Our second Music Video CSP is Michael Jackson - Billie Jean.

Our second Music Video CSP is Michael Jackson - Billie Jean.

This was a hugely influential media product that helped set the conventions for future music videos - and persuaded Michael Jackson's record company to throw million-dollar budgets at future productions.

Notes from the lesson

Goodwin’s music video theory

Andrew Goodwin’s theory of music videos states that music videos contain some or all of the following elements:

• A link between the visuals & lyrics (compliment, contradict or amplify)
• Genre characteristics (heavy metal in industrialised settings; rap music in urban street contexts etc.)
• Contain intertextual references (references to popular culture)
• Contain notions of looking (e.g. screens within screens)
• Include objectification of females (e.g. male gaze)
• Include demands of the record label (close ups of lead singer, symbols or motifs associated with the band / performer etc.)
• Video will be performance, narrative or concept based.

Neale’s genre theory of Repetition and Difference

Steve Neale states that though all genres are structured along the identical conventions of plot, narrative and mise-en-scene, success lies in their ability to manipulate and re-shape these elements.

In this sense, all genres all contain instances of repetition and difference – and difference is essential to the economy of the genre.

Neale’s model holds that a product’s genre is defined by:

• How much it conforms to its genre’s individual conventions and stereotypes. A product must match the genre’s conventions to be identified as part of that genre if it is to attract that audience.
• How much a product subverts the genre’s conventions and stereotypes. The product must subvert convention enough to be considered unique and not just a clone of another product.

Michael Jackson: defining genre

Michael Jackson largely defined the modern music video with Billie Jean. He followed it with two bigger-budget videos: Bad (directed by Martin Scorcese) and Thriller (directed by John Landis) – pushing the boundaries of the music video genre.

Both of these later videos were effectively short films that leaned heavily on film genres – using well established film directors. This reinforced the intertextual element of his music videos and helped to create the Michael Jackson identity of the 1980s and 1990s.

 


Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Billie Jean changed the music industry by introducing the idea that a single must be accompanied by a high-production video - thereby transforming a song release into an “event”.

In doing so, Billie Jean transformed MTV from a small niche TV channel for young people into a cultural institution that wider society paid increasing attention to. It also changed MTV itself – persuading MTV executives that a white rock orientated audience would respond enthusiastically to videos featuring a black performer, something they had not previously believed.

 


Billie Jean and postmodernism

Postmodernists claim that we live in a media-saturated world – immersed in media products 24/7. So much so, that the distinction between the real world and the media representation of the real world has become blurred. 

Media producers are copying copies: we no longer have any distinction between the real world and real things and media images of these things. Everything original has been made, all we now have is finding originality in mixing old ideas.

This idea of ‘copying copies’ and finding originality in old ideas is a strong theme of Billie Jean – which uses polaroid photos and intertextual references to old movie genres.

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to create a comprehensive case study for Michael Jackson's Billie Jean music video.

Media Magazine reading: Billie Jean, birth of an icon

Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the case study on Billie Jean - birth of an icon (MM62 - page 20). Answer the following questions:

1) What was the budget for Billie Jean? How did this compare with later Michael Jackson videos?

The budget for Billie Jean was $50,000, which was a very small budget in comparison to Michael Jackson's later videos. For example, Bad had a budget for $300,000, and then Thriller had an extremely larger budget of $2million.

2) Why was the video rejected by MTV?
When they took it to MTV they refused to air the video, arguing that it didn’t suit their ‘middle America’ audience.

3) Applying Goodwin's theory of music video, how does Billie Jean reflect the genre characteristics of pop music video?
Billie Jean contains notion of looking. This is shown evident in the scene when the detective is finally about to catch the criminal(Michael jackson) and a transition is made in a form of a picture then moves on to the photograph that as taken. The video had a performance element to it.

4) How do the visuals reflect the lyrics in Billie Jean?
The song is a about a girl called billie jean, Although we don't physically see her in the movie, there are some lyrics that make as visualise who billie jean is. For example, the use of the billboard lets the audience imagine what this girl might look like. 

5) Why does the video feature fewer close-up shots than in most pop videos?
The video assists the star-construction of the artist, not so much through the close-ups that you might expect in other pop videos, but through the focus on the distinctive dance moves (often shown three-fold in the frame) which had not been seen onscreen before.

6) What intertextual references can be found in the video?
This music video reflects a spy genre due to what the detective was wearing e.g. a hat, long jacket covering most of his body. I believe the video has intertexuality with film noir films since its very detective based narrative. 

