Task 3
- 1. Alexander Dwyer Task 3 Eminem - Stan Eminem’s music video Stan is the story of a made up fan of Eminem’s that is extrema about the life and career of Eminem. Going as far as to lose his mind and drive his car off a bridge. The genre of the music video is hip-hop but unlike many of hip hop genre music video it does not show any of the common features or codes of the hip-hop genre. In a normal hip hop video there will be imagery of fast cars gold chains and women in swimsuits, Eminem’s video is nonconventional as it has none of these things. Right from the start the video shows a dark atmosphere. In the first frame the camera is moving into the old window and of a dark and gloomy house. The use of rain also shows a gloomy and dark atmosphere this is known as pathetic fallacy when the mood is indicated by the weather. One common code and convention used in hip hop videos is Mulvey’s male gaze theory which says that men are drawn towards women that show themselves in a seductive way so in the case of hip hop women in swimsuits. There is nothing to attract a sexually driven male audience in this video as one of the main reasons for the creation of the video is to pass on a message to his fans. When it comes to the colours of the video they also have a code behind them. Stan’s basement is dark gloomy and creepy; this also mirrors the dark lyrics of the song which is better than having bright colours with a negative song. This is created to represent Stan’s state of mind. In ancient south American culture, the colour white was meant to represent lunacy because of the eeriness of the moons light. This could have been hinted to in the video as Stan wares the colour white showing his insanity, or simply just because it’s what Eminem wears. Another use of colour with meaning is they use of Stan’s blue tank top. The colour blue is meant to represent loyalty and this is show by how loyal Stan’s girlfriend is to him staying with him through his obsession. The use of light is very scares throughout the video this is to also represent how dark the video is. One place light is used is when Stan has the flash back of taking his little brother to see Eminem in the music store, this in Stan’s
- 2. Alexander Dwyer mind is a happy time and the light represents that happiness that he has. The only other time light is seen in the video is the bright light given off by Stan’s television when Eminem is on this to Stan is like a light of salvation similar to light given off by angles in religious paintings. Another point of meaning is when Stan is writing his letter to Eminem he raps what he is writing even though it is Eminem rapping, this represents how big of a fan Stan is lip synching to Eminem’s voice making him seem creepier. This is contrasted to when Eminem finally writes back he does not lip synch to the video. Another way the video shows Stan’s addiction is by the camera cuts used at the end of one scene is shows Stan gluing a picture of Eminem over a picture of him and his girlfriend, this shot is then cut to one of them in bed together exactly were the photo was in the shot. At the very end of the video on the last verse Eminem is writing his letter but towards the end when he realises that Stan was the drunk driver his face appears in the window showing that he will still be a fan now in death and will haunt the thoughts of Eminem. The main message that this song and music video are trying to get across is that Eminem want’s his fans to be focused on their own life and not obsess over his. Stan is supposed to represent the type of fan Eminem doesn’t want. One way Eminem shows that he is not like other artists to his fans is by having the parts of him in the video shot in a trailer to show that money and fame has not gone to his head. With links to other artist the actress who plays Stan’s girlfriend is played by Dido the English singer songwriter, also a part of her song “thankyou” is featured in the song Stan. Her original song Is about her being fed up with life and has an idol that she says she has pictures on her wall of, this matches Eminem’s song Stan as he has pictures of Eminem on his wall.
