Textual Analysis of a music video (AO4)

The denotes and connotation of using different shots and angles in Rihanna's song 

Rihanna's snap shots of her song What's my name looking at star persona and target audeince connotations

This shot is a close up shot of Rihanna's face exposing her facial expression such as her make up, her bold, red and unusual hair colour, big golden earrings, and her stripy top, all, gives a pronounced  and detailed image of how she looks like on the camera, as a singer. Hereby, she allows us to set our own personal understanding or interpretation of the shot. For example, this close up shot, obviously, connotes a couple falling in love, the connection between them is felt by the viewers and many viewers van relate their own feelings, thoughts and emotions to the music video.

Additionally, this connotes that her primary target audience which are young teenagers, aged 17-19, White/ Black African girls will imitate her looks. Meaning, they become obsessed with her looks as they want be like her.  Also, Rihanna's target audience are at the life stage that they are creating an identity so they would implement some of Rihanna's identity to themselves.

However, Rihanna is presented as a sensual, seductive and a very flirtatious young woman in this music video. In many of music videos, Rihanna's star persona is about love, intimacy and bonding sexual relationships with her ''man''. Meaning, her star persona is, primarily, about being very seductive, sexual, and wearing revealing clothing to attract her male audience, at the same time, girls want to be like her to seduce their own boyfriends. Rihanna's star persona appeals more to her target audience because they become more intellectual and emotional interested in Rihanna's music videos and will, therefore, buy more of her Cd's as all her albums are sexually and devotional based. Meaning, young teenagers are more cognitively obsessed with sex, intimacy, devotion and having close relationships with someone.                                                                                                                                                                                Also  on the picture above, her background is blurry which makes her and him appear dominant and significant. As you can see on Rihanna's fashionable clothing her satr persona is created through her clothing line. She has got this urban style with red denoting her sex appeal and attrectiveness.

As soon as they see each other, there is this instant, attraction or chemistry between. This connotes a first sight love relationship between them. Additionally, this would appeal to Rihanna's target audience as it's aiming at teenagers who are living their lives to the fullest, they have got a wild lifestyle (e.g. partying a lots and falling in love), teenagers who are interested in relationship between their opposite sex. This song conveys messages that are based on attraction, seduction, passion, devotion and intimacy. Likewise, Rihanna's start persona is more about representing a singer that is a fashion chameleon, wild, rebellious, loves partying, going out and having personal relationships with ''boys'' such as Chris Brown. Hereby, Rihanna's target audience will be more attracted and dragged into her songs. As a result, of this more fans would like her and buy her Cd's, magazines and want to know more about her particularly wonder whether Rihanna really goes out with Drake or not? due to her assault with Chris Brown people become more interested in her.

This song is mainly about a young and playful couple falling in love. Their lyrics reflect their role in the track as Drake and Rihanna are singing to each other: '' I heard you good with them soft lips the things we could do in twenty minutes girl wear it out, its getting hot, crack a window, air it out''. This lyrics suggests to us the strong chemistry between them. Again related to conveying the messages of intimacy, passion and love.

I denote that this shot is a close up of the couple holding hands.  It demonstrates the closeness of the couple and how he grabs her and touches her to convey to her non-verbally that he has fallen in love with her. This connotes that we, as audience are introduced to their personal relationship in the song. We can instantly tell that the song is mainly about the couple falling in love and trying to impress each other by non-verbal communications  such as  Rihanna looking very flirtatious and seductive at the that we can joy in to if we want to by listen to the song male singer.

 This is an extreme close up denoting more details of her facial expression and appearance such as her make up. Also, it connotes that she desires for passion by the way she's done her lips and the way she looks at the male character. At the beginning of the song, she is acting out all them the techniques of her falling in love with the male character at their first meeting step by step. For example this is more clearer when she starts to sort twisted when she came in and saw him. (see below picture)

This is an over-the-shoulder shoot showing Rihanna's body language and facial expression. She looks as if she is interested in the male character's attention giving to her. This connotes that she looks flirtatious, seductive and her red hair signifies romance, rebellious and difference. The fact that, she enters the shop and instantly fall for the male character that looks at her shows her personality and interests in the male character. She has been easily impressed by the male characters looks and his  attention or love for her. This moves were enough for Rihanna to start an instant relationship with him in the song.  In other words, she was impressed quickly by him. Additionally, the over-the -shoulder shoot enables us as viewer to see what the male character sees from his point of view. In other words, he sees a young, beautiful, innocent and single female  who is interested in him. Therefore, this shoot shows us, as viewers, the start of the relationship between Rihanna en Drake at the beginning of this song track. So we know from the beginning how they got to know each other. This will make it more appealing to Rihanna's target audience as we are interested in what Rihanna is about to do next in the video. (e.g. what does she think about Drake in the video as her boyfriend or what is the story of the video about). As her target audience is young boys and girls who are interested in personal relationships with someone, will make it more interesting and fascinating to them.

