‘Music Videos are a tool that use media language to create representations about artists'. Discuss with reference to your two close study products

'Music videos are a tool that use media language to create representation about artists'. Discuss with reference to your two close study products 

A music video is a video which is accompanied with music. Music videos are another way of promoting and marketing musical performers. This is reinforced through editing, narrative, sound and Mise en Scene. 

There is a clear connection between the music and the images as every time MJ takes a step on the pavement the tile he steps on lights up following the beat.- This is a metaphor for how MJ is the star of the show and lights up the world. The Music video starts off in black and white with the detective, but as soon as MJ steps in, it changes to colour, with a sturdy camera movement we see MJ from feet, to legs, to face to help build up his presence. Ironic, the detective we see his face straight away the the camera makes its way down to his feet even though the detective isn't the main focus in the music video. Use colour when the mysterious man is in black and white and Michael Jackson is shown in colour. This is a good way to highlight both the protagonist and antagonist. There is a reverse shot, when MJ is on the pillar to when the camera flashes and he disappears which suggests that MJ is untouchable and doesn't want any business with anyone. Steve Neale states that though all genres are structured along the identical conventions of plot, narrative and mise-en-scene, success lies in their ability to manipulate and re-shape these elements. In terms of encoding and decoding, people would see Michael Jackson as a pop legend and 'untouchable'. However there has been recent rumours that he is a sex offender. Billie Jean changed the music industry by introducing the idea that a single must be accompanied by a high-production video - thereby transforming a song release into an “event”. MJ largely defined the modern music video with Billie Jean. He followed it with two bigger-budget videos: Bad and Thriller - pushing the boundaries of the music video genre. Inter-textual references are used to portray how the media treats MJ in the real world, when the camera flashes at MJ in the video, he disappears which could reference how MJ hates the paparazzi following and stalking his every move. There are two women on a billboard, they are in 2D form and move when MJ dances which makes suggestion about fans reacting to him, MJ is moving and being free, while the women are watching him. The narrative is consistent throughout, as Michael Jackson tries to persuade everyone that he is not the father. Followed by the camera (paparazzi), detective and police Jackson tries to flee. This is Jackson commenting on a past story where a girl claimed he got her pregnant. The claim was proven to be false. There are cuts between MJ spins which are fast and rapid which can reinforce how people can't keep up with him. In terms of the lyrics, there are parallels between sound and what we can see can be drawn between the lyrics. When the line “I am the one” is sang, MJ is not seen in the bed, signifying his absence and therefore how he is not the father. MJ gives a coin to a homeless person which shows that he is a charitable and caring person ironic as in the video the he is targeted as a bad person by being hunt down by police and detectives. Moreover, this charitable action of MJ is shown in another of his songs called 'Heal The World'.

Letter To The Free appears on Common's album, Black America Again and is also featured in Ava DuVernay’s new documentary about the history of the amendment that outlawed slavery: 13TH. DuVernay’s 13TH Amendment is about inherent racism in the United States criminal justice system and how mass incarceration affects black Americans more than other groups. The documentary makes its argument by tracing the history of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which ended slavery in 1865. It's available to stream on Netflix. Throughout the music video, there is a  black square hovering could reflect on how black people are treated as objects, they are exploited and not treated fairly. The lyrics, displayed, are also a provocative gesture offering an informed if emotive response to the troubling issues of race and incarceration. The repetition of 'freedom' reflects on the need for freedom, rights, running away from slavery. Similarly to the song 'wade on the water' by Eva Cassidy. 'For America to rise it's a matter of Black Lives And we gonna free them, so we can free us' - Since white people still don’t seem to care and probably won’t care enough in the future (as told in the previous lines) black people that made it out will be the ones helping each other achieving great things. People need to acknowledge all of that and work on it, give people of colour opportunities to get out of the misery. 'Shot me with your ray-gun and now you want to trump me' - All lives matter, black people feel dehumanised. Trump is always talking about 'MAKING AMERICA GREAT'. If he really wants to make the country 'great' he needs to make sure everyone is feeling 'great', black people need to be treated with equality. In terms of editing, the video is in black and white which suggests the dull situation. It can reflect on the separation between the blacks and the whites, jail or freedom, good or evil. The light is shining on the black square and in some areas of the music video the light is shining on the black people, which can reflect on how the white people look down on black people. At one point we see 'No Excessive Sound' which suggests that no one wants to hear noises coming from black people and there is a basketball net which is a typical sport that black people played, a lot of noise is made when playing basketball. Ironic as there is a lot of loud noises in prisons in general. 

Overall, I believe that both Letter To The Free and Billie Jean create representation about the artist through editing, cinematography and mise en scene.