media

1. Magic!
This song has been argued to
be apart of many different
genres – alternative, indie-
pop and even reggae.
However, for this PowerPoint
I am going to look at it
through the indie-rock lens.

2. Genre: Indie Rock
 Performance-based – the band ‘Magic!’ appear in multiple
long shots in this music video with whilst playing their
instruments. This makes the video more personal as it gives
the audience a sense of connection with them, almost as if
they were watching them perform live.
 [Little] Narrative – there are some aspects of narrative in
between shots of the band performing, as the video follows
the characters of a man and woman wanting to marry one
another but experience struggles in-between.
 Male –dominated – The band only consists of male
members and although a female character is in the video,
she is outnumbered by the amount of men featured.
 Warm tones/colours [string lights in the background] –
creates this idea of nostalgia which is a key theme for indie
music videos.
How does the music video
demonstrate genre characteristics?

3. 
 “Got in my car and raced like a jet” – Long shot
of the character’s car shown with the characters
getting in it.
 “Can I have your daughter for the rest of my
life?” – Medium shot of the main character
clearly asking for the father’s permission to
marry his daughter.
 “I'm gonna marry her anyway” –Medium/close-
up shot of the female character in a wedding
dress, emphasises the lyric and makes the
audience aware as to what will happen next.
Is there a relationship between the
lyrics and the visuals?

4. 
 Non-diegetic sound – There is a close-up shot of
the male character (who plays the father in the
narrative) singing along to the music even
though it is clear that it is the artist singing but
with the character miming to it. This helps make
the video seem more real and reflects the
narrative aspect of it.
 Diegetic sound of the musical instruments
played by the band members – linking to the
performance-based section of the video.
Is there a relationship between the
music and the visuals?

5. 
 Close-ups are shown multiple times in the performance-
based section of the music video which makes it more
personal for the audience.. Stereotypically these close-ups
are usually of the lead singer only, however close-ups are
evident of the other band members which possibly could
express the importance of each of them as together they
create the band.
Are there any close-ups of the
artist/band?

6. 
 Direct mode of address – the lead
singer looks directly at the camera
throughout almost all of the music
video. This further creates a personal
feel to the audience at which I have
mentioned previously; as it makes
them feel apart of the narrative.
 Apart from a medium shot of the
female character’s stomach, I
personally do not think there is much
sexualisation and the theory of the
‘Male Gaze’ cannot really be applied.
Is there a frequent reference to the
notion of looking?

7.  The music video & song was inspired by the band’s front-man
Nasri who had an unpleasant experience with a drunk ex-
girlfriend. She treated him badly and he wanted to know why
she had been so rude - which resulted in him putting that
question as the chorus of this song. He knew he wanted to
create the song and music video with relation to relationships
but instead of it being based around his ex-girlfriend, he
preferred the idea of a father rejecting his daughter’s
boyfriend’s permission for marriage.
Are there any intertextual
references?

8. 
 Narrative-based – The music video follows
the story of a male asking his girlfriend’s
father for permission to marry his
daughter. However, he gets abruptly
rejected and throughout the video he is
trying to find a way around it – resulting
in marrying his girlfriend at the end. This
is seen through the close-up of his
distressed facial expression and further on,
the two shot of the two characters getting
engaged.
 Performance-based – The band are seen
playing their instruments to the music.
Is the video performance, concept or
narrative based?

9. 
 Proppian character’s – Hero: The lead singer, as
he is seen rescuing the female from a situation
she doesn’t want to be apart of and they end up
happy by the end of the video. Villain: The
female’s father, as he rejects the boy’s permission
to marry his daughter. The Princess: The female
character as her facial expression looks distressed
and uncomfortable in the shot of the family
dinner when she is expected to sit next to the
man she does not love.
 Strauss’ binary opposites – The main male
character who the female is in love with vs. the
man her father expects her to marry [ft. in the
shot of the dining room].
Does this music video apply to any
narrative theories?

10. 
 Todorov – Equilibrium = Medium shot of the couple happily
together. Disruption = The father declines the boy’s permission
to marry his daughter. Recognition/Attempt to repair = The
boy returns to try to ask again but is further shot down. So he
marries the daughter anyway by rescuing her from her home
and proposes. New equilibrium = Arguable, in the end the
couple marry however, it is still against her father’s wishes.
Does this music video apply to any
narrative theories?