Sunday 14 November 2010

Music Video Analysis - 'Famous' - Scouting For Girls

Accoring to Goodwin's Theory...

1. Demonstrates genre characteristics; This is a performance based music video intertwined with a very loose narrative situation/ongoing theme which is typical of a pop indie group. Also, true to the traditional heirarchy of band members, the video prodominantly focuses on the lead vocalist, Roy Stride.

2. Relationship between the music and the visuals; The images in this piece are illustrative of the music as the editing clearly follows the same pace as the rhythm and beat of the song. The actual action within the frame itself also matches the music; especially within the 1:27 to 1:31 sequence featuring the TV screens.

3. Relationship between the lyrics and the visuals; For the most part, the lyrics are amplified by the images shown. The mise-en-scene of the frame is largely dominated by stacks of retro video recorders, old TV sets and remote controls which correlates strongly with the words "We all want to be famous....we all want to be on TV". It can be argued that the group were making a serious comment on the state of modern day 'fame' and the postmodern condition. This is shown through the juxtoposition of the lyrics "...I want to be know, just for being famous. I can't act, I can't dance, I can't sing, can't you see? But I'm young and I'm pretty and thats all that you need..." and the image of a number of TV screens; each featuring an individual who is obviously looking for fame.

4. Demand of close-ups from the record label (motif); There are frequent close-ups of Roy and a good number of midshots featuring Greg and Pete as well. Infact, the hat worn by Greg forms a very well known motif for the band as he is rarely seen without it both in videos and in day-to-day life! The electic way in which Roy plays the keyboard also forms a motif (especially for devoted fans). It also forms a bridge between the style performance in the video and the style of performance on the live stage.

5. Frequent reference to the notion of looking; This aspect is particularly strong in this example. Not only are there multiple 'screens within the screen' of this video, but production equipment such as speakers and cameras are also shown at the edge of certain frames. Some of the lyrics also relate to voyeurism and the representation of women in the media, especially the line; "I want to be the star tonight, want to make the front page as I pose for the boys in the news".

6. Intertextuality; Within the TV screens there are clear links to famous stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Betty Davis and James Dean.

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