Textual analysis of Music Videos (Number Two)

Plan B - Writing's on the wall


The genre of the video is pop, which is also the genre of the artist. The typical narrative shown within this music video is a 'love story' which is falling apart, and what can be expected to be shown within this music video is one party (the woman) trying to resolve the situation, whereas the other party (the man) cheats on the woman, and shows no urge to fix the relationship. What is unexpected from this video is the man cheating on the woman, and the showing of another woman.

There is intersexual reference to artist Stevie Wonder with the title of the song by Plan B, being 'Writing's on the wall' and Stevie Wonder’s song being 'Very superstitious writing's on the wall'

The narrative shows the male preforming at a gig whilst his wife is at home waiting for him to get home, and whilst she is waiting, he cheats on her with a girl he met at a bar. The theme presented within this music video is ‘love gone wrong’ and also trust, and how there seems to be none left within their relationship. There are recognisable characters, such as the male artist, the female protagonist and the female antagonist. The lyrics are reflected by the video very well, for instance with the lyric ‘we both know we are hanging on here but no one’s gonna’ say it’ is shown within the narrative of the phone call when both parties end the conversation with ‘I love you’ however the male artist is planning to cheat on his wife, and the wife is getting drunk by herself.








The representation shown within this music video clip shows a stereotypical view on gender. This is a stereotypical view as the male is seen to be successful, popular and also dominant over his band and also the crowd, whilst the woman is seen cooking within the kitchen as well as preforming domestic and stereotypical actions, such as dressing up to impress her husband, as well as many shots of her cooking. This is also to be seen as a stereotypical view due to the fact the music video is set within a period piece, which the period it is set in, which is around ‘1960-1970’ men were seen as the dominant characters, and the women domestic.
The male artist has been constructed to be a fictional celebrity who is very popular, as he is shown to have a very big crowd who are enjoying themselves. The artist also does not have an anonymous role within the music video, and is seen to be always involved with the focus directly on him.


When looking at visual codes, the first location of the music video is set within a big venue (the nightclub) and is also a period piece, as the mise-en-scene shows some of the male crowd members in bow ties which is not very modern, the piece can also be identified as period, in the way the language is used, for instance the male artist calls him wife ‘doll’ which is not of the modern language, but is mostly associated with era’s ranging from the 1960-1980’s. The location can also been shown to be in England, and pin pointed in London, due to the English accent the male and female protagonists speak with, we can also gather that we are located within London, as later on into the music video the male artist and a few others are seen to be dining and also walking around China town, which is located in London.




A dominant colour used within this music video is grey, which shows connotations of negativity, and also seeing how the male artist is shown within grey, it shows connotations of the artist not wanting to fix the problem with his wife, and that he does not feel the same about her as he did once before. However another colour which is shown to be dominant is that of white, which is shown with the female protagonist, which shows connotations of positivity, and also her wanting to fix the marriage and to not just ignore the problem. The idea that the man is shown within grey, and the woman in white can also be shown as a foretelling the future, for example, within the end of the narrative the male artist cheats on his wife which is a dark act, which shows connotations of how the artist has lost the purity in his marriage, meaning that the woman stays In the dominant colour white, as she has stayed loyal and pure to the marriage, however the artist has not, and therefore is shown in grey as he gave into temptation, therefore poisoning the purity, or the dominant colour white therefore showing the guilty party in grey throughout the music video.  



The artist name is also written is lights on a billboard, which allows audience members to identify who the artist is, the fact the artist’s name is in big and lights, it shows connotations of how the artist is successful and also popular. The use of shot composition allow the narrative to make sense and to continue, for example, a shot is blurred , which shows connotations of  the artist filled with confusion, and also the effect of alcohol, which allows audience members to understand what is happening to the male artist within the narrative.  

