Andrew Goodwin Music Video Theory

1. The video above is Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West - Run This Town, this new music video is directed by Anthony Mandler. The song is catorgised as hip-hop as there is both rapping and singing featuring popular artists known for their work in this genre. The video compliments the confidence/arrogance needed for the style of music, as the video portrays each performer as a leader. This is done by them almost preaching to crowds and always being at the front so they are the ones we are looking at.
2. There are many examples of times when the lyrics are illustrated or amplified by the visuals, for example, the first line of the lyrics says, 'feel it comin' in the air'. This illustrates the crowds that that have been marching in the last shot, it represents a revolution. Another example is the lyric 'only thing thats on my mind, is who's gunna run this town tonight'. This is illustrated by a possible power struggle, the people with weapons and torches have taken over an area. After Rihanna sings this part of the song, the video cuts to the three leaders, the three people who are the stars of the song - Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. The next part where Jay-Z answers Rihanna's question is where he says, 'we are, yeh I said it, we are' (1:13) is amplified by his minions standing behind him.
3. The video cuts to the beat of the song and as with most hip-hop the beat is clear and repetitive and so the cutting is made a very interesting is some places. For example, at 1:24 and 1:27 the pace the cutting speeds up cutting between close-up's and long shots of Jay-Z and this is done because there is a drum roll fill giving the opportunity to do so. The video to the song does not illustrate the instrumental parts of the song, maily because most of the song is either rapping or singing. The beat of the song serves the purpose of enhancing the flow of the lyrics and so the video illutrates the lyrics not the instrumental. There are very clear changes of pace within the video as Rihanna's singing is slower than Jay-Z and Kayne Wests rapping. Therefore when she is singing her part of the video the cutting slows up and when the other two come in to it it speeds up to go with the flow of the music. An example of this is at 0:49-0:52 when the camera lingers for 3 seconds before cutting, this is rare in the rapping sections which tend to cutting in close then back out long - really mixing up the distance and framing of the shots.
4. The three stars in this track get as much video time as they do in the music. What I mean is that when Rihanna is singing she is always on camera and Jay-Z isn't. When Jay-Z and Kanye West are rapping Rihanna isn't in the shots. Due to Kayne Wests verse being late in the song we only really see him until 3:30. We see him in the background of the group shots but he is never the focus and our eyes are never drawn to him. The image of the band is slick and powerful. Everyone is dressed in black and looking very stylised - you wouldn't see anyone walking down the street dressed like that. Rihanna's outfits are not like the outfits in other videos of this genre where women tend not to wear much. The appeal is of her power and confidence and this is in edition to her being a really good looking woman.