Media language

Question 1

What complexity does Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video exhibit in terms of its messages and meanings, and what level of awareness of issues and events is necessary to fully comprehend its references?

HOW DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF MEDIA LANGUAGE AND THE COMBIN­ATION OF ELEMENTS INFLUENCE MEANING AND COMMUN­ICATE MULTIPLE MEANINGS

Answer 1

Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video presents a wealth of sometimes conflicting or contradictory messages and possible meanings. Many references in the video require awareness of issues and events, such as the flooding in New Orleans and racial tension in America, to fully comprehend its depth and significance.

Question 2

What level of media literacy is necessary to recognize and understand the intertextual references in Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video?

Answer 2

A high level of media literacy is required to recognize and understand the intertextual references in Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video, such as footage from the documentary “That B.E.A.T.” about ‘bounce’ and references to news footage of police brutality, like the lone dancing boy.

Question 3

How does the use of costume in Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video contribute to contrasting and conflicting factors, and what does this dynamic potentially create for audiences?

Answer 3

In Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video, the use of costume presents a juxtaposition between Antebellum dresses, referencing slavery, and stereotypical “pop” signifiers such as tight-fitting/revealing costumes in dance sections.

This contrast creates conflicting factors within the video, potentially leading to a confused meaning for audiences or offering a coherent message depending on interpretation.

Question 4

How does Beyoncé’s performance in the “Formation” music video transition between moments of aggression and culturally recognizable dance routines, and what effect does this shift have on the video’s political and social messages?

Answer 4

In the “Formation” music video, Beyoncé’s performance transitions between moments of aggression, such as obscene gestures with her fingers, and culturally recognizable dance routines that seem less loaded with political or social messages.

This shift in performance style creates a dynamic tension within the video, adding complexity to its political and social messages and offering multiple layers of interpretation for viewers.

Question 5

References:
Sinking police car

Answer 5

The video opens with a New Orleans Police Car submerged in deep NOLA flood waters, the voice over says ” What happened after New Orleans”, the voice is a murdered black man from New Orleans. A video of the confession was all over the internet.

Question 6

References:
Flooded Waters

Answer 6

The music unites us (Across all genders and no matter how raunchy it’s percieved by those who don’t get it) and the Hurricane Katrina was real.

Question 7

References:
Black self-love

Answer 7

Opens social hate and bullying towards girls like her daughter who stand proudly in her beautiful afro. Be proud of your identity and love who you are.

Question 8

References:
Women in White. Men in black

Answer 8

Represents a time before and after slaves were free’d around the 1900’s. These were slaves were techni­cally “free” but still oppressed.

Question 9

References:
MLK

Answer 9

A man holding up a newspaper is brifefly seen. on the cover is Martin Luther King Jr, with the words: “The Truth – More than a Dreamer”. repres­enting the civil rights movement.

Question 10

Reference:
Formation

Answer 10

There are several choreo­graphed sequences of “Ladies in formation” but takes place at the bottom of an empty pool. Formation is first introduced at the beginning of the song in the form of family refere­nces, then women – we need each other through tough times.

Question 11

Reference:
B-Boy

Answer 11

Powerful scene of a little boy in a black hoodie break dancing in front of a line of police in riot gear, he stops dancing and puts his hands in the air – the policemen put their arms in the air in response – peace at last, finishing with a clip of graffiti on a wall comes across the scene that says, “Stop shooting us”.

Question 12

Changing style in performance

Answer 12

Beyonce’s perfor­mance shifts from moments of agression such as obscene gestures with her fingers to more culturally recogn­isable dance routines that seem less loaded with political or social messages.

This contra­sting use of signs leads to possible readin­g/m­eaning of the video:

– Is it exploring issues of the Black Experience in America?