BY: KLAUDIA GIL

Beyoncé Music Video Analysis

Representation

Judith Butler believes that gender is a socially constructed idea where the media portray a certain idea (ideology) in the way they want their audience to take the text in and interpret it, so if Beyoncé expresses herself to be a sexuality constructed icon the audience will take it in that way. She refers to this as ‘gender trouble’. Unlike in this music video where the ‘femininity’ and ‘sexuality’ in this video is ‘fixed’ but realistically nothing on your identity is ‘fixed’ because it’s a constructed idea and often is challenged in the media. Music videos like this one, stick to the ‘conventions’ and give the audience what they expect and cater to those needs, this audience is passive but can also be active which is Stuarts Hall negotiated reading, their views don’t get challenged much. Just as it is shown in images 1 & 2, Beyoncé is shown to be presented in that way especially during her concert costumes. (image 3, 4 & 5)

Although, Beyoncé is associated to be a ‘post feminist’ icon which disapproves of the idea with the way she presents herself to her targeted audience, therefore she contradicts her identity.  She could express her ideas in the way that she acts however the way she expresses herself in her performances she is the complete opposite to that.  

Examples: Representation

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Narrative Structure

An example of a type of narrative structure in the video can be Roland Barthes:1. Hermeneutic code – the mystery within the text isn’t necessarily formed through visuals but more like through the lyrics of the song possessing an enigma code making the audience potentially eager and wonder who is the person that she wants to sing about – especially there being a man that she is potentially singing about. The lyrics reflect on the narrative of the imagery, "and I'm still falling" - the key figure acts as if she is falling by her NVC and the way she looks down as well as the quick, sharp pan of the camera.2. Proairetic or action code – alongside the hermeneutic code tension is wanting to be build. The beat of the music is fast pace allowing the action to carry on and continue. 3. Cultural – there is a development of ideas and understanding that is stereotypical of the ‘culture’ of a certain group of people that are unique with information to create a identity of culture. This is a set of stereotypes that are set into our minds. Beyoncé follows the conventions but breaks them at the same time by being a ‘woman of colour’. Most pop music artists are associated with being predominantly ‘white’. There is a diversity of people shown and not only being one race, black artists would be expected to be known in the ‘rap’ genre.

Narrative StructureAn example of a type of narrative structure in the video can be Roland Barthes:4. Symbolism – a women enjoying her relying on the man patriarchal relationship. She needs him. But is independent enough to not be only reliant on him. “Yup I buy my own.” financial independence, modern relationship not stereotypical. (neither dependant nor independent on her partner “she does her own thing?”) 5. Sematic code – the “countdown” of the lyrics can be interpreted differently by different audiences. Audiences can acknowledge the meaning of different texts in many different ways. The semantic meaning can be different and doesn't’t necessarily need to be the one the producer of the music video has. The audience can decide to have a ‘negotiated reading’ where the audience accepts some of the reading but have decided to go with another one. The lyrical meaning of the song could be interpreted by one as to being a egalitarian relationship and by others as to not not being independent and able to do things by herself but being dependant on her ‘man’.

There is a transfiguration of the main character because in different shots she is wearing a different costume as if showing a different side of herself, exposing and showing that she has many different faces, exposing many different personalities. In one shot she is wearing all black and in the next she has a shimmering fancy dress. It exposes the character to many different sides of her persona. Just like she does in images 1 & 2 showing binary opposition of the artist and showing her two different faces which could also be linked to her having and alter ego called ‘Sasha Fierce’. These opposing themes create a narrative and storyline for the pop promo. She can reflect on her being a ‘normal’ everyday woman as well as having a ‘glamorous’ lifestyle to her - opposing themes creates a structure for the narrative.

Narrative Themes

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One of the ideologies that are in music videos is the representation of sexual identity. This ties into the idea that Laura Mulvey supposes, which is the ‘male gaze’ and that females are positioned or placed by the media to be looked at by men - this is exactly how the video was constructed. The clothing was tight and revealing skin highlighting the silhouette of the artist. It enforces the male gaze through the positioning of the camera and through the way Beyoncé expresses her body language while dancing. (image 1)

Ideology

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When camera angles were used in a medium shot to focus on the artists body (image 2). Voyeurism  is encouraged because the male and female audience gains pleasure from looking at the artist and gaining pleasure from seeing these ‘beautiful objects’. They want to ‘diverge’ from reality using it as a form of escapism from the real world trying to create personal identity. For women who want to try to construct their identity around her. On the other hand, men gain pleasure from consuming this media text idealising their perfect opposite gender.

