Music Video Task 1
Music videos are often a visual extension to the lyrics of the song and most artists use this to enhance the story of their song. However, some artists use music videos to convey an important message to the public. These messages are usually based around relevant world topics such as feminism and political issues. There are six videos that I believe address certain issues particularly well as well as displaying traits of Richard Dyer's star theory. Another key theory that some of these videos align with is Laura Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory.
The first video I have chosen is 'Where is the Love?' by The Black Eyed Peas. The song was originally released in 2003 and took on the key political issues of terrorism and the Iraq war going on at the time. The song was a huge hit due to its important and meaningful lyrics and the video that followed was equally poignant. The video followed the band, in various roles, attempting speak the truth and question what was really going on in the world. The video used close up shots of children to shock the audience, in a way that is similar to the appeal videos that organisations such as Children in Need use. This technique is incredibly powerful as the majority of the general public can not bear to see to children unhappy. It also uses the innocence of youth to make the point seem even more vital. Another key to this video is the symbolisation of the posters that are constantly seen throughout. The poster is simply a question mark on black paper but is given a complex meaning when used in conjunction with the lyrics. It has also been made the focal point of the video which allows to not only define the song but also become a symbol of people's discontent with the world in which they live in and the people who rule it.
J. Cole's Crooked Smile featuring TLC is an important social and political music video focusing on the injustice that many face not just in America but around the world. It also follows Richard Dyer's Star Theory. The story told in this video is based on real events that took place back in 2010 when 7 year old Aiyana Stanley-Jones was tragically killed by a Detroit Police Task Force. The video, starring J. Cole himself, retells the story from both the perspective of the police and the victim's family. Rather than just focusing on the tragic event, it starts at the beginning of each perspectives day. This allows the audience to gain an insight into the lives and minds of the two characters. The use of this backstory evokes more sympathy for the victim as it causes the audience to relate to the character a little more than they otherwise might have done. In turn this increases the feeling of injustice and frustration with the people who are supposed to protect us. The use of parallel editing, lens flares and the color grading are all pivotal to the way this video is presented. The colour grading and lens flares are used in a way that makes the victim almost seem angelic which is important in creating an emotional connection with the audience.
Like Crooked Smile, the music video for M.I.A's Born Free was inspired by real events. The video was originally made as 9 minute film by director Romain Gavras depicting a genocide against red haired people. Despite the events of the video being fictional it was based on several incidents from recent history, the main one being the terrible events seen in Sri Lanka. When the video was released it was met with controversy and mixed reviews with some praising the issues it brought up whilst others criticized the brutality and gore in it. The way it has been filmed, as if from a police camera, and edited give the impression of a documentary or news report, especially with the slight graining that has been added. The director also included digetic sounds to the video in order to add to the realness. The video brings home the reality of what many face on a daily basis by putting the events in a place that many think of as safe.
Colbie Caillat's Try is a video that encourages women to love their natural beauty and to be themselves. The video is extremely simple in the way it is shot and edited. It features close ups of several woman in front of a white backdrop. At the start it shows the women with lots of make up on and their done up however, as the video goes the women start to take their make up off and we see them become happier and happier with themselves. Despite being such a simple video it is very effective and powerful and appreciate themselves. Many feminist videos end up being extreme and becoming an anti men video, however this video, through its simplistic nature, gets it spot on by just focusing on women being happy. The lyrics, which relate to the video, are giving more meaning by the fact that each woman sings them whilst looking into the camera. This is especially prominent at the end when the artist looks at the camera to sing the line "Don't you like you? Because I like you!" The video stands out even more nowadays given that the vast majority of music videos show women scantily dressed out often present them as sexual objects. This video is an example of Star Theory because it shows the artist as an ideology. The video shows the star, Colbie Caillat, as a representative of women and feminism.
Boys by Charlie XCX is another feminist video but takes on the issues at hand in the complete opposite to Colbie Caillat's song. Despite being very different, this video is as equally impressive as Try. The video presents men in the way women often are by showing a number of male celebrities from the music industry topless. Not only are some of the men over sexualised but many of the are also presented in a feminine way. Each celebrity is shown in front of a plane back drop with many of them doing stereo-typically female activities such as pillow fighting and hugging a giant teddy bear. The point of this video is to show equality of the sexes through allowing men to show their feminine side and be happy about it. The fact that they are all well known men, and can be considered role models to some extent, is important in ensuring that younger generations understand the message behind the song and video. This video is also a juxtaposition to the male gaze that is normally seen in music videos. Rather than having the subjects of the video appeal to men, Charlie XCX has done the opposite by making it appeal to women.
The music video for Macklemore's Same Love is an incredibly powerful and emotive video that takes on sexuality and equal rights. It is probably the best example of Star Theory because it was actually made as a campaign video. The video is a montage that follows the life of man and his same sex partner. Not only does it show the good aspects of the relationship but it also shows the main characters overcoming the unfair hardship that they have to face. Throughout the video, the director makes use of parallel editing to compare the main characters' relationship to straight couples relationships in a way that makes them seem the same. The colour grading of the video includes bright and pastel colours which make the audience feel happy and encourages them to support the message behind the video. The ending of the video also shows footage of a number of same sex couples being happy together before closing with a message of support for marriage equality. The reasoning for this song and video is due to the campaign for the legalization of same sex marriage in Washington State back in 2012. The video proved incredibly popular upon release and when on to win an MTV award for Best Music Video with a Meaning in 2013 for its support of the Referendum 74 campaign.
Music videos are often an important tool for artists to put across a message to the public when their song has meaning behind it. Often these videos take on important political and social issues, such as racism and feminism, with a fictional story that tends to be based on real events. They occasionally apply film Theories such as Laura Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' without necessarily intending to. The music videos are vital in presenting this message as many people don't necessarily take in the lyrics of song if there is no visual aid. All of the videos I chose are related to real life events and tell the stories in a way that will reach people better than a news story or documentary will. They do this through clever directing and editing which evokes emotion in people and makes them went to get involved in one way or another.