The use of an extreme close up on the pan bubbling over, shows connotations of the how the female protagonist feels about the actions her husband shows towards her, for example deciding to go out for a drink instead of coming home to her. The pan bubbling over can be shown to demonstrate how, she herself is bubbling over the top in regards to emotion, and cannot conceal her emotions, and in a result, just as the pan bubbles over, she her-self bubbles over, and turns to alcohol to numb the emotional damage of the realisation that her marriage is ending, and that there is nothing she can do to stop it. The use of a hand held camera on the artist and his group helps to tell the narrative as it shows the connotations of the party to be drunk and therefore un able to think straight, so therefore the shot is shaky so audience members can understand that the artist's mind-set is like the shot and sharp and straight.

The editing is fast cut, which reflects on the song being fast paced, the cuts also help tell the story, as for instance when the artist is preforming, there are many cuts indicating that the crowd are energetic and excited about the performance and the artist himself.

I would place the target audience to this music video to be young adult (15-18) because although the target audience are unlikely to be married, the music video shows a narrative that people can relate to, for instance the aspect of cheating, or trying to sort the relationship out, and the other party not meeting them half way. The target audience is then also able to link themselves to the characters emotionally, which engaged the audience more with the song and also music video, meaning that in regards to marketing, the artist and record label are more likely to be popular because of the link the audience make emotional to this song, can be marketed with other songs the artist produced and/or is producing.


By doing this analysis, it has been able to ease me into how much detail can be hidden within a music video, and it has also taught me that I should pay attention to that detail, because it can contain certain messages to the narrative that I would had missed otherwise

Textual analysis of Music Video (Number One)

The genre of this music video is hip-hop and is also the genre of the artist. There is also a typical narrative which is followed throughout the duration of the music video. What we could expect from this video, would be close up's and long shots of the artist preforming, and shots to show the location he is in, what we wouldn't expect from this video would be slow paced editing, as the song itself is fast in tempo. The narrative which seems to be seen within this music video is the following of the artist throughout his location, which ends with people being placed in jail, and himself being shot. The themes presented within this narrative are of stereotypical views on ethnicity, and more precisely the young African-American population within the location the music video is located to be filmed in. In regards to TODOROV this music video shows the stages 2-4 are used with regards to their being a problem, with the artist, the recognition of the problem by the police, and then the resolving of the problem by the police when they shoot the artist.
This could also be taken to show connotations of how people still deal with racism, and that it is still a problem within society as, for example, the artist has been shown to of committed no crime, however he is being shot down like a criminal. The characters are also recognizable, for example, the male artist and such smaller characters such as the policeman, are shown to be recognizable to audience members.

The lyrics are reflected by the music video which also falls into the codes and conventions of Godwin's theory, which is point number two, with the relation between video and lyrics. This is point number two, because on the lyric 'I've got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one' we are shown a group of obscenely dressed women, who are represented to be the 'bitches' he is talking about in the lyrics. The representation shown within this music video is the stereotypical view on age and gender. Age, when shown in this music video, is stereotypical as the younger generation are seen to be spray painting buildings, and causing havoc around the location (for example huddled within intimidating crowds and preforming styles of dance outside of an abandoned building), this then leads on to the connotations of the younger generation to be seen as violent and to have no self control or responsibility to their actions, therefore hitting the criteria of a stereotypical representation. Gender is also shown to be a stereotypical representation due to the women being obscenely dressed causing the music video to fall under the stereotypical view that women and seen to be elements of beauty and possessions for the alpha-male to, in theory own. (This can be shown with the shots of the three women all dressed in obscene clothing which could be associated with underwear and/or bikini's.) The artist has been constructed to be shown as a celebrity, and is therefore shown in many close up's and low angles which has connotations of his power, and dominance over the locations the music video has been placed. When looking at visual codes and where the location is, we are able to understand that we are within New York, or more to the point Brooklyn Bridge, which is shown within a low angle of the artist as he walks on the bridge, and also the close up on the sign saying Brooklyn Bridge.


