The music video I am analysing is Grenade by Bruno mars.

The video is a
well-known narrative video, which defies emotion and relative feeling to
an audience through its visuals as well as audio. The song is about a
mans feelings towards a girl who means a lot to him but she doesnt feel
the same back. In the video it is very simplistic in the sense that minimal
percentage of production was designated to post production, meaning it
had basic continuity editing where it showed the artist indifferent places.
The video storyline is around a connection with the lyrics. It shows the
efforts that the man would go through to prove his love for the women. It
shows him all the way through pulling a piano with a rope. This is a
dominant ideology in the video and shows the struggle, this creates
interest to the audience visually on the journey. We question as a viewer
where he is going? Why he is going? And why he has a piano? But this
all adds up through the artists star persona, his musician ability is shown
through the fact he is pulling a piano which in most of his songs he plays
himself.
The genre is signified through the use of mise en scene, cinematography
and editing. Also the connection within the lyrics is very cleverly done as it
swerves away from being classed as a performance video although it
contains similar characteristics. For example the lyric In front of a
train for ya then ironically at the end of the video after
witnessing the girl he loves with another man, he ends up
committing suicide and standing in front of a train. The emotion
of the song is complimented through the visuals, which in all
creates suspense and interest to the video.
Cinematography
As the video depended a lot on the production design, props and general
look, cinematography has been used carefully in this piece to make it look
as naturalistic as possible. For example as he is walking with the piano up
the hill, handheld camera movement is used to track him, representing
the emotion within the video. The fact it is handheld engages the
audience within the action and makes it feel more relevant/appealing to
them. Close up shots are used to enforce the emotion but at the same
time create conspiracy to what is going on within the video. As the artist
sings close ups are used on his face to establish that he is the protagonist
in the story, and it is him that is singing. Then close ups of features such
as his shoes and body are used in build-up to the chorus where it changes
to a long shot showing the character fully and what he is doing. The affect
this has is that it maintains suspense with the audience all the way
through the first verse as we are left waiting to see as the song progresses
what he is doing.
Editing
As I earlier mentioned the editing used in the video is very simplistic. This
is a skill in itself as it highlights the naturalistic feel to the video/song. A
montage edit is used throughout the video; we follow two scenarios of the
same man, 1 of him pulling a piano on a journey somewhere, another of
him in a room reminiscing looking at photos etc. The variety used within
the edit maintains the viewers interest as we are not always looking at

the same things it is constantly changing. The effect the edit has on us as
an audience is that we are always occupied and being informed. The
effect is has on the video is that the level of interest is sustained
throughout. The duration of the clips are not too long to become repetitive
of lack interest and not too short to change the genre/feel of the video.
Interesting transitions to represent change in scenario are used for
example, when he is in the room before the first chorus a swipe is used in
the form of a truck which goes across the screen fast and the shot then
changes into him in a car tunnel still pulling the piano. This unique
transition is used rarely within the video but seeing it is aesthetically
pleasing to the audience and they continue watching to see it again.
Establishing shot in bedroom scenario.
Mise En scene
The mise en scene within the video has essentially affected how the genre
is put across, the artist, and the videos intended meaning. By applying the
appropriate colours and props, costumes etc. The audience has a
preferred response to the video understanding the true emotion being
emitted. The uses and gratifications theory can be applied to the video as
the fact he is in a suit allows a range of people being able to identify and
relate to the character through his costume. It adds connotations of
a smart, normal, workingman, which in itself emphasizes the natural
meaning behind the song of love. A dark colour filter has been applied to
a majority of the video, to engage the depressing, emotional feel that the
genre represents. These specific songs require signifiers to ensure the
audience of the genre and style of the artists video/song. Production
design was vitally important in this video as it showed the character going
through scenarios such as rough neighbourhoods interlinking gang culture
and violence, adding to the appeal it has to an audience.

Sound
As it is a music video the sound itself was the song throughout but
miniscule sound effects were used for example in transition of shots as a
truck passed, in the background a truck engine would play. Also in the end
of the video as the train approaches the character the sound of an
oncoming train plays. Through various viewings of the music video I have
not picked up on any intertextuality use within it.
Theories
Andrew Goodwins theory can be applied to this video as it demonstrates
genre characteristics for example, close ups, mise enscene specific factors
etc. As well as there is a distinctive relationship between the lyrics and the
visuals, amplifying what is going on. In the video the artist Bruno Mars
plays the role of the main character, which includes a lot of focus on him
via cinematography. This promoted the artist himself and could even be a
demand by him or the record label to gain the most profit possible. The
uses and gratifications theory is applied in how the video allows the
audience to identify and relate with the content of the video through
the visuals and the lyrics. This attracts more varies and range audience
as the relation for the audience to the song depends on personal past
experience