Textual Analysis in Class 1

MUSIC VIDEO TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 

WRITINGS ON THE WALL – PLAN B 

For this task, I had to analyse a music video (Writings on the Wall by Plan B) to look into the properties that have been considered in this music video in terms of genre, representation, visual codes, technical codes, audience and institution. Therefore when it comes to making our own, I will know what to expect and what I must consider as well as seeing what works well in terms of content.

GENRE: 

What is the Genre of the Video?	Pop
What is the genre of the Artist?	Pop / rap / soul
Is there a typical narrative?	Man with lover, man leaves lover and stands her up for a one night stand. It is linked to his fictional character Strickland Banks (a well known artist) and his story which consists of meeting a one night stand and is accused if raping her (hence the next song 'She Said')
What is expected in the video?	Shots of the artist and narrative
What is unexpected in the video?	A one night stand in the narrative and leaving his lover for the night
Intertextual References?  (Video link to other music videos?)	Superstition - Stevie Wonder

NARRATIVE: 

What is the storyline of the video?	Man with lover, man leaves lover after one night stand
Is there a theme?	Love and trust
Is there a recognisable structure (TODOROV – Equilibrium 5 stages)?	Equilibrium - man and wife Disruption - meeting one night stand Recognition - woman putting phone down
Are there recognisable characters?	Yes the bad guy, the innocent partner and the girl (the antagonist).
How does the video reflect the lyrics?	Yes it reflects the lyrics in that their relationship isn't over, but he is having an affair with the girl. It indicates their relationship was not good in the first place.

REPRESENTATION: 

What issues of representation are evident?	Woman = domestic, in kitchen making meal. Male = worker/celebrity, more power.
How have these been represented? Stereotypes?	Woman in kitchen = stereotype for gender
Look at the artist as a star – how have they been constructed?	Plan B = Strickland Banks (fictional character) successful, popular.
Do they have an anonymous role in the  video or are they there as celebrity?	Male is fictional celebrity - seen as a big star in the night club they are in.

VISUAL CODES: 

Where is the video set? Connotations of this setting?	Night club, kitchen, hotel room. 1970's/1980s Not modern because of phone, old fashioned  night club - dark. Dark clothing - sinister Girls in white - innocence
Dominant colour used in the video? Why? What is the effect?	Black - darkness connotes the foreshadowing of the events about to happen.
Written Iconographics? Typography? Why?	Strickland Banks is written on the venue header at the start of the music video. You can tell he is the performer. Sold out = he is popular.
Shot Compositions that stand out?	Extreme close up = wife's face at home Extreme close up = meal - connoting important meal, last chance Low angle of Strickland - Power High angle on wife - vulnerable.

TECHNICAL CODES: 

Camera Angles? Interesting ones? What effect is created?	Extreme close up of guitar - fictional and playing live. Close up of the pan - sauce bubbling + rising - connoting of love + rising Long shot of pan later when burns her - connoting of being burnt by her relationship.
Does the way the camera moves help to tell the story?	Point of view shots - showing Strickland Banks moving - give his perspective + allow you to see his point of view.
What is editing like? Type of cuts etc?	Lots of fast cuts to different shot types keeping up the pace of the video.

AUDIENCE: 

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

Teens - early 20's. Young character used - audience can link themselves to characters (relate). Characters are in a club quite young, hip place to be. Groups of young adults enjoying themselves attracting a young audience as they will like to have fun too. E and D.

INSTITUTION: 

What role does the record company play in the music video?	679 Warner Music group. Record company for the deformation of Strickland Banks' album. Promotion of the fiction character - Strickland Banks = promotion of Plan B.
What is the brand image of the star that is sold?  How is the star marketed and promoted?	Fictional character is promote as a celebrity within the video - getting everything he could have ever wanted. He is promoted as a celebrity + big name - selling out a tour in a night club.

This task has helped me towards my research for this project as it has allowed me to look in depth on the properties of a music video with regards to how to draw in the right type of audience, the demographics we will need to include and what kind of narrative we want to incorporate in our music video.