Textual analysis of Black Or White by Michael Jackson

BY ELSIE WILLIAMSON

Genre – PopRelease date - November 14, 1991

Andrew Goodwin’s 6 Features of Music Video1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics. (e.g stage performance in metal videos, dance routine for

boy/girl band, aspiration in Hip Hop).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music. (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which reoccur across their work ( a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Mise en scene

There is a mixture of settings which transition into each other reflecting the meaning of the song because it’s about equality. Therefore, by having the child’s home, a dessert, a city, babies of different skin colours sitting on top of a fake earth and a photo-shoot. Along with people of different race and nationalities it shows the meaning clearly due to them all being treated with respect and having fun. But also how somebody’s background does not put them above or below anyone else. This makes it universally appealing due to the range of ages, races and nationalities. This links to Andrew Goodwin’s 6 features of a music video because of the relationship between lyrics and visuals.

The constant change in setting and location also keeps the watcher interested and more likely to keep watching on. The use of costume is done well because it tells the audience the range of people the artist has gotten due to all the different costumes they are wearing. For instance he has shown stereotypical American people, a tribe from Africa, Russians, Indian dancers and people of different race/nationality.

The costumes the main artist is wearing makes him eye catching and directs the audience to knowing and identifying that he is the artist that made the music. This follows one of Goodwin’s 6 features of music videos because of the demands of the record label with many close ups of the artist and making him easy to identify for the watcher.

The lighting and colours shown before the music starts is dark. However, when the music properly starts it is very colourful. This suggests that the song is happy and positive. Although at parts the lighting is dark such as when he dances with Odissi dancer from India and a group of Russians it is not done negatively put to show him going around the world meaning the lighting shows the time difference.

The use of the wind machine on the artist is something that they used in many of their music videos. The reason for this is because it added a sense of mystery and romance. This uses one of Goodwin’s features because it is a motif that he developed across his work.

Camera angles, shots and movement

Close ups and mid shots – These are used on the artist but also on other people part of the video. The reason for this is because the message behind the song is that everyone is equal so the artist wants a mixture of people and not just himself in the video. Therefore, using close ups and mid shots on those people as well makes this clear to those watching that the song and video is not all about the artist. Also, at the beginning of the music video bobble heads are shown in a close up going up and down in time with the music. This is effective because it makes them look like they’re dancing. This uses a feature of Andrew Goodwin's 6 features of a music video because it uses the feature of the relationship between the music and the visuals.

Low and high angled shots – These are used on the artist when he is shown to be happily dancing around with a group of people. By using this angle it makes it easy to see the large amount of people involved but also shows them all having fun.

Long Shot – This shows the setting that surrounds them and shows that a large amount of locations were used. The reason the artist may have done this is because he wants it to be clear to the audience that he has not a singled out any race/ethnicity or age but has tried to involve everyone.

Establishing shot – This is used at the beginning to oversee a city which sets the scene.

Tracking and panning camera movements– These camera movements are used throughout the video and matches the pace of the music. This makes it pleasing to watch because each shot flows nicely into each other.

Editing Cutaways were used when the artist is dancing with Indians but then he jumps to Plains Native Americans and then finally the artist alone walking through visuals collages of fire. This is effective because it keeps the video in fast pace and more interesting to watch.

Quick cuts were used because it matched the pace of the music which made the visuals better because it matched the music making it more pleasing for the audience to watch.

A zoom out was used to reveal the artists surrounding which was effective because it showed many monuments that are significant. They are all revealed with the zoom out and are all close together. Therefore, suggesting that they are all are in peace and have respect for each other. Also, this was used when a two babies of different skin colours were sitting on top of a fake earth calmly with each other. This represents how multiple ages were used to show peace between differing race and nationalities.

A match dissolve was used at the end for a morphing technique which was very innovative at the time. The reason this was effective is because it showed people of differing races and nationalities all being shown to be equal because they all had the same framing.

A green screen has been used to add visual effects of fire to the artist. This makes him look trepid and fierce.

Sound and dialogue

Non diegetic – This is used the song used which the music video is trying to visualise.

Diegetic sound is used at throughout the music video. A range of sounds are used at the beginning to heighten the build up to the start of the actual music. For example, the dad shouting, glass smashing, the unbuckling of the guitar case and the plugging in of the speaker followed by the loud strum of the guitar. The reason this is effective is because it keeps the audience watching due to all the tension created. The start of the actual music releases this tension. It is used at the end when the music finishes at the director says “Cut, that was perfect” to a person being filmed at the end.

Sound effects are used to hyperbolise the situation at the beginning. For example when the amplifiers volume breaks all the windows.

Synchronous sound is also used in the music video when you can see horses charging and hear all the commotion. As well as when the artist claps and it matches the sound heard in the music. The reason that this is effective is because it makes the video seem more realistic. This follows one of Andrew Goodwin’s 6 features of Music videos because it shows the relationship between the music and visuals.

Representations

Dancing is done throughout the video which is dominant ideology of a pop music video. This is because it’s an expression of emotion. Therefore, it is effective because it shows that the mixing of different cultures is accepted showing unity. But also it keeps the audience interested in watching. Therefore, this shows one of Andrew Goodwin’s feature of a music video because it has genre characteristics of dancing.

Everyone in the music video seem to have either brightly coloured clothing on or something that is commonly worn in their culture. This suggests that although the artist wears a bright white shirt other people in the video can also wear bright clothing because he does not want to overpower/ overshadow them.

Proxemics – In the video there is no sign of tension between people involved. This means that the general feeling of the music video is positive and there is no negativity in it. Therefore, reflecting the message of the song.

The video follows the common convention in music videos that the artist is performing to the audience. The reason for this is because it makes the audience feel more connected to the artist but also make them feel as though they can join in with the dancing. Therefore, this shows one of Andrew Goodwin’s feature of a music video because it has the demands of the record label due to the motif Michael has in his music videos of his stylistic dancing techniques.

The music video has quite a straightforward narrative of accepting people no matter their race or nationality.

Intertextual references

When the video was first released the ending had many controversial topics such as the artist performing sexually suggestive scenes when the artist grabs his crotch and zips his pants up. He also smashes up windows, cars and causes an inn called the “Royal arms” to explode. This contains intertextual references to the KKK and shows racist graffiti on the windows and car windshield. This causes problems with people and ended in the last 4 minutes and 37 seconds being cut from the video.

Other intertextual references in the banded ending include a reference to the movie Singing In The Rain when the artist is dancing next to a lamp post. The reason for this is because it is like a homage to a scene from the Singing In The Rain film.

Finally, a intertextual reference is used with the tv programme The Simpson’s at the very end with Bart and Homer Simpson with Bart watching the music video and Homer telling him off.