What makes an Effective Music Video

By: Boj Raphael Gonzaga

The music video ‘You Know Me’ was uploaded on Nov 9, 2009. The video features the artist (Robbie Williams) being taken to an ‘Alice in wonderland’ style setting with him being dressed up as the famous rabbit from the film. This creates intertextuality between the film and his music video. The starting sequence shows the camera zooming in to his home where the artist begins singing. The mis-en-scene connotes a fantasy theme, this is evident when the artist is dancing in this ‘dreamland’. Robbie Williams is dressed exactly like ‘The White Rabbit’ which is iconic to the Alice in wonderland franchise.This song, along with the rest of the album was produced by Trevor Horn. This soul-tinged break-up song is the second single from British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams' eighth solo album, Reality Killed the Video Star.

The Lyrics suggest he isn’t over the break up however the music video is very abstract compared to the actual meaning of the song.

Robbie Williams – ‘You Know Me’

Last Friday Night- Katy Perry The video was released in June 12 2011 the video was directed by Marc Klasfeld, He has also directed over two hundred music videos for artists such as Katy Perry ,Jay-Z and Red Hot Chili with multiple award wins and nominations.  The clip features Katy Perry, as her teenage alter-ego Kathy Beth Terry, at a house party filled with music and dancing. While at the party, Terry is made over by her friend and draws attention to herself as the life of the party. The video also uses a lot of props with cups , toilet paper , clothes and etc. as well as it doesn’t uses any CGI or green screen because of the codes and conventions of a real life house Lyrics from the song: Pictures of last nightEnded up onlineI'm screwedOh wellIt's a blacked out blurBut I'm pretty sure it ruledDamn. Part of the song shows her teenage mentality due to pictures of her going online however, she is shown to not care because it was a good party.

Love story- Taylor swift This video was released In June 11 2009 and the video was directed by Trey Fanjoy . It follows Swift and model Justin Gaston as they meet in a university campus and imagine themselves in another time and Taylor Swift wrote "Love Story" about a man who was never officially her boyfriend because her family and friends did not approve of him. Taylor Swift also felt like it was the first time she could relate to the plot of Romeo and Juliet. The song uses a lot of props to make the video instead of this green screen and CGI other videos use. Things like the costumes and the candles can connote a medieval or middle ages theme to the music video. Her looking out for Romeo from her balcony is a very iconic scene from the actual play Romeo and Juliet which further suggests to the audience that the theme is like Romeo and Juliet. Soft lighting is used when Taylor Swift is on the screen to further emphases her beauty which is appealing for the male gaze but also to females because they would want to aspire to look/be like her.

Lyrics from the song: Cause you were Romeo - I was a scarlet letter,And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"But you were everything to me,I was begging you, "Please don't go"And I said  

In this context, "scarlet letter" means that she was forbidden, not that she is an adulteress. So, this line means that he is her Romeo but because her father does not allow the relationship, she is forbidden to him

Paparazzi- Lady Gaga

 The video was released in November 25th 2009 and The music video was directed by Swedish director Jonas Akerlund and it portrays Lady Gaga as a ‘doomed starlet’ always surrounded by photographers, who is almost killed by her boyfriend and then gets revenge in the end. In the video there is also a lot of subliminal messages her dressed as a mickey/Minnie mouse outfit to then dressing in a weird way and posing for the camera and then smiling after killing her boyfriend because she knows she is famous again and etc. throughout the music video there are a lot of fast cuts to go in time with the fast pace music. The use of green-screen to create a hypnotic backdrop is also very subliminal to the audience and because she is in the middle, f makes you

Lyrics from the song: I'm your biggest fan I'll follow you until you love me Papa-Paparazzi Baby there's no other superstar You know that I'll be your Papa-Paparazzi  

The songs lyrics talk about stalking and being somebody's biggest fan, wanting attention, and becoming famous.

THE video was released in January 7th 2011 and was directed by Vaughan Arnell The video begins with Williams dancing on a Roller Disco with girls skating around him. He wants to get the attention of the female DJ standing above the stage, so he begins stripping off his clothes. After this does not get her attention, he starts stripping his skin, muscles and organs, too , until the only thing that is left from him are his bones which is done with special effects. In the end, he achieves the DJ's attention and dances with her as a skeleton. The lighting is supposed to signify a club. Props such as roller blades also suggest it is a roller disco. The music video is very abstract compared to the lyrics of the song, which are actually quite simple

Lyrics from the song: Babylon back in businessCan I get a witnessEvery girl every manHouston can you hear meGround-control can you feel meNeed permission to landI don't want to rock, DJBut you're making me feel so niceWhen's it gonna stop, DJCause you're keepin' me up all night

Rock DJ- Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams said in an interview - It has NO connection to the music video “it’s just a bunch of rubbish put together”