panning shot of the auditorium. The narrative of the video is from the film DreamGirls which is featured at the beginning of the promo and it is titled like a theatrical performance highlighting the newest form of theatre. There is a lot of tracking shots showing a change of Beyonce's character and also shows the change in her appearance as she was wearing quite casual clothing but then changes into elegant clothing making her appear more sophisticated. The close ups that are used show the emotion in the characters face making her more relatable to the audience.
What is the purpose of a music video?
The purpose of a music promo is to do a multitude of things. They are used to:
Entertain- videos that are comedic or have a storyline to them that audiences would find amusing.
Fly for a white guy- this video is purely to entertain a more immature audience because you can see from the clothing that he is wearing that he is quite a comical character and he is immature and very childlike.
Inform- a video that is generally serious and has a lot of meaning behind it. Wants to send out a serious message.
Michael Jackson- earth song- this video has a purpose to inform the audience of all the bad things that have happened around the world and how we can help prevent them. Some of the events that occur are natural occurrences which shows the contrast between man made problems and natural problems. There are a lot of cuts to and from the different situations and the promo is edited in such a way that the audience can see certain images that are leading up to horrific events but cuts away just before it happens leaving the audience with the mental image of what would happen. These leave strong messages as the events are disastrous and are quite disturbing leaving the audience with a more important message.
Advertise- videos that advertise the band or a product
U2- with or without you
This promo is designed to advertise the band performing resulting in it not having a specific narrative. This makes the video easier to film because it focuses around the group meaning it needs no additional photography of other characters. This also means that the audience can relate more to the band as they are constantly in shot throughout he promo. The slow pan at the beginning introduces the audience to he lead singer and the emphasis is out on him because he would be the front man that people would see at a gig and he is also the person singing the song making him more of an authorities figure. There is a lot of slow motion used throughout this promo which gives the audience longer to focus on the musicians and it also creates a calmer atmosphere because everything is slower and more relaxed.
Shock
Miley Cyrus- this promo is an example of using shock to make something memorable. Because the promo is so unconventional people remember it because of the content, not the actual song however due to the obscureness of the video people remember the song that is associated with it. The promo uses a lot of close ups which show the emotion of the singer and makes the audience relate more to the singer because that specific audience member could be experiencing something similar and could relate to the lyrics of the song. There are lots of long shots used which gives the audience a clear view of the environment that the singer is in and also shows the audience what is going on behind the singer whilst they are watching the promo. The visual aspects are an illustration of the lyrics as we clearly see the destruction of the wrecking ball, giving the promo a more literal narrative.
