Component 1: Section A (Music Videos)

Question 1

What is the context of Formation?

Answer 1

• Lead single for the album Lemonade, released the day before Super Bowl in 2016
• Has won numerous awards
• Set against the backdrop of flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina & the associated racial tension in America

Question 2

What kind of messages does Formation offer?

Answer 2

It offers a wealth of often conflicting/contradictory messages and possible meanings.
This creates a confused meaning in audiences or offers a coherent message

Question 3

Why does the audience require knowledge of historical context and media literacy to recognise the inter textual references? (Formation)

Answer 3

• Media literacy-such as footage taken from a doc about bounce called ‘That BEAT’
• Need to know about the flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and the associated racial tension in America

Question 4

What are some of the main features of media Lang in Formation?

Answer 4

• The use of costume is interesting as the antebellum dresses which seem to reference slavery contrast heavily with stereotypical “pop” signifiers such as tight/revealing costumes in some of the dance sections
• Beyonce is positional in middle of backing dancers who are standing in a Formation > suggests she is leader and powerful and they are all militant
• Blue hue of video opposes stereotypical colours of femininity as this is a colour associated with cold, cool attributes of masculinity

Question 5

What is a positive representation of Formation?

Answer 5

Women could be said to be strong as they are in a ‘Formation’ which seems to be militant and tribal of war. Beyonce appears powerful and strong as leader in the middle

Question 6

What is a negative representation of Formation?

Answer 6

Women are merely pictures as objects-their costumes are revealing and sexualise them
-women are only strong when they are in groups rather than alone on their own merit

Question 7

How are ideas about culturalism presented in Beyoncé’s music video and lyrics?

Answer 7

• Dancing with black female dancers in ‘Formation’ that all have afros> embracing race and culture
• Unique hairstyle of cornrows suggests individuality and embracing culture > goddess imagery
• “I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros.”
• “Earned all this money but they never take the country out of me.”

Question 8

How can Barthes’ Theory of Semiotics be applied to Formation?

Answer 8

The use of the antebellum era dresses that reference the antebellum era of American history and the time of slavery

Question 9

What is Formation about?

Answer 9

Formation is both provocation and pleasure; inherently political and a deeply personal look at the black and queer bodies who have most often borne the brunt of our politics.

Question 10

How is Beyonce presented in Formation?

Answer 10

• presented as a construct in which her image and persona is cultivated to show her as a powerful individual for the empowerment of this race
• makes direct address to the audience by gazing directly at us and stands in powerful stances at the front of groups
• on top of the police car is an iconic aspect of video > statement about the black feminine body defeating police state?

Question 11

Why may the construction of Beyoncé’s persona be cultivated in this way?

Answer 11

So she can sell records and gain fans, rather than offer any meaningful insight into her personality
-example of this when she released it day before Super Bowl concert > for finance, profit and publicity

Question 12

What questions/issues does Formation raise?

Answer 12

• is it exploring issues of the Black experience in America?
• is it a personal exploration of Beyoncé’s life?
• is it attempting to discuss issues of gender and equality?
• does the representation of Beyonce condone the objectification of women? >sexualised lyrics and revealing costumes

Question 13

How can Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory be applied to Formation?

Answer 13

Beyonce and dancers appear to wear revealing, right-fitting costumes that are stereotypical “pop” signifiers> sexualised and objectified which creates a notion of scopophilia
-the play button is associated with a video camera so this has connotations of voyeurism as if she is under surveillance, and we assume the person watching is a Male

Question 14

How can Bell Hook’s Feminist Theory be linked to Formation?

Answer 14

Hooks could be used as a stimulus to explore whether the video offers a strong message about gender or feeds into the oppression of women in a patriarchal society
-is she adopting feminism as a lifestyle choice or has she made a political commitment to feminism?

Question 15

How can Paul Gilroys post colonial theory be linked to Formation?

Answer 15

There is a conceptual binary opp created based on “otherness” as everyone in the video are of a black minority group. This challenges racial hierarchy by subverting usual expectations as they have placed a black woman in a position of power and dominion

Question 16

What is the context of Riptide?

Answer 16

• Vance Joy is an Australian singer-songwriter signed to Atlantic Records
• His music is categorised as fitting into the indie folk-pop genre
• was his first single to be released in the USA> platinum selling single
• directed by Dimitri Basil and Laura Gorun

Question 17

What is suggested about the ECONOMIC contexts of Riptide?

