Riptide Music Video Analysis 

Genre and Audience:

Research and summarise the indie genre: conventions, influences, audience  and key artists.

Conventions

• Indie music has many different conventions, with the setting being one. The setting of the indie genre generally are shot in quite low budget locations which are easily accessible. They are kept this simple so that we can focus more on the actual artist and performance
• Indie styles of music also use a retro style of filming through the use of their costumes and makeup, with this being the only factor in determining who the different characters are in the video 
• Props are used so they can make the music video look more realistic, for example an indie pop genre would use instruments  

Influences

• the indie genre usually has very simple melody and instrumentation, and is almost always influenced by folk and country music 
• usually features a ukulele, piano or violin in the video 

Audience

• the indie genre is usually geared towards an age group of people of ages 16-22 years old  
• it's popular with these audience as the people producing them release small portions of the songs to audiences, along with upcoming new artists to entice the audiences to watch and listen to the music 

What is the definition of " indie " and does the artist, video fit into this category?

The definition of 'indie' means 'independent music' as it's usually created by smaller artists or music companies, and is not dependant on any of the major companies. The artist and video fit into the term indie music, and the video also fits into the different conventions, influences and audiences that they are aimed towards, therefore the video and the song both fit into the typical 'indie' music style.

Narrative and Iconography:

Linear , clear and resolved narrative, or fragmented montage based on the lyrics of the song?

The music video doesn't follow one specific narrative, as shown through the fact that more than one woman is being represented throughout. Even in these smaller narratives that are being introduced, the narrative is never linear, shown by the woman that is represented as a club singer. At the different points that the woman is being shown, we are shown that she is slowly being abused (the lipstick smudges, makeup running down her face and the cut that she is holding on her neck) however they are all shown in what appears to be the wrong order, as in one shot she no longer has the makeup smudged under her eyes but has a cut on her neck, but the next time we see her she has smudged lipstick and mascara, however the cut has disappeared. Alongside other factors, it's shows the video is represented as a fragmented montage. Other examples of this include the fact that the images shown pair perfectly with the lyrics.

Analyse scenes for symbolic objects and the meaning they contain

One of the symbolic objects that we are shown in the music video is the book, which is situated mid frame and talks about how to photograph women. This has symbolism because even though at a glance, we may just see this as a book that isn't related to anything in the music video. However after analysis, we realise that the book is talking about how to photograph women, which in relation to the image we are shown beforehand of the women in the swimsuit, creates a much deeper and darker meaning, as in the previous scene we know that she's not able to notice what is going on.

Representation:

How is gender represented in the video ? Look at stereotypes, repetitive motifs and how women and men are  framed narratively and through iconography

The representation of women is a very prominent plot point throughout, as we get many images of women being represented as the constant victims of topics such as domestic abuse etc, however the view never actually shows any real representation of the men. It doesn't take long to find a an image of women being treated as victims, as by the first line in the lyrics we are introduced to a woman in a dentist chair, obviously in some sort of distress. This theme of the mistreatment of women becomes a repeated motif throughout the video, an example including the shot of the back of the woman at what appears to be the beach. This shot is represented to be taken in secret, as the woman's back into the camera and we are unable to see her, dehumanising her as not only is she unaware of what happening, it also means that the woman isn't given an identity or personality that the audience can connect to, making the scene feel more distant and disconnected.

 

The negative representation of women is also being shown throughout the image of the nightclub singer Not only is this a reference to the mistreatment of a similar singer in the movie 'Blue Velvet', but it also alludes to a theme of abuse happening towards the woman in question, even though we never actually see anything happen. In the montage of clips in the video, the form of abuse happening seems to be in the wrong order, as there are some scenes that don't have features from the previous ones. This abuse doesn't actually relate to the lyrics of the music, so we can assume that it's either being used as a subplot to further show the motif of domestic abuse, or just so that it can be used as a reference to the film 'Blue Velvet'.

 

There is one representation that could essentially be seen as positive about women in the video, and that's where she is standing on the balcony looking out with binoculars. Even though we are shown that someone is spying on her, she seems to become more aware of it, as she is staring back at us, representing that she is trying to assert dominance and power. Through the video, she seems to become more aware of the people around her, like she has become paranoid. Even though at the beginning of the video she doesn't realise someone is staring at her, by the end she turns round the minute the camera is being focused on her, eventually becoming more self aware to what is happening. 

Postmodernism:

What postmodernist techniques are used in the video? Focus on intertextuality, ironic, non judgemental tones (particularly when referencing dark subject matter) and reflexivity (the text showing awareness of its artificial constructed nature).

