A gatefold (book-style) paperboard or card stock outer binding, with one or more plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. It means the CD comes in a cardboard flip-out case rather than a standard plastic hinged case.
A digipak
The standard hinged case
The purpose:
Digipak-style packaging is often used for CD singles or special editions of CD albums and the tall DVD Digipak (DVDigipak) is used as a premium package for DVDs and DVD sets.
What is included in digipaks?
1) Photographs/pictures
Usually at least one will be of the artist(s) and another might be of a scene that reflects the mood / genre of the record
2) Track list including the song writing credits
3) One box with a disk impression (perhaps a circle over an innocuous background that shows where the disc will go or alternatively the design on the actual disc)
4) A band/artist information section including names, instruments, additional musicians, copyright and year of release etc
5) Barcode and QR and a logo for the record company
There may also be reference to other albums by the same artist(s) and may sometimes include membership postcard/flyer and or a free image/poster.
This presentation on sexism in pop videos discusses Miley Cyrus and whether or not she is exploiting or being exploited, questions Lily Allen "feminist" motives, and American rappers, YG and Drake's presentation of women in rap music videos. There is also the debate that the "male gaze" nature of the music industry where women are viewed as objects of male erotic desire influences real life society and forms hegemonic ideas. The overall message is that women
"Not just ‘King of Pop’ but ‘King of the Pop Video’"
Rockin' Robin
Released: February 17, 1972
This is a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin" which was released during the days of Jackson Five.
The music video is very basic with some superimposing, basic cuts and use of lip syncing. There is a variety of angles, high and low, central and side but when compared to his later music videos, this displays limited sophistication.
Rock With You
Released: November 3, 1979
Rock With You is the second single off of his solo album "Off The Wall". There is a definite star image quality about him with his sparkly sequined suit and distinctive disco dance moves. The mise-en-scene overall is thoughtful and sophisticated; laser lights are glaring behind him to enhance his costume with various close up, mid and long shots from different angles show that Michael Jackson is breaking through as a solo artist and finding himself as an artist.
Billie Jean
Released: January 2, 1983
Billie Jean is more like a short film than a music video as it does not purely focus on lip-syncing and dancing. There is larger variety of shot types including eye-line matches and match on action shots alongside more props, costumes and a large theatrical set. There is clever use of lighting throughout; with each step he takes, a slab of pavement lights up or a step on a staircase lights up. The editing is also much more effective in order to create these new shots and the split screen editing which occurs later on in the music video.
Eye-line match 1
Eye-line match 2
Large set
Match on action shot 1
Match on action shot 2
Match on action shot 3
The use of lighting and split screen editing
Beat It
Released: February 14, 1983 Michael Jackson continues to create these theatrical, story telling music videos with Beat It. This music video established him as an international pop music icon and it was the first treatment of black youths on the streets in music videos. Jackson also had the idea to cast genuine gang members - 80 of which featured in the music video which opened up many employment opportunities. This music video has a positive message as the elaborate choreography at the end merges the rival gangs together in music and dance which encourages them to leave violence and hatred behind.
Thriller
Released:
November 12, 1983 (Worldwide)
January 23, 1984 (US)
Full 14 minute version:
The editing, particularly at the beginning, is more like a short film than a music video. The title at the beginning enhances this film-like quality.
The music video is considered the most famous music video of all time, at least by the Library of Congress, which added it to its National Film Registry in 2009, the first music video in their registry. The video was a cultural milestone introducing elaborate choreography, costumes and dialogue, the concept of the long-form music video, where a mini-movie was made for a song, then edited down for the short version. The long version of "Thriller" runs nearly 14 minutes, but had remarkable longevity, easily racking up over 100 million views when it showed up on YouTube. MTV usually ran the short version, which ran a little under five minutes but still contained about a minute of non-song content in a storyline that omits most of the movie the couple is watching at the beginning.
The video cost about $500,000 to make. Jackson's record company had no intention of paying for it, since the album was on the downswing and they had already financed videos for two of its songs. According to John Landis (Director), Jackson really wanted to turn into a monster, so he offered to pay for the clip himself. Landis took on the project because he saw it as a way to revive the short film genre, which he loved. Jackson didn't have to pay for the video out of pocket because they made deals with Showtime and MTV to cover the costs. Showtime got to air a one hour special with the "making of" documentary and the 14-minute film before it was broadcast anywhere else. When MTV heard about this, their executive Bob Pittman decided that losing a Michael Jackson video to Showtime was unacceptable, and paid $250,000 for the exclusive broadcast rights once Showtime's window ended. MTV was founded on the principle of not paying for videos, so Pittman got around this by paying for the documentary, even though the money was really used to pay for the film.
