Theories

Jean Baudrillard

 

Talks about hyperreality, ‘a condition in which “reality” has been replaced by simulacra’.

Simulacra is when a sign loses its relation to reality, it then begins to simulate a simulation.

Simulation: the process in which a representation of something comes to replace the thing which is actually being represented. The representation then becomes more important than the ‘real thing’.

Hyperreality: division between “real” and simulation has collapsed, therefore an illusion of an object is no longer possible because the real object is no longer there.

 

Fredric Jameson

 

Jameson is best known for his analysis of contemporary cultural trends - he once described postmodernism as the spatialisation of culture under the pressure of organised capitalism.

 

Genre

Genre does not rely simply on what's in a media text but also on the way it is put together (constructed). A media text is said to belong to a genre, as it adopts the codes and conventions of other texts in that genre, and lives up to the same expectations. Texts from different mediums may belong to the same genre (e.g. a tv programme like Dr Who and a comicbook like The Incredible Hulk can both be categorised as Science Fiction.)

The genre of the song being dance and pop illustrates that the video itself is most likely to be happy and colourful fitting with the lyrics. My video doesn’t have a main character but instead is something that is more of a journey and not performance based. In turn the video doesn’t focus on males nor females, allowing there not to be a male or female gaze. Pop music tends to be happy and uplifting which fits well with the video as it’s a flight to another country that portrays everyone captured on screen as beautiful. The lyrics represent the narrative of the video. As the video is fast paced, the shots are less likely to be long prolonged shots but those of fast cuts. As no one is lip-synching the song its self is non-diegetic. The video connotates realism as nothing stages but instead what the director saw (me) as interesting, meaningful footage is what is seen on screen. No planned or specific costumes are used as the video is a realistic interpretation of society.

None of the theories apply to my music video. The video doesn’t follow the stereotypical aspect of videos which theorists such as Domaille talk about the fatal flaw, the indomitable hero or the dream comes true. Nor does the video follow points Todorov makes, such as the 5 stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, action and restoration. Like stated before my video doesn’t have a story line, it’s merely following real life. Nothing is staged.

To conclude the audience feel jubilant about themselves. Both video and lyrics are uplifting.

Explain how you used conventional and / or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces.

“Media texts rely on cultural experiences in order for audiences to easily make sense of narratives”. Explain how you used conventional and / or experimental narrative approaches in one of your production pieces.

The music video I’m making isn’t based on any music video in particular. The video is a journey of my holiday, going from country to country showing beautiful people around the world. There isn’t a story of sorts but merely a voyage that allows audiences to realise, no matter where in the world and the goings on of what happens around us for example war and suffering everyone is beautiful. It doesn’t matter if you’re homeless, working class, rich or whatever race, the concept still applies. Together with the beautiful people I also capture beautiful destinations and scenes.

None of the theories apply to my music video. The video doesn’t follow the stereotypical aspect of videos which theorists such as Kate Domaille talk about the fatal flaw, the indomitable hero or the dream comes true. Nor does the video follow points Tzvetan Todorov makes, such as the 5 stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, action and restoration. Like stated before my video doesn’t have a story line, it’s merely following real life. Nothing is staged.

As the video is not one of performance it’s one that follows the lyrics of the son ‘Beautiful People’. The use of long shots allows the audience to see the scenery and the culture that beholds Zambia and London. People would be interested to see what a country in Africa is like. For those who live in hyper-reality and believe all they see in the media would assume there’s only poverty and wilderness, when a matter of fact it’s advanced. The video allows people to step out of the bubble of hyper-reality and see the bigger picture…it’s not all doom and gloom.

The video I’m making is linear; the video refers to a journey being told in an order of events, in addition to being omniscient narrative. The message is more or less what is seen on the screen. The meaning can be perceived in many different ways. The meaning is left open to the audience. What is provided in the music video is the simple meaning; everyone is beautiful, the lyrics to the video illustrate this alongside. The audience is left to perceive the video in anyway and mainly based on what they want to believe they are seeing. The video uses verisimilitude which is that the quality of appearing to be real or true and follows the rules of continuity. As Pam Cook argues that the Hollywood narrative structure includes: “linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution” and “a high degree of narrative closure”. My video goes against this and allows the audience freedom to have their own understanding. Not following conventions of typical videos I’d like to think my video is postmodern. It’s not restricted. There are no rules. Laura Mulvey – argues that cinema positions the audience as male. The camera gazes at the female object on screen. It also frames the male character watching the female. Once again the video ignores this and doesn’t exploit women but instead shows men and women as equal.

Video Narrative

Chris Brown - Beautiful People (My Video) Narrative

The narrative is how beautiful people are around the world are. I travel from London to Zambia filming the people and the culture. The story shows how no matter what people are going through, what race and what culture; everyone is beautiful. It’s not just what’s only on the outside but what’s on the inside. My video shows the scenery and people being happy in their own right. I mainly use long shots to show the background as people might be interested in seeing what Zambia looks like for those who have a pre-assumption of what Africa is like. It’s not all doom and gloom. My video is linear which means the video refers to a story that is told in the order in which events happen - from beginning to end.

My video is an omniscient narrative. The message is more than just what is seen on the screen. The meaning can be perceived in many different ways. The meaning is left down to the audience. What is provided is the basic meaning that everyone around the world is beautiful. The scenes captured are left to the audience’s perception and what they want to believe they are seeing.

Postmodern/Postmodernity VS Modernism/Modernity

Skepticism of idea of progress, anti-technology reactions, neo-Luddism; new age religions. Vs Master narrative of progress through science and technology.

 Sense of unified, centered self; "individualism," unified identity. Vs Sense of fragmentation and decentered self; multiple, conflicting identities.

Subverted order, loss of centralized control, fragmentation. Vs Hierarchy, order, centralized control.

Rhizome/surface tropes. 
Attention to play of surfaces, images, signifiers without concern for "Depth". Relational and horizontal differences, differentiations. Vs Root/Depth tropes.
Faith in "Depth" (meaning, value, content, the signified) over "Surface" (appearances, the superficial, the signifier).

Hyper-reality, image saturation, simulacra seem more powerful than the "real"; images and texts with no prior "original". 
"As seen on TV" and "as seen on MTV" are more powerful than unmediated experience. Vs Faith in the "real" beyond media, language, symbols, and representations; authenticity of "originals."

I am a postmodernist. Post modernism allows for more imagination and freedom. I believe in the sense of hyper0reality as sometimes representations aren't seen as more important as the original.

Lyric Narrative