Video Deconstruction Ciara & Justin Timerlake- Love Sex Magic

Love Sex Magic

Artist: Ciara & Justin Timberlake

Song: Love Sex and Magic

Album: Fantasy Ride

Year: 2009

Director: Diane Martel

Genre: Pop/ R&B

TA: 15-24 females mainly

Performance

"Love Sex Magic" is a song performed by American recording artist Ciara, taken from her third studio album, Fantasy Ride. Featuring fellow American recording artist Justin Timberlake, the song was written by Timberlake.- Wikipedia

1. This video starts with Ciara and JT together, its an extreme CU and parts of their faces are out of shot. It then moves to a new shot. Ciara is dressed in lingerie and there are close ups of parts of her body anad then long shorts of her and the dancers who are dressed similar to Ciara. There are alternating strobe lights. Another shot is of Ciara in a leopard cat-suit and she is behind bars. She is representing a tiger. The tight cat-suit is for the male viewers, it plays to the male- gaze theory. I have noticed how this is very common with all the bug femal R&B and popstars. They dress in a seductive way to attract a male audience, this doesnt stop a femal audience as they are fans of the music, and they way they dress it so bad that is as seen as unacceptable. This video is recent so it does have the amount of sex that is acceptable these days. This would not have been acceptable 30 years ago.

2. There are some shots that are a bit 'raunchy'. One shot of JT slapping very close to Ciara's bottom, this is followed by a CU of her bottom. There is another sequence of shots where Ciara lays on top of Justin and moves her body towards his hand. Also there is a CU shot of Ciara licking JT's ear, this behaviou definatly would not of been acceptable in later years.

3. The setting for this video is a plain lit background, then a section with Ciara in a cage and then a 2nd section of thn plain background with JT and Ciara dancing and i final section with Ciara and her backing dancers dressed in tuxedo style leotards and afro wigs.

One critic quoted "The video that accompanies this track is one of the year's best so far—and certainly the sexiest: Ciara licks Justin's ear, Justin reciprocates by slapping her bum, and, well, Ciara's flexibility would put many a poledancer to shame. Quite frankly, the whole thing could make a nun have impure thoughts".

Video Decostruction Cheryl Cole- FIght for this love

FIGHT FOR THIS LOVE

Artist: Cheryl Cole

Song: Fight for this love

Album: 3 words

Year: 2009
Director: Ray Kay
Genre: Pop/ R&B
TA: 15-34

"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. "Fight for This Love" divided music critics; some praised Cole's vocals and the powerful production, noting that it had the potential to be a hit with the clubs while other critics criticised the sluggish verses and weak vocals. - Wikipedia

1. This video was for the 1st single released from her debut album. One thing that i have picked up on is that many artists that are releasing their first single do not do a big story. Instead they do videos where they are the main focus of the video. Cheryl Cole is the same. In this video she has backing dancers but the camera is on her in every shot.

2. This video has 4 main scenes. The first has Cheryl wearing a plain white top and leopard print trousers. She wears heavy makeup. This section is filmed agaisnt a white backdrop and she has backing dancers. There are CU of her face at the begining and there are also low angle long shots of cheryl and the dancers when she is doing chroeography. The 2nd scene  is layered of an extreme CU of Cheryls lipis. Cheryl is agaisnt a black background, she wears a strip hooded dress and sunglasses. Losts of graphic appear on the seen, cheryls signature and lyric of the song appear in red and black to match what shes wearing. Most of the shots in this section are long shots to show her legs. The 3rd section is when she is wearing a black cat-suit with spikes coming out. This is a tight outfit which play to the male-gaze theory. Again grapics appear on the egdes of the frame. I think this is done just to make the video more interesting. The 4th section is when she is wearing a military outfit; red jacket, hat and tight black leggings.

