Promotional Video: Britney Spears
The opening sequence of Britney Spears' promotional video includes an establishing shot of New York City. This consists of the well known images of the sky scrapers and the hustle and bustle of New York, which is world famous in itself. The camera then pans to show a crowd of Britney fans waiting outside the concert, implying that throughout the whole of New York City, Britney is the main focus. Whilst this is going on Britney herself is narrating and her use of informal (chatty) language marks the start of the friendly bonding between Britney and the audience which remains throughout the whole video. There is also a photo montage of Britney in the press, when she was a child, when she was growing up, when she first hit the charts and then up to the present time. This again makes the relationship between Britney and the audience very personal and also brings Britney down from this publicised superstar to an ordinary person, which I believe to be one of the main purposes of this video. Britney Spears is one of the most well know and most publicised celebrities, lots of remarks have been spread worldwide about Britney and overall have caused many people to dislike her, this video brings her back to reality and shows she is an ordinary person.
This promotional video was released by Britney's record company. I think this is key to the messages that come out of the promotional video such as recreating Britney as an ordinary person, making her easier to get along with therefore creating a friendly relationship between audience and artist, therefore leading to higher record sales and more sold out concerts. Another aspect of institution that has come out of the promotional video is another piece of memorabilia. The video itself can be sold to the public so therefore it becomes a wanted item for Britney fans.
Another key aspect of artist's promotional videos is the notion of looking that the audience feels when watching the video. In Britney's promotional video there are several clips of her backstage and behind the scenes and obviously there are also several clips of Britney performing live in concert. This gives the audience an almost V.I.P like status as they are watching her backstage and also gives the audience that they get to see the concert from the front row of the audience. This makes the audience feel closer and more personal to Britney and the friendship that I mentioned previously is continued between Britney and the audience.
The use of special effects is very minimal in this promotional video. There is a photo montage (almost like a collage) at the beginning of the video of Britney through the years, even as a child, creating even more of a personal friendship between herself and the audience. Apart from the photo montage at the very beginning, there is minimal special effects used with just the use of a teaser before the breaks showing clips that would be showing in the rest of the video, and also the best bits of the video which were still to come. This is cleverly used in the video to make sure that the audience are hooked throughout the whole video and to make sure that they keep watching. The lack of special effects in this video also adds to the whole feeling of this video being about the real Britney Spears, without all of the glamour and the paparazzi (without all the special effects), which again is allowing the audience to become more familiar and personal to the person she is rather than the outrageous pop star the press has presented her to be. This also implies that everything that the audience see in the promo video is real and that she’s not making it fancy and fake to attract people.
The setting for Britney's concert is a big and very old hall. It has some amazing architecture and is very old, it looks like a venue for art galleries and opera singers to use. Obviously, the use of a venue like this completely contrasts to Britney's music. This has been used to show that she is rebelling against the innocent pop princess that she started out as and is now this sexy, rebellious and mature artist. The maturity side of her image also comes from the use of setting in this video. The use of an old, artistic building creates an image for Britney as a piece of art, and much like most art galleries art is very expensive so she has made a 'high art' image for herself. Although the use of pink and relatively girly titles and subtitles throughout the video contrast to this new image that she has created, and that she still is quite a girly girl. This allows Britney to at the same time attract new older audiences as well as keeping her younger fans that she already had.
There is lots of simple panning in this video; this was mainly at the beginning, the end and during Britney's performances. This was done to establish the scene whilst inside and outside of her performance venue. This was so that the audience could see the whole interior and exterior of the venue, so it was like they were at the concert and therefore more personal and closer to Britney. The camera angles mainly used in the video are close ups on her face to help carry emotion from artist to audience easily, again creating a personal bond between them and also lots of medium wide shots, enabling the audience to see the surroundings of her concert, again making them feel as if they were there.
There are a few intertextual references in this promotional video. It features Britney collaborating with the Ying Yang Twins. Two of the most famous hip-hop artists in the world. In this day and age hip-hop music is very popular and is targeting a much larger audience and Britney as an artist has obviously recognised this and chosen to collaberate with them to get her face into the new scene, and also to attract a wider audience. Another reference in the video is to Britney's roots, by the use of her singing a country/western style ballad. This again targets another audience, enabling Britney to cover an extremely large range of media consumers. This also shows that through the reference to her roots, she is very much family orientated and again is creating this down to earth person that audiences should love.
During the entire video we see Britney in very different outfits. Mainly whilst she is performing she is wearing tight sexy clothes, helping her create the new sexy, independent image she is looking for. However, during her country ballad, she changes into a white dress, this again enables her to attract her long-term younger fans who still think she is innocent and still a pop princess. The white dress shows she still has her sweet and innocent side although she is trying to break away from this look. So through this technique she is still targetting a very large audience. This promotional video was brought out soon after Britney's collaboration with Madonna with 'Me against the Music'. In the 1980s Madonna was very well known for her over the top and sometimes obscene sense of fashion, well known as power dressing. In the video for 'Me against the Music', Britney uses a slight hint of power dressing in her costume, creating a sexy business woman image. This exact costume is worn again by Britney in the video, again adding to this more mature image of Britney, attracting more fans and showing that she is following in the footsteps of a legendary artist, like Madonna. This also opens up Britney to Madonna fans, another audience Britney would of attracted.
The lighting that I thought was significant in the video is most vital when Britney is performing on stage. This involves very dim lighting in a very beautiful setting creating a very intimate, passionate and almost sensual atmosphere for the audience and Britney. Intimacy with fans and artists is very rarely unheard of, and again this enables the audience to get closer and become more personal with Britney, the main message of this video as well as promoting her as an artist.
