Andrew Goodwin and Music Videos 4.The tone and atmosphere of the visuals

4. The demands of the record label will include the need of lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style that reflects their star image/persona).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY

1. This acknowledge the commercial nature of music videos. Music videos are essentially promotional devices whose function is to sell the song to its target audience.

• Close ups and mid close ups are key promotional devices in music videos, keeping the attention on the artist.

• Also Mise En Scene is a promotional device, the use of props and particularly clothing also help promote the artists music but also there brand/image

• Male Gaze can also be seen as a promotional device.The mise-en-scene in the music video is simply a blank white background which grasps the audiences attention. The props in which are used are minor as there is only a robo-glove and a ring on Beyoncé's finger, as well as a seductive leotard worn by both Beyoncé and her back up dancers. Even in the screen shot above we can clearly see a shot of Beyonce but with a female dancers leg in the frame.

2. Ultimately, stars are commodities that are used to represent values that will be attractive to their target audience. They are a brand. How is this brand identity established through their videos?

• Beyonce is almost portraying her sexy side throughout the video, through the use of the robot-glove the provocative leotard and the ring.

• The robot glove can be used to show the power of a 'single' lady and this particular video can be seen as quite feministic due to the fact that throughout the music video only the three women are in it.

• The lyrics suggest that women can also be in a way 'bossy' in a relationship, suggesting that a women can be strong and show men exactly what they've missed out on.

• Finally, this music video is unique in a way that is extremely simple yet it has a huge impact on it's audience. It's catchy chorus and the extraordinary choreography performed in this music video creates a quality which no music video has but that is however, typical of a 'pop' genre.

3. To appeal to the target audience, record companies will demand that there are a lot of close ups of the star so that the audience will identify with them. What evidence have you found of this in the music videos you have watched of this star?

The editing in this video uses fast cuts aswell as fading in. Shots are mainly extreme close ups, medium close ups and medium shots. As there is only 3 people involved in the music video our focus is simply on the artist herself. This video also uses alot of zooming in and out and pan shots. The music video only appears in black and white which makes this music video so unique.
The techniques used in this video in ways dont convey the stereotypical R&B/pop music videos as it is very simplistic.