Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Bronte's Detailed video Analysis


Detailed Video Analysis


Conventions: A female solo artist's pop music video would usually include lots of close ups so the audience can recognise them- usually requirements of the record label. Motifs may occur eg. a sexy theme in every music video. A lot of shots of their body would also be included due to the male gaze theory- this applies to this video as there are a lot of shots of Rihanna's body when she is dancing and wearing revealing clothing. You would expect to see an illustrative relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, and the tone and atmosphere should reflect the music. Dancing would be involved, which is also captured in this music video, even though it isn't strictly choreographed dance routines.
At the beginning the music hasn't started and all you can hear is the breeze,  a long shot shows Rihanna stood by herself in the middle of a field letting the wind blow through her fingers. The whole of this music video has a pink tinge to it, suggesting her female expectations of a relationship, and also connoting love. The sound of the wind is eery and quite scary- like something you'd expect from a horror movie, but she is basking in it. A close up flashes onto the screen showing her using direct mode of address- which quickly engages the audience and also leaves them wanting to know more due to the speed of the shot. The mixture between these two shots continues for a few more seconds until the sound of a record scratch kicks in and the fast paced shots replicate the sound.
 A close up of Rihanna's face is the first thing you see when the music starts and from then on all of the shots match the thought beats of the music. The pace of the shots match the tempo of the music- however some are extra fast which put across that uncomfortable atmosphere. One shot shows Rihanna throwing some petals towards the camera, and then right afterwards the same clip is played in reverse, again giving an unnatural look. The same is repeated with her scarf. She is dancing in front of a wall of flowers which connote a girly, fun and innocent theme, however Rihanna subverts this by doing sexy moves in front.
 When the first verse starts Rihanna sings directly to the camera, she whips off her cardigan as if to say 'i'm ready to start' and her dance moves and facial expressions add a cheeky edge. A long shot shows her spinning around having fun then zooms out to an extreme long shot showing the landscape. You then realise she is the only person there at that time, and this carries on throughout the video- as she is singing about being the only girl in the world, and she is the only girl, or person, in the video.
 When it comes to the chorus she falls into the bed of roses  and her movements are disjointed and 'twitch' (due to editing) which emphasises the prodigious beats. Next the shots are mixed between a close up of Rihanna singing and a long shot of her walking through the flowers- which only shows on the beats mentioned previously. These shots of the flowers are then the next main shot- and you realise the flashing images was a clever transaction. When she throws her hands back the flowers blow as if a reaction, enforcing her importance in this video.
 Next we see Rihanna in the deserted landscape again, but this time surrounded by giant balloons. This portrays the happiness she is looking for and may suggest a playful side to her nature. It also adds to the fact that she is in a nonsensical world, where anything can happen, also shown by the next 'scene' with the giant rose. The voyeurism theory is presented here and throughout the video as some of the shots are as if the camera isn't even there, and we're just looking in on her.
 In the next chorus Rihanna is singing on a mountain top, using exaggerated arm movements and facial expressions- as if she is declaring her feelings to the world. This helps put the message of the lyrics across and helps us to understand how she is feeling. She has also changed outfit again here. All of her clothes throughout the music video are very girly eg. frilly, sparkly, pink- they are also quite revealing to allow the male gaze shots to work.
 Soon after this, Rihanna is on top of lots of ladders, reaching up, as if she is yearning for something.  It may also portray her as being on top of the world, and again is unrealistic but adds to the surreal atmosphere, as with the swing in the next setting. It connotes fun and youthfulness, which is what she is describing she wants to feel like in her relationship. The sparkles on her headband turn into the fireworks in the next scene which is another clever transaction. The fireworks portray the way she wants to feel, 'like i'm the only girl in the world' and is good imagery to match the stereotypical quote of 'feeling a spark' or 'like sparks are flying'. Slo motion is used when the song 'thins' and doesn't have as much going on, but when the beat kicks back in again the fireworks represent the music but Rihanna is still in her own little world. The flashing dresses on the tree match the beat of the music and as they are all the same but she isn't wearing one it enforces her unique identity.

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