F.L - Metanarrative Comparison

Music Videos Comparison

Comparing Half Moon Run’s ‘Full Circle’ (independent) with Taylor Swift’s ‘Black Space’.

Goodwin’s theory discusses generic characteristics in music videos, including the visual relationships with the music and lyrics. His theory states various aspects, which combine to create the combination for a generic music video.

·      In ‘Full Circle’ the relationship between the lyrics and visuals is quite disjunctive, with the meaning and the visuals being quite far apart. However, the main lyric in the chorus “full circle” shows an illustrative relationship, with round fruits and circles of birds being shown, which clearly represent the lyrics.

·      In ‘Blank Space’ the relationship is both illustrative and amplified. Overall, the meanings of her lyrics, which are connoted with broken-hearted pain, lust, old love, anger etc, are clearly demonstrated through her actions/the visuals in the video. However, some parts are more illustrative, for example the lyrics read “screaming crying” and the visuals clearly show her screaming and crying to her boyfriend.

·      In ‘Full Circle’ voyeurism is rarely used, with the main focus of the video being on scenic shots of nature and other actors. However, a few shots are shown of the actual artists, however these are quite rare and therefore do not support Goodwin’s theory of voyeurism (where the camera follows the artist).

·       However, in ‘Blank Space’ voyeurism is clearly used where the lead singer, Taylor Swift, is followed throughout and is central to the visuals and narrative. The camera follows her ‘journey’ and emotions throughout the video, and she is constantly at the core. This links to Archer’s idea of ‘meat shots’.

Dyer’s theory discusses the representation of the artists in their videos, and how they are presented through the media. His theory describes the concept of the ‘star’ where the artist is constructed to appeal to the audiences and increase sales. However, the alternative to the ‘star’ is the authentic artist, which is more down to earth and focused on their music.

·      In ‘Full Circle’ the artists are rarely shown throughout the video, this presents them as ignoring the ‘star’ construct idea and primarily aiming to just sell their music, and not themselves. When they are shown, they are simply shown with their instruments, keeping the focus on the video about their music and not them.

·      Furthermore, Dyer discussed how smaller artists normally only feature themselves in their video simply so that the audience slowly become aware of who they are watching so that they can slowly make links between their faces and their music – which is what Half Moon Run do.

·      In ‘Blank Space’ the idea of ‘star’ construct is extremely present, and the picture built of her is clearly designed to target her audience. Throughout the video she is presenting ‘relatable’ emotions to make her appear down to earth and in touch with her audience (making her audience feel closer to her and increasing sales).

·      Furthermore, despite the ‘messy’ states that she is shown is, she looks consistently ‘typically’ pretty which suggests that she is complying with this ‘desirable’ image that she is shown as in the media.

Barthes

·      In ‘Full Circle’ symbolic codes are used to represent the inner meanings of the lyrics. For example, when the birds are frequently shown in the video, this could be a symbolic signifier for freedom and the escapism the artists find in the music. However, this links with Barthes’s semic code idea, and it allows the audience an insight into the characters and the artists.

·      In ‘Blank space’ a cultural code is used when a shot of Taylor Swift holding a red apple is shown. The audience, using their external knowledge of the fairy tale ‘Snow White’ know the connotations of this and therefore understanding why this apple then poisons her ex-lover. This creates meaning in the text and allows the audience a further insight into her emotions and thoughts and feeling related to this character/storyline.

·      Furthermore, in ‘Blank Space’ it could be suggested that the enigma code is used. Firstly, once her ex-lover lies on the ground, it makes the audience question what will happen, is he dead? What has she done? Furthermore, at the end of the video, a new male arrives at her house and this again, forces the audience to question what will happen to him? These questions are all provoked my the codes and signifiers created in the text.