Theories for ProductionUsing media theory to inform our production work – 2 Lessons

Music Videos as Postmodern Texts

First Came…Modernism

- Art / social-political movement that aimed to reinvent culture thathad become outdated.

- Roughly occurred between 1890s - 1960s.

- A rejection against realism.

- Divisions of modernism include avant-garde and surrealism.

- Films / novels / art were self-reflexive of society.

Modernist art challenged the realism and illusion of the romantic era.

John Constable Pablo Picasso (Romanticism) (Modernism)

Modernism is self-reflexive, it draws attention to itself and the materials is uses. - E.g. Jackson Pollock

Postmodernism

1970s onwards

The breakdown of barriers between genres and style

The breakdown of distinction between binary divides (E.g. human and machine)

Mixing up time, space and narrative

Emphasis of style over content

Blurring of fiction and reality / representation and the real

Becoming more use to a mediated version of reality, than reality itself (hyperreality).

Jean Baudrillard’s Theory

Hyperreality

‘a condition in which "reality" has been replaced by simulacra’

Simulacra...

When a sign loses its relation to reality, it then begins to simulate a simulation

Simulation:

The process in which a representation of something comes to replace the thing which is actually being represented.

The representation then becomes more important than ‘the real thing’

Hyperreality:

Division between "real" and simulation has collapsed,

therefore an illusion of an object is no longer possible because the real object is no longer there.

Understanding Hyperreality

Celebrity culture:

Celebrities who reach a point at which every aspect of their lives is taken care of by someone else are said to live in a hyperreal world.

They lose the ability to interact with people on a normal level and are cocooned in Hyperreality.

Normal people often try to copy this, for example one man who is obsessed with Britney Spears and every aspect of his life relates to her, he genuinely believes that he lives in the same world as her.

This is a common case in which someone has become more engaged in the hyperreal world than the actual real world.

Intertextuality - one media text referring to another

1970s / 1980s cop seriesSabotage music video

Intertextuality

- The Simpsons parodies both high and low culture to a wide range of audiences.- Part of the idea of postmodernism is that there is no divide between high art and mass culture.

Parody Parody - mocking something in an original way

Pastiche - An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period. This is a self-conscious imitation.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Marilyn MonroeMaterial Girl

Madonna

Ashanti Foolish musicvideoGoodfellas

Pastiche

Bricolage - mixing up and using different genres and styles

Shaun of the Dead: Zombie mixed with and romantic comedy.

Blade Runner: Sci-Fi and film noir

DJ Shadow’s Entroducing:The first album to be completelymade up of sampled music.

Bricolage

Homage - imitation from a respectful standpoint

Psycho - the 1960 original Psycho - the 1998 remake

Homage

Check List for a Post Modern Music Video

Bricolage – Borrowing from other forms of media

Pastiche – Copying of previous texts

Intertextuality – Making reference to another text

Breaking down the forth wall – Directly addressing the audience through the camera

Parody – Mocking something in an original way

Hyper consciousness – where the audience are very aware what we are watching is not real

Hyper Reality – Where reality is replaced by a simulation

Homage – respectful imitation

Narcissism – fascination with oneself, vanity

Paparazzi

(Lady Gaga)

Directed by Jonas Akerlund

Analysis of Postmodern Music Video

Pastiche / Homage

• Generic conventions of a ‘golden age’ Hollywood film of which ‘Gaga’ is the leading lady

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Narrative and stylistic similarities and intertextual references

Intertextuality and the blurring of boundaries

Fembot, Metropolis (RIGHT)

The breakdown of distinction between binary divides.

Lady Gaga as an humanoid

Referencing Popular Culture

CASE STUDY: Lady Gaga

Makes reference to the film ‘Vertigo’

The use of icy, remote blonde ‘femme fatale’ character is also a hallmark of a Hitchcock film.

Hitchcock Homage

Blurring of fiction and reality / representation and the real

Plenary

What are the conventions of a postmodern media text?

What is the appeal to audiences?

Task

Working in groups you will analyse a music video using postmodernism.

Each group will be given a video to analyse. They will have to prepare a presentation that they will give to the class.

All members of the group should upload the presentation to their own blogs.

Videos: Lady GaGa – Telephone Eminem - Without me Katy Perry – Hot N Cold