2. Background information about
the song
• It's Raining Men is a song
written by Paul Jabara and Paul
Shaffer in 1979 originally for
Dave Balfour's album Stars and
originally recorded by The
Weather Girls in 1982.
• The song had been offered
to Diana Ross, Donna
Summer, Cher, and Barbra
Streisand before being accepted
by Martha Wash and Izora
Armstead of The Weather
Girls, with their version
becoming an international
hit, selling over 6 million copies
worldwide.
3. Background information about
the artist
• Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell
• Born 6 August 1972
• British pop singer-
songwriter, clothes
designer, author and actress.
• Became to international
prominence in the late 1990s
as Ginger Spice, a member of girl
group the Spice Girls.
• Launched her solo career in 1998
• First album called Schizophrenic
• It also included her cover version
of The Weather Girls 1983 hit, It's
Raining Men, used on the Bridget
Jones's Diary film soundtrack
4. Background information about the
director
• The music video was directed
by Jim Canty and Jake-Sebastian
Wynne
• Also directed Scream If You
Wanna Go Faster which is
another song from Geri
Halliwell
• The opening of the music video
is inspired by the audition scene
in the film Flashdance which
was released in 1983.
• The remainder of the music
video is inspired by the famous
film 'Fame' which was released
in 1980.
5. Camera work
In the opening of the music
video, the camera uses close up
shots to show different parts of
the artist body in which Geri
Halliwell is wearing very
revealing clothing. The use of
close ups help sell her new
image/body after leaving the
Spice Girls and also apple to the
Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey). The use of close up shots
not only reveal Geri
Halliwells but also shows the
facial expressions of the
panel of judges in which she
is dancing in front of, this
express the shock of her
new image. The position of
the people suggests that
they are judges, reinforcing
the dance performance look.
6. The camera shots and
lighting work together when
she begins her audition. The
light is centred to the middle
of the room where Geri
Halliewell is positioned. She
is centred showing she is the
centre of attention within the
music video, this helps to pull
in the audience.
The genre is very
mainstream pop and musical
like, similar to Fame. The
audience are unable to see
the performers face until 30
seconds into the video the
lack of recognition builds up
tension. Anticipation is
created by a series of
fragmented body images as
she begins her dance.
7. When Geri falls, a close up
is used to connote intimacy
with the audience, so they
feel sympathetic towards
her. The use of camera and
lyrics work well, showing
literal illustrations. For
example “its raining men”
she is joined by a mainly
male dancers which come
into the audition room.
8. Narrative
• The narrative is split into many story but as a
whole is it based on both Fame and
Flashdance
• Inspiration from Flashdance is used for the
audition which looks like it going wrong as she
falls over but then its okay as she preforms
well
• The judges are enjoying themself and lots of
the students are watching through the door.
• It cuts in life at the school which is similar to
scenes from Fame and we cans see her doing
ballet classes and doing other school stuff like
hanging out by her locker and in hallways.
• At one part she's doing sit ups and
boxing, which shows that she is dedicated
which can relate to her being a solo artist
• When she's doing the sit ups there is a small
dog in the background causing her to be
relatable and this liked by the audience.
9. Intertextuality
This music video references
to Fame and Flashdance . The
audition room is very much
like these films. During the
chours, more dancers join in,
very much like Flashdance.
Lots of colours and dynamic
dancing.
The video is mainly a
dance routine with
extracts from both
Fame and Flashdance.
The record scene
enables her to mess
up as the needles on
the record slips.
10. Video style and iconography
Particular music genres have their own
music video style and iconography.
Iconography is symbolic an example of
this is tumbleweed relates to Western
themes. Tumbleweed symbolises a
western era. The music video for Geri
Halliwell ‘sis dance, the iconography of
this is the dance school and backing
dancers.
11. Representation
• Halliwell is represented as popular and
fun throughout the video as she is
always seen with people
• She also represent very voyeuristically
through mise-en-scene especially as
she wears very revealing clothes but
also through the close-ups shots that
show the audience her body
• Also portrayed as an exhibitionist
(Goodwin) as she seems very happy to
show off her body and is inviting a
sexual gaze. This is also shown through
her being watched through the looking
glass.
• The fact that she is having fun with lots
of people has connotation o f her
having more fun without the Spice
Girls.
12. Mise en scene
• Geri wears very 70’s
styled clothing which
can related to the film
Fame.
• One of the top she
wears connotes her
high profile career.
• Most of the clothes
are revealing showing
off her new body
image and attract men
13. Editing
• There are many quick
cuts to show the
vigorous pace of the
video.
• The pace of the song
such as the first chorus
has lots of quick and
short pan shots. This is
used for the other
dances to emphasise
their movement.
14. Voyeurism
• Camera work is general
throughout the whole video is
mainly close up of Halliwell and
her body, along with plans and
tilts to show the dancing
• Close up shorts of her body like
her waist and her stomach
which could have been done to
emphasize her shape causing
her to be looked at
voyeuristically or even through
exhibitionism where she's
proud of how she looks and
wants to show it off.
• Fragmentation in early part of
the video
15. Analyse using Andrew Goodwin
• Directors used a lot of low angle shots
to draw attention to Halliwell, but they
also made her apparel powerful. A
contrast to her at the beginning.
• For example - Geri wears a blue jumper
in a corridor and another Is when she
is on a cloudy backdrop which she is
swaying along to the music, which
suggests that she's comfortable in her
own skin.
• The low angle shot makes her look
powerful and in control, which is
something the music company would
want as she was a new single artist, so
she would need to look independent
and not look like she needs The Spice
Girls, thus selling her successfully
(Goodwin).
16. Analyse using Laura Mulvey's Male
Gaze Theory
• The shot of her on
the cloudy backdrop
also creates
exhibitionism where
she is allowing the
audience to look at
her and is done to
meet the male gaze
(Mulvey)