                                     

This is a complete full shot of Rihanna but from a low angle. This connotes that it shows where we are and what's happening in the scene. Rihanna appears to be the only female in the shot which represents her female empowerment and dominance. Even though, Rihanna is wearing revealing clothing she is strong and powerful at the same time. This connotes to us as her target audience that she doesn't care what other people think about her, she is just being herself. This reflects her star persona as she is strong, powerful but at the same time she is representing females as seductive, wearing make up to look good, flirtatious, sassy but  intelligent and talented.

This shot shows that all the attention is focused on her with all the male characters surrounding her when she dances and sings.

However, I denote that behind Rihanna her background is smokey. This may connote mystery, danger, frightening, dangerous and scary. Additionally, her background is red which suggests either romance, intimacy and devotion or antagonist, unusual, and provocative.

This applies to her target audience as they are young and free just like Rihanna. They belief in love, life, and ambitions. The red and smokey background may be seen in different perspectives by her target audience. However, the song itself does apply to her target audience as it's all about love and intimacy. Teenagers are at a life stage that wants to try new things and challenge themselves. This is why Rihanna's target audience would definitely be attracted to her song tracks.

Target Audience (AO4)

I have chosen this video to see how Rihanna appeals to her primary and secondary target audience by analysing on costumes, props, performance, mise-en-scene, lighting and production design. Interestingly, Rihanna/Hard is a conceptual music video. Meaning, the concepts of the music video is based on a military theme.Throughout, the video you notice fighting, fire, grenade bombs, weapons, jeeps, and tanks which are used in the army.

From the beginning of the song, ''hard'', Rihanna commands a group of men in an army/war setting. The image that Rihanna is trying to portray is her dominate ego and authority reflecting her album title.  Rihanna's roles in the video can be seen as masculine and powerful. This is shown through dress codes in a contemporary femininely sensualist way.

The fact that the location, from the start, of the video is introduced to us, as viewers, in an army/war setting prepares us to, instantly, imagine about the traditional views and thoughts of the scenes in a war. Where, men are predominantly there rather than females because they are conventionally seen as vulnerable and weak. However, Rihanna is going completely against these conventions and she becomes the leader in the music video not the men. This would, surely, appeal to Rihanna's primary target audience as they will learn from it and become ''Hard'' just like Rihanna to 'rule the world' from the opposite sex. The message is don't be a failure but a winner.

The use of the mise-en-scene used throughout is portraying this ''Hard'' character is shown through her costume which includes military clothes such as helmet, boots and colour range from her costumes are khaki green, brown, blue, black and white which makes her stand out from the dancers who are suppose to be soldiers.
The fact that Rihanna wears at the start a white costume reflects the war that the soldiers are fighting is justified and the leaders are pure of heart. Meaning, there are no confidentialities.

Amazingly, in this music video Rihanna wears eight different customes in each eight scenes which are rather short and revealing. Hereby, she still portrays her sexy image which convey conventions of females in the R&B videos by revealing their body parts and show lots of skin.
The eight different scenes portray the artist as superior.

Furthermore, the video ends and starts with Rihanna wearing a helmet, close up shots of her face, and her red lipstick draws attention to her lips, but her eyes are covered by her military helmet.
Likewise, Rihanna's makeup denotes that in some scenes her makeup is very dark and strong connoting mystery and a stern look. Additionally, red lipstick portrays her femininity. At the same time, Rihanna's harsh war makeup evokes strength and power which relates back to the song title.

The mood and tone of this music video is portraying this female artist as powerful, giving orders but she is not part of the action when the men are actually fighting.
Power is shown through her body language where she is quite stern , walks with confidence, with her head up and feels important, her facial expressions are quite serious but at the same time balanced with femininity and a flirtatious look.
Tone of voice is loud and aggressive rather than down and soft like a typical female.
The artist is depicted in this video as a female who is the one at the top of the hierarchy giving orders to male soldiers.

There has been a various range of shots used in Rihanna's music video,''Hard''. These camera shots include close up shots of her face, long shots of her and her costume, medium close ups and extreme close ups. Also, low angle shots makes Rihanna more superior and represents dominance and  female empowerment.
Fascinatingly, I denote that Rihanna is the only female in the music video connoting that she is the only one in control by ordering the men, power, importance, and challenges the depiction of women in the army.
The choreography denotes a mixture of street dance combined with military gestures and the camera composition are often deep and shallow focused. It has come to my notice, that in many camera compositions, I denote Rihanna in the ''Rule of Thirds'' composition connoting a dominant and vital focus on her within the frame of the camera.

Often, there is external natural lighting used for brighter and more original definition on Rihanna. However, the part where she is wearing this green soldier’s hat with red lips, the light just shines very sharply from a high angle often emphasizing her facial expression and her bold makeup.
Although, she is in a war zone she is still looking very sexy, fashionable, outrageous, yet also, attractive and flattering. Rihanna is showing an unconventional war zone in her music video. To continue talking about, Rihanna's facial expression often appears as if she is ...

Following that part, Rihanna strolls through a field of explosions, as if it is not occurring. This suggests that the war has no affect on her, showing that she is ''hard'' not afraid and will do anything to ''win''. Again through Rihanna's music video her star persona, clearly, appeals to her target audience by Universal has creating her star persona as being very rebellious, rocky, tough, seductive, sexual and an independent woman who fights for everything. She's ''hard'', dominant and powerful through her music.

