2. STUART HALL’S RECEPTION THEORY
• Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory consists of the producer of the media text encoding a
meaning to the music video. Hall believes that the encoded meaning is either
dominant and agreed with by the audience, negotiated where the audience
understands the meaning and agrees with it to an extent whilst oppositional is
completely different and is where the audience disagree with what the encoded
meaning to the media text is.
• Overall, the view on the “Happy” music video was dominant as many found it catchy
and even made their own versions from different countries. On the other hand, with
what occurred in Iran is seen as the oppositional view as they obviously don’t agree
with the intended message within the media text as what was intended was to bring
joy and happiness to others and Iran did not like the song, finding it to be influential
from western culture which they’re against.
3. DAVID GAUNTLETT’S MEDIA 2.0
• Media 2.0 is about filter as content has become easier and cheaper to produce than
during the time when it was media 1.0, the distribution of products has also become
open and limitless thanks to the internet and many other platforms that media can
access and the attention of the consumer has reached to the point where there is the
need to filter choice rather than in the past when there was the need for more choice.
• The theory of Media 2.0 links to the “Happy” music video by Pharrell Williams as the
distribution of the product was simple through the use of different platforms such as
MTV and YouTube being the main competitors as both showed the music video
during the time it was popular. The content was simple, completely simple and filled
with simple cuts from one scene to another – thus making it cheap and easy to make
as it’s very simple with the many cuts and the actual footage used.
4. MISE-EN-SCENE
• When it comes to mise-en-scene, there’s
no need for continuity in the costume,
setting or the age of the people who’re in
the music video as this is aimed at
everyone everywhere, representing
everyone in their own ways as for
example, during one clip, they use a child
to dance as well as Pharrell and other
people of different ages and of different
statuses as it would seem as they also
used a working male along with a woman
who appeared to be wearing something
like that of the stereotypical at home wife.
5. SOUND
• The people performing lip sync and make out they’re singing along with the song and
the lyrics as the lyrics also make a notion to their actions as when it says “clap your
hands if you feel like happiness is the truth” along with people clapping their hands
and smiling as smiling is hinted straight towards the idea of them being happy.
6. CAMERA ANGLES AND SHOTS
• Using mostly mid shots, the music video
consists of multiple close ups and
tracking shots, following people who are
dancing towards the camera, even using
a long/master shot to show the entire
body of the performers, keeping the
background the same throughout and
trying to show it off with each shot, as if
trying to show off the fact it’s not the
same each time and going against the
idea of continuity.
7. EDITING
• This music video consists of
many different types of cuts,
all very quick as it creates a
fast pace for the song,
switching between performers
for each one. The editing
technique of simple cuts
works with this music video as
it creates a sense of simplicity
and could also relate to the
audience in some way as it’s
less flashy than all the newer
music videos with the flashy
effects.
• The editing creates a quick pace for the video with the
use of these cuts as to match the pace of the song
and create a sense of joy and happiness, as
mentioned by the songs title.
