Conventions of a house music video

House  music  is  extremely  popular  in  night  clubs  and  over  the  years  has  become    essen7ally  a  hallmark  to  nightlife  and  culture.  Star7ng  in  the  1980’s  house  music  started   off   originally   in   Chicago,   gradually  moving   over   into   the  UK   in   the   late  80’s,  it  became  well  known  for  its  electronic  sound  and  up  beat  tempo.  As  7me  has  gone  on,  House  music  has  grown  and  developed  into  various  sub  genres  such  as  progressive  house,  acid  house,  and  electric  house.  With  this,  house  music  has  become   increasingly   ,mainstream   and   began   to   hold   a   constant   place   in   the  charts  as  well  as  major  singers  incorpora7ng  it  into  their  own  tracks.  In  addi7on  to  this,  due  to  house  music  popularity  within  the  club  scene,  the  vast  majority  of  music  videos  within  the  genre  typically  include  the  following…  •  Dancing  (conven7onally  women  dressed  in  revealing  ouNits),  •  Drinking  alcohol,  •  Flashing  lights,  •  And  bright  colours.  

Analysis of a house music video

Steve aoki ft waka floka flame Rage the night away

analysis The  opening  shot  of  the  video  is  of  a  birds  eye  angle  over  a  futuris7c,  Sci-­‐Fi  style  city.  This   not   only   automa7cally   tells   the  audience  when  and  where  the  video  is  set,  but   also   fits   in  with   the   electronic   sounds  within   the   song.   In   addi7on   the   directors  use   of   the   bright   neon   colours,   gives   the  video   an   up   beat   feel,   which   imitates   the  beats   in   the   song   as   well   as,   fiTng   in  perfectly   with   the   club   atmosphere   that  the   song   is   played   in.   In   addi7on   to   this  seTng,  the  audience  are  shown  a  group  of  girls   dancing   in   front   of   a   screen,   which  changes  colour  with  a  flashing  strobe   light  set  behind,  this  again  fits   in  with  the  night  club   culture   that   house   is   so   popular   in,  thus  aVrac7ng  the  target  audience.  Finally,  audience   is   also   shown   the   singer,   Waka  Flocka   Flame,   standing   in   front   of   a   green  backdrop   with   CGI   shapes   moving   about.  This   gives   a   lot   more   movement   to   the  scene  making   it   seem   lively  and  energe7c,  mimicking  the  song.    

analysis Steve   Aoki,   the   Dj,   appears  mul7ple   7mes   throughout   the  video   in   a   space   age   style,   white  armour  suit   (Pictured  below).  This  has   connota7ons   of   him   being  powerful,   due   to   the   armour  appearance   and   due   to   the   fact  that   he   is   one   of   the   highest  grossing   and   well   known   Dj’s  currently  therefore  it  highlights  his  posi7on  in  the  industry  as  well  as,  aptly   fiTng   in   with   the   futuris7c  seTng   and   electric   beats   within  the   song.   Likewise,   the   rapper   in  the   song   wears   a   brown   leather  jacket   and   grills   on   his   teeth,  which  fits   in  with   the  conven7ons  of   a   modern   rapper   and   thus  making   him   iden7fiable   to   the  audience.  

analysis Dancers  are  typically  a  major  feature  in  house  music  videos  and  this  one  is  no  excep7on.  Rage  the  Night  Away,  features  a  total  of  three  main  dancers  as  well  as  four  back  up  dancers,  which  only  feature  in  a  number  of  scenes.  The  main  dancers  however,  are  shown  to  be  wearing  very  revealing  crop  tops  and  skirts  with  slits  in  the  side  or  high  waisted  hot  pants.  These  have  been  specifically  chosen  as  they  give  connota7ons  of  the  nightclub  scene  but  also  allows  the  director  to  open  up  the  viewing  audience  as  it  will  aVract  men.  In  addi7on,  the  dancers  have  very  over  the  top  make  up,  as  this  again  connotes  the  night  club  scene  but  also  has  the  futuris7c  feel  that  is  being  put  across  in  the  video  due  to  the  outlandishness  of  the  weathers  and  bright  colours.  

analysis Rage  the  Night  Away,  features  a  lot  of  short  takes  and  jump  cuts.  This  has  been  done  by  the  director  as  it  gives  the  video  an  edgy  and  lively  feel,  which  mirrors  the  songs  energe7c  beats.  This  in  turn  links  with  the  conven7ons  of  house  music  as  it  mimics  the  dancing  and  wildness  of  the  nightclub  scene.  When  the  bass  drops  in  the  song  the  speed  of  the  clips  increases  drama7cally,  thus  once  again  portraying  this  connota7on.  Likewise,  the  video’s  storyline  consists  of  a  woman  going  to  see  the  Dj  about  a  par7cular  device  which  transports  you  into  a  dream  realm  where  she  is  surrounded  by  bright  colourful  screens  and  two  dancers,  therefore  by  incorpora7ng  these  jump  cuts  and  short  takes  the  director  is  mimicking  the  storyline  as  well  as  the  song  itself.