Released - August 2010
According to Goodwin's Theory;
Demonstrate genre characteristics: As a female artist, Perry demonstrates some genre characteristics by wearing few clothes in some scenes, particularly when in the hotel room in her underwear, and also having elements of performance within the video. There is also a loose narrative plot involved, which is typical of Perry's other videos, including 'California Gurls', where Perry rescues candy-themed girls from a board game before fighting Snoop Dogg, and 'Waking Up in Vegas', where there is a stronger link between the lyrics and visuals.
Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals: The lyrics talk about being with a lover who makes you feel young again ("You make me/ feel like I'm living a/ teenage dream"), and the visuals reflect this in the sense that Perry is with a man (who we see getting intimate on several occasions), and there is a naturalistic yet dreamy feel to the visuals through use of setting and subtle contrast. Compared to her previous video for 'California Gurls', this video seems incredibly raw, and in the words of Perry, we see an 'almost vulnerable side' to her in this video, which reflects the lyrics in the sense that teenage love tends to shape who you become as a person, and it is very easy to have your heart broken.
Relationship between the music and the visuals: The beat of the song roughly follows the cut of the shots, in particular when the first verse cuts to the chorus, and there is a shot of the male lead accelerating the car, reflecting the increasing speed of the song. Therefore, in this sense, the relationship between the music and visuals is an illustrative one.
Demand of close-ups from record label (motif): Right from the start of the song, close ups of Perry are seen, from her singing in the car to her in the locker room. Apart from her, the only other character to have many close ups is her lover.
Frequent reference to the notion of looking: There are many references to the notion of looking in this video, not only Perry singing directly to the camera, but also characters looking at each other (particularly the scene where Perry is watching the man boxing).
Intertextuality: In the Glee episode 'Never Been Kissed', the song is covered by the Dalton Academy 'Warblers', another Glee club competing against New Directions. In reality, the song was actually performed by 'Beelzebubs', an a cappella group from Tufts University and gained prominence when performed on the show.
What I like about this video - I love the simplicity of it, and how pure and simple the shots seem. The tone of the video seems like an ideal weekend, and it conjures up images of fond memories of summer. The settings are beautiful (as is Katy Perry) and the song and the video have the same tone to them, making the video match the lyrics.
What our group could take from this video - Trying to match the tone of the video to the tone of the song is always good, and also I would like to try and capture that dreamy atmosphere that is shown so well in this video.
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