2. Brief to Pop Music Video
For my A2 portfolio for media studies I have decided to work on the
production of a music video. A music video is a short film
accompanied by song and imagery aimed for promotional or artistic
purposes. I have decided to go with the “Pop” music genre for my
music video. I chose this particular genre because I believe being a
teenager, and given modern day trends, I find it easier to relate to as
pop music is something I find the most admirable compared to the
rest of the genres.
3. Choice of Genre: Teen Pop
Teen pop is the subgenre of the pop music genre created, marketed and oriented
for the teenagers. Teen pop captivated the styles of many other genres, like the
Pop, Rock, R&B, Country and Electronic, and mixes them up together. Typical
characteristics of teen pop music include auto tunes vocals, choreographed
dancing and emphasis on visual appeal. The lyrics are always focused on the
problems and issues that a young adult or a teen agers goes through. The best
example from now a days are the songs by David Guetta (Titanium), Taylor Swift (I
knew you were trouble), One direction (Makes you beautiful), Skylar Grey (I’m
coming home), Auburn (Perfect two) and Miley Cyrus (Wrecking ball), Katy Perry
(hot and cold) and Flo Rida (Good feeling). This is the reason I have chosen this
genre to work with given that I have more than enough examples to consult,
compare and work with. Plus it is of my personal liking too so I would find it
interesting to see what I come up with after a detailed analysis.
4. Following are the
Codes and
Conventions of
Pop Music Videos
WITH REFERENCING
5. “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift
This song is one of my personal favorites. The best part about the song is
probably its music, it’s addictive. The song came out in 2012 and made it to
the 3rd position in the Billboard Hot 100 and on top of my playlist too. However
during my analysis I found it fascinating how many techniques and codes
and conventions have been incorporated in music video. Following is my
analysis of the video.
6. Character Appeal
Taylor Swift appeals to teenage girls.
Her outfits in the video have been
specifically chosen that is a
representation, of what a teenager
would wear.
As Taylors audience are teenagers and
young girls stereotypes, behavior, she is
represented to be nothing but a young
teenager going through boy problems
body language, specific which all girls
can relate to. Her outfits are not
chosen to make her look explicit
instead pretty and simple.
7. Narrative and Music
The narrative of the song based on the
girls point of view about her relationship
with a guy who is a potential “trouble”,
but decides to be in a relation with him
anyways as said in the lyrics “I knew you
were trouble when you walked in so
shame on me now flew me to places I'd
never been now I'm lying on the cold
hard ground”. So we see that the video
portrays exactly what the lyrics say.
Secondly the music of the entire song
goes from being soft to high notes. And
given the target audience and the
genre of the song the song really builds
on the listeners.
8. Settings
In the music video a rooftop down car is
used for Taylor and her love interest. This
could symbolize her being free and
highlights the season of summer. Summer
is the month people generally associate
love with I.e. summer romance. Various
clips are used to show the relationship
between Taylor, her love interest and
friends which tells the story and after
analyzing other music videos is a
common theme to use. The rave is used
for the build up of the song and shows
people dancing, having fun and the
band playing. This would appeal to
audiences through teenagers like to
have fun and go partying.
9. Iconography
Also in the music video the guitar has
been used when the various shots of
people having fun are shown and
symbolic codes highlights summer fun.
The Music video shows the love interest
getting a tattoo giving him an edge and
stereotyping the bad boy image he's
supposed to be playing. There is also part
of the clip where a police car is shown
which represents rebellion. Fireworks and
fire are shown in the music video
representing the kind of relationship they
share.
10. Mis En Scene
In the music video medium close ups
and close ups were the shots constantly
used throughout the video so that the
audience recognized the characters
expressions. Whenever Taylor Swift and
the love interest are shown close there is
always some kind of light shown which
could represent that there is hope for
the relationship.
11. Mis En Scene
In the music video, the camera use,
shows Taylor alone with a mess around
her to which suggests there was a party
editing, lighting, going on but everyone
has gone and left her diegetic/non
diegetic Part of the music video shows
a rave which uses low key lighting. Fast
paced editing, sound, SFX including
quick cuts are used at quicker parts of
the song making it contrapuntal.
12. “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida
The song “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida from the album Wild Ones came out in
2011 and was my top favorite in the pop-rap category for quiet sometime.
Following is my analysis of the music video to the song.
13. Character Appeal
The music video and the song itself
appeals to teenage audiences. He is
made to look powerful and is
represented as a dominant figure in
his videos which is a stereotypical
look for artists such as himself, to want
to appear manly and macho. He
uses typical conventions like behavior
and body language to make himself
come across as a very masculine
man.