The piece is not set within a period (such as the 1800's) which can be shown due to the shots of cars, and the artist within a shop containing technology. A dominant colour used within this music video is the colour grey which shows connotations of neutral surroundings, and lack of energy, which is shown to connote the artist's feelings towards the issues in the lyrics, for instance women and also other authoritative figures. This lack of energy towards women can be explored to shown deep connotations of how he has been in love and been hurt, and therefore, since the love ended he hasn't been himself, and feels drained from the whole aspect of 'love' and therefore '99 problems but a bitch ain't one' and the use of grey is his way of putting his feelings on paper, and is also then able to move on to enjoy life with the type of women he labelled as 'bitches' There is iconography used within this music, for example the Brooklyn Bridge, which allows audience members to identify where the location is set. By using Brooklyn Bridge it allows identifies to the audience to where the music video is going to be set, and also has connotations of power when shown with the artist walking in the centre, this is because it allows audiences to see the connotations of power and dominance that the artist has over the location, for instance the meaning from the low angle shot could also have the connotations of how the artist has control over the city of Brooklyn, and by showing the artist on a very iconic part of the city, allows the audience to identify his power and control.


  Using a low angle of the artist on the Brooklyn bridge and also in the middle of a street which has connotations of his power that he has over the city, and that he 'owns the streets' which again shows connotations of his male dominance over the and those within the street he is shown in. Also the use of a hand held camera at points in the music video allows to have a more of an element of verisimilitude compared to some music video's who do not contain hand held footage. The editing used in the music video fits the song, and also helps tell the narrative, for instance when the artist is talking about a police man pulling him over, there are shots from long, to medium of that happening. For the video itself, and not the lyric content, I would put the video to have the audience of young adults (15+) because however the narrative and structure does not present themes some may find disturbing, there are some scenes of a sexual nature, e.g. the obscene women.




The audience is targeted by this video due to using codes and conventions from Godwin's theory which the target want and expect from the video, for example the use of obscenely dressed woman, and hand signs and gestures made by the artist. I would also place this target audience in terms of demographic at E-D. This will help me with my editing as this music video has a lot on editing, and therefore I can use this music video in aid for when I come to editing on the beat of the song I choose.

Textual analysis of a Music Video (Number One)

Can we dance - The Vamps

The genre of the music video is pop, and the genre of the artist/band ‘The Vamps’ is also pop. Within the music video there is a clear narrative portrayed, and would could be expected for this music video by the artist, is shots of them playing, and also a subtle romance narrative as it is told within the song. What would be unexpected within this narrative would be a slow paced negative narrative as it would not fit well for the song. This music video seems to have no intertextual references

The narrative follows the after mess of a teenager house party without parent permission, the band recruiting help to clean the house, there is also flashback’s to the previous night with live performance footage which the parents then find out about. The theme is seen to be positive, and centred on the lead singer and his antics with girls and having fun with his friends, as well as cleaning up. The narrative follows the TODOROV structure of all five stages, in order, which allows audiences to be engaged within the narrative and also the band and other characters, as they are seen to develop as the stages go on.

The band play their selves within this music video, however characters such as the female protagonist love interest is easy to identify, for example, she is approached through a crowd by the bands lead singer (Approx. 2:31)

The video reflects the lyrics because it keeps the up-beat positive attitude of the overall song, and also the lyrics “I’ve been a bad, bad boy. Whispering rude things in her ear” which is shown and also to end with her slapping him across the face. (Approx. 2:34)

The representation shown within this clip age, as the music video shows stereotypical and non-stereotypical views because younger generation (The band and the extra characters seen at the party) are seen to disobey their elders and show no respect, as there has been a party with their parent’s knowledge.  However the music video is also non-stereotypical within representation because they are then seen to take responsibly of their actions (The rest of the narrative consists of the band and their friends cleaning the house)

The band have been constructed to be within the centre of the attention, and are also playing themselves instead of fictional characters. The focus is mostly on the band playing, as they are shown performing in front of a big crowd who are enjoying themselves, and consists of man close up’s and long shots of the lead singer, which can be seen to link with Godwin’s 6^4h point, that it is demanded by the record label.

