PAPER 1 A: Beyoncé Music Videos

PAPER 1: Section A:  Beyoncé Music Videos

Formation

Context:

• Music video released in December 2016
• Performed at Super Bowl Finals
• Won many awards: Clio Award for Innovation and Creative Excellence in a Music Video, and has been nominated in the music video category at the 59th Grammy Awards.
• Set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina + associated American racial tensions. 'draws historical parallels with references to racism and slavery'

Style of video:  Is the video primarily focused on the artist's performance or a storytelling narrative? This video has two primary focuses I believe, both the performance as well as the storytelling narrative. It cuts between its racial references + stereotypes and its dance breaks with all the other black women.

Star Persona: Which elements of Beyonce's personality and persona does the video focus on and highlight? Focuses on a woman with power, this is shown in scenes such as standing in front of a formation of other men and women + sitting and laying on top of a police car, she also constantly stares directly into the camera maybe to direct and send a message to viewers but also shows power by directly gazing into the camera.

Romantic partner, independent woman, social activist,  sex object, glamorous, and aspirational role model? The video focuses on multiple elements of her personality that can't be taken away from her which is demonstrated from the lyric "Earned all this money but they never take the country out me".

• Role Model/Social Activist: She openly uses racial stereo-types and embraces them e.g."I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils", the racial stereotype that black men have bigger noses is frowned upon as they say that larger noses are unattractive. This may bring down self-esteem for black men as the typical attractive black male model is usually shown with a thin small nose but having a woman like Beyonce say that she likes them directly goes against the stereotype and helps the black communities self-esteem around the world.
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Themes and issues  explored in the song and video  e.g politics, relationships, ambition, love, and  commitment: 

Representation of gender and ethnicity in the video e.g stereotypes, contrasts, social status etc.

Technical codes to support your points e.g costume, performance, body language, lighting and colour, camera angles and shot types, pace of editing  etc.