Music Video Textual Analysis: Katy Perry - Roar

Mid shot – handheld camera movement to match the artists feelings of instability.

Analysis

The mid shot is used to show the mise en scene element of costume. Katy is seen to be wearing a safari costume which links visuals to the lyrics as the song is called ‘Roar’. The camera shot is handheld also to show her instability in the narrative, as it is clear in the video from her expressions that she is confused and lost. This shot has a cut transition before and after and it is edited to the beat so that the shot changes in relation to the music, so as not to distract from the song it is highlighting. The bright and vibrant colours suggest it is a part of the pop genre. The use of the fire signifies passion and ferociousness, reflecting Katy’s Brand image and personality.

Music/lyrics‘I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath’

Edit/transitionsCut transition before and after for smooth transitioning on the beat.

Long shot – zoom in to close up (Long take) to show expression.

Analysis

The long shot is used to show Katy in relation to her surroundings – a thick jungle. This setting reflects her seeing the light and emerging from the thick darkness and reflects the songs meaning of female empowerment. This is the link between visuals and lyrics. The composition of the shot uses rule of thirds to place Katy at the forefront of the shot, showcasing the star. Her costume is more clearly displayed here and elements of intertextuality are shown through this as it is similar to American comic book character ‘Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle’ both through narrative and costume. The zooming camera movement helps the audience to focus on the star as it changes the shot from a long shot to a close up through a long take.

Music/lyrics Edit/transitions

‘You held me down, but I got up.Already brushing off the dust’

Cut transition before and after

Shot type and camera movementClose up to long shot to close up – zooming and panning movement (fast) to match the build-up of the song.

Analysis

This moving shot is used to compare Katy to a tiger. It is a long take in order to allow the comparison to be clear but also to allow the special effects. The flecks of light have been superimposed onto the screen to form the image of a tiger. This links lyrics to visuals as she has previously sang ‘I’ve got the eye of the tiger’. Tigers are fierce and symbolise courage and strength, this likeness helps to infer the meaning of the song which is about female empowerment. The light also is very bright and superficial- making it genre appropriate. It is also unrealistic and over the top- which is an element that appeals to the pop audience.

Music/lyrics‘You’re gonna hear me roar’

Edit/transitionsCut transition before and after

Shot type and camera movementPoint of view shot- long shot- low angle handheld camera

Analysis

This point of view shot shows the tiger looking at Katy. It is at a slightly low angle which portrays the artist as dominant to comply, again, with the meaning of the song about women being powerful. It is shot in handheld camera to show the tiger looking her over. The shot is composed so that she is central to show her importance. The area around this has been blurred through editing in order to show that it is the view from the animal’s eyes and also to reinforce the importance of the focus upon the artist. Mise en scene shows her to be wearing a different costume that she has made out of leaves. It is still a glamorous outfit though to show the star as looking beautiful which is often the case in pop videos. The lighting is again very bright and vibrant to conform to the genre conventions.

Music/lyricsInstrumental – building and increasing volume as she battles the tiger to reflect suspense

Edit/transitionsCut to next shot to match the beat

Shot type and camera movementLong shot- slow panning to show the setting

Analysis

The long shot is used to show the artist in relation to her background. The colours here are extremely vibrant. The slow panning movement is used to show more of the jungle setting. The straight angle is used in the long shot to include both the elephant and the artist in the same shot. It indirectly shows her power as she is playing with the elephant. This is because the animal is much bigger and more dominating then her, yet she has the control and respect of it, showing her as powerful. The scene has lots of special effects such as the waterfall superimposed in the background to build up the density of the shot and make the jungle appear as a ‘paradise’.

Music/lyrics‘Louder than a lion, cos you’re gonna hear me roar’

Edit/transitionsCut transition before and after

CONCLUSION

From this I have learnt that pop videos feature a lot of special effects to enhance the video as well as vibrant colours- some of which are edited and enhanced to appear brighter. This has taught me that in my video I need to ensure that the video quality is vibrant and bright rather than dingy and dull like in indie music videos. As well as this, my textual analysis has taught me that I need to include a lot of close up’s of the artist as this is a common shot in pop videos in order to showcase the artist. These close ups use rule of thirds to make sure the audience is focused on the star. For an upbeat song such as roar- the most common transition is the cut transition as it is simple and does not distract too much from the music, as it is edited so that shots change on the beat.