OH - Comparison of two music videos

• ·      Kendrick Lamar is an American hip-hop artist from Compton, California. In 2004, Lamar signed to Carson-based independent record label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). Lamar would later secure a recording contract with a major label in 2012, when he signed with Aftermath and Interscope Records. Apart from his solo career, Lamar is also known as a member of the West Coast hip hop super group Black Hippy, alongside his TDE labelmates and fellow South Los Angeles-based rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q.

• ·      Bastille re an English indie band formed in 2010. They began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece is completed by Chris 'Woody' Wood, William Farquarson and Kyle Simmons. They recently added a touring member to the band, Charlie Barnes. The name of the band derives from Bastille Day – an event celebrated on Smith's birthday, 14 July.

Lamar pictured with two girls representing his star qualities as a hit with the women

• ·      Its fair to say that both Bastille and Lamar are involved in very different forms of music production, with Lamar creating mainstream hip hop music for a wide audience. Where as Bastille produce their music for a smaller fan base than Lamar as they’re part of the alternative genre of music. Thus we should see similar trends follow into their music video production with Bastille supposedly producing a low budget production where as Lamar’s record labels such as Interscope records promoting a much higher budget production with a more professional finish.

One of many meat shots used in Bastille Pompeii

• ·      Lamar has a very unique voice to which Barthes’s theory of ‘grain of voice’ can be applied, where by when Lamar raps the lyric to the song they are all in the same key and at the same frequency allowing his voice to play as an instrument in the song and a unique instrument to Lamar.

Shot used in the Bastille piece allows Dan to appear distant and present

• ·      This grain of voice can be linked in with Goodwins theory of ‘synaesthesia’ allowing for the audience to visualize the sounds as seen on the video. Lamar tends to rap at a relatively fast pace however when he doesn’t the background sounds alter to this and slow down in accordance allowing for the piece to flow smoothly allowing the sounds to be seen in the minds eye.

• ·      Goodwin also explains at how a narrative is an integral part when building repeatability to apiece. The narrative to Lamar’s piece is to an extent very repeatable with this constant link to the police and crime “in the hood”. Where as Bastille’s music video has a lot in common with the lyrics of the song. The lyrics are generalized and the lyric, “but if you close your eyes” is the main focus of the piece with the main protagonist the lead singer Dan Smith runs away from these people who appear possessed with blacked out eyes. These generalized lyrics allow for the repeatability of the piece to be emphasized, as well as the fact that there is cuts between Smith singing and the narrative allow for a meta narrative to be established around the singer allowing for a star image to be created not only for Smith but Lamar also.

Lamar pictured on a golden throne like a king

• ·      Goodwin talks about how the construction of the piece through mise en scene contributes massively to the successfulness of the piece. With both Lamar’s and Bastille’s piece both having a large proportion of ‘Meat shots’ allowing the audience to build a relationship with the artist. Not only this but Goodwin talks about how ‘beats’ play a huge part in the successfulness of the editing, beats is known as the representation of the music through the use of the cut to go with the beat or key rhythm. Both pieces incorporate this technique to give a sense of connection between the visuals and sounds, Lamars piece is more so, which, coupled with the fast paced beat of the song allows for a real atmosphere to be created. Where as Bastille Pompeii is less so as the cut is based more on action of the man in shot and lesser based on the music played over the top.

Meat shot of Lamar

• ·      Richard Dyers star theory is the idea that icons and celebrities are manufactured by institutions for financial gain. He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' experiencing real emotions. Stars are manufactured by the music industry to serve a purpose; to make money out of audience, who respond to various elements of a star’s personality by buying records and becoming fans. Where by the star image has been created for both the solo artist and the group Bastille. As the stars tend to be known for key traits which allow for audiences to connect to the star/stars and admire them. For example with Lamar the audience are able to aspire to him due to his journey to stardom and how he grew up in the gang riddled city of Compton and went on to become a superstar, which has allowed him to gain many young aspiring singer songwriters.

Super natural character used in Bastille Pompeii

• ·      Dyer then goes on to explain about how the two different paradoxes create a stars image. The first being present and absent at the same time in the piece. In Bastilles piece 90% of the shots are of the main character and there are near to no shots where both him and other characters are featured in shot so this paradox can’t be established in the piece. However in Lamar’s piece this paradox is evident with shots of simply himself as well as shots of him in crowds allow for intrigue and interest to be created by the audience. Not only this but the second paradox of the star being both ordinary and extra ordinary at the same time is evident when Lamar is pictured floating above the pavement as well as when he is pictured standing on top of the street light, this allows for him to be seen as super human and results in him being admired more by his fans. The same paradox cannot be linked to the Bastille piece with only ordinary shots being pictured of the protagonist.