14. Settings
In the music video Flo Rida is shown at a
concert in parts of the video. He is shown in
different parts of the world next to well known
buildings such as Eiffel Tower in Paris. This shows
how rich he is as he is able to do this and the
lifestyle that he has. A variety of shots are shown
in the music video for example when Flo Rida
goes surfing, driving a car/motorbike, partying,
gym, running. These have all been specifically
chosen as they would appeal to Flo Rida’s
audience. Gym and running represents Flo Rida
maintaining his body, keeping fit with a good
body whilst the car for males as it is a
stereotype for males to have nice cars. Surfing
has been chosen to make Flo Rida look more
down to earth as at one point he falls off and is
laughing, this would appeal to his audience. As
well as being shown in the gym Flo Rida is also
shown boxing giving him a stereotype and
making him look powerful through strength. The
handheld camera towards the end of the
video gives the video a ‘home footage’ look.
15. Narrative and Music
The narrative is basically about having a
good time and partying hard as said in
the lyrics “Oh, oh, sometimes I get a good
feeling, yeah I get a feeling that I never
never never never had before, no no I
get a good feeling, yeah”. And the music
video throughout show how him and the
people around him are dancing and
doing crazy stuff which is also conveyed
through the lyrics.
Secondly the music to the video is very
fast accompanied with a lot of high notes
making he audience want to dance
along.
16. Iconography
In one of the clips from the video we see
Flo Rida having an interview wearing a gold
chain. The gold chain represents bling and
is a stereotypical piece of jewelry that a
pop-rap singer would have. An iPad is also
used in a clever way by him placing it over
his face and moving it across to show
various shots of himself. Flo Rida seems to
be in a robe at one point in what looks like
a nice hotel room, this is another example
of how rich he is. The different shots of cars
is a common prop used in this particular
genre. Flo Rida is wearing sunglasses a lot in
his video giving him a mysterious edge but
also being a stereotypical convention of
the pop genre. Surprisingly their was hardly
any females in the music video but when
their was they were wearing little clothing
which is common for the genre.
17. Mis En Scene
The camera angles and movements gives
the audience a glimpse of what his
lifestyle’s like. The editing and lighting also
makes the audience feel like they know
him more on a personal level, as they are
seeing him hanging out with his friends
being ‘normal’. A lot of mid shots and
close up shots have been used in the
video.
18. Mis En Scene
It can be seen that Flo Rida is also
shown singing to the screen matching
the lyrics. This will look sound, SFX like he
is singing to the individual watching the
video personally capturing their
attention. At the end of the video a
montage of different pictures of Flo Rida
having a good time is shown and as the
montage zooms out you see it is made
out of Flo Rida’s face which then
dissolves into his real face with the music
video makes the whole ending really
captivating.
19. “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry.
The song “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry came out in 2010, and since then
has been one of my top favorite songs mainly because of it’s music and
beats. Secondly I am very fond of Katy Perry’s looks, so I chose to analyse her
video.
20. Character Appeal
The recognizable artist Katy Perry has
been placed in the music video and
is shown to bare presentations,
wearing little clothing. Little clothing
is often worn in pop music videos to
make the artist stereotypes, behavior
, look and appeal to audiences.
Considering that the target
audience for her songs are mainly
teenagers and young adults, a party
atmosphere is used as teenagers like
to have a good time and party.
Parties are also associated with
Summer which is the season the
music video has been shot to look
like.
21. Narrative and Music
The narrative structure of the song has
an abstract feel. Showing a variety of
clips taken from summer as conveyed
in the lyrics “You make me feel like I’m
living a teenage dream the way you
turn me on I can’t sleep lets run away
and don’t ever look back, don’t ever
look back”. Here we see that the lyrics
are being portrayed in the video
exactly as they are and not
figuratively.
Secondly the music of the entire song
goes from being soft to high notes.
And given the target audience and
the genre of the song the song really
builds on the listeners.
22. Iconography
Iconography is at play here as props
such as, sunglasses, hair blowing back
in the wind from the car gives the
music video a summer symbolic
representation and makes Katy look
free. In the video we see teenagers
jumping and running whilst taking parts
of their clothes off as though they are
heading to the beach. This creates a
fun atmosphere for the music video.
Props such as bikes and skateboards
have been used to give a ‘young’
effect to the video as these objects
are usually stereotyped for a younger
audience of teenagers.
23. Mis En Scene
The Mis en Scene of beach has been
chosen as a setting as audiences
associate the beach as a happy, positive,
fun place to be. The clip shows teenagers
running into the sea having fun. There is lots
of greenery shown in this particular music
video. The fields/trees give a natural feel to
the video and suggest Katy Perry is free.
This would appeal to teenage audiences
as teenagers want to be free and have
independence much like Katy Perry is
shown to have. Throughout the music
video the color has been dulled and the
use of pastel colors give a ‘dreamy’ effect
to the video
24. Mis En Scene
Conventions such as lighting, non-diegetic/
happy diegetic sound, sfx and
slow motioning od video has been used
to emphasize the summer ‘fun’ that they
are having. Handheld camera has been
used at the start of the music video
giving it a more personal touch, although
handheld camera is not used
throughout.
Close-up clips of ice pops have been
used to again highlight summer. These
particular objects have been edited in
slow motion to reinforce what teenaged
like. The color red is fairly dominant as the
music video enters a party atmosphere
which symbolizes love/passion or danger.
Smoke and bright colors are also used.
These colors are often used in pop music
videos, appealing to teenage audiences
