LAURA MULVEY- THE MALE GAZE

She discussed the way in which the camera assumes the position of a male spectator and therefore encourages the audience to view films/music videos from the male perspective. 

This is referee to as the male gaze and situated men as objects to be identified with whereas women are shown to be objectified. Think like a man, but look/gaze at the women. 

The camera more frequently uses slow motion shots, panning and tilting around female characters as a means of objectifying them to the male gaze. 

Rihanna encapsulates the male gaze through the conspicuous close-ups of naked women. The slow zoom around the trunk reveals Rihanna to be naked in the trunk, slow motion shots of naked bodies, slow pan across the swimming pool as the girls sunbathe in the bikinis. 

STAR THEORY- RICHARD DYER

• Richard Dyer is a British media theorist, who discussed a star's special place in the audiences' lives.
• He suggests that a star's image impacts on the consumption by the audience
• He argued that the star image is manufactured and artificial and that identical stars have their own unique selling point (brand and values) in order to grab and old our attention- for example- Justin Bieber's hair, Amy Winehouse and her tattoos 
• A star image relies on the following

- Rebelliousness
- Youthfulness
- Anti-authortarian
- Sexuality
- Passion
- Being artistic
- Difference
- Talent
- Confidence/youthful swagger
- Style

• Dyer suggested that a star must be represented simultaneously as, just like us (the audience/regular people), but also at the same time possess something we do not have and something that makes them special, different extraordinary... they are idealised version of humanity... idols
• Dyer's central idea was that the star image could be discussed using two key paradoxes:

1. '... a star is both ordinary and extraordinary'
2. '... a star is both present and absent' 

Star image-

• For a star to maintain their celebrity status and their target audience they need to constantly reinvent themselves as their audience grows up and grows older.
• For example, Miley cyrus is a perfect case study; 

- Started out as a synthetic pop star working for Disney and had a star image of being clean cut and wholesome

- As Miley grew up and her audience aged she attempted to reinvent herself as a more mature artist for example party in the USA

- Stage three of Miley, was that she started to act more rebellious and anti-authoritatrain around the time of 'wrecking ball' and used her sexuality in order to help sell herself and rebrand her image. This included 'we can't stop' with the whole twerking episode in 2013

- Since this point she has also tried to make her self appear more rebellious and different by working with the independent band 'flaming lips' and coming out as bisexual and gender neutral 

- Ultimately Miley Cyrus ha splayed with her image in order to widen and change her target audience and also to rebel against the industrial system that she was packaged to be part of. 

BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY- RIHANNA

The equilibrium is established at the beginning shows that normality exists in the house. The audience sees a medium shot of a wealthy american household and a tracking shot of a women getting dressed. There is soft lighting and there is a non-diegetic muzak and thus this appears to be normality for this women as she is getting ready to go out. The binary opposition is established through the differences in lighting, for example soft lighting inside and dark lighting outside. 

Disruption occurs in the lift as the song kicks in and we see a low angle shot of Rihanna dragging the case along the floor with the dog following. Her antagonist shot in reinforced with a close up of Rihanna smoking. Furthermore, as the camera pans around Rihanna she appears to be sinister and determined. 

In addition, acknowledgment is introduced when Rihanna releases she isn't going to get her money back and so she will have to commit a crime. Moreover there a quick cuts of her smashing the phone in time with the music, to emphasis her frustration. This is further reinforced as Rihanna burns her car and covers her track so that she doesn't get caught. 

As a attempt to restore normality, Rihanna kills the girl who stole her money. As the camera pans downs under the water, this is revealed to the audience in the hope for everything to go back to normal as she is getting justice. The slow zoom into the trunk, followed by quick cuts of Rihanna looking at tools to kill the women and man with shows that they are both going to die. The quick cuts of the crime scene after shows that the crime was committed.

The new equilibrium is established as the camera pans around and zooms into Rihanna lying in the trunk with her money. So although she received justice as everything is back to normal, the close up of her smoking shows that she is now a criminal because she murdered two people. 

LAURA MULVEY 1975-

Discussed the way in which the camera assumes the position of a male spectre and therefore encourages the audience to view films/music videos from the male perspective. This is referred to as the male gaze and situates men as objects to be identified with, whereas women are shown to be objectified. Think like a man, but look/gaze at the women. 

The camera more frequently uses uses slow motion shots, panning and tilting around female characters as a means of objectifying them to the male gaze. 

Rihanna encapsulates the male gaze through the conspicuous close-ups of naked women. The slow zoom around the trunk reveals Rihanna to be naked in the trunk, sold motion shots of naked bodies, slow pan across the swimming pool as girls sunbathe in the bikinis. 

NARATIVE STRUCTURES OF MUSIC VIDEOS

Hero- Enrique Iglesias

Narrative structure: 

TODOROV 

1) Equilibrium
- The state of normality
- Love- Enrique through the close-up shot embraces Jennifer Love Hewitt and whispers "I can be your hero"

2) Disruption
- When the normality is challenged or disrupted
- The medium shot of the money in a holdall in the back of the car indicates that something illegal has happened. This if further emphasised by the birds eye view of the landscape which connotes an action or crime thriller.

3) Acknowledgement 
 - Is when the protagonist accepts that he will need to overcome obstacles in order to get his/her life back to normality
- The close-up of Enrique's face as he lip synchs 'I could die for the one I love' alongside the crane shot of the car. This signifies hr is being followed as the shot then dissolves into Mickey Rourke- introducing us to the antagonist. 

4) Attempt to restore
- The attempt to restore occurs during the end of the narrative and involves the main character overcoming the obstacles he has to get back to normality
- Through a wide shot of the protagonist and antagonist followed by the camera tilting down towards the antagonists gun.
- This if followed by the protagonist hitting the antagonist in time to the music to demonstrate how he is prepared to fight for his love

5) New equilibrium
- Is the new normality
- This is always slightly different to the equilibrium at the beginning due to the adventure the characters have been on
- The tracking shot of Enrique walking through the streets in the dark being chased by his love as he falls to his death
- The new equilibrium may result in his death but enables her to gain freedom from the gangsters 
- This is shown through the soft focus lighting as he sings 'you can't take my breath away' and the police arrive on the scene to arrest the antagonists. 


VLADIMIR PROPP

The 7 types of characters:

1) Hero
2) Villain
3) Princess
4) Father figure
5) Helper
6) Donor
7) False hero

These character types can be interchangeable and one charter can be more than one character type. In the case of this music video 'hero' the character type goes as followed; 

Hero- Enrique; Extended camera time/ soft focus lighting/ white shirt/ close-ups of him kissing the girl

Villain- Mickey Rourke; Gun/ clothing/ hairstyle/ in a gang/ lack of close-ups and camera time

Princess- Jennifer Love Herwitt; White dress/ soft focus/ extended camera time/ close-ups whilst kissing/ tears during close-ups as the hero dies

Claude Levi-Strauss

Binary opposition- To show differences you need to show opposites 

Mickey:
- Black
- Hard
- Violence 
- Older
VS
Enrique:
- White
- Soft
- Kissing
- Young