3. This video is pretty standard. There isn't anything that really stands out in this video, the shots are typical of the slow melody and the big bass. The shot are mainly CU then to LS then back to close up. It does not challenge any concepts. The only thing that makes it stand out is the graphics that have been put in during editing but these can sometimes be annoying and dont really ass much to the video.

Video Deconstruction Drake- Marvins Room

Marvins Room

Artist: Drake

Song: Marvin's Room

Album: Take Care

Producer: Noah "40" Shebib
Genre: Hip-hop

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) who records under the mononym Drake, is a canadian hip-hop artist. He signed to Young Money Entertainment in 2009 and released his first album in 2010 which went platinum. Drake has won several awards, including two Juno Awards in 2010 for Best New Artist and Rad Recording of the year.


1. Opening Shot- establishing shot of NYC, this is denotede by the iconic yellow american cabs and the busy city. Camera pan along a street then a fade to black. Mid shot of a living room, a girl on the phone pacing the room but her face is out of shot. Another fade to black. Establishing shot of outside a large house, car pull up outside then fade to black. Cut back to living room. Girl in white trousers and black top sits down on white sofa, non diagetic music that is not the song begins and you can hear her talking on the phone. Loud beats being and the shot of girl flashes with the beat. It becomes clear that this is story as the lyrics reflect the video and the shots carry on from each other in a narrative.


2. Shot of drake- not a lot of light, wearing black against a black background, face is just visable. He being to lip-sync. Mid shot, high angle of Drake in a bar drinking alone. Cut back to first shot of Drake. The 1st shot of Drake and the shot of him in bar are layered on top of each other so both can be seen. Very strong bass, cuts between two shots in time of bass. Camera pans around Drake, 2 shots become layered again.


3.  Mid CU of Drake chatting up a brunette and the bar, moves to a CU. Girls walks away, camera moves to mid shot then pans. Cut back to layered shots. CU of Drake chatting up another girl in bar. Bass starts again and shots flash in time. Camera pans to girls face and then follows her walking away. Drake walks through crowd mid shot low angle. Extreme CU of womans leg with stars tatoos. Pans along her leg then long shot back to girl sat on phone.


4. Close up shot of a balloon then CU of Drake which has a very high exposure. Sequence of very quick takes of a patry scene with drake in the crowd and lots of extras. Again the shots flash in time to the bass. High angle shot of black Land Rover speeding out of shot, then cut back to f ast takes of the party. Cut to extreme close up of of yellow balloon. Then back to fast takes. Camera stops on CU of a table pilled with bottles and glasses. CU of Drake's face, camera pans in and he lip-syncs. This shot and a shot of the girl are layered together. CU of Drake walks through crowd towards camera.

5. Match on action- Drake goes to open door and then cut to him on the other side. Jump cut as Drake is walking through the party. Shot of Drake looking at mirror, camera cuts between being behind him and in front. Shot goes in and out of focus at low angle. This could be to signify he is drunk. Camera pan from looking at Drake through the mirror to CU of his face.  Camera being to pan then slows down as the music and his lip-syncing slows. The bathroom shot and a CU shot of Drake drinking for bottle on champagne, both have very high exposure. Establishing shot of NYC shown again and has flashes every second.

Video Deconstruction- Brandy&Monica- The boy is mine

The boy is mine

Artist: Brandy and Monica
Song: The boy is mine
Year: 1998
Producer: Dallas Austin
Album: The boy is mine
Genre: R&B

Brandy and Monica- The boy is mine.

The Boy Is Mine is the second studio album by American singer Monica, released by Arista Records on July 14, 1998 in the United States. The album featured production from Jermaine Dupri, Dallas Austin, Rodney Jerkins, among others and featured guest appearances from Brandy.

