MUSIC VIDEOS: MUSIC LANGUAGE

 

MUSIC VIDEOS: MUSIC LANGUAGE

PREP Explain how music videos use media language to promote their artists. Refer to the pair of music videos you have studied from the list below in your answer.

Our music videos are Wheatus Teenage Dirtbag Avril Lavigne Sk8ter Boi

HOW TO ANSWER: Media language points to consider:

the prioritising of the star / the group; the privileging of the star / the groups in the frame

authenticating the star's performance / the band's performance to show their skills

the use of close ups; lip syncing to camera; eye contact with the audience

Teenage Dirt bag prioritises the main character as they are privileged in the frame. Facial expressions are so key because they indicate how this main actor is feeling and it tells the story. All the cast is shown in the frame. They prioritise the artist because the camera zooms in on the artists which further draws the viewers attention to the artist. The group authenticates the star's performance because they are shown physically playing the guitar and singing the song which makes it seem realistic and original. Their performance is very true-to-form because we can see the band showing their skills when they are drumming and playing the guitar. The use of close ups indicates that we want to see the artists expression and emotions. In this music video, they make a lot of eye contact with the camera which gives us a sense that this is a personal story that they might have experienced (bullying). It also indicates that the artist may relate with the theme of the music video themselves and may have had a crush on someone like Noel and loved iron maiden as well when they were younger. The video may be narratable. We see the high school world the teenage dirt bag is trying to fit in with. The middle class environment in which the music video is set where the boy is bullied for being odd and atypical shows how authentic this music video truly is.

Avril Lavigne is also the main star in the central splash of the music video. This is because she is the only artist who sings the song 'skater boy'. She is privileged in the frame. Avril kind of lives with the story and enacts it. She inhabits the world and we are led to believe that the boy could be skater boy. Public and private Avril meet together when the audience comes together to enjoy the performance. The location fits with the punk/grunge genre. The artist isn't a stereotypical girl, she is actually a-stereotypical because she is a tomboy who is edgy and boyish and a punk not like pretty face who does ballet and has long, voluptuous blond hair and wears pink clothes and makeup. She is the opposite of normal girls because she is an emo and wears dark, heavy eye makeup. Avril Lavigne is the very antithesis of the pretty and pink, stereotypical girl so that proves striking for the audience. Our attention is drawn in and begs questions such as: why is she so different? how does she not get bullied? etc. She is not afraid of the audience as she stares at the camera and makes eye contact a lot. This indicates that she is a strong and powerful girl who isn't afraid of what people think of her. She is also shown playing the guitar and singing (or lip syncing) which authenticates her performance and makes the music video seem more pragmatic and genuine and representational. There are a lot of close ups embedded into the music video to show her true passion and emotion portraying her true love of music.