7) How does the video use the notion of looking as a recurring motif?
The notion of looking can be seen through the use of the private detective Jackson is being watched and followed; a polaroid camera attempts to capture his image but he’s elusive, mystical. The audience sees his image multiplied using split-screen editing, he is frozen isolated in a frame-within-a-frame.

 8) What representations can be found in the video? 
Jackson is beginning to construct a narrative about himself and establish his identity. What Steve Barron describes as a Midas-touch narrative could, in retrospect be interpreted as the beginnings of
the Messiah-complex that Jackson was criticised.

for later his career.Close-textual analysis of the music video

1) How is mise-en-scene used to create intertextuality - reference to other media products or genres? E.g. colour/black and white; light/lighting.

Film noir- low key lighting

Musical- high key lighting

intertexual reference to the movie wizard of oz due to the lighting up tiles and also Singing in the rain by Fred Astaire.

2) How does the video use narrative theory of equilibrium?

Todorov's Equilibrium can be applied to Billie jean as it could be said the disequilibrium was when the detective was following Michael with him not being aware. This was resolved when the detective was caught by the cops instead on billie jean. The new equilibrium may be when the music stopped and everything became peaceful and harmony was created. 

3) How are characters used to create narrative through binary opposition?

The detective could of been good and Michael could of been evil since he was seen guilty. There is a sense of rich and poor since in the beginning you see a homeless man which in contrast, in the end of the music video is seen very upper class and posh. 

4) What is the significance of the freeze-frames and split-screen visual effects?

The notion of looking can be seen through the use of the private detective Jackson is being watched and followed; a polaroid camera attempts to capture his image but he’s elusive, mystical. The audience sees his image multiplied using split-screen editing, he is frozen isolated in a frame-within-a-frame.

5) What meanings could the recurring motif of 'pictures-within-pictures' create for the audience?
The recurring motif of pictures-within pictures- suggests that Michael Jackson is still being watched which creates tension for the audience when its recurred.

6) Does the video reinforce or subvert theories of race and ethnicity - such as Gilroy's diaspora or Hall's black characterisations in American media?
The video mostly subverts theories of race and ethnicity, as in a time with great racism, the placement in this video with Michael as the hero/princess (unclear) and the white detective as the villain wasn't as commonly seen in the 80s as vice versa would have been seen.

7) Does this video reflect Steve Neale's genre theory of 'repetition and difference'? Does it reflect other music videos or does it innovate?
The video was One of the first of it kind and paved the way for other music videos later in the industry so I think it innovated the generic characteristics you would see in a general music video with lipsyncing , performance.

8) Analyse the video using postmodern theory (e.g. Baudrillard's hyper-reality; Strinati's five definitions of postmodernism). How does the 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading?
Postmodernists claim that the distinction between the real world and the media representation of the real world has become blurred as we live in a world completely influenced by the media. By adding Baudrillard's hyper-reality theory you can say how the music video was made to reflect a certain time period (1940s). The picture-in-picture recurring motif creates a postmodern reading through simularca. Due to the scene being imitated, looks much more realistic than the original. 

BFI Study Day: follow-up work

1) Type up your notes from the day.


Samaritans links to hooks theory as it shows women being objectified. Gender is inbuilt and socially constructed."Gender becomes a set of connotations that have become naturalised"
Gender fluidity is reinforced in the music video 'Stay Where You Are'. Women are sexualised since the skirt kept lifting up. The main singer is dressed to appeal to others. Van Zoonen said media is quite male dominated.
Denotation is what it is and connotation is it may be or what its  inferring. 
Barthes says meanings aren't fixed; they're open to interpretations. Denotation is actually just a dominant connotation.
Key postmodern ideas:
There is no essential 'truth' instead there is a multiplicity of 'truths', each equally valid 
Nothing is 'original' - art, style, even values 
Meta-narrative means a totalising cultural narrative, that organises thoughts and experiences into a grand 'story' that makes sense of our lives. 
Simularca- iimitation that seems more real than the things it is imitating.
Readerly texts- fixed meaning, passive reception. sit back and enjoy
Writerly' texts- spectators contribute to their experience. "lean forward".

2) Write a one-sentence summary of the ideas of the theorists Matthew Daintrey-Hall covered (you can use your notes from task 1 here if relevant):

bell hooks:
"Gender becomes a set of connotations that have become naturalized." Gender roles are constructed, men and women are victimised from a patriarchal society.  bell hooks believes that traditionally masculine attitudes and behaviours aren't natural but rather constructed by a patriarchal society.