The video won for Best Performance Video, Best Choreography, and Viewers Choice at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. With its famous graveyard dance, the video started the trend of group dance scenes in Pop videos. The video owes a debt to Alice Cooper, who in 1975 created a movie based on the stage show for his Welcome To My Nightmare tour. Cooper's production was based on an entire album, but it also used a horror theme and was narrated by Vincent Price. Most homes had Video Cassette Recorders in 1983 and sales of videos were big business. You could buy a VHS or beta copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller, which included the full video and also "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller," a behind the scenes documentary. This tape became the best selling music video at the time, and was later certified by Guinness World Records as the top selling music video of all time, moving 9 million units. The timing helped, as the video was released a few weeks before Christmas.
Most homes had Video Cassette Recorders in 1983 and sales of videos were big business. You could buy a VHS or beta copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller, which included the full video and also "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller," a behind the scenes documentary. This tape became the best selling music video at the time, and was later certified by Guinness World Records as the top selling music video of all time, moving 9 million units. The timing helped, as the video was released a few weeks before Christmas.
The video below shows some of the making of Thriller. It shows us the large make-up artist team, set designers and costume designers discussing how they created certain effects. For example the costumes were old suits that were wrecked and "zombiefied". The set had realistic props such as coffins to relate the zombie theme alongside smoke machines to create a gloomy feel.
The Way You Make Me Feel
Released: November 9, 1987
This song is about love and falling in love which allows Michael Jackson to introduce women as the main object of attraction in his music videos. Mulvey's male gaze is evident in this music video as the woman is viewed as an object of male erotic desire as there is a mid-shot of her body wearing a short, tight fitted dress. She also lacks agency, although Jackson is the one chasing her, she ends up with him in the end.
Bad
Released: September 7, 1987
Following Thriller, Michael Jackson was the biggest pop star internationally. His videos made the news and so the release of Bad's music video was a major event. The full music video for "Bad" is another short film at 18 minutes long, written by novelist and screenwriter Richard Price. These elaborate dance sequences have become an essential feature of his music videos. There also appears to be a recurrent theme with his work as many of the music videos involve gang-related themes with a positive message to teach young audiences possibly involved in gang related behaviour.
Black Or White ($4,000,000 – Today $6,925,000)
Released: November 11, 1991
The pop video was very expensive and inventive, following Jackson through Africa to Asia to Russia and so on. The serious message behind it is that race should not cause problems in the world just as racism and discrimination. One part of the music video highlights the issue of war and terrorism, perhaps as result of races fighting against one another. A shot of Jackson at the top of the Statue of Liberty has connotations of freedom and strength through racial unity and equality. This music video was used to try and resurrect his career as there were allegations of him being ‘strange’ in terms of problems with his image. People began to speculate that he was bleaching his skin to become white but others suggest that he has the skin disease, vitiligo. Therefore this song and music video proved to be controversial as he appeared to be unsure of this own image.
The end sequence of the face morphing is reference to Peter Gabriel's ground-breaking music video for Sledgehammer.
Conclusion
As digital technology developed so did Michael Jackson’s use of the pop video. He used his videos alongside his music to form a message of some sort for example in Beat It, he diminishes gang culture and violence through dance. Newer equipment and better editing tools allowed him to create sophisticated and artistic choreography with a large cast. In Black and White I feel that Jackson has taken advantage of digital technology the most as the effects and props used are outstanding. Without it he wouldn't have achieved the fire scene, the face morphing and the successful green screen section on the Statue of Liberty. In order to show off these skills, his videos became much longer and more complex and so the videos became as important as the song itself. Jackson used pop videos to reinvent his image, tell these controversial stories and address serious issues such as race, terrorism and violence.
