Media Studies Music Video

Sign Analysis.

*ICONIC SIGNS:

*Iconic signs are used throughout music videos where there is no deeper meaning behind what is been shown to the audience. For example, the Jay Z, Alicia Keys music video for “Empire State of Mind” is mainly constructed of fast moving close up and wide shots of New York City. As the audience we are therefore aware that there is no deeper meaning behind the music video. However, the pictures do not match the lyrics as New York is described as a “concrete jungle where dreams are made of” but the pictures are shown in black

and white and New York

appears as dirty and not at all

glamorised.

*ICONIC SIGNS continued:

* In addition, the posthumous 2014 song “Love never felt so good” by Michael Jackson includes a lot of iconic signs as the whole music video is made up of clips from his live performances and past music videos. This is an iconic sign as the

video shows a story of

his life and includes his

famous dance moves

such as the moonwalk

and his white sparkly

glove.

*INDEXICAL SIGNS:*Indexical signs have a connection to what they

represent and are suggestive rather than a direct representation. They are usually signs that people have to look deeper into in order to understand or music videos may include things that only fans of the artist would understand. A great example of this is the artist Lady Gaga in her music video for Applause.

*The video for Applause starts off with Lady Gaga on a lonely mattress with no material goods around her. She is submerged in darkness. At this point in the video she makes a reference to herself before she became famous and was known by her real name of

Stephanie. She has hopes and

dreams but is looking out and

can’t quite reach them yet.

*INDEXICAL SIGNS continued:

* At this point in the video fans of hers will realise

she is making a reference to her previous album

the “Fame Monster” which is still known as her

best album as it spawned hits such as “Poker Face,”

“Paparazzi” and “Telephone.” She is surrounded by an animated

“circus-like” bird cage to show she can’t break out of this era of her career as

fans and critics always compare her new work to this album.

* This image is the main image used throughout the video and shows her as a failed clown of the pop world. The blue represents her tears and the yellow represents her sickness which is a reference to her becoming famous and how

she sometimes made herself feel physically ill when constantly

being slated by critics. She has stated these feelings in

interviews for years and thus her fans will understand this.

*INDEXICAL SIGNS continued:*At this point in the music video she is seen as a blank

canvas to show she is coming back and ready

for her new work and album to redeem her. As

artists fans would understand this reference as

Gaga is always trying to reinvent herself every time a new album drops.

*In these images Gaga states that everyone thinks she is bigger than everyone else but then comes back down to earth as she shrinks to join the dancers. This shows she is only human as everyone else. Another great indexical sign that her fans and other music video analysis would pick up on.

*SYMBOLIC/ ARIBITARY SIGNS:

*These signs are used throughout music videos where a meaning must be culturally learned, because they don’t look like what they represent. An example of this is in the music video to Loveable Rogues single “what a night.” In the music video they state and show that they are out to have a party with all their friends even though some people may not agree with their actions. This is shown by them interrupting a family meal to start a party. As more and more people turn up it is obvious that this is a typical teenage party with drinks, dancing and music. We therefore do not need to analyse any further as we already know, as an audience, that when we see scenes like the ones portrayed in the video that there is a party taking place. In addition, by showing this they have also stuck to the stereotype of all teenagers are out to party and have a good time.