- Performance
- the singer / band are seen to be singing and playing (including lip synching), to provide authenticity, so
that followers believe in the talent and can see their star. Record
labels sign stars and promote them to ensure sales. Avril
Lavigne sings throughout the video using a mike and draws a huge crowd
of fans around her when she jumps onto a car roof in the street. She
sings with great passion, energy and conviction, holding the mike close
to her mouth. Close-ups show her every word (lip synching is a feature
of music videos.) She performs for her fans and for her 'boyfriend' the
sk8er boi who features in the narrative. Screens often feature in music
video and the sk8er boi is videoing Avril Lavigne as he gazes adoringly
up at her. She returns his gaze as she sings about 'we rock each other's
world'. The performance element creates authenticity (fans have proof
of her talent) because we see her sing.
- Star - use of close-ups, sometimes direct eye contact with audience, to build relationship with audience
- The
visuals (what the star and other characters are seen doing) illustrate,
amplify or contradict the lyrics (the 'story in the words').
Illustration = the visuals play out the story more or less literally;
amplify = the words in the lyrics are only the starting point and the
story develops in other directions; contradiction / disjuncture = the
visuals do not interpret the words of the lyrics and may even show
something contradictory.
- The
narrative usually features the performer in 'real life' situations but
often with experimental types of film making such as hand-held, dramatic
camera angles, symbolic codes and lighting
- The
visuals are usually cut to the beat of the music; the editing is often
fast-paced; there is often use of montage, ellipsis and intercutting,
stylish effects
- Refrain - repeated chorus, sometimes with variations
- Intertextuality - references to other media, films, performances, events
In the music video there is a scene where Avril Lavigne is playing
the guitar and singing on the car like she is the only one making the music.
This makes the audience think she is doing it all by herself. In the music
Avril Lavigne is shown signing to a crown of hundreds of people whilst dancing
energetically on top of the car. This shows that Avril is very happy and gives
of a very enthusiastic feel towards singing to all her fans.
Her clothes and actions are very vibrant in the music video and
show a lot about her personality. In the video there is a lot of close ups
which make you feel like avril is singing directly to you which makes it seem
much more real.
Editing in cuffs is
used to create different effects when changing scenes. When all the police
officers go training after a long day at work its shows them running backwards
and forwards from one cone to the other. As they are doing this the image
gradually fades between them running with lots of energy and speed to getting
sweatier and slower as time moves on. This version of editing is trying to show
time passing by without you having to sit there and watch for hours on end.
In another scene
where Jake and Ryan go to Nathans house they use something called shot reverse
shot. This is when the camera continuously witches from looking at one
character and then the other. By doing this you can see the characters emotion
and whoever they are scared or happy to be seeing another person.
In the first
episode of cuffs we see the police captain giving a speech. We can tell that he
is the captain because of the setting and his clothing. He is standing on a
podium to give his speech which not only helps him to project his voice but
also makes him stand up taller making him look like he has more power and
authority. He was wearing his full police uniform that was very smart and he
also wore white gloves. There were also police officers standing around him
facing towards the podium with their hands at their front and their shoulders
held high.
Meanwhile there is
an argument between a couple on a naturist beach and a group men on a stag do.
The couple are using towels to maintain their dignity when the stag do men are
terrorising them with their props which consisted of plastic swords and sex
dolls. Also all of them were wearing Viking helmets which symbolize power and
is basically saying don’t mess with us. The police man arrives at the beach
with all his uniform and equipment trying to break them up, this is showing us
that the police officer wants the men on the stag do to treat him with respect.