When regarding the visual codes, the dominant colour that is seen to be used is red, which shows connotations of passion, and also warmth, which can also be shown to reflect on the lyrics and meaning of the song, e.g. the song is all about having a fun time with friends, and also perusing the chances of becoming more than friends with one other.  The effect of having this warmer colour as a dominant colour, is that it allows the audience to understand that the genre is not following conventions of such as a 'hip-hop' genre, or 'heavy metal', which would include more negative and colder colours, such as grey and blue, but is however is watching a positive 'pop' genre video which contains family friendly themes.

The band's name is not plastered around the location, but however shows written typography within technology, e.g. the band send out a message on the social media of 'twitter' and also post a video on 'YouTube' which show's there name.  But showing the typography within the social media, it shows connotations of the media technology advances within the years, and also hints towards the representation of age, and in this case teenagers/young adults being consumed by technology, which also shows stereotypical views on the representation of age. When looking at the band, the typography could of been chosen to be seen within the media because it shows that they are new and 'on trend' with the rest of their target audience, such as fans, meaning that fans, or even audience members are more likely to 'follow' the band on 'Twitter' which boost the bands popularity, meaning a boot in sales, etc... The video is set within the lead singer's house after a 'teenage' party without parent permission, also seeming to be within the present time, as mobile networking and social media are shown to great extent, which having a music video set within the present could show connotations of the band allowing audiences to understand that they are within the present, and also a new experience for 'fan girls', which could also show connotations of the band showing their new target audience (younger girls/teenage girls) that they could bring more to the music industry than boy bands at the present, such as 'One Direction' and 'The Wanted'.   The music video is also shown in high key lighting which shows connotations of innocence and also the positive outlook the band have on themselves and also their fan-base (the jumping crowd) therefore showing audiences that they are a 'feel-good' band that the audience's would enjoy listening to.

The camera angles change within the music video, for instance, the camera tracks the lead singer through the house which creates the effect, that just as we are seeing the shot for the first time, so is the singer, therefore showing audience interaction within the narrative, therefore allowing the audience to be fully engaged with the narrative and also the band.   The camera also helps move the narrative along, as the camera changes between close up's and canted angles(Approx..: 0:39), meaning that the audience get the understanding that the narrative contains flashbacks to the night before, e.g. the band performing, and also the present narrative, which is the band calling on friends to help. The editing is also fast paced which reflects the tempo of the song, and also allows the narrative to make more sense, ie, the music video reflects on the positive party the night before, and also the panic of cleaning up the evidence before the parents return to the house.

Therefore I believe that the target audience of this music video would be teenagers (15 +) because, although there was no extreme sexual activity, apart from a small kiss, the lyrics imply that the band could produce songs and also music videos which could be seen as more adult, for example some of the lyrics include 'my eyes are doing dirty' and 'my hands are made for somewhere else' which could show connotations of a deeper sexual reference. The music video however appeals to the target audience of 15 + as they do not present themes, which could be seen as misleading, for example the party they all attend does not show underage drinking, smoking illegal drugs etc, which also shows connotations of the band showing the public that they are good role models.   


By doing this analysis, this will help me with my conventions, shots and editing, as well as much more when It comes to creating my own, allowing me to then have as much advantage as I possibly can on achieving the highest grade.

Textual analysis of Music Video's (Number Two)

Let me in - GroupLove

The genre of this music video is a hybrid of indie and pop, which is also the genre of the band ‘Grouplove’. The narrative shown is not of the extra ordinary, it shows two characters, who over time fall in love with each other, the only difference with this story line is that the two characters are both suffers of cancer, which is not normally seen within a love story narrative.

What you could expect from this music video is live playing from the band, and also clips from the movie ‘The fault in our stars’ which show the narrative, and what I would not expect from this music video would be a slow storyline which is negative, because the song itself is upbeat and positive.   

Not from other music videos, but from the film ‘the fault in our stars’ which the song ‘let me in’ was written for.

The narrative shows the band playing through the night, and also showing clips from the film which shows the TODOROV storyline of stages 1-5 as the film clips show how they first met, and works through their struggles of being two cancer patients, to then end up together, meaning that all five stages are shown within the music video.