Intertextuality:

There are many instances of intertextuality used throughout the video that people may not be aware of if they weren't familiar with certain movies. Throughout the music video, they use references to films mainly in the horror and western genre. In the scene that features the two cowboys, Riptide uses a reference to the film 'Midnight Cowboy' by David Lynch, but we only see the scene for a few seconds. The horror film that the music video makes reference to is 'Blue Velvet'. The reference to 'Blue Velvet' is shown through the nightclub singer, who seems to get more injured, scared and upset every scene that goes by, which has very obvious similarities to the woman that is featured in the film. Specifically, the scene where the woman's lipstick is smudged where we assume she got slapped, a similar thing happens in 'Blue Velvet' when Frank Booth slaps her after she does something wrong.

The music video also has a habit of having a lot of similarities to Wes Anderson's films and film making style, to the point where it's almost a direct parody of his work. Certain shots panning over objects, like the suitcase and the book talking about how to photograph women, are direct copies of shots that Wes Anderson uses. Another similarity between Wes Anderson films and Riptide is the way they reference dark tones. Throughout Riptide, there are many dark undertones in the story which people may not notice due to the funny and happy way they are shown. The singer is the main example, as the repeated themes of abuse and mistreatment of the woman are displayed behind the music itself, which is quite upbeat and happy on the surface. Other things like the women being dragged away and smiled on couple this, as they are all displayed through the happier tones of music. Another movie reference to Wes Anderson that is shown is the film 'Moonrise Kingdom' which was released in 2012. The scene that references this is where the woman is standing at the balcony, looking out and supposedly spying on us, which is similar to the scene where the girl is looking out the window whilst the camera is panning out.

Reflexivity

There isn't many example of reflexivity introduced in the music video, however we can find examples of two. The first example being the woman looking back at he camera, giving us direct mode of address like she's aware that someone is watching her, unlike before when she was in her swimsuit, unable to notice people spying on her. The other example of reflexivity in the music video is also introduced in the same portion of the music video, where the men are creating a movie within a music video.

How does this change how the audience responds to the messages, representations and other elements of the video ? Does it change the meaning ?

These uses of postmodernist can change how the audience perceive the meaning and representations of the music video. With intertextuality, people may respond to messages differently based on what the music video is referencing, for example they may be able to see the comparison between the video and Wes Anderson movies, or the reference to the film 'Blue Velvet. These references alone can change how people perceive the message that people are trying to represent, as they will now assume that the same messages that were shown in those movies are applying to the music. This can either have the correct or adverse effect on the message, depending on how the artist intended to use the references.

The postmodernist technique of the woman in the music video also changes the meaning of women being the victim slightly, as the audience see her become more self aware of what is going on around her. This changes the meaning and representation that the video is trying to show as they are always portraying the women to be constant victims, and this subverts that representation. 

Overall, these techniques could also help the artist have more fans of their music as people can make the connections between the refences and what is occurring in the video. For example, the nightclub singer reference makes sense in the context of the video, as it follows the recurring motif of domestic abuse and victimisation of women, so people referencing 'Blue Velvet' not only makes the audience have something to relate to, but also manages to convey the correct meaning that the artist is trying to portray. 

Additional Notes

Genre and Audience

• 'indie'/pop music alongside a retro nature
• Alternative guitar style
• References independent music

Representation

• 'highest shelf'- woman portrayed as an unwanted character
• Women are represented as constant victims
• Representations of gender mainly focuses the representation of women

Theory- Postmodernism:

Intertextuality

• References to horror and western genres of films
• Reference to 'Midnight Cowboy'
• Reference from 'Moonrise kingdom' by Wes Anderson- woman looking out of the window with binoculars
• Almost like a direct parody of Wes Anderson's movie style and brand
• Riptide links to Wes Anderson s they both use dark tones in a funny/ happy way
• Club singer with a hint of violence- reference to the woman singer in Blue velvet by David Lynch- the film also plays around the idea of violence towards the woman so it references the woman singer in the Riptide video trying to copy the feel of Blue Velvet in the music video

 Reflexivity

• Film makers making a film whilst in the music video 
• Woman looking back at the camera

Dark Subjects

• Domestic violence against women- used as a recurring motif throughout
• Mistreatment of women- shown as victims, usually scared and restrained
• Women are sexualised- never see her face- dehumanised so it just shows her body- she's unaware that she's being spied on. Similar image with her running away
• Women being abducted/trapped/taken away is used multiple times
• Woman being spied on whilst on the balcony, however she's spying on us at the same time
• Women shown as being dragged away unconscious- dark theme
• Riptide links to Wes Anderson s they both use dark tones in a funny/ happy way

Narrative

• Isn't one straightforward narrative
• Visuals come from the lyrics (narrative comes from the language)
• No linear narrative  
• Some interpretations are taken literally, but others are taken metaphorically
• Woman creates a narrative, however the events aren't in order (no set story)

Technical codes

• 'turning green'- sometimes metaphorical meanings are used
• Low camera angle of women- shows them as being powerful (stylish and confident)- sometimes there are positive interpretations
• Mid frame camera angles paired with mostly low shots
• Constant use of primary colours and dark imagery- binary oppositions
• Shots of objects dead centre of the screen and shot from above- copying Wes Anderson
• Shot from above of suitcase references Wes Anderson as well