Today I practiced using Photoshop in preparation for my digipak. It was a short activity comprising of random images and quotes to create a band name and the album art. This was the original image (below) - in photoshop I edited it in "Filter Gallery..." using the "Ocean Ripple" effect with slight "Ripple Magnitude" to make it look less photographic. I then contrasted this blurred, distorted background with a graphic text called "Blacklisted" from "dafont.com" for the band name. It is best to put the band name/album title in one of the corners as this looks clean, appealing and does not disrupt the album cover art. When using Photoshop for my digipak I need to remember to make each new element I add a new layer so that they can be edited individually where necessary.
Alex Southam has worked for Agile Films who describe him on their website as "an exciting new talent... entirely self-taught" with a series of diverse promos for the likes of Walkmen, Alt+J and Lianne La Havas. At the beginning of his career, Southam undertook all the tasks on his videos from the cinematography to the lighting and even the editing. He now uses a Director of Photography.
Southam likes the format of music videos as opposed to commercials as he believes there is more "real artistic freedom" in music videos. He finds that commercials are too restricted creatively. Vimeo is his preferred platform for showcasing his videos – this is becoming an increasingly important website as it is considered to have "higher status" than YouTube.
His breakthrough came with the video Tesselate for Alt-J with a budget of £10,000, one day to shoot with a large cast. In editing, Southam added special effects using AfterEffects. It appears as if the cast were stood in front of a green screen in their separate groups. Then after Southam has put the various shots of the groups into what appears to be one long continuous shot using Steadicam. The music video and the lyrics are very conceptual which makes it difficult to draw parallels between the two in terms of whether the video is illustrative or represents disjuncture. However it does strongly remind me of Kanye West's music video for "Power" (2010) in which he is represented as a god-like figure surrounded by a Renaissance style cast dressed as gods, goddesses and mythical creatures. Southam may have possibly used this as influence - the model that appears several times in Tessellate as more than one character could represent the god-like figure of Alt-J's music video. Both music videos appear to symbolise power; while Kanye's video is mostly illustrative, I feel that Alt-J's video is simply more conceptual and Southam is taking the opportunity to showcase his diverse creative talents.
Kanye West - POWER
Chase & Status - Lost and Not Found
In 2013, Southam worked with Chase & Status for Lost and Not Found with a £50,000 budget. It was filmed in Los Angeles using Steadicam where 36 frames per second was filmed and then later slowed down in editing. It was influenced by Massive Attack’s "Unfinished Sympathy" (1991) in terms of the Steadicam filming in one long take. He also wanted to go for an early 1990s VHS video look, achieved naturally in "Unfinished Sympathy". In Lost and Not Found there are only three shots in the whole video. The music video does illustrate the lyrics to some extent as there is the main storyline of the fugitive on the loose. But again, I feel that Southam's creativity is the main focus - it could act as an entirely different text from the song altogether. Instead of a music video, it could be a short film.
Emil Nava began as a runner for film production companies, working for Blink Productions. After working as a runner graduated to Assistant Director (A.D.) where he would manage the video shoots. His success got him signed to Academy, the biggest music video production company and then worked for Between the Eyes. Emil now works for Pulse and freelances for OB Management. OB Management often work with Pulse Films, Rocket, Agile Films, Friends and Wonda. They describe themselves as, “ three straight up dudes who work out of Denmark Street London” with aims to nurture talent, work with production companies, work with record labels and match the right director to the right artists.
In an interview, he explains how it is a difficult industry to break into and that hard work must be consistent in order to succeed. At his most busiest, Emil makes up to twenty-four films in a year. When he began shooting videos for independent labels the budget would be as low as £5,000 to £10,000. His most expensive video to date has been for Jessie J and the budget was £160,000 which exemplifies his success and dedication as a director.
Kid British - Our House Is Dadless
Emil’s first budget was for the band Kid British and the track Our House Is Dadless with a small budget of £20,000. The location was in Manchester with locals as the cast. Filming took one day with just two to three days for editing - pre-production spanned across ten days. This music video demonstrates the very tight timescales involved as the location remains the same, the cast are local people and the editing is simplistic.
BBC Newsbeat
In a BBC Newsbeat, Emil discusses the many factors that can affect a tight timescale such as make-up artists and costume designers. If the team cannot cooperate or maintain organisation then a 16 hour day can easily run over due to several small issues.