1.  Music starts- opening shot of a bedroom. Due to this pink walls and girlies things such a fan and scarves hanging on back of door we denote a girls room. Long shot of Brandy sat in futon holding remote in bedroom. B in white top and white trousers with braided hair. Fur rug and black coffee table signifiers of a girls bedroom. Close up of old television- this gives some anchorage to age of video. A really ld film seems to be starting on TV, shoes can be seen lined in front of TV. Long shot of B from the side sat in futon, crosses legs then cut back to extreme CU of TV. Extreme CU of B’s face, half covered by flowers. Mid shot B back in chair laughing at TV.

2. CU of Monica looking into distance. Cut back to B’S face. Long shot of M sat on long black sofa, blue walls and blue curtains. The blue and pink walls show a contrast of colours which could relate to the contrast between the girls. CU M turning on her TV. Cut to shot of B’s TV. CU B’s face. Cut back to shot of her laughing to a shot of M looking very unhappy.

3. Cut between 2 shots of each girls turning over their TV in each bedroom. Long shot of B standing up with hands on head. B begins to lip-sync. Close up of her lip-syncing. Same shot of M lip-syncing. Moving between two girls lip-syncing in close up and then mid-long shot in each room.

4. CU B wearing purple material as chocker around neck- another signifier of age of video, this would not be worn today. Cut to mid shot of B sat in pink room. Wearing matching top and black trousers. Extreme long shot of B’s room 3 other girls, B singing words to them. Back to close up. Cut to M sat lip-syncing to camera in blue room. Extreme long shot M in blue room with 3 other girls. Close up then mid shot.

5. Back to mid shot of B, camera is switching between CU of B and extreme long shot of room with other girls. Camera pan through wall to find M’s room is on the other side. Extreme long shot of room then camera switches between CU and LS of M and other girls. M singing to camera.

6. Mid shot of back to man in two-tone shirt. Man is walking  down hallway of a building and passing women who are smiling at him in a flirtatious way. Cut to shot of B and man holding each other. Camera pans across them at canted angle. Cut to same shot but with M and man, camera pans canted angle. Back to  CU shot of man, walks and then turns around, checking out girls walking past. Cut back to the two shots of B and M with man- switching between the  two.

7. Man come to 2 doors with number 6 and 7. Cut to M wearing glasses looking at picture album sat on bed. Mid shot then camera turns upside down and goes through wall to B. B is in cream silk pjs walking in bedroom camera follows long shot. B climbs onto bed and camera turns 90degrees. CU of B on bed. Camera turns 90degrees again and goes back through wall to M.

8. Long shot of M walking towards camera in white pjs. M leans on wall and camera turns 180degrees and goes through wall to B. Cut between mid shot of each girl. Cross section wall with girls stood and either side lip-syncing. Close up of M followed by close up of B, then camera cuts to long shot of each then back to cross section.

9. Cross section of wall with girls stood on either side. Girls and dressed in evening wear, a gold dress and black dress. Each girls picks up phone. Cut to CU of man in black shirt, on the phone. Not sure which girl, camera begins to tilt but then goes back to girls. Cut to CU of M talking to man on phone then to same shot of B.

10. B is walks across room camera 
follows. Then camera follows M walk across room and pick something up, long shots. Shot of two doors. Both girls open doors in long shot and then throw things onto floor camera moves to CU. Both girls in same shot singing at each other- CU. Extreme CU of mans face. Mid shot of man walking towards door 6. CU of him knocking, long shot of door opening and both girls open door. Extreme close up of mans face.

Video Deconstruction Beyonce- Single Ladies

Single Ladies

Artist: Beyonce
Track: Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)
Year: 2008
Album: I am.. Sasha Fierce
Director: Jake Nava
Producer: Christopher Stewart
Genre: R&B

Beyoncé, is an American R&B recording artist, actress and fashion designer. Born and raised in Houston Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Beyonce has gone on to have a very successful solo career.
Single Ladies was released in 2008 from the album 'I am Sasha Fierce'.
<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4m1EFMoRFvY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
1. The video starts with just black which lasts for 2 seconds and then a light slowly becomes brighter. This reveals a long shot of Beyonce in the centre with 2 dancers. One on either side of her. The video is in black and white. The music begins before the picture starts. The video is shot in a studio, we can denote this from the plain background and the bright lights. Beyone and the dancers wear matching leotards and have matching hair. The song 'Single Ladies' is all about woman enpowerment and being strong, i think that Beyonce chose to have such a plain set so that it didnt distract away from the song lyrics and so that viewers would focus on how in-time the dancers are with her.


