Michael Jackson - Beat It Seminal Video Analysis

1. Michael Jackson – Beat it
SEMINAL TEXT - MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS

2. Technical Aspects
Mise-En-Scene
At the beginning of the video, the setting is established as the diner. The diner appears to show what we can assume are gang members.
Their clothing implies this, as both characters appear to be wearing round hats, possibly fedoras. This was a stereotype for American
gangsters within the 1980s, as well as leather, which is reflected in the clothing of one of the two characters at the start who appears to be
wearing a leather jacket. The characters throughout the rest of the video also appear to be wearing gangster type clothing.
The characters within the video are also shown to smoke, glamourizing the act of smoking to seem cool and respected and associates
smoking with bad behaviour. As the video progresses, more and more gang members are gathered which leads to the dance/knife battle of
the gangs at the end of the video. Some gang members tag along with each other, whilst others arise from their hideouts underground.
The whole video is dark and includes dull colours accompanying the run-down settings and dim lighting. This could be to create an
intimidating tone.
Camerawork
The camerawork within the video shows several different angles and at different heights throughout the video. At the start of the video, the
camera pans as the gangsters walk through and out the diner. As the video progresses, the camera tends to follow the movements of the
characters, or when introducing more gang members, it will start zoomed in and then proceed to slowly zoom out as they run off with the rest
of the gang. By the end of the video, during the fight scene and dance, the camera is further back to capture the mass amount of people
involved in the final scenes.
Sound
There are a few sound effects within the video along with the music, not many however. One of these is the sound effect when the manhole
cover is removed from the ground and some of the gangsters arise from it.
Editing
There are roughly 56 cuts within the whole video. There is very simplistic editing, which is positive for the music video as it doesn’t cause
distraction from the narrative of the video and lyrics.

3. Representation
 Through the clothes and actions of the characters within the video, those who live
in urban areas are represented as being troublesome and threatening, specifically
gang members within the 80s.
 Michael Jackson is represented as a fantastic dancer, as well as someone that
the audience can relate to, as he arises from his bedroom and then gets involved
with an unfamiliar portion of society.

4. Historical Context and Audience
 "Beat It" was released on February 14, 1983, following the successful chart
performances of "The Girl Is Mine" and "Billie Jean". Frank DiLeo, the vice
president of Epic Records, convinced Jackson to release "Beat It" while
"Billie Jean" was heading towards No. 1. Dileo, who would later become the
singer's manager, predicted that both singles would remain in the Top 10 at
the same time. "Billie Jean" remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for seven
weeks, before being toppled by "Come On Eileen", which stayed at No. 1 for
a single week, before Jackson reclaimed the position with "Beat It".
 The music video for "Beat It" helped establish Jackson as an international
pop icon. The video was Jackson's first treatment of black youth and the
streets. Both "Beat It" and "Thriller" are notable for their "mass
choreography" of synchronized dancers, a Jackson trademark.

5. Personal Opinion
 Throughout the video, the pace is kept fast which creates a feeling of
uncertainty about what is to come next, such as when the fight will
occur. I enjoy the video and I admire the music as it is a catchy song.
On the other hand, the music video feels unrealistic, although it is made
blatantly obvious that it is not meant to be a true-to-reality fight scene.
The choreography is excellent throughout, such as the dance scene
where the dancers are tied together. The video appeals to many
different audiences as it fits in the genre of pop, which is a universally
enjoyed genre generally as it can be danced to, which means that more
people can enjoy the video, although it is now outdated. It still remains
a top song for many people, and the video still remains one of the
greatest videos ever made.