Jessie J and Tinchy Stryder
Emil Nava directed six Tinchy Stryder videos in 2009 including "Number 1" and "Take Me Back". There is a similarity in these music videos; all are set in a studio with a minimalist set and graphic lighting. This is perhaps due to a desired theme for his alum "Catch 22". However the filming and editing are undoubtedly recognisable as Emil Nava's because Jessie J's video "WILD" maintains a similar theme. It is in black and white with a simple set - the focus being purely on the artist and their performance. Nevertheless, the increased budget of £160,000 is evident in Jessie J's music video when comparing it to Tinchy Stryder's work. There is a larger variety of shots such as fast-paced tracking shots with fast editing to match. There are also at least three costume changes for Jessie J alongside a bigger focus on the featured artists, Big Sean and Dizzie Rascal.
"WILD"
"Number 1"
"Take Me Back"
Advertisements
Emil has now begun to make adverts, which generally have a far higher budget and production values but allow for less creative freedom. He has directed an advert for L'Oreal for their Feria hair colour, using the marketing slogan, "Dare To Be Different". Emil maintains this marketing approach of promoting women to be "different" by filming models with bold hair colours acting fiercely. One wears athletic clothing and punches a boxing bag which is suggestive of her inner masculinity thus separates her from the "norm"/stereotype that women are physically timid.
Ed Sheeran
Emil Nava has also worked with Ed Sheeran for his music video "You Need Me, I Don't Need You".
The client was Atlantic and the cost was £35,000. Kid British's video with a budget of £20,000 is almost half of Ed Sheeran's which shows; the concept behind Ed Sheeran's may not have worked so well with such a small budget. Again, I feel that his relatively basic, yet consistent conceptual ideas are showing through here which makes him a recognisable director.
Emil’s Top Tip
Use Extreme Close Up on faces wherever possible
Do not shoot whole of video in medium shot/long shot
Example – Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares to U and Godley & Crème - Cry
Using SurveyMonkey, I carried out a small survey on how people watch music videos. Most people used YouTube as their main online music video source and under 30% still used music channels on TV. This shows the change in internet culture; less people are using channels such as MTV to view music videos, as a result, MTV show less music. The growth in internet streaming sites enables audiences to access music videos on various platforms (iPad, smartphones, laptops etc) at home and on the go.
Do you think that artists benefit from music videos in terms of their promotional value?/Do music videos enhance the likeability of songs?
The majority of the respondents said that artists benefit from music videos due to their promotional value and that they enhance the likeability. Half of these respondents fully agreed and the other half thought that they benefited to an extent. One respondent stated that it "depends on the music video". I agree with this due to the different types of music videos such as ones that illustrate, ones that show disjuncture and ones that amplify. For a mainstream audience who want to view the music video aesthetically, I feel that illustrative music videos are most effective in promoting the artist. However, most mainstream artists rely on their fanbases which ultimately means a music video would be unnecessary. They would only alter their image/style in order to draw in a broader audience. Despite this, there are many concept-based videos which either amplify or avoid the meaning of the song for visual purposes - audiences of these types of artists are usually more "niche" and so may enjoy analysing/appreciating the music video to a greater extent than mainstream audiences. These types of music video can attract the broader, mainsteam audience due to its creative value as it usually provides them with something different which could increase sales.
Do you enjoy watching music videos?/How often do you watch music videos?
The respondents all enjoyed watching music videos which indicates that they are an important part of selling an artist and their product. Over half watched music videos on a regular basis (two to four times a week). Over 40% said that they occasionally discuss music videos with others. This result also suggests that it is a very competitive market; artists must always be creating something new to capture this audiences interest.
Some answered with a couple of effective music videos which they believed improved the likeability and promotional quality of a song.
Jamie Thraves' music videos:
All three videos have in common their simplicity - all are mainly set in an ordinary domestic room with underlying literal connections. However the most prominent element is the connection with the lyrics' emotion. I find Tom Odell's video is the most effective; it is filmed in one long take, the argument/action builds up over the course of the video along with the drama and emotion of the song.
Katy B - Broken Record
Goodwin's theory can be applied to Katy B's music video as Jamie Thraves uses genre characteristics of pop music. It illustrates the lyrics and has party scenes to match the location where this style of music is mostly played. There are close-ups of Katy B singing throughout the video which helps us identify her as the main attraction - it is Katy B who is selling the product. Likewise, this notion of looking is sustaineed throughout, particularly the three occasions where Katy B looks enviously into a corridor where a couple are kissing. On the second occasion, they look back at her and on the third she looks, but chooses to ignore them.