2. Beyonce and the dancers being the choreography and Beyonce starts lip-syncing. At 12s the lights become much brigher and the background turns white from a grey colour. This video is nearly all one continuous take which means the camera angles dont change that much.


3. At 18s the lights turn off for a split-second and when camera pans around Beyonce 3 times before another flash of light.


4. 31s- Jumpcut to extreme long shot of trio. Mid-angle shot. Dancing and lip-syncing continues. 38s the camera zooms in to a long shot. Their is another flash as the song moves back to the chorus. 45s the camera pan slightly to the left to keep the trio in centre on frame and then zooms out and the quickly back in. I believe this is done purely to give a little bit of  shot variety as so far it has been very long shot which is unusual for a mucis video.


5. 46s jumpcut to medium CU of trio. Still MCU. 46-51s camera zooms into a close up of Beyonce and then quickly zooms back to long shot of all three followed by another flash of studio lights. As the song reaches another chorus.


6. As the trio do choreography that changes levels the camera pans to keep Beyonce centre. 1m1s camera zoom a fraction towards Beyonce and the cut to close up of Beyonce face then slow zooming to extreme CU. Dancers legs are in shot, rest of body cut out. 1m7s camera pans out in 3 jumps which foloow the beats in the music.


7.Dancing continues at mid shot till 1m19s- cut to extreme long shot followed by slow flash of light which then makes background seem grey again. 1m38s cut to mid close up with the trio turned to profile, camera pans slowly round then trio move to face camera straight on again. 1m51s meduim shot of 3, pans to close up. Pans out then cuts to extreme long shot.


8. 2m15s cuts to low angle medium shot. 2m 18s cuts to extreme long shot, medium angle.
Camera pans to left and then cuts to almost bird’s eye view shot. 2m31s camera pans in circles around Beyoncé till 2m40s where it cuts to a medium shot, straight on. 2m44s zoom to extreme close up of her hand. Quick pan to extreme long shot followed by about 10 very quick cuts moving between close up on medium shot finishing with close up. Zoom out to long-shot then straight back to close up of Beyoncé’s face.


9. 2m59s repeat of 10 quick cuts. Pan towards her face. 3m9s cut to long shot then finish with a extreme close up of Beyoncé then fade to black.

Goodwins Theory

Andrew Goodwin has identified a number of key features in music videos. They are:

- A relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics.
- A relationship between the music and the visuals, with the visuals illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the music.
- Genre-related style and iconography present.
- Multiple close-ups of the main artist or vocalist.
- Voyeurism often plays a major part, especially in relation to females.
- Intertextual references to other media texts may be present.

He says that music videos are often constructed by the link between the visuals and the song plus the artist. Relationships are built between these in the video, and the close-ups of the artists gives them the representation and publicity they require. Voyeurism is used to increase the video’s attractiveness, particularly to males, whilst intertextuality is often employed in humorous videos. (Taken from Blogger)

Goodwin says that music videos have one or more of these 3 aspects.

Narrative- This is when what you see on screen either ties or has some link to the lyrics.


Example: Beyonce- Freakum Dress





















Performance- This is when there are shots of the artist/band either playin there instuments or lip-syncing this could be either to the camera or to a crowd.



Example: Beyone -Single Ladies

Concept- This is when what we see on screen doesnt seem to have any link to the tune or the lyrics and there doesnt seem to be any storyline.

Example: Depeche Mode- Enjoy the silence