MEDIA- MUSIC VIDEO NOTES
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF STEREOTYPES IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
- Mar's himself is quite feminine (pink, dancing, jewellery) -men wearing jewellery, clothing, limo= boastful/materialistic ("too hot") -however masculine stereotypes are undercut my metrosexuallity -black stereotype conforming due to setting (street and clubs)
UPTOWN FUNK CONTEXT
- a single featuring Bruno Mars, but was by Mark Ronson -it was described by sony as a 'fresh new retro sound' -released in 2014 -features: Mars, Ronson and Mars' band the 'hooligans' -retro feel inspired by the jackson 5, simular costume and choreography
HOW IS INTERTEXTUALITY USED IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
- choreographed dancing like the jackson 5, Mars is inspired by them -drug talk in the lyrics 'ice' 'white' -black rap culture (leaning into the camera)
LIST SOME FILMING CONVENTIONS OF 'UPTOWN FUNK'
- consists of a range of shots (close up, long) -shots are edited to beat of music -intertextuality -lyrics and content match
HOW IS WEALTH REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (BEGINNING)
- could own the plane (no other people) -tight middle class clothing / fancy
LIST SOME CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF 'UPTOWN FUNK'
- direct address -lip-syncing -choreographed dancing -band playing instruments -representation of artist is constructed
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR PROPS AND SETTING (BEGINNING)
- plane crash (fires/out of control, weak can't do anything to help) - man taking pictures (enjoyment, stupidity) -man passes heavy bag to her, asserting dominance -bag represents stress and baggage he is offloading on to her -plane crash is a metaphor for her divorce
HOW IS GENDER REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (END)?
- still conforms to stereotypes, makes makeup (cares about appearances/ clothing -throughout the character grows and becomes empowered, strong and fearless
HOW IS A PERFORMANCE BASED NARRATIVE USED IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
- the use of black stereotypical places (the streets)
HOW IS THE TIGER REPRESENTED IN THE VIDEO?
-becomes a symbol of her inner strength -symbolising self doubt and fears
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR COLOUR AND LIGHTING (END)
-bright colourful, long shot to show off scenery -more colourful clothing showing she has let her trouble go
HOW DO YOU STRUCTURE A RESPONSE TO A REPRESENTATION QUESTION?
-by using ______________ a representation of ________ is created -by using/ presenting ___________the audience can ____________
HOW IS WEALTH REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (END)?
-could be viewed as unimportant because she easily gave up her middle class life and adjusted
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR FACIAL EXPRESSION/ BODY LANGUAGE (END)
-direct address, flexing muscles showing her strength -facing tiger, they are both 'roaring' asserting their dominance -getting rid of her high heels., letting go of her past -reference to tarzan, intertextuality swinging
HOW IS KATY PERRY REPRESENTED IN THE VIDEO?
-empowering -shaken -dominant - scared -strong -terror - in control -unprepared
HOW IS THE BOYFRIEND REPRESENTED IN THE VIDEO?
-female stereotype -self obsessed -lacks emotional awareness -selfish
HOW ARE STEREOTYPES REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (ALL)
-focus on appearance -slim body. long, straight hair= western beauty stereotype -weak woman at the beginning -clothing shows her as stereotypically wealthy
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF WEALTH IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-gold necklaces -limo- control + boss people around -pink expensive suit -bling
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR COSTUME, HAIR AND MAKEUP (BEGINNING)
-hair= groomed, straightened -full face of makeup -tries to look nice in a picture the boyfriend take with her - confused/ weak (eyes moving from side to side)
WHAT ARE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES USED FOR CAMERA ANGLES/ SHOTS IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-looking up = dominance -moves to the pace of the music beat -gang crowd/lean into the camera every time for "too hot" -rotating camera, retro
HOW IS YOUTH REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (ALL)?
-needing to learn how to live (coming of age) -phone is being used in a time of crisis for recreational use (immature) -relating to how many young people care too much about social media now
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-objectification of women (cat calling in the beginning), appealing to male gaze (short skirt, bare legs) -men begin to mock themselves, metrosexual (old fashion hair dryers reference to past) -Mars wearing a pink suit and flamboyant dance moves challenge stereotypes
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF YOUTH IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-older women in hair dressers -older white males serving black young men -younger women are desirable -older women not in male gaze
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF ETHNICITY IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-self mockery, humor, mocking the stereotype = comical -up holding stereotypes of criminality -men wearing jewellery and chains (black stereotype, also retro)
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS/ BODY LANGUAGE (BEGINNING)
-she runs away in fear (followed with a scream) -long shot showing confusion, looking at clothes, scared -disgusted that she was given the bag, showing resentment for him (showing the longing for independence from beginning)
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR COSTUME, HAIR AND MAKEUP (END)
-short skirt made from leaves and flowers -wearing bikini top, not on her before emphasises womanly curves -less makeup from beginning, makes it from berries (practical and resourceful) - displays new outfit in jungle, still cares about appearance (male gaze)
WHAT MEDIA LANGUAGE SHOULD BE USED TO DESCRIBE A MUSIC VIDEO?
