FORMATION Flashcards
What is the significance of the audio sample at the start of the music video?
“What happened at the New Orleans?” audio sample.
Taken from YouTuber Messy Mya - famous in the black and LGBTQ communities.
Famous for speaking out in a controversial way on issues such as race, sexuality, and issues such as Hurricane Katrina. Shot dead at a party.
Reference to cultural icons and links to themes of racism, crime and violence affecting black victims.
However, Beyonce was sued for using sample without permission - is this an illusion of supporting black culture?
What is the significance of the documentary style shots at the beginning of the music video?
Intertextual reference, several shots in the video are lifted from a documentary called ‘That B.E.A.T’ which was about bounce music/fans in New Orleans.
The references to this documentary, including blue flashing lights, police uniforms ect communicate a theme of police brutality against black communities.
How does the music video reflect social, cultural and political contexts in America?
With reference to racial discrimination, police brutality, Black Lives Matter movements ect.
These references would be familiar to audiences.
What is the effect of using profanity in the music video?
“I take his ass to red lobster”
The use of profanity adds an aggressive, passionate feel to the music video, and to Beyonce. This connotes her power, and challenging of typical female representations of submissiveness.
What is the effect of using reclaimed racial slurs?
The use of reclaimed racial slurs (the ‘n’ word) demonstrates themes of historical discrimination and a desire to reclaim this previously repressed power.
What does the wide shot of beyonce on top of the police car connote?
The loosely framed, wide angle shots of her on top of the police car, make her seem quite independent.
But, with the use of low angle shots, confident - male like - body language makes her seem powerful and in control.
The use of words such as ‘cocky’ in her lyrics add to her representation as confident and self-assured.
What is the cultural significance of her being on top of a police car?
It represents her as dominant over the police.
This could be a challenge to the context of America, where black people are often represented as dominated by the police.
Some audiences reacted badly (Oppositional reading) to this representation and assumed she was anti-law enforcement and therefore anti-America.
What is the connotations of tracking shots used?
The tracking towards her face, makes her the focus of the shots, and creates a sense of importance around her.
How are connotations of wealth and success connoted?
The costumes - extravagant dresses - and large amounts of accessories such as jewellery connote wealth and success.
This is common within music videos and establishes the artist as successful themselves.
Perhaps this is also used by Beyonce to depict how black women particularly are able to have social influence and power.
How does Beyonce representing herself as successful and wealthy link to Gilroy’s post-colonial theory?
It helps to subvert the typical representations of black people often seen in the media as being less successful or poorer.
What is the significance of the children in the music video?
The wide shot of young children running in a circle might signify that discrimination is still happening to young black people today. It is cyclical amongst generations.
However, it might be interpreted from their happy facial expressions that they are simply running around. Perhaps suggesting that the treatment of black people has changed, and there is hope.
Why is the intertextual reference to Martin Luther King Jr significant?
It is seen on the front of a newspaper in the music video with reference to his famous “dream” quote.
This draws attention to the way racial discrimination has been ongoing for a long time.
The newspaper is called “the truth”, as the biggest civil rights activist, he was speaking the truth.
How does Beyonce’s reference to “Jackson 5 nostrils” make a strong message about black beauty?
Historically, black beauty - especially noses - has been deemed as unattractive in the media.
However, Beyonce’s reference to this challenges the more colonialist representations in the mainstream media of black features being shown as ‘other’ in comparison to white westernised beauty ideals.
What is the significance of the audio sample in the middle of the music video?
This sample is taken from Big Freedia, a gay male musician and TV star.
The use of Big Freedia would engage an audience familiar with the bounce sub-genre.
Use of celebrity collaborations in music videos represents the artist as successful and popular.
Poses Beyonce as an inclusive, progressive, accepting artist who is an ally in the LGBTQ community.
What is the effect of the shot reverse shot of the police and child?
The initial low angles of the police, plus their uniform, makes them seem quite intimidating and powerful in contrast to the boy.
The eye level camera shot encourages the audience to position themselves with the young boy, who seems confident and unaffected.
Initially, the police do nothing which makes them seem non-agressive, which is in direct opposition to what audiences may have seen in the media. There have been many incidents of police violence against young black boy particularly.
What does the binary opposite between the boy and the police draw attention to?
The division of race relations that seems to be evident in the US, and the unnecessary moral panic that many white communities often seem to have about black people.
What does the tracking shot of “stop shooting us” reference?
The music video reflects relevant contexts such as the victimisation of black people, BLM, institutional racism etc.
How is the idea of unity represented?
The song title and the use of formation style dance routines, suggests a tight knit community, working well together, united and strong.
How are women sexualised in the video?
Through their somewhat revealing clothing codes (for example leotards), this is conventional of music videos - especially pop.
However, it might be argued that this sexualisation actually empowers women and depicts confidence.
How might an empowered representation of women be suggested?
The use of low angle shots of women, and the confident body language, represents black women as strong or powerful.
Why might have Beyonce created these representations?
- Socially conscious/political (had previously raised money for Hurricane Katrina)
- She is a black female herself, she may have faced discrimination before, making her more likely to represent this ethnic division this way.
- Her target audience may feel empowered by the video or enjoy this representation of black power.
- To make money? Released the day before her Super Bowl performance, which had a political message (‘Black Panther Party’ style outfits and references to Malcom X.
How does the music video align with Andrew Goodwin’s music video theory?
- Genre characteristics (Sexualised women, dancing etc used in pop videos)
- Relationships between visuals and lyrics (Dancing in “Formation”, “red lobster)
- Close ups of artist
- Iconography (Ethnic references)
- Nostalgia
What is Andrew Goodwin’s music video theory?
There are certain characteristics which appear in music videos.
1) genre characteristics
2) relationship between visuals and lyrics/music.
(Either illustrate or amplify meaning)
3) close ups of artist
4) use of motifs/iconography
5) voyeurism of female body
7) nostalgia/intertextual references
Who directed the music video and what is the significance of this?
Female director Melina Matsoukas, who is successful having won awards for her work.
Perhaps this video is through a female lens.