Answer 17

• was unique style of music video an artistic decision or an economic one?
• later videos eg “Georgia” make use of larger budgets, special effects & coherent narratives
• seemingly a low budget due to the simplistic values and props presented?

Question 18

Why does budget Impact music videos so much?

Answer 18

Bands May starts out with small low budget production which increase in scope and budget as they gain popularity and fans.

Question 19

How does the combination of elements of media language influence meaning and intertextuality in Riptide?

Answer 19

• makes intertextual references to different media forms & offers wide variety of seemingly disparate elements
• montage editing is used in an overt way> a wide range of contrasting shots juxtaposed to convey a lot of information> invites audience interpretation and links with Einstein’s concept of “intellectual montage”
• for the most part the video rejects a clearly defined narrative. The sequences deliberately lack narrative coherence> references surrealist or avant-garde cinema

Question 20

How does Riptide defy/subvert music video conventions?

Answer 20

• It is a convention to have song lyrics interpreted on the screen but the overt and deliberate way the lyrics are interpreted may be subverting this convention
• ”I was scared of dentists and the dark” interpreted explicitly with a shot of a female looking scared with a contraption in her mouth > overt graphical representation is repeated through video

Question 21

How does Riptide explicitly reference to feature films?

Answer 21

•The opening shot makes use of cinematic style credits & info about music > ‘billing block’ > is this video a short film or music video?
•Frequently References the western and Thriller genres but most notably uses horror genre iconography e.g. the females repeatedly dropped off screen by unseen forces
-does the overt use of references to film offer an implied artistic value that transcends the music video form?

Question 22

What does Riptide music video offer to Vance Joy?

Answer 22

It confers a sense of uniqueness or intrigue to the band

Question 23

An example of polysemy in Riptide?

Answer 23

“Oh, all my friends are turning green.”
•Are their friends turning green with envy at the success of Vance Joy?

•metaphorical reading> the splitting ice cream could be symbolic of a broken relationship. The cheery mise en scene creates a creepy binary opposition

Question 24

Is Riptide offering variation for artistic reasons or to generate interest in the band to make a profit?

Answer 24

Subverts the generic conventions of an indie folk music video genre which is usually dominated by repetition (bands playing instruments etc)
•Does it confirm Neale’s Genre theory?

Question 25

Social & cultural contexts of Riptide?

Answer 25

• references surrealism> explores violence and sexual desire in a way that may inform music video (Un Chien Andalou)
• eye cutting scene could be compared to stabbing of the hand

Question 26

What is a question raised in Riptide about the representation of women?

Answer 26

Is the video reinforcing a patriarchal world and advocating against the objectification of women or is it subverting this idea?

Question 27

How are women objectified in Riptide?

Answer 27

• voyeuristic shot of woman removing one piece swimsuit (seductive) > connotes notion of scopophilia as creates Male anticipation > sexualisation vs true identity embraced?
• ^ ‘closet thing to Michelle Pffeifer that you’ve ever seen, oh” > simile alludes to gorgeous actress> implies profound beauty > idealistic view of women? > perverted perspective> intertextual ref to early bond films

•number of instances where we see disembodied, isolated sections of women’s bodies such as bare feet running away and feminine hands dragged out of shot

Question 28

How can Gauntlett’s ‘pick and mix’ theory be applied to Riptide?

Answer 28

There is a wide range of different stimuli that the audience are invited to interpret. This theory counteracts the idea that audiences are passive and are affected by mainstream media and so they will not be affected by this idealistic shot of a woman.

Question 29

How can Hook’s feminist theory be applied to Riptide?

Answer 29

Could be used as a stimulus to explore the seemingly contradictory messages about gender in the video.
-is the video objectifying women in an ironic/knowing way or is it feeding into the oppression of women in a patriarchal society?

Question 30

Intertextual references to the horror genre in Riptide?

Answer 30

• referential code create audience appeal

- shot of seance, mise en scene of the Ouija board is referential if a horror cinema, particularly 70s horror film

Question 31

What kind of reading is offered to the audience in Riptide?

Answer 31

Denies the audience a definite reading due to the lack of narrative coherence throughout

Question 32

Shots that perpetuate the notion of objectification and scopophilia through the representation of women?

Answer 32

“Techniques of photographing girls” book with heavily manicured female hand pushing it in to frame which seems rehearsed, robotic and non-consensual
•voyeuristic treatment of female body