Introduction

My name is Ysabel Hudson Searle (candidate number 0331) and this is my Media Studies coursework blog, featuring my ongoing work. I am in Group 2, along with Harry Kettenis (0390), Matthew Romo (1660) and Joshua Stevens (0796). This is the link to our live facebook page: Group 2's Facebook Page.
You can use the labels down the side to navigate your way through my blog.
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Thursday 11 September 2014

Initial research, influences and ideas - Inspiration: Referential and strong narrative music videos



I found Iggy Azalea's music videos very inspirational. This is because they are captivating because they are based on films, such as the two below, being based on 'Clueless' and 'Kill Bill'. They are really fun and full of iconography. No expense was spared in terms of these videos, which is unrealistic for our own video, however I really like the idea of basing the music video on a well know film. I think in both videos it was ensured that the films were recognised, by things like recognisable outfits and scenes, and in 'Black Widow' they even used the actor from 'Kill Bill'. These two movies are very recognizable especially drawing on a female audience, as the film focuses on females, from the 'clueless' to the very strong and powerful femme fatale.





To reference Azalea once more, in her video to 'Murda Bizness' she also adopts a similar style, playing on the at the time trending 'Honey Boo Boo' and 'Toddler's and Tiaras' phase, where the media took particular interest in the lives of very young pageant girls. The fact she is speaking of the harshness/'dog eat dog world' of the rap world, is ironically played with here, showing the 'dog eat dog world' of the young pageant lifestyle, indicated through scenes where the children say 'we in that murda bizness' and throw about money and thrash the set. They indicate the 'toddlers and tiaras/honey boo boo' theme by having very sassy young girls, being fed unhealthy things like sugar by pushy moms. Additionally, things like their outfits, hair and make-up and the stage and pageant contest in the video indicates this too.I think this is quite fun and interesting to watch. I think especially in a song like this, it was essential for Azalea to try and lighten the connotations of murder and violence in the rap world. I think even just the titles at the beginning are all in line with the concept of the Toddler's and Tiara's/Honey Boo Boo theme. I like that at the beginning there was a bit of acting to almost 'set the scene'.

From video
Honey Boo Boo and her mom



 

I really like this narrative music video 'From Nowhere' based on the theme of 'staring into [your] eyes' and creates a fun video of a 'National Staring Competition'. Within the video, I really liked all of the contrasting and well-defined characters and they were very interesting to watch. I think that the fact that you don't know what's going on at first makes the video even more intriguing, especially as you see the characters warming up and then beginning, it creates suspense.


Beyonce's 'Why Don't You Love Me' is styled to the 1950s lifestyle and with effects like the grainy filter to enhance the 1950s look. Costumes, stylised movement and every detail in each scene was styled particularly to enhance the 1950s look. Again, I like how the beginning of the video is a short introduction almost, and sets the scene for the 1950s setting of this video.
We see many typical 1950s themes, like the woman being the homemaker, yet ironically, this is whilst doing a typically masculine thing at the time, like fixing the car. We see this reoccurring theme throughout, that actually her role is very powerful, as she states in the song all of the power she does have, just not the power to make the man love her. This then sets the feminist points perhaps back, as she seems to be pleading for the male's love, however their are alternative interpretations, like it's simply her passionate love that takes her power away, not the male.



In scenes like these, Beyonce comes off as weak and vunerable, playing into a less strong, empowered female role model. However, this is the only scene where she is presented in such a way; in all the other scenes she is working around the house, and dancing in various other scenes. This reaffirms a more empowered character, with the weakness of love.
















There are also lots of sexualised scenes in which Beyonce either dances (a good example is the thumbnail of the video - Beyonce clutching her breasts), or Beyonce going about her housework in a very sexual manner. Even her costumes adhere to this sexualisation, and I think she is embracing this characteristic, as another example of her power.

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