Textual Analysis in Class 2

MUSIC VIDEO TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

CHAINED TO THE RHYTHM – KATY PERRY

 

For this task, I had to analyse a music video (Chained to the Rhythm - Katy Perry) and see the amount of thought and consideration that can be put into a music video so when it comes to making my own, we will be able to develop our ideas for it and see what works well and what doesn't.

GENRE:

What is the Genre of the Video?	Pop/Disco
What is the genre of the Artist?	Pop
Is there a typical narrative?	Most people are so distracted about what’s going on in the world and are being influenced whats best, but they dont see how bad it is and dont do anything about it as they have no control
What is expected in the video?	At first you would expect Katy Perry having fun at a theme park.
What is unexpected in the video?	That everything in the video and lyrics have relevant and justifiable meaning.
Intertextual References?  (Video link to other music videos?)	‘The Jetsons’ E.g. Her outfit.

 

NARRATIVE:

What is the storyline of the video?	That everyone follows everybody else and society. We as people do the same thing over and over with no escape when we know its not the best way for living.
Is there a theme?	The common theme is her showing the audience how we are all in a bubble - trapped, and that we are noticing the problems.
Is there a recognisable structure (TODOROV – Equilibrium 5 stages)?	No, the structure is clearly random and her telling a story whilst at a theme park.
Are there recognisable characters?	Donald Trump. American Dream.
How does the video reflect the lyrics?	Everything around her, is reflecting the lyrics and shows hidden meanings of the song. E.g. ‘We are chained to the rhythm’ Everybody is walking at exactly the same time (steps) and in the same direction like robots steping the the rythum and like they are trapped with it and can't get out of it.

 

REPRESENTATION:

What issues of representation are evident?	·        Us moving like robots represents us as a society today - we are being controlled without realising and have no freedom. ·        American dream never going to be achieved. ·        Houses dropping like the house market is falling and no one is buying them as they can't afford to. ·        People getting chucked in the air – Trump kicking the Mexicans out of North America.
How have these been represented? Stereotypes?	Represented through the use of colour and over exaggerated special effects. Shown in a fun type of activity (theme park) to show how blind people are to the truth. Stereotyped gender on rollercoaster – only girls can sit on the pink heart seat and the boys to sit on the blue seat.
Look at the artist as a star – how have they been constructed?	Katy Perry has been constructed as the main character who is the strongest and the only one who can see what’s going on. The song is her way of having her say and getting her words out there to everyone so everyone else can see what she sees. She realises that society will be ruined if people don’t wake up and do something about it.
Do they have an anonymous role in the  video or are they there as celebrity?	She is the main character but seen as just a normal person in society except from the fact that she has notcied whats happening and no one else has as if everyones been brain washed to believing the government except her.

 

VISUAL CODES:

Where is the video set? Connotations of this setting?	Video is set in a theme park surrounded by a white fence and grass. This could connote that they are stuck in this bubble (the theme park), and once your in your rapped (they run in happy thinking their lives are going great - influentual propaganda), however when your outside of it you’re free and can follow your own rules.
Dominant colour used in the video? Why? What is the effect?	The dominant colour is pink. This colour could represent the brain as if it is being brainwashed. Also pink is a bright colour which can be used to distract people of what is really going on. This could also be stereotypical for gender and act as a part of feminisum.
Written Iconographics? Typography? Why?	‘Oblivia’ is the name of the theme park – seen as destruction and connotes of things falling apart.
Shot Compositions that stand out?	Long shots of everyone doing the same action. This is so we can really see how everyone follows society and hasn't noticed the issues.

 

TECHNICAL CODES:

Camera Angles? Interesting ones? What effect is created?	Close up of the flower pricking Katy Perry – Important for foreshadowing the rest of the story - connoting the hidden bad side to the narrative / the build up to the ending which is bad - Everything looks lovely and peaceful from the outside, but beneath it all it’s not what you expect or want it to be.
Does the way the camera moves help to tell the story?	The camera is following Katy Perry in the same way that everyone is following each other as she wants us to follow her and her opinion.
What is editing like? Type of cuts etc?	The editing is fairly slow paced, slowly building up the bad things that are happening around them so no one notices - the cuts are quite smooth and unnoticeable as if no one is noticing the realism in society.

AUDIENCE:

Who is the target audience for the video?     How does the video target this specific audience?

This music video can be watched by young and old people because the narrative and performance make it enjoyable to watch for everyone. To be more specific, the music video has quite a broad audience because its aimed at adults in termsof the story behind it whcih is about politics, and its also aimed at a younger audience because of the bright colour scheme and fairground theme which is a common place young people enjoy going to.      It draws in an older audience because the detail and hidden meanings inside the video connote real life situations that are happening. This can relate to politics for example scene 5 were the pumps are supplying ‘inferno water’ which could be a reference to the West’s dependency on oil, but also to the undeniable crisis of the decrease in the world’s water supply. More of the older people are interested in politics and will understand the hidden meanings she is implying, therefore people would see her as more of a role model and tell people to watch the video to understand what she is trying to put across. Yet she still tries to involve aesthetically pleaseing visuals for younger audiences like the fair ground so she is still accessing that broad audience.

Demographic?

E and D.

 

INSTITUTION:

What role does the record company play in the music video?

The record company is not featured or mentioned at all in the music video, this is to put across Katy’s personal essage to her viewers not the record company to make a change in the world. It then wouldn’t be appropriate talk about advertising and marketing the record company as the video regards very serious matters that are happening in the world right now. Therefore she sees the narrative as the most important aspect and doesn't include any more to destract the audience from it. The record company have a lot of input in the music video however its Katy's idea and her words so only she gets the featuring.

What is the brand image of the star that is sold? How is the star marketed and promoted?

Katy Perry is not marketed or promoted in this video in any way, but she is presenting her message to her viewers and using the power she has by speaking through a song. She is saying to make a change in our life as we are living in a metaphorical bubble. This is seen when she sees the Rose on the bush, then it pricks her and makes her bleed foreshadowin the narrative and connoting that people are blind to the problems in society today until it effects them - its peaceful until something that you dont expect hurts you.

This research has helped me understand how music videos can portray such a big message whilst keeping it so well hidden and has made me realise how much thought and consideration can be put into one. There are so many references to society and politics in this music video that you can barely notice. Personally the first time I watched it I had no idea about all these meanings until I started my research. I quite like how shes made the music video open to as broad of an audience as possible which I would like to try for my own so that more people enjoy it. I will consider this idea of using hidden meanings in my own music video because I think it makes it more intrgiuing and interesting for the audience so they can discover and find out what they are and it gives the music video more of a purpose rather than just a promotional tool for a song.