Ideology

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The close ups, especially at the beginning of the video, allow the audience to get familiar with the artist but there should be straight recognition of who she is without having to give ‘credits’ to her at the beginning/end of the video since she has established and branded herself well up to now, with her name being well known in the industry. However, her brand and persona is well established therefore not necessarily the need to have her name appear, her complexion is enough to put herself out there on the market. (image 1) The close-up of her face allow the audience to become familiar with the features.

Cinematography

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There is an effective long shot (image 2) which is representative of the movement of time, through taking singular pictures and putting them together one after another to create the ticking of time which denotes the ‘countdown’ title of the song– there is a link between the lyrics and the visuals, with the lyrics being reflective of the music video. During the length of the music video there are variations of all different shots like close up’s, medium shots, which is entertaining and makes the video more interesting with a variety combination of shots and creates a diversion from reality to them, here passive audiences can take in a dominant reading. This audience doesn’t question anything they see and take in everything that they see.

Cinematography

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The high angle shot, that is used makes the audience feel like they are observing the dancers and creates a different perspective for them to look at (image 3) making the shot look less scary and giving the dancers less ‘power’ which changes into a long shot of the artist, where you can faddily see the dancers showing that they have much importance by helping to put the show/performance together. It shows the audience being of a more dominant role.

The scene around image 4 conducts the male gaze once again through many close ups of her waist and body making the audience potentially attracted and making them carry their focus to her silhouette/figure/curves.

Cinematography

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Mise-en-scene

o Setting – the setting of this video is clearly presented to be at the studio with the characters having a dance rehearsal as well as having a plain white background to help the artist being well noticed and to stand out from her background, it’s shown as if a performance is being put together. (image 1)

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Mise-en-scene

o Lighting - there is high key lighting mostly all throughout the video, which fulfils the conventions of a pop music video that has high key lighting, ultimately creating a ‘spotlight’ on the artist. It makes the artist stand out and creates a clear and detailed image of their persona. (image 2)

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Mise-en-scene

o Make-up – this genre typically has heavy makeup which the artist is wearing to signify what is said to be ‘beauty’, fulfilling the male gaze and making herself look attractive. This is what the media portray to be an attractive image and what girls/women/females will want to aspire to and create personal identity with Beyoncé. (image 3)

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Mise-en-scene

o Costumes – the further the video progresses, Beyoncé is wearing lesser clothes, it’s making the audience want to continue to watch the progression of the video where her fashionable costumes develop and change – suiting different occasions adding to exposing herself as binary oppositions. (image 4)

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Mise-en-scene

o Props – there are not many props in this video since it’s focused on dancing, the artists persona and the effective editing. There is a chair at the very end which connotes the ending of the video. After all the intense dancing, it’s like she is resting and in need of a break – the music counts down as if a finish and the music cuts off and the scene ends. (image 5)

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The editing that has been done with a combination of shots with transitions in between all throughout the video with multiple split screens, which is shown to be a ‘theme’ and running idea in the video. Image 1 shows an example where multiple different scenes were used with the same chorus, scrolling in the same manner as credits at the end of a film would.

Editing Effects

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In image 2, among many examples in the video, there is a correlation between the video and the visuals alongside a split screen where her eyebrows are moving to the beat of the music – it shows that she is fully involved and engaged with the taping of the video. The music video is full of colour and has a lot of energy given by the artist herself. All these colours used are to express and connote different emotions, it’s like a emotional rollercoaster which might not reflect on the video being targeted specifically at females because there isn’t a strict ‘pink’ colour that you will associate to being a ‘feminine’ colour. The lyrics, visuals, narrative and editing all reflect on each other and come along to form a final piece. Editing allows there to be special effects to allow the scenes to look like they were planned out to be in the directors ‘vision’. All throughout the video, there is diegetic sound used where the artist lip sings to the lyrics of the song and the editor has managed to combine the different scenes with the sound. The editing of the lip syncing and the visuals has been done effectively and consistently all throughout the video.

Editing Effects

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