- 3. Alexander Dwyer Eminem’s music video of Stan is in a linear because he is trying to get across an important message to his fans, by making the evet fall into a chronological order the audience won’t get confused over the message he is getting across. To better relate to his fans Eminem has his video as an unconventional hip hop video. By making himself at the same level financially to his fans would make people like him the part when he is in his trailer shows that he is not like other artist who are about bling and cars, this is how he appeals to his audience. He also appeals to his audience by creating a relatable message instead of one people might not care about like his relationship, by doing this it makes him more likeable. The use of camera angles is very important in any sort of video or film. In the Eminem video of Stan, the camera always seems to pull the audience in. one example of this is seen in the first shot when the camera is moving into the window this puts the audience into the house of Stan and his environment. by using close up shots as well brings the audience in, when Stan is dying his hair blond the camera is right in his face over his shoulder looking in the mirror at him. Katy Perry – last Friday night Katy Perry’s music video for last Friday night shows a Friday night party that ends up with her parents’ house in a mess. The genre for this music video is pop and it is conventional as it has all the key elements for it to be a pop music video. The main thing that a pop music video would have is an upbeat atmosphere to it similar to the song which would have a catchy simple beat. Another thing common in a pop video is bright colours and lighter simple colours. Another thing that makes it a typical pop video is the dance choreography used in it. The video is set out like a movie from the late 80’s with its fashion and style. There are codes that make it the style of an 80’s movie. Katy Perry’s role in the video is one of the nerds of unpopular people in the social group. As well as this is there is the popular people like the jocks with the red sports jackets that show that they are popular. Another popular person in the video is the character Rebecca black plays, she is one of the popular kids as it is her party that is causing all the noises which results in Katy
- 4. Alexander Dwyer having to go over to the house. Another notable character is the other nerd of unpopular kid who he is the same as Katy in this video and sees her as a love interest. To build on the nerd stereotype of the nerd kid a scene in a dungeons and dragons or LARP style which is supposed to be a nerdy game. This is the nerd’s imagination which is one where he wins the princess which is Katy Perry. As well as this stereotype the nerd doesn’t seem to fit into the crowd like the other people at the party. Midway the video Katy Perry changes he person to fit in with everyone at this part the party becomes more focused around her and the bright colours she is waring. The use of the colour pink is meant to represent femininity, the use of this on Katy Perry when she walks down the stairs shows how she has transformed into something more and is making herself know to the groups of people. This also gets her noticed by the popular boys and becomes the new sexual attraction for them. As well as this, the colours are luminous which draws people towards her. Like hip-hop, another thing that is common in pop music videos is the sexualisation of women. As I stated before Mulvey’s male gaze theory says, men are drawn towards women willing to show off her body. Katy Perry’s video is a prime example of this, when Katy comes down the stairs she has changed into a sex symbol showing off her curves in a tight revealing dress. This is a selling point of the video, which could bring in a different audience. There is lip synch in the video as it is a common trait of the pop genre, by having lip synch adds to the catchiness to the song. The video establishes Katy Perry as a star by having many shots of her, In terms of the videos story she is the main star. Along with its heavy 80’s references, the music video is set out like a late 80’s teen movie right down to the opening shot to the ending credits. Key components in the video establish it as a teen movie in the terms of its events in simple terms part goes on, first the nerdy unpopular girl next door gets annoyed at loud music and not being invited and goes round to the party house. The Girl is mesmerised by the colours and by how fun it looks but realises she does not fit in from the way people look at her. After an amazing transformation, she becomes the centre of attention and loves every second of it. Towards the end, she learns that the boy she
- 5. Alexander Dwyer liked is not very interested in her as a person but more of an object. In a short show down she now knows that the boy that liked her is more interested in her. This story plot is a very stereotypically, sugar coated teen movie plot and is made by the 80’s clothes and dance moves. There is no real important meaning behind the song and video like the Eminem one but it does encourage teenagers to go to parties and have fun drinking and dancing, it is conventional for a pop song to have no deeper meaning. With links to other artist, the song tips its hat to the Rebecca black song Friday, which was about fun on Friday. Rebecca was casted as the popular party thrower who encourages Katy Perry’s character to come in and have fun. Although her song “Friday” was not well received, it still gives credit to the song and the artist promoting her. As well as the inclusion of Rebeca Black there is also a reference to the game just dance with a scene of them playing it and Katy Perry getting a high score on the game. The song is non-linier as the story starts with the day after, where Katy Perry wakes up in her bed with her room in a mess the story then starts before the party. The reason for it not being in chronological order is so that it pushes the audience to ask how did it get this messy and what happened. To appeal to her fans Katy Perry is established as the star of her videos and this one is no exception to this and she is shown to have fun with lots of people this appeals to her fans as it shows her to be a fun person what rubs off on her fans. The style of the music video is a movie and it has been accomplished with the use of different camera shots. In the
- 6. Alexander Dwyer opening of the music video there is a long shot to set the scene for the video to come. This is good because it shows us this takes place in an American suburban neighbourhood. Another good use of camera work is when the new Katy Perry is reviled to audience she comes down the stairs and the camera shot stats at her feet and moves all the way her the shoulders and face. The reason for using this type of shot is so that it makes the revile grander, with you feeling like you are at the party watching her come down the stairs. Another shot used is the medium/close up which puts you in the face of the people to make you see their facial expressions and lets you know who’s talking by switching on to the person who is. Another way that the movie feel is created in this music video is by having credits at the end showing all the people in it. A close up shot was used in the credits to show all the people. Conclusion. In conclusion the main difference between them is one is conventional and the other one is not. The Eminem video is unconventional for hip-hop with its dark colours to match its dark themes. The Katy Perry video is conventional for pop as it has its bright colours and up beat theme and catch tune with popular styles. What makes the Eminem video conventional and fit into the hip-hop genre is the songs layout with its changing beat and song breakdown. What makes the Katy Perry song unconventional is the use of 80’s fashion that is not up to date.