-shot type -shot angle -framing -mise-en-scene -colour pallete -iconography -juxtapositioning (constrast) -match with lyrics -concept/performance video
HOW IS GENDER REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR'? (BEGINNING)
-starts stereotypically as a girl being the damsel in distress -man objectifies her = uncaring and villain like (propp) -scared young woman, looks to male for prottection
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR COLOUR AND LIGHTING (BEGINNING)
-sunny, beautiful day -the light shines on her, emphasising her face -dark colours for clothing (constricted by her old life)
GIVE SOME KEY FEATURES OF MISE-EN-SCENE IN 'ROAR' FOR PROPS AND SETTING (END)
-swinging on a vine/ branch -links to iconography of tarzan, strong and dominant -sat on a jungle made throne - the ruler and she has conquered her own battles -camera angle is upwards- dominance -low angle wide shot, hands is fists and in a powerful stance = dominant + strong
HOW IS A PROPPS BASED NARRATIVE CONVEYED IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
-the 'donor', helps the hero along the way: shines Mars' shoes, the donors are commonly white and old, and they are helping young black people = challenging stereotypes - Mars is the hero- shown through low angles -the quest is for Mars to preform and the narrative is him getting ready
HOW IS ETHNICITY REPRESENTED IN 'ROAR' (ALL)?
-white washing, intertextuallity (Mowgli) -all characters are white -usually people of colour would be viewed in animalistic terms -not divers -could narrow her target audience
WHAT YEAR WAS 'BLACK OR WHITE' RELEASED?
1991
WHAT ARE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES USED FOR MONOCHROME AND COLOUR IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
Mars' has a pink suit (feminine and important) Ronson has a monochrome suit (masculine and boring/ unimportant)
WHY WAS MICHAEL UNDER CRITICISM WHEN HIS VIDEO WAS RELEASED?
Michael suffered from a condition called vitiligo causing his skin to grow paler as he grew older, so he purposefully bleached his skin to reduce the visual effects-however it went against the concept of the video to accept your own skin, he also had plastic surgeries to make himself look more westernised
WHAT ARE THE CONNOTATIONS OF PLANTS IN 'ROAR'?
empowered, bringing colour and life
GIVE SOME CAMERA ANGLES USED IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'
fish eye lense- leaning into the camera when saying 'too hot... hot damn', gives a retro rap feel Low angle shots- mostly focusing on Mars, quite short in real life, but also conveys propps theory
WHAT ARE THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE TREE TRUNK IN 'ROAR'?
her growth in the environment, she is thriving
WHAT ARE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES USED FOR PACE IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
in the beginning the woman steps to the beat if the music and this influences the camera movement throughout, most of the video Ronson moves his head to the beat
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF A PROPPS BASED NARRATIVE?
includes Propp's theory in the narrative, includes things like the hero, the villain and the damsel in distress
WHAT WAS 'BLACK OR WHITE''S CONCEPT FOR THE VIDEO?
it has an over arching concept, not a performance. it has high production values -expensive. there is a young child (Macauly Culkin) that is told off by his old fat dad (John Goodman) and it is trying to get them to broaden their horizons
WHEN ARE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES USED FOR HANDHELD/ CONTROLLED IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
it moves when they are moving/ dancing keeping up with their pace, links to the fast pace cut shots
GIVE SOME CONTEXT TO THE RELEASE OF 'BLACK OR WHITE'
it was released just after the MTV set up the 24 hour music channel= easy promotional tool for the video, it wad released the same time as the Civil Rights Act (racial equality)
DEFINE CONNOTATION
makes you think of something to do with it
WHAT IS THE INTERTEXTUALITY IN 'ROAR'?
man is Indiana Jones, and tarzan, jungle book (Mowgli)
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF A MONTAGE NARRATIVE?
montage of various shots that match the pace, excitement and lyrics
WHAT ARE THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE FLOWERS IN 'ROAR'?
new life, crown on her head
WHAT IS THE REPRESENTATION OF AGE IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
older men and women are not objectified to Mars or his gang, they care about the youth who are viewed as attractive, adhere to male gaze and are more objectified. and the older people are viewed as unimportant- and they are forgotten.
WHAT ARE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES USED FOR JUXTAPOSITIONS IN 'UPTOWN FUNK'?
outside= urban settings inside = jazz
CONTEXT FOR 'ROAR'
released in 2013 just gone through a divorce- empowering used as a marketing tool
WHAT ARE THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE LEOPARD PRINT COSTUME IN 'ROAR'?
throne, hero, queen of the jungle, one of the animals
DEFINE DENOTATION
what a thing literally is
