TW- Comparison of two music videos

King Kunta- Kendrick Lamar (Director X, 2015)

• This song is of the alternative hip hop music genre, which contains a range of conventions and representations of the artist- Kendrick Lamar
• From the start of the video, some of Dyers common values in stars are portrayed, such as conspicuous consumption of money, shown here by the expensive car the artist is shown driving in, as well as the other value of success against the odds, as various close-ups during the song show the word Compton as well as using it as a location for the video, shown in the picture to the right. This 'hood' location is connotes high rates of crime and little success, however Kendrick Lamar is challenging this by showing his success, contributing to his star image to appear hardworking and accomplished. 
• This video contains some of Goodwin's key features of a music video, for example the relationship between lyrics and visuals is amplifying, the notion of looking is used which constructs one of Dyers 'star' paradoxes in which the artist is present as he interacts more with the audience but yet still absent as there is a lot of information about the artist that we do not find out when watching the video. A voyeuristic treatment of the female body is also used as you can see from the stills as shown by non-verbal language and character blocking throughout the video. These conventions build a more generic meta narrative of the artist as these conventions have become iconic of the hip hop genre due to its worldwide popularity

Lightning bolt- Jake Bugg (Michael Holyk, 2012)

• The meta narrative constructed in this video shares similarities and differences, the main difference being its genre which is indie rock.

• The first noticeable thing about the video is the performance element, through NVL and props the artist is often shown playing or carrying his instrument, as well as possessing an amplifying relationship between lyrics and visuals. This contributes to the authenticity of the artist as he is shown actually playing the song, conveying him to be a genuine singer and song-writer.

 

• Frequent close-ups and mid shots show the artist in a voyeuristic way, however throughout the video he is alone in the video, character blocking shows him distant from others. This is important as it connotes the artist as independent, however does not reveal much about the artist personally. This again is one of Dyer’s paradoxes as although Jake Bugg is shown to be present through his performance, he is absent as the video does not go any further than this performance, showing that the meta narrative of the artist can be seen both conventionally and unconventionally

• The use of editing in the video is also important, changes to the colour give a black and white filter on the visuals with the artist, this could be used to connote different emotions- representing the artists meta narrative to be passionate about the music and lyrics he creates. Another reading of the black and white filter is that the artist wants to create a more vintage look, to show people he possesses values that challenge the qualities of modern day ‘stars’ like for example disregard for social values.