Liesbet van Zoonen:

Believes that treatment of women hasn’t changed since the 1960s and we still need equality between men and women. Van Zoonen also believes that in a patriarchal society, woman bodies are sexualised and vulnerable whilst men's bodies are sexualised through power and strength.

Judith Butler:
Butlers main theories about gender is that gender is a performance: series of gestures, actions, behavioural and dress codes that construct an imaginary 'man' or woman.


Saussure:
Saw society as a system of institution and social norms that form a collective system that provides conditions for meaning-making and hence decisions and actions for individuals.

Barthes:

Roland Barthes believed that signs we assume are denotations are actually 'dominant connotations' that hide ideologies. He called these 'myths'.

Stuart Hall:
'Authors' encode their work with meaning audiences decode it in often very different ways.

Lyotard:
Lyotard believes a totalising cultural narrative, that organises thought and experiences into a 'grand 'story' that makes sense of our lives.

Baudrillard:
Baudrillard states “Hyperreality – a condition in which ‘reality’ has been replaced by simulacra.” ◦ Simulacra –when a sign loses its relation to reality, it begins to simulate a simulation (the process in which a representation of something comes to replace the thing which is actually being represented.

3) Choose one of the films we saw extracts from and watch the whole movie: Captain Fantastic (2016), Pulp Fiction (1994) or Inception (2010). Write a 300 word analysis of your chosen film using theories from the study day (use the exam paragraph structure we were shown on the day - theory introduction, examples from text, why this 'proves' or 'disproves' the theory).

The narrative of inception is a protagonist named Cobb who has his own unique of finding or stealing intel from somewhere. This is not done by hacking a computer or causing harm to civilians to gain valuable information, instead its done by tapping into someones thoughts and dreams to steal information. Cobb is given an opportunity to reunite with his children therefore agrees on taking on the mission to implant something, something known as inception. Inception inhabits stuart hall's reception theory in its narrative since the audience may have a different point of view. The preferred reading is the director is trying to deliver not a standard spy genre film that consists of robberies however, subverts normal spy genre movie as everything is done through manipulating thoughts in the mind. Whereas, the oppisitional reading is the audience may think this movie is too unrealistic and can not be generalised in real life since you can't really enter into someones mind. Personal identity may not be created since its all based on a fictional story.
Postmodernism can be applied to this movie since you see a lot of simularca where the imitation is more realistic than the thing that being imitated. In inception real life locations are created in the mind however altered to look more appealing to the audience. 

Common - Letter to the Free blog tasks

1) What other projects has Common been involved in over recent years?
Common has been involved in a variety of other projects. For example, Common wrote the soundtrack for Glory alongside John Legend, and also starred in this film. Common has taken on a role as a musician and icon, that has enabled him to contribute to the diverse political issues in America.


2) What is the 13th Amendment of the American Constitution?
The 13th amendment to the United StatesConstitution provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."


3) What were the Black Codes?

Black codes were restrictive laws designed to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labour force after slavery was abolished during the Civil War

4) Why do people suggest that the legacy of slavery is still a crucial aspect to American culture 150 years after it was abolished by the 13th Amendment?

It is still a crucial aspect to American culture because still in this day and age black people are still prejudiced against by mainly white people just because of their skin colour like how we see in this police shootings, wrong imprisonment of black people and just general violence, this shows how slavery could still be seen as a thing but just in a different way that doesn't go against the constitution. 

5) Why was Ava DuVernay inspired to make the Netflix documentary 13th?

individuals still propose this as it was a colossal piece of their way of life is still there however in different structures as they are not treated a similar still in specific conditions.

6) Focusing on genre, what was the most significant time period for the rise in political hip hop?Hip hop as music and culture formed during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African American youth residing in the Bronx. ... Prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States.

7) Common talks about other current artists that have a political or protest element to their music. Who are they? Are there any other hip hop artists that you are aware of that have a strong political element to their work?

Kendrick Lamar. I also think that Chance [the Rapper], though he may not speak in black consciousness, he has a consciousness about him, self-awareness and a spirituality. And I don't want to overlook that, because spirituality was something powerful in hip-hop.

8) What album is Letter to the Free taken from? What was the critical reception for this album? You'll need to research this - the Wikipedia entry for the album is a good place to start.

