Research - Music Video (5)

There is an extreme close up shot at the beginning of the video, of the male character's lips, so that there is little identity given away to the audience, creating an initial enigma at the beginning of the video. There is also a low angle shot looking up towards the male character, expressing his dominance within the narrative. The camera also tracks the male character walking into a social club, also suggesting his dominance. We are also shown medium-long shots of this male character dancing, with other character's dancing around him, however, he always takes central stage within the frame, connoting his dominance within the narrative again. Two shots are also used when framing local people in the social club, connoting a unity within the community. In addition, there is a point of view shot when the main character is filling in the 'contract', creating a feeling of realism, as it feels as though we as an audience are with this character. There is also an over shoulder shot at the climax of the video, where the character is belittled by 'MC Hammer', creating a more intensified sense of realism, as the audience can relate to what it happening, and empathise with the character.

The main setting throughout the whole of the video is a small social club in Cardiff, Wales. This seems to go against the typical conventions of the dance genre, as it is not a club, and the setting along with the iconography and costumes seem old fashioned, and do not fit the dance genre; it's not as though the genre is being challenged; I believe that this setting has been used to show the impact dance music can have on a stereotypical group of people (in this case Welsh people in a Cardiff social club). The other setting within this social club is the toilet area, where the main character's demise happens.

The costume chosen for the male character is very eccentric. He is wearing a red jacket which has general connotations of passion and power. This clearly reinforces the dance genre. He is also wearing stylish glasses and a fashionable peak hat. This costume doesn't allow the audience to be able to relate to this character, which continues the enigma through to the climax of the video. Also the costumes worn by everyone involved in the video are linked to the 1980's, which is when the video is set, as the yellow font shows at the beginning of the video. This yellow font has been used as it clearly stands out upon the darker backdrop, so the audience can relate to the setting more clearly. In addition, at the climax of the video, there is a male character dressed in a shiny yellow tracksuit, with the name 'MC Hammer' printed onto the back in purple. This costume was popular in the late 80's, and the well known MC Hammer used to wear costumes like this in his own music videos. They have included a play on character within this video (MC Hammer) to influence the narrative within the video.

The male, main character dominates the frame throughout the whole of the video, as he is the spectacle of interest from the extra characters, and the target audience. However, at the end of the video, when 'MC Hammer' enters the frame, the main character's dominance seems to be destroyed, as 'MC Hammer' now dominates the frame, even though he is only involved in the narrative for a very short period of time.

The main editing choices which have been used throughout this video are straight cuts. They have been used to create a simple narrative, and to give the narrative a linear motion. However, they have also been used in a successful attempt to make the soundtrack match the on screen actions. Other edits used include a slow motion edit when the blonde female is dancing, so that the audience are able to see what is framed more intensely. This blonde female is stereotypically represented, as she has revealing clothes on and is wearing a provocative light blue top. This type of character is involved possibly to attract a wider male orientated audience.

The main target audience when dealing with the dance genre is usually female; however, when it comes to music videos, it seems as though there is a push to involve a higher amount of the male target audience. This is possibly because video producers believe that it is the video that will attract the male audience rather than the actual song. I believe this specific music video is targeted at a more male orientated audience. The use of the stereotypical, blonde female character is used to attract a male audience. However, you could say that the good humour and feel good factor about the video could attract a mixed gender audience, therefore increasing sales and profits.

The general mood and tone of this video is positive, as it shows a new dance move being introduced to a location where the dance genre is not popular. It involves a humour aspect when 'MC Hammer' is framed towards the end. The music genre of dance is stereotypically seen as upbeat and quick, and I believe this music video reinforces the genre well, due to the dancing involved, and the costumes.

The narrative theory that can be applied to this music video is Todorov's narrative theory. The equilibrium is the male character's personal dancing style, where he gets other extra characters involved. The disruption occurs at the climax, where the main character is forced to sign a contract to sign over his dance moves to 'MC Hammer'. However, the restoration in the equilibrium does not occur, creating a rather negative ending for the main character who we are constantly attempting to relate to. At this point, we as an audience sympathise in him, but the enigma of the un-restored equilibrium still plays a massive part, as the audience desire to know what happens to him.