Analysis of a music video

Darrell Stenering

Track: BurnArtist: UsherProducer: Jermain DupriDirector: Jake NavaYear: 2004

Camera: Movement, Shots & Angles

• The music video begins with an extreme close up of a male, this being the song artists and this follows Goodwin’s 6 features of a music video as he states that a record label demand close up shots of the artist.

• The video mostly follows the artist in a series of escapades that show him being unfaithful to his partner and as it’s a narrative type music video, it contributes to the overall ‘story’ of the video.

• Almost all, if not every shot of the artist in the video is a close up or an extreme close up.

Editing: Transitions and Special Effects

• The transition predominantly used throughout the video is a fade to black, or fade from black, this may be symbolism as black is commonly represented as the end of something, and this follows the theme of the song

• Fire is a special effect used frequently in this video is fire, and I believe this is to signify the end, as fire tends to burn things till they no longer exist.

• In this music video, a predominant feature is the element of fire, and this links in with the song title, Burn, as well as the ‘story’ of the video which is signifying the destructive end of a relationship.

• The location used is depicted as the artists’ home, which is quite vast in size and has a swimming pool, this could demonstrate wealth and this can be referred back to Goodwin’s theory that hip hop and R&B music videos have a lot of aspiration. In addition to this, there is a rare, vintage Aston Martin which could also demonstrate wealth and aspiration.

Mise-en-scene: Colour, Costumes, Props, Locations, Expressions etc.

Dominant Ideologies

Genre• Burn is an R&B ‘slow jam’ and these videos tend to follow some

conventions, for example: males will be not completely clothed as the main demographic is teenage females to young adult females. This is not completely followed by this video, however, there is a scene where the artist is topless, on top of a female, so it doesn’t challenge the convention, but in the same way, it doesn’t exactly follow it.

• As opposed to hip hop, where artists wear big jewellery to convey wealth, in R&B, artists tend to wear jewellery but it tends to be understated, not large chains and big rings, and this video follows that convention as the artist is seen with a stud earring and not much else.

• Women do not tend to be wearing much in R&B videos, and this video adheres to the conventions, as in some scenes the women are in underwear, bikini’s but never anything that ‘fully’ covers them up.

Intertextuality• With the use of the Aston Martin – which has

a UK licence plate - that is commonly paired with James Bond, who is seen as a man in charge and in power, that is the only ‘obvious’ use of intertextuality in this video.

• Many of the themes aren’t directly related with another previous media text.

Audience Reception

• The song and the video contained no themes which were deemed too controversial, this the audience reception was not negative.

• Critics praised the way it “convincingly marries resolve and regret” and this is credit to the director for making it a ‘break up’ video, but without having to show any direct split between the artist and partner, but it is all implied through the symbolism and the lyrics, whereas some directors may have chosen to have the two characters arguing with one another, or something along those lines.

• Aside from watching the video because they are a fan of the artist/song, the audience will be interested to follow the story of the artist.

• The song writer stated that the song and video was based on their own previous negative relationship experiences and this may be what entices the audience to tune in.

Why might audiences watch/enjoy this music video?

Does Andrew Goodwin’s theory apply?

• Music videos demonstrate genre characteristicsYes. From the way they are dressed, both males and females.• Relationship between lyrics and visuals. Lyrics represented with imagesThere is a literal translation, as well as some subtle ideas• Relationship between lyrics and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual

reflect the musicYes. The tone of anguish is reflected in the video.• Demands of record label include need for close ups of artistYes. Almost all of the shots of the artists are close ups. Also very frequent.• There is frequent notion of looking and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the

female bodySomewhat. Women aren’t the main focus, however when they do feature, they’re scantily dressed in majority of their scenes.• Intertextual referencesRare, if any.

Does Laura Mulvey’s theory apply?

• Mulvey’s theory states that all women in media are objectified. Her theory goes on to say that women are shown through the ideas of (heterosexual) men and are seen in voyeuristic ways. Furthermore, she thinks women are either seen as a virgin character or a whore character.

• In this video, there are scenes where you could say that the women are partially objectified with them dressed in clothes that do not cover much, but it appears to not be a main aim of the director as the women are not given a lot of screen time, and in some of the shots, they’re not the focus of the shot.