2. LYRIC ANALYSIS
The lyrics of Primadonna suggest that Marina believes she should have the
glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous, and she believes a man should provide
this for her: ‘Buy a big diamond ring for me?’& ‘Living life like I’m in a dream’. The
lyrics also suggest that Marina is not faithful to her boyfriend/husband and only
wants him for his money ‘Got you wrapped around my finger, babe, You can count
on me to misbehave’. When she says that she has him wrapped around his finger it
shows that she can get whatever she wants, without being faithful or even nice to
him. The lyrics ‘Everyday is a chore, chore, chore 'suggests that she feels she
shouldn’t have to ask for the things that she wants, she should just be given them.
3. The video for Primadonna shows Marina in very glamorous outfits and settings. In
one shot Marina is in a pink sparkly dress with a white fur coat which we often see
the Hollywood stars wearing. Marina is also seen in the same shot as a massive
chandelier, which often has connotations of the upper class,
4. TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience of Marina & The Diamonds, and therefore this music video would
mainly be girls/women of the age of 16+. The target audience of this music video would be
able to relate to the video and the message which is in it, the idea of wanting a more
glamorous life. However this could also be the same for males of a similar age, which could
widen Marina’s audience range.
Marina has attracted her audience for this video by making the video quite controversial
and standout, for example talking about marrying for money and getting everything she
wants. The mise-en-scene and cinematography in this video can also be used to attract
the audience to Marina’s video. The costume and make-up Marina wears in this video can
also be used to attract an audience, particularly an audience of teenage girls. In nearly all
of the video Marina is looking glamorous and elegant, which a lot of teenage girls will
aspire to look like.
5. SOUND
The genre of Marina’s music is Indie-pop. In the first 30 seconds of the song the
music is very calm and almost like a lullaby, and then a very strong beat comes in
and the song becomes very pop. This could represent how Marina would be in a
relationship, very nice at first and then when she gets the life and money that she
wants she becomes very demanding. As she is reeling off the things that she wants
a man to do for her ‘Buy a big diamond ring for me?’ ’Would you get down on
your knees for me? 'At many points of the video it is diegetic as Marina is
performing the song, implying that she is not afraid to tell people exactly what she
wants.
6. CINEMATOGRAPHY
This shot is introducing Marina to the audience of the music video, making it look like an old
20’s cinema screen, suggesting that this is what Marina feels her music video is like. This
also presents the music video as being vintage and retro to promote originality and ‘class’.
This close up shot of Marina shows her in full make up with her hair in rollers, implying that
she is trying to achieve the glamorous lifestyle which she craves. This also carries on from the
vintage theme which is evident throughout the whole music video due to the effect of the
camera and Marina presenting the typical conventions of a vintage/retro woman with a
modern appeal to entice viewers.
7. CINEMATOGRAPHY
In this long shot the chandelier takes up 2/3 of the screen, whereas Marina is very small
compared and takes up 1/3 of the screen. The size of the chandelier could represent Marina’s
wealth, and that is so big it almost over takes her. However throughout the video the audience
notice that she is mostly on her own, conveying that she is very lonely and doesn’t need to be
taken care of.
The long shot shows Marina on step ladders picking fruit, this is a very vintage classic shot,
which shows the class that Marina has, and she wants her life to be very classic.
8. CINEMATOGRAPHY
This extreme close up shots of Marina’s lips shows the red seductive lipstick, which
could imply that she achieved her wealth and fortune through lying, and from the lyrics
we can assume that she achieved it through lying to men.
This use of cinematography is right after a straight cut edit. They have used this
cinematography to make the music video similar to a vintage VCR.
9. MISE – EN –SCENE
The mise-en-scene of Primadonna supports the narrative shown through the video and the lyrics. The ideology
of the song is that Marina wants a lavish, glamorous lifestyle of the rich and famous. This is shown in the medium
close up of Marina reading the Jennifer Haymore book Secrets of An Accidental Duchess, about a beautiful
woman that has been treated specially since childhood, however she has a bold, independent spirit and passion
that proper young ladies must never confess, implying that this is what Marina is like. The pink silky dress that
Marina is seen to be wearing has connotations of seductiveness, again supporting the narrative. Marina’s
makeup within the video has different connotations, the bright led lipstick again has connotations of
seductiveness, however the love heart on her cheek has connotations of childishness and immaturity. Marina
being shown on the exercise bike also implies that to be in this lifestyle you have to look good, and the fact she
is not taking the exercise seriously and doing it in a nighty suggests that she already looks good enough.
