GCSE Media Studies - Music Video Analysis - RESEARCH

1. RESEARCH: Music Video Analysis
Lana Del Rey – Video Games

2. Lana Del Rey: Video Games
• To gain more insight into a abstract style video, I
have analysed the music video for Lana Del
Rey‟s „Video Games‟, which was released on
YouTube on 16th October 2011 by VEVO.

3. Forms and Conventions
• Genre: Pop Ballad
• Video Director: Lana Del Rey & Ben Coughlan
• Date Of Release: 16th October 2011
• Type Of Video: Indie – Concept Based Video

4. Forms and Conventions
• Several close ups of the artist
• Dull imagery, to go with the slow, moody themes
of the song
• Colour change with the mood of the song
• Video is not related to the song and includes a
fast paced montage
• Simple and effortless shots, with abstract editing
features

5. Close-ups of the artist

6. Representation
• When the line “Go play your video games” is
sung, there is a shot where a male leans in and
kisses a female. This shows how Del Rey refers
to a male „playing‟ a female like a video game.
This metaphor connotes a message of betrayal
and deceiving traits from the male to the female
character in the music video.

7. Representation
• The constant change from showing young, urban
skateboarders and the Hollywood Hills shows a
comparison in different lifestyles. However, the
music video also emphasises recordings of the
American flag. This attempts to show to the
viewer that although there are differences in
every Americans lifestyle, everyone has one
thing in common; they are American. Del Rey
attempts to signify equality and America‟s
different communities.

8. Representation
• Lana Del Rey is portrayed as a commoner in this
video, as her costume and make up is not too
flamboyant and are casual in style. This shows
how the artist tries to stress the idea of equality
for common Americans to the more wealthy
Americans.

9. Institutions
• Lana Del Rey is signed with a joint deal to
Polydor Records and Interscope Records. The
music video has been viewed by 47, 828, 914
viewers on YouTube from the release date, up
until now (2nd October 2013).

10. Audiences
• The target audience for this video is young
people, specifically between the ages of 15 and
20. This is because in the video, it includes
young actors, so that the viewers can relate to
them. Also, the music video is aimed at urban
communities, that are not often wealthy
places, as it includes footage of skateboarders at
a skate park, wearing a beanie and a t-
shirt, often worn by people in a urban places.