The part where Rihanna is playing games during a war suggests that she is directly targeting to her audience as being playful, partying, having fun, seductively, and living their lives despite them meeting the demands of the world around them. The game reinforces the real truth during a war that there are winners and losers but the most dominant, ''hard'' and wealthiest person wins. Rihanna is conveying to her target audience, that having control, money and wisdom can change your position within the society.

Furthermore, the scene where Rihanna is on a pink tank, Barbie makeup and a Mickey Mouse helmet connotes that Rihanna is one who is representing someone who is pure, positive, and peaceful but at the same time, childlike and different. Yet also, it places war in a harmless and irresponsible light.

Most shockingly, in this music video Rihanna has often used violent and aggressive props such as the gun as she is firing in the air, symbolically, connoting that the gun shows the social and sexual equality between man and woman. At the same time, portraying a negative action to her target audience.

Interestingly enough, Rihanna, then, sits with the tank gun between her legs, using it as a source of prop, as if it were a penis, as dominance and strength are associated with men, showing Rihanna's ''hard''. Also, connoting that Rihanna's character is ''hard'' in a sexual way. In other words, creating an imagery of Rihanna looking as if, tough, she has got an ‘erect penis' connoting sexually aggressiveness and sexual independence. Rihanna has got a wild lifestyle.

At the end, half of Rihanna's face is covered with her hair but emphasised with eyeliner her left eye representing the ''All Seeing Eye''. This connotes that just like ''God'' she is looking over the human kind. This is why she has won the war by waving the R logo, at the end of the song, connoting victory of the war, This fascinatingly, reflects her star persona, as a result, makes everything Rihanna does more appealing to her target audience as they imitate from her actions because her primary target audience is young teenage girls which means they are naive, vulnerable and want to be like Rihanna, particularly looking up to her dominant and rebellious figure.
However, the one eye not being cover and the other one is covered also connotes mystery, we don't see or know a lot about her. Rihanna is hiding many things away from the public eye connoting her sensitive side is concealed rather than revealed.

To finalize, the use of lighting in this music video, at the start, we are introduced to Rihanna holding her soldier hat downwards but the light is shined very bright on her to strengthen the qualities and the interpretations of her facial expressions and body language. Mainly, her lips through the red lipstick is emphasised, her black nail polish and her diamond rings all appeals to her target audience. Rihanna has got a modern fashionable army look. This is clearly seen because this is the purpose of the top lighting to make the small, invisible and unnecessary props or items stand out the most. For example, top lighting is to highlight Rihanna's quirky and weird fashion sense, dress codes, makeup techniques, physical parts, postures etc, we will become more interested in the music videos and follow Rihanna throughout different media text because we become more obsessed with her image, as fans.
Def Jam Recordings the record label which she is signed to has created this star persona to make her appear unusual and stand out from the main to make it more appealing to her target audience as everyone loves 'different'.
At last, natural lighting gives us a sense of originals, brightness, purity, realistic and it gives a high definition images or shots.

Major Label Marketing research (AO1/AO4)

Promotion

Promoting Rihanna

Rihanna is actually signed to Def Jam Recordings by it is parented by Universal. Rihanna's primary target audience is young teenage females aged 17-22 and her secondary target audience is young male teenagers aged 17-22.
Below I've provided two examples of promotions which clearly shows how Rihanna is targetting her primary audience and secondary audience through merchandise and sex appeal.



This image above shows an example of Rihanna promoting her cosmetics Covergirl mascara product. this is appealing to her primary target audience because its her cosmetics which will persuade teenagers to purchase it. Cover girl is dedicated to Rihanna which is a collection of make -up products that are also used by make up artists. However, the make-up business promotes Rihanna very effectively as it uses synergy which means two companies working together to promote products or artists. For example, Rihanna is signed to Universal and she is synergizing with Covergirl to promote her cosmetics.



Promotion also includes displaying the artist on a magazine cover to persuade the audiences to purchase the products. To make them buy the magazines the artists must covey sex appeal and attracting attention through revealing clothing.

This is good example for advertising Rihanna in public adverts using synergy again with well known companies . Likewise, this is an excellent example for synergy when two organisations work together to allow them to reach the same audience and both profit from it.

This is another example that is an example relating to promoting Rihanna's music on YouTube.
This is very useful because they know that Youtube a the most often visited sites particularly visited more than 100x by younger audiences. This is the best site for promoting songs.

Researching Rihanna's audience profile

I have chosen Rihanna because I am a big fan of her. However, she is originally from Saint Michael, Barbados, born on February 20, 1988. (age 22) and her real full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Her occupations are a singer, songwriter, executive producer, dancer, video director, philanthropist, cultural ambassador, author and actress.

Most relevantly, she is signed to the record label of Def Jam Recordings. This music industry is a major music label because it's owned by Universal Music Group.
Many other artists such as Jay Z and Jennifer Lopez are signed to Def Jam Recordings as well.


Target Audience Profile is shown above on a slide share program:)