I believe my research for task 1 is applicable to the work I will be expected to produce in the second task; because of this I have provided a link to the left, directing you to my 'Task 1 Research' page.
The 1975 - Robbers
The 1975 derives from Manchester, England and consists of four members, Matt Healy, Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald and George Daniel. They have been nominated for 35 awards and won 6; their music is typically in the style of pop/alternative rock and they have a broad demographic however simultaneously a large female following.
About
Artist: The 1975 Album: The 1975 Released: 2013 Recorded: 2012–13 Producers: The 1975; Mike Crossey Director: Tim Mattia Genres: Alternative/Indie, Rock I chose this narrative-based music video is the first video I chose to analyze, this is because there's a constant portrayal of crime and love between the two main characters and this remains consistent throughout the entire video. So much so that they disregard each other's flaws and accept the unfortunate life they live. The narrative features two young lovers played by Matt Healy, the lead singer of the band, and actress Chelsea Schuchman. They are portrayed as unemployed however able to afford commodities such as food and going to the movies. The audio is non-diegetic; the music video highlights drugs, sex, alcoholism and crime. The mise en scene throughout the music video is very isolated and run-down. Aside from the two main characters, the only other people seen in the music video is the rest of the band who play as Matt’s friends and accomplices in the robbery. In one of the scenes, Chelsea places the cigarette in Matt’s mouth, similar to how he did to her at the beginning of the music video, and after he inhales the smoke they kiss. The director used the mise en scene to create an association with the love they share and rebellious behaviour, in this case smoking. One of the issues resulting in their dysfunctional relationship explored within the music video is the lack of equality between the two characters. Matt is portrayed as superior to Chelsea via positioning of the characters in certain shots and the props used. Lighting is used in this music video to create either a positive or negative atmosphere. When the two characters are together the lighting is dark and gloomy, suggesting it is a dark time in both of their lives. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbers_(song) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_1975 https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2016/03/11/the-1975-i-like-it-when-you-sleep-album/81508264/ |
System of a down - Chop Suey!
System of a Down is an American heavy metal band formed in 1994. The band consists of four members, Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan. With four nominations for Grammy awards, they won in 2006 for their song 'B.Y.O.B.' Their lyrics typically feature political/social meaning, an example being the song previously mentioned. Their style of music has consistently been a combination of heavy metal and alternative rock over the years.
About
Artist: System Of A Down Album: Toxicity Released: 2001 Recorded: February 2001 – March 2001 Genres: Progressive metal, Alt Metal, Metal, Rock I chose this performance-based music video as my second video to analyze because of the unique use of a variety of camera angles, the bands interaction and portrayal of their audience, and the bands intended portrayal of themselves. This includes the mise en scene and the songs lyrics. The audience seen within the music video includes both men and women; this suggests the band's target demographic is both genders, however there are noticeably more men. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of the band, is fully clothed throughout the music video and when on stage he is seen wearing a yellow shirt. However, the other band members consistently wear no shirts, this draws the audiences attention to the lead singer, creating an association with him, the bands image and the music. During the beginning of the music video, a backwards moving long shot is used to portray the audience as zombie-like and oblivious to everything around them. The director uses juxtaposition when the drummer begins hitting the drums instead of just the hi-hat, this is because it shows the change in atmosphere when the band is present. A close up shot is used to show the audience as energetic, excited and enjoying the bands music and presence. This creates an ideal image for the band because it shows the influence their music has on their audience and portrays them as a core aspect of their audience’s happiness. Daron Malakian's interaction with the audience emphasizes the band’s interaction and engagement with their fans, they are portrayed as equals in comparison to their audience and are seen as viewing themselves as such. This type of interaction creates a strong relationship between the band and their target audience, which will in turn aid in broadening their viewership. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_Suey!_(song) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_of_a_Down |
Kendrick Lamar - humble.
Kendrick Lamar was born in Compton, California on June 17 1987. He has won twelve Grammy Awards and received two civic honors.
About
Artist: Kendrick Lamar Album: DAMN. Released: 2017 Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap Nominations: Grammy Award for Record of the Year, MORE Awards: Grammy Award for Best Music Video, MORE I chose this concept-based music video as my third video to analyze because of the broad range of symbolism and meaning behind every aspect of the music video. For example, the music video starts with Kendrick Lamar dressed as a pope with light shining on him and nothing else, this connotes purity and righteousness; however, the scene then changes to him lying on a table with masked women wearing little to no clothing, counting money as he shoot said money at the camera. This immediately creates the atmosphere of good and bad. The concept of media negatively portraying the lower class and black people is clearly present along with the portrayal of a lack of individuality among said people. The audio is non-diegetic and the costumes vary dramatically, often further emphasizing a theme or atmosphere. In one scene of the music video Kendrick is seen passing some form of food to a passenger in another vehicle, if the item was covered up the audience would automatically assume drug activity was involved in the exchange. The director purposefully does this to emphasise the audience’s automatic assumptions despite having no context regarding the situation. The scene is an intertextual reference to the Grey Poupon advertisement, where the same exchange was made, however it was between two white men. This conveys to the audience that society has an aspect of underlying racism due to the media’s affect on the information that's provided to the mass population. Sources: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7744412/kendrick-lamar-humble-video-exposes-fake-encourage-the-real https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humble_(song) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendrick_Lamar https://genius.com/11592544 |
The Grey Poupon Advertisement
These advertisements were made and shown to the public in the 1980s. Since then the advertisement has been referenced in movie's and shows such as 'Wayne's World', 'Family Guy', 'Married... with Children'.
This advertisement and more specifically Grey Poupon as a product is associated with wealth, luxury and high-class. This is due to the mise en scene within them, such as the costumes (suits), the presence of personal drivers, the make of cars (Rolls-Royce) and the dialect used. Kendrick Lamar used these pre-determined associations to convey to the audience the underlying racism within society and how the skin colour of the characters wholefully changes the atmosphere of the scene. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Poupon#Marketing |
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