There is the use of Mulvey's male gaze as the man stares down at her singing in the bed:
Death Cab for a Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
This short Prezi presentation shows a basic visual overview of the model of the media. It shows us how media texts such as film, TV and games are consumed by audiences who experience these texts in a number of ways. The presentation then explains the nature of the music market and how piracy has caused a decline in the financial transaction process that audiences undergo when consuming texts, particularly music. As a result of this audience behaviour, music videos are primarily used as a marketing tool, an advert. Institutions such as Amazon, Sony and Universal exhibit, distribute, market and produce these media texts for audiences to consume.
Katy Perry: how do her pop videos appeal to her target audience while simultaneously reflecting her private life?
In many ways, Katy Perry has taken over the role of Britney Spears as the icon for young girls aged 14-17. In order to reach out to this audience, Katy Perry must play the role of the older sister and friend. To create the more personal connection, she must also reflect some of the anxieties young girls have for example break ups, insecurities etc. The audience must also be able to admire Katy as a role model
appear sexy in a non-threatening way).
Brief recap of Goodwin's theory:
1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
either illustrative (the video helps convey the meaning of the song)
amplifying (the video repeats or exaggerates an effect, moment or phrase from the song)
contradicting (the video completely ignores the song)
3. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work
i.e. a visual style: think Michael Jackson’s white shoes or glittered glove
Gaga’s wacky and frequent costume changes
certain poses, dance moves etc
4. There is frequently reference to notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body
screens within screens, telescopes, looking into the camera etc
the "male gaze"
5. There is often intertextual reference
to films, TV programmes, other music videos etc
Hot N Cold (2008)
Elements of Goodwin's theory can be applied to several Katy Perry videos. "Hot N Cold" is a narrative music video with dance routines and bright, colourful, trendy costumes which reflect the genre characteristics of pop music. The narrative is about a young man who imagines leaving Katy at the altar- a universal fear among women. The idea of the man being "hot and cold" mirrors issues in every day relationships and provides an example for many young girls who may be going through similar issues. Katy rises against this with her thuggish gang of "bridesmaids" which is an example of female empowerment. However, the video maintains its fun, comic feel by returning to the original scene and seeing that the man actually says "I do". It is almost as if Katy has enough dominance in the relationship to make him stay which sets a positive example to young girls who may feel passive and weak in a patriarchal society. Moreover, her clothing remains relatively modest in comparison to "California Gurls" where her image changes entirely due to changes in her personal life, which means that a voyeuristic approach to filming is not necessary. As a result, her target audience of young girls aged 14-17 is maintained.
Firework (2010)
Two years on, Katy's "role model" image is maintained however it is clear that she has grown up along with her audience. While she wears white, symbolising purity and innocence, there is a more important, underlying message to this song. Social issues such as insecurities with weight and homosexuality are displayed in this music video along with the message that everything can be resolved as long as we face our fears and overcome them. For example, the overweight girl who refuses to enjoy herself at a swimming pool party eventually joins in after Katy encouragingly sings "you're a firework" and "after a hurricane comes a rainbow". Also, the boy who gets attacked due to his sexuality proves that he doesn't need to hide away after two white doves explode from within him. Katy is trying to say that whatever our interests are, they are all natural and should not be hidden by singing: "come on let your colours burst". After resolving their issues, like Katy, they all emit fireworks from their chest, spreading light and optimism to others. In terms of Goodwin, this music video is amplifying because it returns to the main characters on several occasions, tracking their quest to find themselves as individuals. Also, the motif of fireworks suggests light, freedom and confidence which adds to this amplifying effect. Among the various storylines in this music video, there are multiple close-ups of Katy as she sings the song from a roof top, reminding us that she is the one sending the message out.
California Gurls (2010)
California Gurls was made while she was dating Russell Brand and so she takes on a more sexy image with nude scenes and changed lyrics. The lyrics are no longer about issues directed at a young teenage audience, instead Katy attempts to appeal an older, male audience. Unlike her previous music videos, she opts for the male gaze to reveal her body and image in a different light- before, she would wear less low cut clothing in order to symbolise youth and innocence to act as a role model for young girls.