The characters are recognisable due to the music video showing clips straight from the film ‘the fault in our stars’. The video reflects the lyrics because it is all about waiting for someone and also waiting for their love, ‘I’ll be waiting for a’ which is shown with the male protagonist waiting for the female protagonist.

The representation shown within this music video is the representation of disability, which is shown to have a non-stereotypical view. This non-stereotypical view does not fall under John Hunt's list of of representations of disability, it however challenges point ten in regards to 'sexually abnormal'. The music video does this by showing the two protagonists to be  falling in love, and being desired sexually and emotionally. This is non-stereotypical because people who are disabled are mostly shown to be objects of pity/sympathy and to not be sexually attractive, however within this music video the representation is non-stereotypical as the two disabled protagonists are shown to be sexual normal in regards to social activity.  (Approx. 3:15)

The band are seen to only be preforming, and not involved within the storyline, meaning that the band do not have involvement within the narrative, but are not seen to be anonymous, and are just to be seen as a band.

The band are shown to be performing on a rooftop, whereas the film is seen to be shot in various places, such as the female characters house, a public street and exterior shots of drives ways, and fields. The dominant colours used within this music video is blue, light and dark which shows connotations of loyalty, depth and stability, which reflects the lyrics because the lyrics are all about staying loyal to one person and also holding on to the person that you love. The film clips within this music video are shown to be more vibrant and in high key lighting compared to the band who are shown in low key lighting and in less vibrant colours, which shows connotations of the narrative to be more important than the actual live band footage, meaning that directed Greg Brunkalla meant to do this so the audience were drawn more to the footage rather than the band in order to promote the media product ‘The fault in our stars’.

Most of the angles within this music video are mid shots and close up’s of the band preforming, which allows the audience to be more engaged within the actual narrative and not the use of shots. The band as well are mostly seen with a blur and in fast paced editing, meaning that the audience can still view the band, but again are more drawn to the film clip narrative. The way the camera moves within the film’s narrative is stable and allows the audience to take in the entire narrative, and to also show the difference between the narrative and the band’s footage. The bands footage is seen to be equal between all performers in fast paced editing, which is different to the films footage because it shows connotations of chaos, compared to the steady shots of the film.

When it comes to audiences I would believe this music video to be aimed at mature teens to young adults (15-18+) because the song’s lyrics are not indecent, and there are no scenes that would seem to offend, however there are some scenes within the films narrative of a sexual manor, meaning that it would not be suitable for children under a certain age, hence why I have chosen to put the target audience to young adults and mature teens. I would also think the target audience would be fan of the band, or of the upcoming film ‘The fault in our stars’.

The music video would appeal to this target audience because it shows parts of the films narrative, and also footage of the band, meaning that their fans, and fans of the upcoming film would be engaged within the music video, because they would be seeing clips that had not been released and also listening to the bands new song ‘Let me in’.

This analysis will help me within the future when it comes to creating my own music video as it will allow me to have an advantage of picking out what needs to be in a music video, and also how I should show elements in my music video, for instance if I was to have it, live performers.

Textual analysis on music video's (Number Three)

Small Bump – Ed Sheeran

The Genre of the artist is acoustic pop, folk and hip hop, however the genre of the music video is of a negative nature, and can be seen to be of the drama genre due to generic conventions such as conflict, loss and emotional subjects, which this music video explores. I would have expected the music video to be slow paced to fit with the themes of the song, the music video also does not have any intertexual references.

The narrative shows an every-day activity of a hospital with the artist sat as if waiting to speak to the doctor about a loved one. Within this narrative we see smaller one emerge, i.e. a man being brought in who had been shot. , and a child running down the hall followed by her mother.

The themes represented within this video of strong emotional feelings, such as the two men fight in (approx.: 2:09) and the artist himself sat in the waiting room looking worried. This also suggests that video is not of the positive nature and although just shows an average day within a hospital, it also shows the themes of personal loss, pain and worry through the actors, e.g. the woman sat behind the artist. (Approx.: 3:00)

The structure to the video, when applied to TODOROV, it can be seen to show stage three, which is Recognition of disruption, as the artist is waiting within the hospital due to an unfortunate event, which has allowed him to realise that there is a problem.

