Textual Analysis Summary

For this course I have analysed two music videos. I have done this so I could be comfortable with the different codes and conventions in the music video. This will make it easier for me to do my own music video as I will have examples as a basis to use. It will also help me understand the conventions of my genre of music and note how different genres of music differ from this. This will help me decide whether I would like to conform to these stereotypes or contradict them when making my video. It will also show to me how different videos show display these codes and conventions and also how they represent their specific genre. For example from my textual analysis I have noticed that artists from the R&B genre are represented as romantic and accessible o the audience. The video uses close-ups of the artist to show a more emotional and sensitive side. Whereas the Hip/Hop genre is less romantic as they objectify women rather than displaying that women are something they desire.

Music Video Analysis-Without Me

One part of Andrew Godwin’s theory on music videos is that the lyrics and visuals in a have a relationship. The video to the Eminem song `Without Me` conforms to this theory on a number of occasions as the artist amplifies the lyrics rather than contradicting them. For example the lyrics to the song say `And Moby you can get stung by Obie` this shows a direct and literal relationship to the visuals as it as it shows Eminem in a costume to make him look similar to the singer Moby and it shows him getting picked up and thrown down by the rapper Obie Trice. By conforming to this part of Andrew Godwin’s convention the artist has also confirmed to the stereotypes of the Hip/Hop genre of violence but also humour and confrontation as Eminem is clearly mocking other artists.

Another way this video confirms to Godwin’s theory is through the number of Intertextual references that the artist uses. For example the whole theme of the video is based around the comic book genre. This is done by the video showing text boxes at the top or bottom of the screen in the same text as what would usually be seen in a typical comic book. The video continues to conform to this convention as the main artist is dressed as `Robin` from the comic book `Batman and Robin` which continues the intertextual references to the comic book genre. Another way in which the video conforms to these conventions is through the artist’s references’ to Elvis Presley. The video shows the artist dressed as Elvis Presley eating a sandwich on the toilet which has been done to refer to the largely controversial scenario in which the star died. This further conforms to the controversial stereotype of the Hip/Hop genre.

The artist further continues to conform to Andrew Godwin’s codes and conventions through the act of voyeurism. At the beginning of the music video it shows a TV studio before a programme has stared which then continues to show the camera zooming in on the TV screen. The subject that the camera zooms into is the text `The Eminem Show` which quickly changes to an image of the main artist. This has been done to create a larger focus on the artist himself. This has been done to make the artist more familiar with the audience which will also develop his star image towards the greater masses.  

Music Video Analysis

In this Essay I will be analysing the music video to the Chris Brown song “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” which was directed by Erik White and Chris Brown. The genre of this song is RnB. Traditionally videos from this genre largely feature themes of love; Heterosexual relationships and the majority of these videos contain choreographed dance routines. I will therefore be analysing this video and seeing whether it conforms to the traditional conventions of this genre of music or if it goes against its usual stereotypes.

The visuals in the video fit with the lyrics in this song in a very literal way. The narrative of the song is about a man trying to establish a relationship with a woman who has grabbed his attention. Similarly as to the lyrics the camera cuts to a close up of the female character that the artist sees. Slow motion editing is also used to bring emphasis to the woman in the video. This could be seen as an intertextual refrence towards old fashioned romantic movies as they used a similar technique. The visuals in this video are further mirrored by the lyrics as it shows the artist trying to impress the female character. He does this by pursuing her throughout the video to try and get her attention. This shows that the video has conformed to the traditional stereotypes that this genre of music has as he is trying to make an impression on someone of the opposite sex and is trying to establish an affectionate relationship with them. This further conforms to the stereotype of this genre of music as the artist tries to woo the woman on screen through his slick dance moves.

This video also conforms to Andrew Goodwins conventions used in the relationship between the music and the visuals. The video has been edited to the music so that the visuals cut when the music changes. Also as the artist is walking toward the woman a dance routine has been choreographed to keep in sync with the music. This makes the music and the video flow a lot smoother and makes the music and the visuals sync simultaneously. The music and the visuals continue to flow together throughout the video as shown towards the end of the song as the music begins to slow down so does the artist’s movements. The visual also cuts to a close up shot to show the emotion on the artists face. This is another way in how this music video conforms to the majority of music videos as it is typical for the record label to want a close up of the artist to show their image. It could be argued that every action in this video for example his dance has been choreographed to show what Chris Browns image is going to be as he is seen as a showman.  

In this video the director shows a number of closes up’s of the artist. This has been done largely when the music slows down to show the emotion of the artist as the emotion of the song changes. I believe the record label and the director of this video have done this to show a more innocent side of the artist. It has also been done to show a more accessible side to the artist to make him more likeable. This video is a direct contrast to Chris Brown previous video which was a more upbeat song. It could be argued that this has been done to show a different side to the artist whilst still keeping his core characteristics. This has been transferred on to the video as it still shows the artist’s dancing ability which is one of his trademarks but also shows a more serious emotional side.

Andrew Goodwin Theory

For this coursework I will be using Andrew Goodwin’s theory on music video’s to help me understand the traditional conventions of a music video.

·         Goodwin believes that there needs to be a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This does not necessarily mean that the lyrics and visuals must match in a literal way, Goodwin suggests that the relationship could be used to illustrate, amplify and even contradict the lyrics.

·         Goodwin also has a similar belief towards the music and the visuals. He suggested that the visuals should also be used to illustrate, amplify or contradict the lyrics.

·         Star image was also a large part of Goodwin’s theory. He believed that the video must also be used in an attempt to promote the image and the character of the artist.

·         Goodwin also suggested there should be a number of close-up’s when making a music video.

·         Voyeurism was another key factor in Goodwin’s theory. Particularly for female artist, Goodwin believed that voyeurism was also a needed factor. This also co-insides with Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze.

·         He also believes that to keep the audience familiar intertextual references’ are crucial.