Identify the micro
elements that contribute/construct the ideology in three different genre music
videos. Attempt to say why the audience shares that ideology.
At the beginning of
the music video ‘Smack That’ by Akon featuring Eminem, Akon is stuck in prison.
The audience is lead to believe that the prison is in a typical American jail
in a deprived suburban area, due to the background noise. Gates slamming and other inmates shouting
creating chaos, displays that the prison is full, this suggests to the audience
that Akon has had a hard upbringing as crime is commonly committed in the area.
Rap music audiences typically can relate to the singer’s tough life. However,
the prison guard asks Akon for his help, at the cost of a 24 hour release. The
audience shares this ideology, as Akon has earned respect despite his
upbringing denying him of this easily.
Furthermore, Akon arrives at a bar in an expensive white
sports car. This choice of prop is ostentatious, and is designed to emphasis
Akon’s wealth. In most rap videos, the main artist shows their money through
their clothes and belongings. This is because the audience ideology is to be
rich and lead a wealthy lifestyle.
In editing, many of the shots of female dancers have been
slowed down, therefore increasing the shot duration. As a result, the viewer
watches the female’s dance provocatively towards the male audience for a large
portion of the video. This suggests that women are meant to serve men, and
provide them with satisfaction. Male audiences
enjoy this rap ideology as the attractive women offer the males plenty of
attention. Rap audiences are predominately male, however the women who do enjoy
rap would appreciate the way the female dancers as they inspire to look and
dance the way they do.
Unlike rap music videos, Pop music videos typically feature
a more romantic and inclusive relationship between a male and female. For an
example, in the music video for ‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran, the romantic
relationship between the Ed and the female dancer is suggested by the lighting.
Spot lights follow Ed and the female dancer around the floor, showing that they
are important. The low key lighting suggest romance, and the spot lights
support this when they cross to make a heart shape around the couple as they
lie on the floor. This is a pop audience’s ideology as the couple share love
and romance together.
Long shots are predominately used throughout the music video
to display the dancing. The dancing is well choreographed and impressive to watch.
The viewers would watch and hope they could dance the same way. Close up shots
have been used to show the way Ed and the dancer look at each other. This
therefore displays the chemistry and passion, which the audience would hope for
in a relationship.
Ed Sheeran wears a smart white shirt, black waist coat and
trousers. However, he also has he sleeves rolled and has a sleeve of tattoos.
His clothes and tattoos would appeal to a wide target market, as he looks smart
and attractive but relaxed. Sleeve tattoos are becoming increasingly more
popular and fashionable. Therefore a large portion of the Ed Sheeran’s pop
audience’s ideology is to dress the way he is in the video. This is because pop
music’s audience is much wider and broader, and therefore appeals to as many
people as possible.
Unlike pop music, where the artist aims to please a wide
target market, rock music does the opposite. Rock music is about rebelling
against society’s expectation and normality. In the music video for ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’by Guns N Roses, all the band players have long, messy, backcombed hair and
wear oversized fringed coats, leather trousers and bandanas. This extreme
fashion would appeal to their audiences as it reflects how rock audiences
typically rise up against popular fashion to be themselves.
The music video is set on a stage. The band members perform
while crew members set up the arena. The stage has a large Guns N Roses’ logo
on the background, and camera facing them from every direction. Rock audiences
will relate to the band’s passion for the music, and will idealise their
talent. Rock music is about creating and performing their unique music, without
confirming to social expectations and demands created by the mass audience.
Therefore the setting of the video conforms to the rock audience’s ideology of individuality
and talent, as the artists are the preparing to perform their own music to a
small crowd of people who share the same music taste.