Wide Awake (2012)
In this video, we see Katy leaving the set of California Gurls and returning to her dressing room to take off her wig. This action signifies an artificiality about this image which symbolises the purpose of this song and video: she is apologising to fans for her "shock" behaviour. It also reinforces how she moves her career along with her personal life as this occured during/after her break up with Russell Brand. There is a Prince Charming-like character that she punches away, revealing that her relationship has come to an end. It also shows a return to her image of female empowerment by having the strength to say "no". A recurrent theme in Katy's videos is that they are all illustrative which amplifies the meaning and sincerity of the lyrics. Roar (2013)
Roar, released in 2013, had high production values with special effects throughout. There is intertextuality at the beginning as it mirrors the look of old films. The overall message is similar to the Firework video with the positive message of self empowerment encouraging women to live independently by not relying on men. At the same time, she incorporates this comic, humorous feel again through elements of being sexy solely for herself, not to attract a man. After years of struggling, it is like the original Katy Perry is back, along with her original target audience of young teenage girls.
Richard Dyer, an English academic, and proposed star theory which is an idea that artists are manufactured by institutions for financial purposes. Dyer believes that artists are constructed through artificial images such as advertising, films, magazines and music in order to appeal to a target audience. As a result of this record labels have to market different artists to cater for certain target audiences as there are both ‘niche’ and ‘mainstream’ markets. Island Records have mainstream artists such as Ariana Grande, Drake and Disclosure while also catering for a niche market with artists: Gotye, Half Moon Run and Bombay Bicycle Club.
Ariana Grande, evidently has a target audience
of young teen girls.
Half Moon Run, a typical look for an alternative rock band-
more emphasis on the music than on their appearance.
He also claims that consumers prefer artists to not be groomed by record labels who try to create fake/artificial images for them. It is better for the artists to convey their true emotions themselves as the audience can then identify with them. A “real” artist can use this as their unique selling point. An example of this is Adele, who is not 'image' focused.
Promotion - Ideology And Culture
Another one of Dyers beliefs within his Star Theory is that artists become trendsetters in the sense that audience members will imitate hairstyles and artists clothing styles. Artists may also have certain religious beliefs and cultural values that audiences may also pick up on if shared by the artist. The growth of the internet and the proliferation of hardware has meant that audiences now have far greater, quicker access to the “personal” lives of stars. Social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook are often bombarded by fans/fan pages that follow, promote and communicate with the official page of the artists. Stars support hegemony
Artists support the ideas of hegemony, proposed by Gramsci, which describes how society uses cultural institutions to maintain power in capitalist societies. They are presented as 'real' human beings, just glorified versions of 'us'.
Representation in music videos
Music videos offer signs and symbols that send out specific messages relating to race and gender identities. American hip-hop artist, Drake conforms to the stereotypical African-American rap which focuses greatly on a "rags to riches" type lifestyle. His song "Started From The Bottom" conforms to this racial stereotype and gives the audience something to look up to.
Drake as a young boy, succeeding in 'soccer' at school
Drake working at a local supermarket, a typical first job
Drake now wearing expensive chains with a sports car,
a display of his wealth and success
Deconstructing Britney Spears (1998)
Britney Spears raises interesting issues regarding female identity in pop music. Spears was initially viewed as a role model for the teen girl market. From a gender perspective, Britney’s identity is placed securely within a male-dominated industry that manufactures limited stereotypes of femininity.
Early videos:
- Surrounded by ‘girlie iconography’ for example: bedroom culture, dolls, dressing up with friends, hanging out, applying make-up
- Teen pigtails to complete the image
- Choreographed dance routines create the desire to be part of ‘her gang’.
However, is this music video purely about a young girl having fun with friends? Is it exploitative and empowering? We can view this music video using Laura Mulvey's theory about the "male gaze". Britney Spears is viewed as an object of male erotic desire as she wears a low-cut top and skirt which both show a considerable amount of flesh. Likewise, her choreographed dance routine shows off her body in a sexual manner. The lyrics can also be interpreted in this way. This contrasts the cute 'girlie' image that she is conveying on the surface. Although she is the active character in this music video and has the most agency, the audience is forced to identify with the male gaze when taking the mise-en-scene into consideration. Mulvey's theory displays how music videos reflect patriarchal society as well as cinema does and reveals Britney Spears, the young, "innocent" teen, in an exploitative way.
