Track: Raining Men

Artist: Geri Halliwell

Genre: Pop

Genre characteristics

Common conventions of Pop music videos that occur in this video:

• Performance with narrative

• Dance routines

• Colourful costumes

• Close up’s of female star’s body and face

• Cheerful and happy mise-en-scene

Is there a relationship between visuals and lyrics

The relationship between visuals and lyrics is amplified in the video.

However some of the lyrics are illustrated for example:

‘stormy weather rolling in’ – artist dancing in front of a screen showing storm clouds

‘Its raining men’ – out side and it begins to rain

Is there a relationship between visuals and music

The relationship between music and visuals are mainly illustrated with all cuts and dance movements going with the beat of the music.

• The opening dance sequence is timed in beat with the music

• When the other dance students open the doors and start dancing around her, it links with an increase in the rhythm and volume of the music

• When the song slows down the visuals mirror this with the artist dance moves slowing down and a change of background.

Are there any close ups of the artist or any star image motifs

• Lots of close up’s of close ups of the artist – common in music videos as they are pretty much advertising a product

• There is also a scene in which the artist is doing sit ups with a dog next to her, this dog is famously her dog and is always with her providing a star motif within the video

Is there any reference to the notion to looking (voyeurism)

There is lots of voyeurism within this video. This was Geri Halliwell’s debut as a single artist and she dramatically lost weight and went blonde, so there is lots of shots focusing on her new thin body.

• Close ups of her wearing a tiny top and underwear dancing

• While she is dancing other dancers are watching her which she is unaware of

• When it starts raining she is dancing seductively and there are lots of shots of her body

• There are also a few shots where the camera pans up her body, making the audience look at her in a voyeuristic way

Are there any references of intertextuality This video has 2 main intertextual references:

• Fame

• Flashdance

Both of these are dancing films. The opening scene is taken from flashdance where she has an audition then falls and asks to start again the rest of the video is very similar to the film fame where they are all in a performing arts school and wear they all dance in the street is the end scene in fame, she is also wearing a t-shirt that says ‘famous’ in the same style of the title of the film fame is written.

I think the use of these 2 films link with the artist becoming a solo singer as opposed to being in a group as both films are about individuals trying to become big and famous by themselves. The music video also starts without music which makes the video almost like a film its self.