Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey says that because of males dominating the film industry, females are seen in videos only for aesthetic purposes and are controlled by males, they can be seen as a trophy. She says that they are subject to the "Male Gaze" which is the theory that females are only seen by males as objects for pleasure.

 A video that shows this theory is Whistle by Flo Rida, where the woman in the video is objectified.

Another video which shows this theory is love in this club by Akon, all the girls are dancing in bikinis while Akon and the other males are there fully clothed watching and dancing with them.

Inspiring Videos

Sam Smith - Stay With Me

The style of this video inspires me as it switches between him walking through the street and him being inside the house, which is very simple yet effective for the song and still makes for a good music video.

Sia - Chandelier

Mainly the lighting but also the way this video is shot inspires me as it only features one person and they're dancing throughout the video. The lighting is dim and there are no bright or vibrant colours in the video yet the focus is always on the girl despite her not necessarily standing out.

Calvin Harris - Summer

This video is fast paced and constantly switching camera angles & scenes.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
This video doesn't include much editing or choreography but uses simple things along with techniques such as slowing down the footage to make it look interesting, such as the scene with the sand and the person dancing or where there are lots of glasses of water.

Weekly Production Diary

Lip Sync

Video Diary

Weekly Production Diary

2010s Timeline - Pharrell Williams

2000s Timeline - Justin Timberlake

1990s Timeline - Oasis

1980s Timeline - Madonna

Richard Dyer

Richard Dyer is an English Academic, specialising in cinema. He says that the terms 'pop performer' and 'pop star' have become interchangeable. The difference between them is the pop performers are known for performing pop music, whereas pop stars are known for having an identity or persona which is not just restricted to their musical talent.

Dyer's theory stated that pop stars are constructed and manufactured by their record labels in order to make money. They have their own USP (unique selling points) which help us, the audience, hold onto their attention. For instance, for Kanye West, he wore a specific type of glasses which became iconic to him.

Weekly Production Diary

Simon Firth

Simon Firth's theory is that "Music videos may be characterised by three broad typolgies: performance, narrative and conceptual." (1988).

Performance (Studio):
Studio performance videos show the artists performing in the studio, usually using a lot of direct address to make it seem as if they're singing directly to you. They're used to remind the viewer that the particular song they're singing is important.

Performance (Live):
Live performance videos are used to exhibit live performances and will focus on how well the artist is performing and how much the fans are enjoying it. They're done usually to boost ticket sales.

Narrative:
Narrative videos follow a story in linear cause-effect sequencing. The most common narratives are love stories.

Conceptual:
Conceptual videos are based on a single idea which is usually obscure. This can be used to generate hype about the video which results in more people viewing it.

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin is a music video theorist. He states that "There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals." and that "Particular music genres may have their own music video style and iconography."

The videos represent the stereotype and conventions of that genre. E.g. girl bands will break into dance during the chorus, boy bands will consistently be using direct address and looking into the camera as if they're looking at, and singing to, the viewer.

Goodwin's theory can be applied to Price Tag by Jessie J, where he says there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, as during the chorus she sings "money, money, money" whilst standing next to a tree which money is falling from.

His theory can also be applied to Little Mix - Word Up, he states that videos represent the conventions of that genre, as Little Mix is a girl band they stereotypically would all burst out into dance during the chorus of the song, which is what they do in this video.

Brief