Nevertheless, Britney’s songs and video narratives express teen girl identity, the concerns and reflections. By 2000, we see Britney in a different light. She ultimately 'grows' with her audience therefore her image changes with time.
"From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" shows Britney leaving home and having troubles in her love life like most typical teenage girls as they enter adulthood.
A year later, with “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” (2001) from film “Crossroads”, she is constructed as role model. The music video quite literally explores tensions of growing up and passage journey from childish innocence as a "girl" to realities of adult life as a "woman". But yet again, Britney remains an object of male erotic desire:
1) Representation of Britney Spears as a girl. She wears white which represents innocence and youth. The top does not reveal any flesh and her facial expression is soft and youthful.
2) Representation of Britney as a woman. She wears a similar white blouse but she falls under the male gaze again because it is low cut - she wears low cut denim shorts to match. Her body language and facial expression is open and sexual.
As she continues to move on in her career, her image is changed from "innocent schoolgirl" to "empowering woman". "Overprotected" (2002) is empowering to women in the sense that she is no longer a girl and should not be told what to wear. She made the music video in response to watching a news report on her wearing few clothes. She felt that it should not be a criticism but rather an act of empowerment and feeling confident in body image etc. Modern Britney
When it comes to gender debates, her music videos are a polysemic text. Her career has evolved from ‘Teen Princess’ with connotations of innocence and girliness to a half naked woman who performs for a male audience in FHM and Loaded. Both identities are stereotypical visions of femininity as presented in a range of media texts. The effect of these evolving images is shown in Britney's more recent videos, in particular: "Hold It Against Me" (2011). She literally banishes these images with different colours of a paint-like substance as she rises up on a platform in a long white dress. The white dress represents the new, 'fresh' image in contrast to the artificiality of the media on the numerous screens surrounding her. As she rises up above the screens she is stating that she is either bigger than the media or that she can take over and manipulate it with ease. There is a conflict scene at around 2:45 where we see her fighting with a twin version of herself. I interpret this as an internal conflict; she is attempting to rid herself of the past in terms of her career and personal life.
Writer, Syd Field identified that Hollywood films are structured in "three acts":
The Set-Up is the first act and happens in the first twenty to thirty minutes before the character experiences a "plot point" that gives him/her a goal to achieve. This "plot point" can be compared to Todorov's theory during the process of disruption where enigmas are created. In Eminem's "Stan", the first major plot point that is worth noticing is when Dido finds Stan's 'secret' basement filled with Eminem posters/pictures. It is at this point that the issues escalate and enigmas must be solved. The protagonist's main goal is to hear back from his idol, Eminem.
The Confrontation period is the second act whereby half the movie's running time must be taken up with the character's struggle to achieve the goal. This time is spent watching Stan writing another letter to Eminem asking for a response and talking about previous experiences at his concerts/backstage etc. However, Field also suggests that there is a "mid-point"; a more subtle turning point that happens in Act II (the confrontation) which often has an apparently devastating reversal of fortune for the character. This happens when the fan mail goes missing and Stan becomes frustrated because he is expecting a response.
The Climax occurs in the final quarter of the film, it is the third act. This act depicts a climatic struggle by the protagonist to finally achieve (or sometimes, not achieve) his/her goal. It also displays the aftermath of this struggle. If the protagonist does not achieve their goal then it can be said that is is a closed text according to Barthes. In the music video, Stan takes out his anger on Dido and drives the car off of a bridge and into a river.
Claude Levi-Strauss and Binary Oppositions
Levi-Strauss argued that a structure of narrative was a dependance on binary oppositions. He said that there was always a conflict between two qualities or terms- the dominant and the subordinate.
Dominant
Middle-aged
Men
White
Able-bodied
Middle/upper class
Regional identity: the South East (i.e. London)
Heterosexual
Subordinate
Young/old
Women
Ethnic groups i.e. black/asian
Disabled
Working class
Regional identity: the rest of England
Homosexual
In terms of "Stan", the powerful character is a white, able-bodied, heterosexual man whereas the evidently weaker character, Dido is a woman and is therefore subordinate. However the character that is mostly in control (Eminem) falls under most of the characteristics of the dominant group in society which is why he has such an effect on Stan and his life/relationship.
Barthes described all texts as complex 'bundles' of meaning which can be unravelled to create a whole range of meanings. He suggested that texts can be open, closed or polysemic.
