‘Music Videos are a tool that use media language to create representations about artists. Discuss with reference to your two close study products’
Music videos are seen as a promotion or advertisement of the artist. It creates a representation of an artist to market to an audience. This is reinforced through editing, cinematography and mise en scene.
Letter to the free is promoting racial awareness to something that should have disappeared after the 13th amendment (freed all slaves). The music video is not benefiting or advertising Common but him himself a black man is a representing all black people in America through the video which gains a massive controversial audience, not just of black Americans. He is trying to create representations about himself but of American society as a whole as we see through Cinema photography where the shot in the beginning is very slow as if there is no angle. loads of zoom in slow motions, trying to very much focus our attention on the big black square in the middle. In addition there are point-of-view shots with someone holding the camera as its shaking a bit trying to make us feel as if we are there so we can visualize it and understand what black people go through in society and how uncontrollable there lives are everyday because of racism. Progression of the cause is slow and an aimless quality of the camera which shows it has no purpose. We don't see anyone's face clearly (no close up shots) so we don't see their emotions . The USA sees black people as faceless, the more unrecognisable they are, the less human they are. Also this way they are viewed the same by whites as criminals. A big subject to dwell on which creates awareness and gives people something to think about. The use of the long shot makes the artists appear small in the frame, implying their insignificance in society, worthlessness. Even through the editing, the video is quite dull and in black and white which suggests separation and their differences. They don't belong together like in the 20th century when segregation was huge. He is demonstrating how little has actually changed but it is covered up by making it look like a lot has changed on the outside. The video is completely in black and white, displaying the seriousness of the situation and shows how old and long this inequality and racism has been going on for. They need equality. This is shown through mise en scene . Everything is dictated with the writing on the wall which says "no excessive noise". Its contradicting because a basketball court should be noisy, restricting black people from their rights, treated differently. A lot of the framing is behind bars, again showing how blacks are portrayed as criminals. The Black Box represents the infinite thing about blackness and blackness can't be defined in time or space. It symbolises how black people are portrayed as objects and have no freedom or control to their lives. As result all throughout the video, inequality, segregation and trouble demonstrates what American society is really like and how we are blinded by what is happening, the trends of racism and labelling has not dissapeard . This only benefits Common by getting his views and what he stands for successfully through in the video representing all black people not himself. He does this in hopes to make a difference in the wider world. We can include Steve Neal's theory of "genre is instances of repetition and difference" in Letters to the free. This is shown by the video a music video with a message which is quite repetitive and similar to other music videos in the way he wants his message to be received. However its instances of repetition and difference because its not close up in your face or a person walking through a dessert but its quite real and covers the face and not a standard music video, not fantasy but political, focusing on the the agenda
The music video Billie Jean however, is promoting Micheal Jackson. The message he is trying to get across is how famous he is, for people not to believe everything they see and read in the media and how he was treated as more of a target due to the colour of his skin. The white detective who we think is part of the paparazzi is strip people from their rights through them interfering in their private lives by finding gossip. This promotion for himself is shown by cinematography in a pan shot when Micheal Jackson comes in like we have to move with him and keep up with in but with the detective it was just a one shot and stationary demonstrating how Michael Jackson is too fast and too good for the detective. There is a shot reverse shot to the chorus shows different stories of the 2 people. The freeze frame clarify his he is a superstar of status. Michael Jackson is showcased to sell as a product through his dancing skills which require no back-up dancers because he is the central character and only one needed to shine, Making the artist a focus for the video puts them at the forefront of the audience’s mind and so they pay most attention to them. Likewise, being the first and last image on screen makes the artist the first and last impression. Moreover, close up and freeze frames centralises the artist to the music video and when he comes in the video, through editing the scene changes from black and white to colour almost like a metaphor to say he lights up the entire world. Furthermore, we see his feet first but the detective we see his face straight away. Not seeing his face builds tension . lots of flashing lights demonstrating the paparazzi. They also using split screen which makes him look like magic like Michael is incomparably superior to human beings even like a God. In mise on scene, the lighting is used to make him seem like an untouchable lightning king. the billboards are seen looking down on him, further evoking a sense of ‘watching’ and ‘looking’ portraying how he is always being watched by everyone around him (women/paparazzi) from all angles. He is so famous, he is never really alone . This video has a lot of moments of showing Jackson as a star. He’s shown literally turning everything he touches into “gold”, e.g. the Tiger and the Homeless man into wearing a suit. The particular image to the right is definitely aimed to show his star qualities of being able to do a very difficult dance move that has eventually been recognised to be one of his “signature” moves. Also he is shown giving money to the homeless man at the start, suggesting that’s what hes like in real life. The way he is being followed demonstrates how he is targeted as a black man, feeling like he was always accused of something due to his skin. overall, we see a viewpoint from Jackson about being accused and followed all the time, also he is promoting his high, famous status by centralising himself.
In conclusion, letters to the free and Billie Jean do create representations about a target for a specific audience. Specifically Billie jean promotes Michael fame and superiority whilst for Common it doesn't promote himself as much as what he believes in which is raising racial awareness which is shown through mise on scene, cinema photography and editing
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