Our media group consists of a four, Aaron Roberts, Ryan Evans, Tom Keen and Tom Scandariato
We have chosen to do a cover of "Mr Brightside" originally released by The Killers.
Throughout our Blog, when making posts, we will identify ourselves with a different colour font, as displayed below:
Aaron Roberts
Ryan Evans
Tom Keen
Tom Scandariato
Textual Analysis.
Here we have an example of an essay written by our group breaking down and analysing a Pop music Video.
Lady Gaga: Telephone (Ft Beyonce) Dir: Jonas Akerlund
The video for Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s ‘Telephone’ was shot by Akerlund who had also directed ’Paparazzi’. It was regarded as the most anticipated video release of 2010, due to the duet between two high profile performers in the music industry and the fact its release date was pushed back one month. Although the video was released after ‘Bad Romance’ the narrative of the video is a continuation of the video ‘Paparazzi’. Alongside the video, the track did well in sales digitally and physically topping the charts in many different countries. Released as the second single from ‘The Fame Monster’ Gaga became a household name after ‘Bad Romance’, this later added to her success in becoming the most watched video on Youtube.
The video is shot as a short film elapsing nine minutes. The genre of the music is Pop/Electro-Pop. It starts with Gagas voice over over a harp melody with a swift change into pounding beats over the following verse and chorus. The video is narrative and performance based. The narrative follows on from ‘Paparazzi’ where Gaga has killed her boyfriend using poison (another prop that is used in this video) and has been sent to prison. The opening shots of the video show the location; barbed fences, an industrial area and security guards establish that the sequence is taking place in a prison. Credentials are also used to give the music video a film like appearance. The editing of the title ‘Telephone’ is shaped to look like an old style receiver, with the ‘o’ replaced by a phone dial, and the cord hanging off the end.
Gaga relies heavily on sexualisation in all of her videos, during the opening scene she is undressed by prison wardens; the medium shot shows her in just tights with tape over her chest, suggesting her over sexualisation. The prisons ‘Exercise Yard’ scene shows her sexuality as she is seen kissing a fellow female inmate. Extracts from Gagas debut album ‘The Fame’ are also used in the scene, ‘Paper Gangsta’ from the stereo and ‘I Like It Rough’ from the headphones. Product placement is seen here as the headphones are from her own range ‘Heartbeatz’ and the Virgin Mobile phone emphasise her status as companies are using her videos for advertising their products. This is carried throughout the video where in the next scene Gaga is seen wearing Diet Coke cans in her hair and wearing Chanel glasses. A tightly framed shot of a laptop showing a dating website is used, and the following shot shows an American fast food cartons.
Her image being offered throughout the video has very high production values. She creates her own outfits through ‘Haus Of Gaga’ which contribute to her styles and often interesting costumes, famous designers like Chanel, Alexander McQueen and have also lifted her status.
The transitions from the phone call into the cell block coincide with the tracks change in tempo and the introduction of a more pop/dance inspired beat. The effect of the phone dial growing bigger into the next shot reinforces the title ‘Telephone’. Gaga is again seen here in provocative costume, wearing studded underwear, surrounded by dancers dressed the same. After every chorus/verse the story is carried on through none musical scenes, giving to us an understanding of what is happening in the narrative.
The introduction of Beyonce to the video happens within the ‘Pussy Wagon’; there are significant intertextual references to Quentin Tarantino here as this car was used in the same concept for Tarantino’s films ‘Kill Bill’. Beyonce’s nickname ‘Honey B’ is also a reference to a named character in another Tarantino film ‘Pulp Fiction’. There are also intertextual references to her own other music video; using poison to kill lovers (these characters have also been played by famous men. Tyrese Gibson stars here), she mixes poison into all the dishes killing Gibson and other characters (Played by band Semi Precious Weapons) and Beyonce’s yellow outfit with Minnie Mouse style glasses resembles Gagas own ensemble in ‘Paparazzi’. Another dance sequence happens where Gaga and Beyonce are dressed in costumes inspired by the American flag, this can also be an intertextual reference as their costumers also resemble ‘Wonder Woman’ and can connote how they feel powerful/superior. The videos ending is paying homage to ‘Thelma & Louise’ as the concept of driving away from a crime scene is used in both. The film ends with the line ‘To be continued…’ which shows that this video is not the conclusion to ‘Paparazzi’ just an instalment in the narrative. There is also end credits which reinforces the music video as a film.
The lyrics to ‘Telephone’ relate directly into the majority of the scenes in the video. ‘Stop calling, Stop calling I don’t want to talk anymore, I’ve left my head and my heart on the dance floor’ connotes how the singers preference is to be on the dance floor rather than taking her phone calls.
Script
The basic idea for our video is that we have a large variety of people going into a photobooth and singing our track and it will be a fast paced edit which will go well with the track. The narrative side to this is a fairly abstract concept in terms of the lyrics. It is your classical "tramps in love" kind of story, where the male tramp is begging for money, but not selflishly, oh no. He is saving up to by a coffee for his lady tramp, how romantic.