The song is from the album 'Black American Again' The album received widespread acclaim from critics "Although there's no hit to rival the Selma soundtrack epic, "Glory", and a reunion with its vocalist John Legend is the worst of furrowed-brow, gluten-free beat poetry, this is intelligent, impressive work.

Close-textual analysis and representation

Re-watch the music video several times to complete the following tasks in specific detail:

1) How does the Letter to the Free music video use cinematography to create meanings for the audience? (Camera shots and movement).
A lot of long shots suggests that everything is viewed from a distance also implies that they have no voice.
360 degree shots suggests that time has past however freedom is still needed. Shot of the writing " no excessive" conveys that everything said is meaningful.

2) What is the significance of the constantly moving camera?
The zooming in in  the beginning  emphasises the emotions the black artists are portraying. However in the end the camera starts to move out from the prison implying that black ppl are finally being liberated.  

3) Why is the video in black and white?
The black and white suggests the conflict between the white and black race ; that the white Americans are more superior than Black Americans. The black and white is nostalgic for White Americans as they used to watch slavery videos in black and white and this reflects it. 


4) How is mise-en-scene used to construct meaning for the audience - prison setting, costume, props, lighting, actor placement?
Hybrid hip hop/Jazz, positive black identity- subverts stereotypes. low key lighting which enhances its seriousness. African drums: celebrating afrocentricity- Black culture. 

5) Focusing on the track, what are the key lyrics that suggest the political message of the song?
'Slavery's still alive, check amendment 13' which suggests that although the law was made 150 years ago, slavery still exists in the name of 'criminals' rather than directly referring to it as slavery.   

6) What is the significance of the floating black square motif? Discuss your own interpretations alongside Common's explanation of it in the Billboard feature linked above.
 I think that the floating black motif represents Black ppl are trapped in one square. In one scene you see the black square locked in a jail cell, this implies that black people are all represented in the same way. In contrast, another scene shows the black square motif outside the prison cell. This suggests every black person moves together as a pack and will always be one. 

7) How does the video reference racism, slavery and the oppression of black culture? Make reference to specific shots, scenes or moments in the video.
It references them from 1.25 to 1.45 when the singer mentions how families were separated during slavery and how police still hold black people on suspicion and they get treated like criminals due to their colour.

8) How can Gilroy's idea of black diasporic identity be applied to Common's Letter to the Free?
The Letter to the Free is a great example, as Gilroy suggests that black music articulates diasporic experiences of resistance. Gilroy's theory can be applied to Letter to the Free as it is suggesting the message that black people still don't feel like they fit in due to race issues. to white capitalist culture.

9) What other theories of race and ethnicity can be applied to this video? E.g. Hall, Rose or Dyson.
Stuart Hall suggests audiences often blur race and class which leads to the association of races with certain social classes. Hall also suggests how western cultures are mainly white dominated and that ethnic minorities in the media are misinterpreted due to underlying racist tendencies.

10) What current events in America and worldwide are referenced in the song and video?

• Mass incarceration of blacks/non-white in the United States of America
• Racism within the government and police system
• Underlying tones of racism within contemporary America
• Equality black people face in America.
• racism

Music Video: An Introduction

1) What is the purpose of a music video?
The purpose of a music video is,  to sell products, the most obvious of which is the song featured in the video. However, other connected products are also marketed by a music video. For example, the
album the song is featured on, the film the song is part of the soundtrack for, an upcoming tour by the artist and merchandise like t-shirts.


2) How has the digital age changed the production and distribution of music videos?
Prior to the digital age, allowing the audience full access to the product in the marketing was not too problematic. The song was only available at specified times in places which were approved of by the record company, such as on weekly television chart countdown shows like Top of the Pops (1964 – 2006, BBC). However, the development of new media technologies meant that music videos, and the songs along with them, were more widely available at any time. 


3) Which three major record labels are behind VEVO? What is VEVO and why was it created?
In America three major record companies, Sony music entertainment, Universal music group and Abu Dhabi media have launched VEVO. VEVO is a video hosting site specifically made for music videos. 


4) What are the key conventions of a music video?
Movement
A band or artist
Lip-syncing 
Narratives
Intertextuality

5) How can narrative be used in music video? Give an example of a music video that uses a narrative.
A music video may have a narrative. The storyline may relate to the song’s lyrics and illustrate what is being said or be independent from the song and tell a different story. For example, I Was a Teenage Anarchist by Against Me! features a loose narrative which links to the song’s lyrics. The video features a young man running along Venice Beach trying to avoid the police who are chasing him, indicating that he is a rebel or ‘anarchist’.


