Like A Star:
Locations: There is a balance in the video between location and studio shots, it seems as if they are working on an even set of cuts then the studio shots dominating the footage. The presence of location shots, in wide open spaces, links in with the artists relaxed and natural image, while the studio shots are striking and attract the audiences attention.
Characters: The only person in the video is the artist, who would act like the "Protagonist" if there was a narrative present in the footage. The lack of extras, dancers an other actors breaks the conventions of a typical music video however tie in with the artists style and iconography.
Iconography: The iconography of the artist fits the genre of her music very well (acoustic, soul, classic R&B) the clothing choices for the artist are all dresses however they are not revealing or present any Male Gaze, as this would go against the iconography of the artist. It is clear, in this video, that the music is the main focus as the footage and shots used, as well as the scenery, are very simple.
Narrative: Todorov's theory is not present as there is no narrative or plot in the video, the footage is purely performance based, despite the fact that the lyrics reveal the theme of romance. This in a way breaks the conventions of the typical music video as most love songs have a narrative music video to match the lyrics.
Media Language: Close ups and medium shots that zoom into close ups are used frequently, giving the audience direct address from the artists thus creating a connection between them. Nice pan shots are used in order to show the audience the beautiful locations and all the lighting present in this video is high key lighting (apart from the scene in the night club, where the artist is lighted with side lighting, creating a shadow across her face.) The lyrics don't make a reference to the footage, breaking the conventions, and despite the artist being clothed in dresses the Male Gaze is not present throughout the video.
Ideology: As there is no narrative present in the footage no ideologies, dominant or alternative, are present. However, it would be unlikely to find an alternative ideology in a Corinne Bailey Rae video as it would not fit the artists iconography or music genre.
The above image is the album artwork used for the album that 'Like a Star' was on. As you can see, the relaxed clothing choice of the artist remains and the font used is coloured in a very natural brown, again connoting to the audience the artists natural and relaxed iconography. It is clear that the video and the album artwork go hand in hand.
These were the products from her first album, below I am going to look at a video from her second album and then look at her second album artwork.
Locations: All shots shown in the video were on location, fitting to the lyrics "Paris" and "New York" the shots used allowed the audience to see the artist amongst the city of Paris and New York (though, to save on budget, the producers probably chose places that could pass off or appear like Paris or New York.) The fact that these are all location shots, breaks the conventions as most music videos don't have the budget.
Characters: The artist was the main feature in this video however there were extras taking on the roles of waiters, passers by, taxi drivers etc. The fact that there have been actors and extras placed in the video shows that the style of music video has changed from the first album.
Iconography: The artist remains in a dress in this video, in some shots, with or without a blazer. This dress connotes glamorous and nights out as glitter is a heavy part of the dress and the back is low cut (thus creating Male Gaze) however in one of the shots we see the artist kick off her silver heals and walk bare foot, reminding the audience of her relaxed and natural iconography that they were familiar with before the second album. In this video we also see how the artist has grown her hair and is wearing more make-up, the artist is looking more grown up and connotes more glamorous beauty that natural beauty as seen in the first video from the first album. This iconography, though changed from the first album, fits to the conventions of a music video and it fits the style and genre of the artist and the music.
Narrative: The main plot and narrative of the video shows the star travelling from one city to another, there is no equilibrium or disruption, so Todorov's theory does not apply (breaking the conventions of a music video though keeping to first set of conventions made by the first video.)
Media Language: Extreme close ups and close up are used frequently, conforming to the conventions, and high lighting was used in all shots, even those showing the artist walking in the shade or the night. A medium shot shows the artists legs, presenting the Male Gaze (Laura Mulvey), which follows the typical conventions but is a change from the previous video. The lyrics have more of an impact on the footage, a great difference to the previous video, and clever quick pieces of focused and unfocused footage and placed together in this video, creating a rushed and travelled effect - fitting with the lyrics of the video.
Ideology: No ideologies seem to be present, nor dominant or alternative, however the idea of "travelling is good" comes across through the footage as we see the artist enjoying herself while in different locations.
The above image is Corinne Bailey Rae's album artwork for her second album. The photo is clearly a location shot, reminding the audience of the natural and relaxed imagery and iconography that they were all familiar with from the previous album. The clothing choice is clever, white connoting to the audience as pure and natural, fitting to the representation of the artist. The one main subtle, but none the less, eye catching costume choice, is the artists wedding finger is ringed. This links back to a personal matter involving the artists husband who died - in previous statements before the album was released, it was said that she wrote music for him and that now he was gone, she was unsure what to do. This pulls on the heart strings of the audience members, or members of the public, who are familiar with Corinne Bailey Rae's work, thus inclining them to buy it. The text used is bolder and more solid than the font from the previous album however it still manages to connote, through the colouring of white, innocence and natural - fitting with the iconography of the artist.
To sum up, the image of the artist develops over time, possibly due to personal reasons, however the iconography of my chosen artist keeps to the conventions of the music video and other promotional products. As I have looked at first and second albums, this has allowed me to realise that although the artist may remain the same, in order to gain a new audience or remind the current audience of what they have, their style of promotional material may change.
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