Music video evaluation 3

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISUALS + LYRICS:
The singer is delivering the words herself in the throughout the video showing performance throughout. Some of the words she is singing are being acted out enthusiastically however not directly for example she indicates to her own hair when singing "that's the girls on the block with the nasty curls". At some points the lyrics are also shown directly in the video as the main words flash on to the screen.

GENRE CHARACTERISTICS:
This song buffalo stance is in the hip hop, dance-pop genre, subsequently the music video reflects this by displaying a DJ as its main source of music along with the background style and colours, the costume can also be seen to signify the genre.

INTERTEXTUALITY?:
Buffalo stance -the main lyrics in the chorus, reference the group of photographers, models, musicians, hair and makeup artists, etc. formed by fashion stylist Ray Petri in which Neneh Cherry was part of. The stance aspect is also shown through a dance move which can be seen in the video. It also references the song Buffalo Gals in which Buffalo Stance sampled from.

PERFORMANCE STYLE:
Although the location is small as it is filmed in a studio the way the shots are presented in the video are varied and show the age of when the video was made. The close ups of the singers face in the foreground while the background changes and mirrors the shot shows that they used the full potential of the studio setting, they also use a lot zoom which again shows the style. Throughout the video the singer is performing the song in a way in which portrays her as a face for the song without having her truly perform with a plugged in mic etc. The singers performance is vivacious which draws in the audience, there are also characters as background dancers, this dancing is simple but typical for the genre.

LOOKING/MODE OF ADDRESS:
For the majority of the shots the singer is looking directly into the camera lens which is a direct mode of address. This translates intensity and creates a connection with the audience, by doing this the viewer is drawn in and continues to watch. 


STAR TREATMENT: 
In every shot the singer is featured throughout the video. She is singled out and the camera focuses in her this is seen in the editing especially in the shots where there are others shown it can be seen that she is at the forefront. This indicated to the audience that she is the 'star'.

REPRESENTATIONS: 
There is a large representation of ethnically diverse people, although there are not many people shown in the video they are all of the same ethnicity, they are being represented in a positive light as the stars of the video. There is a split between male and female with the DJ being male, lead singer female and background characters both, with a woman as the main singer and 'star' this helps represents them in a positive light. There is not much representation of other groups such as disability however this may be due to the small amount of people featured.


LOCATION/S + MISE-EN-SCENE:

The location in this video is limited as it is filmed in a studio, this ensures that verisimilitude is not reached however this did not affect the anchorage as hints in the background and props include information about the lyrics and song such as the DJ and lyrics in the background. The mise-en-scene fits with the genre the costumes reflect that of the late 80s and hip hop props can be seen through the dollar medallion and large earrings. The colour is a main feature in the video, the bright 'thermal imagery' colours really add vibrance and gives indication to the style and year.

NOTABLE SHOTS/FRAMING:
The majority of the shots are very busy and include a lot of colour and images, the framing of the shot varies between close ups of the singer and medium shots, this keeps the video upbeat. One of the more noticeable shots includes a coloured background with the song name, a tinted close up as the mid ground and a repeated close up shot in the foreground, this too draws the viewer in.

MALE GAZE?: 
Although this could be a video in which the singer would be over sexualised, this video does not fully relate to this as the lead singer is not shown through shots of her legs or cleavage, instead the audience is captivated with colour, varying shots and enthusiastic actions.