Formal conventions

1. Deborah Holdstein

2. What is the theory
• Deborah Holdstein theory suggests that in
music videos there are two categories such as
Political themes and traditional U.S. film
musical. It also suggests that characters in the
music video are fantasied which is based on
how they are portrayed in their performance
such as the use of mise en scene.

3. Political themes
• Political themes can be issues, which happen
today such as racism and sexism. For example
in the Micheal Jackson music video ‘Beat it’
the political themes that were touched was
young people in gangs in America but the
music video also contained a traditional U.S.
film musical theme as near the end of the
song the gangs and Micheal Jackson broke
into dance which has similar features to West
side story and the film ‘Warriors’.

4. Traditional U.S. film musical
• Traditional U.S. film musical can be when the
music video represent classic films and then
turn it into a performance

5. This image shows Michael Jackson promoting peace between the two gangs
through dance. The characters on Michael Jackson right and left are the
leading gang members of the two gangs in the music video. Not only does the
music video cover a political image it also represents an Traditional U.S. film
musical.
West side story Warriors (1979)

6. What else it suggests
• Deborah Holdstein also suggests that in music
videos there are also three categories;
• The star as fantasy
• The star as a political commentator or
narrator
• The star as mediator or point of resolution to
an conflict

7. Mediator
• Michael Jackson is a mediator in the music
video ‘Beat it’ as he resolves the conflict
between the two gangs.

8. Political narrator
• Michael Jackson becomes a political narrator
in the music video ‘Beat it’ because he sings
about the issue which he knows that is going
to happen.

9. Fantasy
• In the Michael Jackson music video ‘Beat it’
there is no real fantasy being shown however
in the Music video ‘Hookah’ conventions of
fantasy is shown through the use of locations.