Open texts:
Open texts have numerous 'threads to pull'. Examples of open texts include Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Rises and Inception as the endings are left ambiguous - the audience are unsure as to whether the protagonists have survived.
Closed texts:
Closed texts have only one obvious thread to grasp. The resolution is clear and so many films use a closed text.
Polysemic:
Polysemic texts can be read in numerous ways and the audience often form several interpretations of the text. Examples of Scarface interpretations include:
A glorification of violence
"Rags to Riches" story
A critique of the values of the 1980s, the issues of greed and consumption
Narrative codes
The 'threads' that Barthes referred to are known as narrative codes. The most significant of these codes us the enigma code with his constructed to attract and hold the attention of the audience. This is normally done by creating a mystery or puzzle that the audience want to see solved. It is usually introduced in the disruption phase of Todorov's narrative model.
Applying the theory to "Stan"
"Stan" by Eminem can also be analysed using Barthes' theory. It is a closed text because we see the clear resolution of "Stan" driving his car off of a bridge and into a river, killing both him and his partner. Their deaths are confirmed with a scene in a cemetery and a scene of a news report at the end of the music video.
Propps
Vladimir Propps analysed folk stories and identified eight key character roles. At times, characters may exhibit traits of just one or even several of these roles.
The Hero (Protagonist)
The Villain (Antagonist)
The Donor (Provider)
The Helper (Assistant)
The Father Figure (Gives advice and important information)
The Dispatcher (Sends hero on the missions)
The Princess
The False Hero
An example of a film that provides characters for each of the roles is Star Wars.
The Hero - "Luke Skywalker/Han Solo"
The Villain - "Darth Vader"
The Donor - "Obi-Wan Kenobi"
The Helper - "R2D2, C3PO, Chewbacca"
The Father Figure - "Obi-Wan Kenobi"
The Dispatcher - "Princess Leia"
The Princess - "Princess Leia"
The False Hero - "Han Solo"
With Eminem's "Stan", it can be said that the roles between the hero and villain vary. For Stan, Eminem is his hero however when the fan mail goes missing and Eminem does not receive it, he becomes a villainous character in Stan's eyes. It can therefore be argued that Eminem is the false hero. For Dido, the villain is Stan and Eminem at the same time because he mistreats her and neglects their relationship due to his obsession. In my opinion, the provider, donor, helper, father figure, dispatcher is Eminem because he (unintentionally) causes Stan to behave in certain ways and guides him through his actions. Although I do not think there is a princess as such, it could be said that Dido is the princess, needing help and attention from Stan.
Narrative is the way the story is organised. It is often associated with the words "story and "plot". There are several elements of narrative which include time, closure and enigma. Time refers to the time spanned across the earliest chronological moment to the last chronological moment. Closure is the end point/resolution of the text. Enigma is a problem that needs to be solved.
Classical Hollywood Narratives
Classical Hollywood narratives are often linear where the events take place in a chronological order. They have a tendency towards closure and include few, if any, sub-plots within the narrative.
Theories of Narrative
Todorov, Propps and Barthes have proposed individual theories to explain a typical structure of narrative.
Todorov
Tzvetan Todorov suggested that all narratives have different phases. Firstly, the audience are presented with an equilibrium where everything appears to be safe and at ease. However, there is a disruption which throws the narrative into disorder which then presents a number of enigmas. There must then be a resolution in order to solve the problems caused by the disruption. Once resolved, Todorov explains that a new equilibrium is put into place whereby the characters' situation has changed and so represents what they have learned as a result.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The opening of this film can be briefly analysed using Todorov's theory as it begins with a normal, calm family day with the father and son farming in the field. This can be described as the equilibrium.
The next phase of disruption is first heard with the sound of birds frantically flying out of the trees- shortly followed by the sound and a close-up of horses running through the woods. We then see a large cloud of smoke which we then identify as the main character's house on fire. A shot of an unfamiliar group of men dragging his screaming wife out and his son's still body in a sack lead to the enigmas.
The enigmas that are presented are:
Who killed his wife?
Why did they burn his house down, take his wife and kill his son?
What is the main character going to do about it?
The last shot in the scene is a shot of him holding a gun which indicates that he is going to resolve the situation by finding the group of men and murdering them.
The new equilibrium would reveal the main character either having resolved or accepted the enigmas. "Stan" by Eminem