The video reflects the song lyrics as the song refers to a close personal member of the artist who suffered from a miscarriage at four months, the video reflects the emotions within the song by keeping the overall tone and how the video was presented to a bare minimum to allow the audience member to be engaged with the lyrics, and also the emotion the artist had put into the song

The representation of this music video is a stereotypical view on class. The representation is stereotypical as during the narrative when we are shown the artist and the doctor, the doctor ignores the artist sat within the waiting room, and also the woman behind him, therefore showing connotations of a stereotypical view on class that because the artist and the woman are beneath his class, he shouldn't bother with them and does not seem to care, this can be shown Approx.:0:15 

The artist, however always in shot, is not the main focus of the piece, meaning that although they are present, they have decided to not make the video constant a focus on themselves, but on the music and its lyrics.  The video also shows small signs of stereotypical nature of class within social groups, for example, the doctor at the beginning can see his patients in distress, however chooses not to engage with them, which could show connotations of a stereotypical view that, because they are off a lower class, he is not being paid to talk to them, so why should he?

When referring to visual codes, the hospital is set within a wing of a hospital, which is made clear to the audience members, with the three mid shots at the beginning. The video is also seen to be shot in the present, as the artist is seen to be in modern casual clothing, and also the fact that the hospital looks highly equipped and up-to-date.   

The dominant colours within in this video seem to be of a dull white, which shows connotations of clinical and safe environment but tinted with sorrow, which also reflects with the song’s lyrics. The effect of using low key lighting in such a clinical location allows audience members to understand that the music video is of reflection to the artist’s piece, and of an emotional negative effect.

The shots used consist of mid shots, and mostly a track on the artist spanning from one end of the hall way to the other, which shows connotations of how he does not stand out within the location, and also conveys more emotions by showing to be singing the song from a first person’s perspective, e.g. the song Is about his experience of a miscarriage, and therefore the shot captures this fully by placing the artist to be almost in the background of the event, allowing audiences to listen to the lyrics and to convey emotion from them.

Technology wise, there is not much within the video apart from the fading in and out of the actors within the hospital, which can be seen to be used to explore the fact that within a hospital, however big of an impact the event has on you, it does not have that big of an effect to the overall location, e.g. a mothers children running around the halls when she is trying to regain control.  The way the camera moves allows the narrative to be told as if being look at from a book, for example there are no point of view shots, the camera tracks around the artist, as if he is going through the emotion and actions himself, and from a cinematic point of view, the audience are seen to be almost peering into the memory of the artists of the event. This could also be another interpretation as to why the added actors fade in and out, as the director could of chosen this is convey an almost dream like state to which the audience are seen to be with a memory of the experience of the artist. The only editing is the quick cut to the three different shots of the hospital, the rest of the time the shot is continuous, apart from fading the actors in and out.

I would believe that the target audience would be towards the artist’s fans, and also anyone who has experienced the loss that the artist did. The video does not show any scenes of a disturbing nature, and therefore would not offend or disturb anyone, meaning that the video would be able for all ages.

However I believe that the type of audience who would watch this would be anyone who could relate to a miscarriage or any unfortunate event, because it allows the audience member to make links to the artist and/or the characters shown within the music video, which would also emotionally stable them to know that they are not alone, and that others have experienced terrible things, and have survived the emotional and/or physical damage.

This analysis will help me when it comes to my own music video because especially in this video, as it looks mostly on editing and lip syncing, meaning that I would have a basis to look back at in order to aid me and guide me to when I come to editing and editing the lip sync decently.

Specific Mind map on Music Videos

This mind map will help because I have already progressed from my first mind map, meaning that I now have a more advanced beginning point for the rest of my course work, which will help me as it will aid me to gain the highest possible grade.

Mind map of Music Videos

By noting down what I already know about music videos allows me to then know where my starting point is, and then I can progress.

Candidate and Centre Number

Jade Flack - 8309 Center number- 16315