GT: Promotional Campaign Analysis

Vance Joy- 'Riptide'



Genre and Narrative

• When comparing this video to the forms and conventions outlined by Goodwin, a narrative form is clearly present, in order to tell an almost literal story. The illustrative style is evident through the images seen in the video being based on the lyrics of the song. For example the lyrics "Lady, running down to the riptide, taken away to the dark side" match the images on screen.
• The genre of this song is 'Indie Folk', and the conventions of this genre, such as the non-abrasive sounds heard in the ukulele and generally simple costume and makeup are also common traits of indie folk. 

• This video could be considered artistic, as the narrative it ells is unclear and up for interpretation of the audience and is not clear. Many of the shots seen in the video present a very artistic meaning also, an example being the singing woman to the right, which implies a far deeper meaning. Also many shots, including quick pans and zooms are very iconic of this genre. Furthermore, the video artistically depicts the song almost word for word. 

Representation

• In this music video, the artist, Vance Joy, is featured briefly throughout the entire sequence, and not recognised as the artist but as an actor instead. Therefore his metanarrative is created through the telling of the story on screen and through the lyrics. Many different interpretations can be gathered from the song and video so the position of the artist in comparison to his lyrics is not clear. 
• Dyer's paradox theory of the star being simultaneously present and absent is clear in this video for that reason. The artist is singing and acting within the video but almost no information is revealed in regards to the meaning of his presence in the video. However, Dyer's other paradox of the star being both ordinary and extraordinary is not clear in the video, as the role played by Vance Joy is vague.
• The most prevalent ideologies presented in this video revolve around gender, and mostly females. The song is dedicated to a "lady" and that is all that is revealed, however the video replicates this theme with female actors having the most prevalence on screen. The video hints at domestic violence making some scenes of the sequence residual, by creating gender disproportions. The evidence of this can be seen in where the woman singing in the video has blood and makeup on her face and hands. 

Rihanna- 'Stay'

Institution and Audience

• This video is very ambient, evident from the soft lighting throughout the entire sequence. Evidence of this can be seen in the photo on the right, where natural lighting is used to reveal a basic set. Also, the simplicity of the bath constructs something relative, that the audience can associate themselves with. This links in with Dyer's theory of stardom where the star is both ordinary and extraordinary, as Rhianna is shown acting ordinary yet her lifestyle lifestyle is by no means ordinary. 
• Voyeurism is also a theme throughout the video. Rhianna is shown almost completely naked, only partially covered by the water in the bath, which lasts the entire video (besides the shots of male singer). Though voyeurism is often used to objectify the female body, in this circumstance it can be viewed as artistic, as the song is slow and emotional, as well as Rhianna's dull facial expressions. 
• The impression gained from the lyrics and tone of the music video suggest a relationship based theme, whilst at the same time leaving the listener unknown as to what has occurred in the relationship to have caused such emotion. 
• This enigma code is vital for the repeatability of the music videos, meaning audiences can consume Rhianna's image multiple times while only being able to assume the story behind the song. The production values of this video do not appear to be substantial. The entire video is shot in one location- a luxurious bathroom. Furthermore, the costume is minimal as Rhianna spends the entirety of the video without clothing and makeup. This emphasises the simplicity of the video, and its ambient viewing by the audience. 

A$AP Rocky- Everyday






Media Language

• This entire music video is created through montage editing- a series of shots compiled over a variety of locations at different times. The visuals contradict the sound in this sense, as the sounds are very slow and relaxed unlike the visuals which are fast-paced. The social image constructed is aimed at youthful audiences, and in some cases, shows explicit actions such as smoking. 
• The entire video is retro and old fashioned which can be seen through the old video tapes and clarity of the images, often grainy. 
• Many of the facial expressions and gestures made throughout the video are often contradicting of the overall pace and tone of the song itself, such as this reaction shot where the boy looks very disturbed (image below). 
• Media language is also used to objectify women in this video frequently, where we often see women in revealing poses such as this one below, as well as certain sexual gestures. 
  

Representation

• Voyeurism, as mentioned before, is a key aspect of this video, as many women are shown semi naked in very revealing making this representation of gender residual, as women are shown as objects to satisfy men's sexual needs.  
• Ethnicity is a seconds representation used in the music video. Many African Americans are shown smoking drugs and driving cars stereotypically 'gangster'. These representations are residual also, as they depict the social status of African Americans to be lower and old fashioned, similar to those in the 1960's era, emphasised by the old style of filming and editing used throughout the music video.
• Age is represented in a very stereotypical fashion as well. The actors in the video are around 20-30 years old, and all shown smoking and drinking whenever they appear on screen. This links to the representations of African Americans as well, suggesting it conventional of them to smoke drugs and drink alcohol regularly.

Digipak Analysis 'Unapologetic'- Rhianna