11. Technical terms check list:
• Performance clips and band shots
• Fast-pace of editing
• Mainly straight cuts
• Bright lighting
• High angle/low angle
• Bright colours against black and white background
• Panning
• Editing to reflect pace of music
• Special lighting effects
• High lighting
• Equal division of shots upon band members
• Whole band shots
• No real sound effects
• Colour effects – often monochrome
• Dubbed sound
• Zooming out
• Shadows
• Mise-en-scène reflects atmosphere
• Animation
• Does the music video adhere to or subvert these?
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
29. Representations
• Short skirts
• Legs and low cut tops
• Voyeurism
• Glamour – lifestyle
• Seductive poses from female artists
• Urban locations
• Dancing
• Crowd shots
• Playing out ‘pop star’ lifestyle within video
• Fairly straight forward narrative
• Group singing whilst chaos takes place around
• Anti-establishment activity
• Destroyed environments
• Mean and moody men
• Deserted locations
• Singing whilst acting
• Trying to portray a certain image
• Self-appreciation
• All playing to the audience
• Does the music video adhere to or subvert these?
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
31. Categories
Purpose: entertainment, persuasion, profit?
Form: live, recording, music video?
Genre: current and past pop music genres?
Tone: happy, serious, sad, celebratory, outrageous?
Style: conventional, unconventional, traditional, modern?
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
32. Language
Examination of conventions of pop music genres in terms of:lyrics,
vocal style, instrumentation, rhythm, melody
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
33. Narrative
Understanding lyric of song in terms of who, where, what,
when, why? Narrative elements in music video.
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
34. Representation
Representations of age, gender and race in pop music.
Image of pop music stars used in marketing, press coverage,
etc.
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
35. Technology
Technology involved in production, distribution and
consumption of popular music.General effects on
product.New developments.
Textual Analysis of Pop Music Video
36. • Music videos are used to help a musician or band promote a song or album. Think of a music video as an
advertisement for the musician. Thanks to cheap digital video equipment and YouTube, there is no excuse for a
musician to not have a music video out for the world to see. With so many music videos out there, it is worth
exploring the idea of analyzing a music video.
• Something to consider, first and foremost, is that music videos are more than just music. The video part of a
music video is what truly sets it apart from a song by itself. The video contains messages that the musician wants
to convey to the audience. The music video director has chosen to show a story or lifestyle about the musician
that will appeal to the audience. The artist is selling more than just a song... they're selling you a lifestyle,
presumably the lifestyle the artist lives him or herself.
• Here are some questions to ask yourself to begin understanding music videos:
• Is the music video based in real life, or does this take place in a fantasy world?
• Is the way the artist is portrayed in the video really how that person dresses and cats in real life?
• Consider how the musician is dressed - is that how regular people dress?
• Consider the actions taken by the artist in the video - would they really do these things in real life?
• What is the benefit for the musician to portray him or herself this way?
• Does the video portray people in stereotypical ways? Are these reflections of real people or are they just one-
sided characters?
• Consider the editing - how does the frequency of cuts from shot to shot affect how you feel about the video?
• Consider the setting - why did the director choose this location or setting?
• These are just some questions to start you thinking about how music videos re created and how they affect you.
Take a look at the videos below and try analyzing them using the questions above.
• Jay Z - Death Of Auto-Tune
• Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