The role of the musician in this promotional video, is a narrator over the top of the action on screen and a performer. Britney narrates whilst clips are showing on the screen, almost giving a personal commentary of her life. The fact that Britney is addressing the audience again carries on the connection between artist and audience I have talked about quite frequently in this analysis. The other role that Britney has in this video is as a performer. Britney is lip singing in this video, when she is performing live, this allows her to show off her other talents such as dancing. This shows that she is an established performer and not a manufactured performer, and that she is an all round performer as well. This makes people want to go and see her live because they know that she is going to do an amazing performance, therefore making her more money and attracting new audiences.
Britney breaks a key convention of a successful artist by lip syncing live to an audience. Many people think that when artist's do not sing live that their voices on CD's etc, are not actually themselves. But she only lip sings in this video, so that she can show off her amazing performance skills as a dancer. Britney sexualises herself throughout this video, although some may think this is degrading and quite a shameful display, it establishes the new image that Britney wants and needs, to ensure that she stays successful.
By Ryan Wiles
Promo video textual analysis
Backstreet boys – Never gone
By Priya Gohil
The promo video starts with Backstreet Boys’ music video ‘incomplete’. This is to promote the songs and the audience are able to watch it whenever they want rather than just listening to it.
The album could be called ‘never gone’ as they, for a while stopped making music and as this is their new comeback album, it could imply it was like they were never gone. This could link back to why they started the promo video with a music video – to remind the audience of what they are capable of and how good they are.
The music video then cuts out and short memorable clips of the video play building up to a title page introducing ‘behind the scenes of Incomplete’.
Howie D introduces himself and the set for the behind the scenes footage. The audience get a chance to bond individually with him as a person rather than all of them as a group. The audience get an understanding of what his personality is like and who he is. Howie comes across as a funny and friendly man.
Howie is then filled in by the director of what he needs to do. The audience are made to feel as if they are getting a personal tour of the set and are also in the conversation between howie and the director.
The director then tells the audience about the ideas of the video – instead of a narrative based video, it is based on pure emotions of the lyrics. The audience are positioned so it feels as if they are included and discussing with the director. The camera angle is a mid shot and positioned straight on so the director is almost looking directly at the audience.
An objective shot is used treating the audience as an observer of the filming, back-stage with the camera crew making sure everything’s correct.
Kevin, another band member is next to be introduced, to have his turn to bond with the audience. As the audience, we are shown his talent, to play the piano, as a short clip is played from the actual music video. The camera angle is again, mid-shot, zooming into close up. This is so the audience get up close and personal with each band member. Kevin comes across as the slightly sensible one of the band. He talks to the audience about how well he thinks this shot went, as if he was updating a friend.
Next, A.J is introduced, and straight away, we are shown he is the funny and lively band member. He comes on making jokes immediately building connections with the audience.
Nick is one of the last to be introduced and then there is a short clip of the boys playing golf and having a laugh, inviting the audience to learn their hobbies and interests. We get to see the boys messing about, coming out of the whole sad atmosphere from the song.
After, the boys joke about, it’s back to work and the audience are shown the amount of effort and emotion that goes into their video.
Promotional Video Analysis
Kids In Glass Houses
The promo video starts of with clips of the band performing and making their music video for ‘Give Me What I Want’ which gives us, as the audience, a feel of what they do and what they enjoy. You also get a real insight to the band themselves and what they’re like. The opening also has the song playing in the background which makes the audience become familiar with the track the band are promoting.
Through Kids In Glass Houses doing a promotional video of their music video, it helps to make the audience feel apart of the filming and to become more intimate with the band. This could’ve simply been done so that the target audience can link to the band and also be involved with what they get up to when it comes to making a music video.
It then cuts to a medium shot of the band. They introduce themselves and talk about the music video and where it’s set and the different scenarios the band have come up with to be shown throughout the video which relate to the target audience such as having a fancy-dress party scene and also a gig scene. As they are talking, it shows us a quick clip of the video and once again gives the audience a real insight.
We then begin to see clips again of the band making the music video and the director filling them in with what they need to do. The audience are made to feel as if they’re part of this and are also involved within the conversation.
In between shooting, the band talk personally to the camera and this lets the audience get to know what they’re like. We see that the band like to mainly talk about the music video and this shows the audience that their music is the most important thing to them.
The band members clothing throughout the promo are very up to date and modern. When filming the music video we see them dressed in suits and looking smart. Behind the scenes and at other parts throughout the music video, they are dressed in checked shirts and skinny jeans which are recognisable and a genre characteristic of the indie music scene. The lighting throughout the whole promotional video is quite bright which brings an uplifting and fun feel to the video as well as the band.
The overall camera angle that is mainly used throughout, is the medium shot. The audience can see everything that’s going on and happening and gives them a real feel to the making of the video and a connection to the band.
The cast for the music video are fans of the band and the director then talks to the camera about the gig scene that is going to be filmed next. This shows that the band like their fans to be involved with making their music videos and is personal to them but it’s also a gift to the fans as they are so closely connected to the band within making the video. Through this it’s easy to see that the main target audience and fan base are teenagers with most of the cast and fans being mainly girls.
When it comes to a break within filming, several of the band members talk closely to the camera about songs and the artists they like which once again shows that music is important to them but we also capture that the band are out-going and fun characters with great personalities.
Towards the end of the promo video, they show the music video as it attracts the audience as they’ve been following the making of the video. With being able to watch this, its easy to see that the band like to have fun and up for a laugh as well as performing great music and getting their fans involved in many ways possible.
The promo then ends with a fade out to finish the video off.
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