Ways in which music videos could be analysed

Music videos could be analysed by looking at: -

1. Genre
2. Narrative
3. Representation
4. Audience
5. Media Language

My peers and I conducted an analysis of the following video, Jay Z - 99 Problems, to get some idea about what to consider in the production of our own music video.

Analysis

1. Genre

A close up shot of Jay Z wearing an
NY cap

Rap - all conventions, from mise-en-scène to editing, are representative of a stereotypical video from this genre. Just a few examples include, in terms of mise-en-scène, the NY cap, in terms of cinematography, the facial close up shots whilst Jay Z sings, in terms of sound, the loud bass, and in terms of editing, the fast cuts between frames.



2. Narrative
The narrative of this video centres around Jay-Z's life story and how other people view him. Lyrics such as 'rap critics they say he's [Jay-Z] "Money Cash Hoes"' and 'I'm from rags to ritches niggas I ain't dumb' confirm this.


3. Representation

A clear reference to Christianity from 
the opening seconds of the video

This video includes representations of numerous religions, the police and women. Representations of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and African Shamanism are evident throughout. A whole verse is dedicated to 'the mother fuckin' law' which tells you all you need to know about how the police are represented, whilst women are shown both as fragile, when one is seen cowering, and sexual items, particularly towards the end of the video.

4. Audience
Jay-Z's fans, a core of which is probably teen, black Americans. With Jay Z talking about his earlier life, those people might feel able to relate.


5. Media Language
With the video shot in black and white there is a connotation of age, experience and history.