Work through the following tasks to create a comprehensive case study for Michael Jackson's Billie Jean music video.
Media Magazine reading: Billie Jean, birth of an icon
Go to our Media Magazine archive and read the case study on Billie Jean - birth of an icon (MM62 - page 20). Answer the following questions:
1) What was the budget for Billie Jean? How did this compare with later Michael Jackson videos?
The budget for the video was 50,000 but his other music videos had higher budgets compared to Billie jean such as thriller which has budget of $2 million.
2) Why was the video rejected by MTV?
The video was rejected because MTV said that it won't fit in with their middle America Audience
which meant that they were racist and didn't want to air a black artist performing on their channel and after they were threatened they agreed to air the video. Walter Yetnikoff was the one that threatened them.
3) Applying Goodwin's theory of music video, how does Billie Jean reflect the genre characteristics of pop music video?
His theory has multiple characteristics that can be applied to this video because it contains many conventions of a pop song like lip syncing, dance, fashionable costume reflecting the Urban culture.
4) How do the visuals reflect the lyrics in Billie Jean?
The visuals of the billboard and the girls on it reflect what he is saying as audiences assume that this song is about a girl named Billie jean and Micheal Jackson comments on the eyes and then a close up shot is taken and shown. Another link between visuals and lyrics would be that his moves are linked with the beat of the song and certain lyrics are accompanied with different beats because it makes audiences draw attention to both.
5) Why does the video feature fewer close-up shots than in most pop videos?
This is because new conventions were highlighted through his dance moves of this videos which is what shocked audiences because it was seen to be a new innovation so this made this video really popular because he conveyed everything through his moves rather than close ups.
6) What inter textual references can be found in the video?
The idea of gazing and staring could be seen as the detective in search of something and trying the catch Micheal Jackson do something so the inter textual reference could be film noir and detective fiction.
7) How does the video use the notion of looking as a recurring motif?
The audiences see this as reoccurring because whenever the Detective is in search his shots are constantly framed multiple times by the use of slip screening editing and he is also spied on by a old women so his shots are always frame within frame again depicting the spy element to this video.
8) What representations can be found in the video?
The representations could be seen to do with crime danger and the supernatural this is because it is filmed on dark street with dark alleys and fire escapes and the fact that the tramp is transformed helps transform him giving presentation of the supernatural.
Close-textual analysis of the music video
1) How is mise-en-scene used to create intertextuality - reference to other media products or genres? E.g. colour/black and white; light/lighting.
This creates intertextuality as this video uses props like the cigarette and detective coat and costumes which highlights the fact that this video is detective based and the black and white emphasises the film noir aspect in this video relating the early 20th century. This video could also be related to Gangster genre as the flip of the coin could reiterate this referring to the early 1930's along with visual elements like transformations on the pavement on the paths could be inter textual reference to yellow brick road in the wizard of Oz.
2) How does the video use narrative theory of equilibrium?
Todorov's narrative theory could be applied to this video as there is a state of harmony as this video begins because Micheal Jackson feels safe and then realises he is being watched and spied on which could be the disruption of this state of harmony (disequilibrium) and then gets resolved as the detective spying on Micheal Jackson is taken away which resolves the equilibrium forming a new state of harmony.
3) How are characters used to create narrative through binary opposition?
The characters are used to create a binary opposition of the hero vs villain as Micheal Jackson can be seen as the hero and the detective as the villain as the detective is never able to catch him and then there is also binary opposition of rich vs poor because we see Micheal Jackson throw a coin into the tramps can and he turn into something presentable.
The characters are used to create a binary opposition of the hero vs villain as Micheal Jackson can be seen as the hero and the detective as the villain as the detective is never able to catch him and then there is also binary opposition of rich vs poor because we see Micheal Jackson throw a coin into the tramps can and he turn into something presentable.
4) What is the significance of the freeze-frames and split-screen visual effects?
This is kept ambiguous which could be reference to the detective element of this video because it looks as if it is a newspaper picture reinforcing the element of scandal and reoccurring motif of this through the billboards also seems as if they are looking which also match the lyrics could also link with Goodwin's theory as the lyrics are matching the visuals.
5) What meanings could the recurring motif of 'pictures-within-pictures' create for the audience?
As the detective is always spying on Micheal Jackson it could interlink with this picture within picture element reinforcing meanings for audiences.
6) Does the video reinforce or subvert theories of race and ethnicity - such as Gilroy's diaspora or Hall's black characterisations in American media?
This video subverts theories of race and ethnicity as there is a negative representation given of men as it reinforces multiple relationships with women that are commonly seen to be associated with black people which perpetuates the notion of Gilroys diasphoric identity as they are continuously marginalised because of this scandal being portrayed.
7) Does this video reflect Steve Neale's genre theory of 'repetition and difference'? Does it reflect other music videos or does it innovate?
I thnk this video could be applied to Steve Neale's theory of Repetition and difference because it uses performance and narrative element along with intertextuality.
8) Analyse the video using postmodern theory (e.g. Baudrillard's hyper-reality; Strinati's five definitions of postmodernism). How does the 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading?
The 'picture-in-picture' recurring motif create a postmodern reading by having a clear difference between media and reality. Nowadays, we live in a society where media dominates and what we see we think is real. However, reality has collapsed, because the media reconstructs the images to make us think a certain way. This is hyper-reality
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