6) What examples are provided in the factsheet for intertextuality in music videos?
 the video for My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers features ‘alternative’ cheerleaders, which is reminiscent of the cheerleaders in the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. Most fans of My Chemical Romance are likely to be familiar with Nirvana and this iconic video.

7) Why do audiences enjoy intertextual references in media products?
References can also be more esoteric and obscure, allowing the audience to feel pleasure when they recognize the reference.


8) Read the music video example analysis on page 3 of the factsheet. Select a music video of your own choice and write your own analysis using the following headings:

• Conventions (movement/narrative/artist)

There isn't really a narrative to this video however its mostly based on a performance element. You see Ed sheeren and Justin Bieber switching to different location and changing costumes to match the setting.  

• Intertextuality

This music video has a lot of reference to a romantic genre since the lyrics describe a a boy not wanting to be a at a party only if a particular girl is invited. 

• Representation

 Artists are white american and white british, this subverts white british and american stereotypes as they are portrayed as heroic however, in this music video we see a  guy highly emotional over a girl .

• Audience

Audience will enjoy this music video as it touches alot on personal identity since a true scenario could be reflected through this. On the whole, audience would be engage since it has a performance element to it. 

• Institution

9) Watch the video for Ice Cube's style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">It Was A Good Day (1993). How did this video set the conventions for later hip-hop music videos?
The typical conventions of what made a hip hop music video were set with this video e.g. a low rider, gang culter, baggy clothes etc.

 

Music video analysis

The music video involves a lot of dancing and singing which contributes as the performance element and uses green screen to transition between location after location. Only one shot is taken place throughout the whole video which is a medium/ long shot. The music video also transitions between animation and real life to target young audiences. This is  done very effectively. The lighting is projected through the background since the green screen uses predominantly vibrant colours. Furthermore, the music video also plays a little narrative and acts as a surveillance to the audience to show them a clear insight of which character is which. The narrative perhaps may be a family that live a life of a mammal and acts as a mammal.

The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?
Fifteen years ago, if you'd mentioned to a colleague that you'd spent Saturday night glued to a subtitled European drama, you'd have been quietly declared pretentious, dull and, possibly, a little odd.

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?
Iuzzolino suggests that the key appeal for his Walter Presents series is the material. He implies that the content of the dramas selected offer the chance for audiences to share stories and unite over their experiences with topics such as: love, death, politics and violence - all of which are considered to be universal themes.

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?
It claims that the Subtitles are what makes the film so thrilling and intense to watch. It sometimes gives us more meaning than the dialogues ever could. 

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?
Personal identity is shown in the foreign TV drama shows since the audience are able to relate to the place or character. Also if the foreign TV show is the same language as your mother tongue, you will feel more connected to the show emotionally and physically. Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows.

5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?
There's an example of TV drama Sherlock have been influenced by their Asian fan base. In order to keep their fans entertained they put different  codes and clues to the story line in order to make the drama more relatable for them. 
Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on

Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?
Whilst Deutschland ’83 received significantly fewer viewers in the US than Germany, with its US premiere garnering 0.066 million viewers compared to Germany’s 3.19 million, the series proved more successful in the US than its homeland. 

2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?
As previously mentioned, the German premiere had 3.19 million viewers. Each new episode saw that figure drop, and by the series’ conclusion the figures had fallen down to 1.63 million — it’s lowest figure.

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?
After a period of uncertainty surrounding its renewal, SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83 (called Deutschland 86, more likely than not followed by the pivotal year of 89). 

4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?
With this foreign drama revival spurred on by the series’ foreign viewers, questions surrounding the power of American/UK audiences and critics arise. The spy thriller’a presence in American television signifies that there is not just room for foreign and subtitled drama in an era when TV shows are frequently becoming more daring than feature films, but that audiences both want it and have an impact into whether it comes back.

5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?
"Whilst Sundance TV provides their viewers with numerous foreign dramas, the TV channel and its streaming service also ventures into English language series as well as feature-length films. Like with the foreign dramas and films on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and so on, they are often surrounded by more familiar and/or promoted English-speaking shows."- Film School Rejects  
IndieWire: The rise of international television

Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?

2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?

3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?

4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?

5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?


The Guardian: How tech is changing television

Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:

1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?

2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?

5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?