Video Analysis: Pink “So What!”
This video was made for the song “So What” from the album “Funhouse” by the artist, Pink. The use of the video to this song is to amplify the values of the song through its visuals. According to Steve Archer in How to Study Music Videos amplification through the visuals is to develop or enhance the ideas from within the chosen song. The lyrics from within the song “So What” conveys the artist’s anger over breaking up with her husband and her attitude that she doesn’t care about what has happened that she’s going to show her husband how much she doesn’t care.
The majority of the camera work in this video consists of mainly long shots and mid shots. These shots help to develop the narrative of the video. In this case they are used to show the artist’s angry behaviour towards the fact her husband has left her. For example there is a shot of her cutting down a tree that carved into it has the romantic gesture of her and he husbands initials inside a heart to show that she’s angry and she doesn’t want to see anything to do with them being romantically linked. Also there are several close up shots of her when the song develops into the chorus. Steve Archer in How to Study Music Videos states that this change could signify an important development in the song. Pete Fraser stated that close ups predominate the screen and could be used to create a sense of intimacy. Both these ideas can be demonstrated in this video. In this song the most important part of it is the lyrics within the chorus. They are a message to her husband telling that she doesn’t care that he has left her because he was not a nice person and she believes that she is still a rock star without him. She is thus demonstrating her independence and her not needing him. The close ups on her at this point make her the only important thing and it makes the audience listen to her voice and the lyrics and not be distracted by anything else, thus conveying the important lyrics. Also with those close ups she is creating intimacy with her audience which could be her husband and so it is a way for her to convey her message personally.
The mise-en-scene of this video is slightly on the wacky and wild side, for example her costume and make up consists of tattoos, piercings and bright coloured clothing. John Stewart is quoted in Pete Fraser’s article Teaching Music Video to have stated that mise-en-scene can be used to emphasise an aspirational life style for the audience. The mise-en-scene in this video being slightly wacky shows that she has a disregard for what people think, which could show rebellion and youthfulness. This can be seen as a good thing as it is some people’s belief that it is her life and she should do what she pleases. This could be aspirational to some viewers.
The editing within this video is mostly quite simple. It mainly consists of straight cuts. The simplicity of the editing is to allow the artist to shine through. According to Dyer in his article Stardom states that Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. The editing is the one thing that remains simple thing in this video that does not distract the audience from consuming Pink’s star image.
Another music video that is similar to this video which I like is called “The Only Exception” by Paramore. The visuals for “The Only Exception” were designed for e less aggressive song that Pink’s “So What” however, it still has that story and conveying the message like style which is what I like about this video. Paramore’s music video has a sort of circularity of narrative where the main singer starts of in one room and walks through a variety of them and ends up back where she started. It is this originality and creativity that I love about the video.
This video was made for the song “So What” from the album “Funhouse” by the artist, Pink. The use of the video to this song is to amplify the values of the song through its visuals. According to Steve Archer in How to Study Music Videos amplification through the visuals is to develop or enhance the ideas from within the chosen song. The lyrics from within the song “So What” conveys the artist’s anger over breaking up with her husband and her attitude that she doesn’t care about what has happened that she’s going to show her husband how much she doesn’t care.
The majority of the camera work in this video consists of mainly long shots and mid shots. These shots help to develop the narrative of the video. In this case they are used to show the artist’s angry behaviour towards the fact her husband has left her. For example there is a shot of her cutting down a tree that carved into it has the romantic gesture of her and he husbands initials inside a heart to show that she’s angry and she doesn’t want to see anything to do with them being romantically linked. Also there are several close up shots of her when the song develops into the chorus. Steve Archer in How to Study Music Videos states that this change could signify an important development in the song. Pete Fraser stated that close ups predominate the screen and could be used to create a sense of intimacy. Both these ideas can be demonstrated in this video. In this song the most important part of it is the lyrics within the chorus. They are a message to her husband telling that she doesn’t care that he has left her because he was not a nice person and she believes that she is still a rock star without him. She is thus demonstrating her independence and her not needing him. The close ups on her at this point make her the only important thing and it makes the audience listen to her voice and the lyrics and not be distracted by anything else, thus conveying the important lyrics. Also with those close ups she is creating intimacy with her audience which could be her husband and so it is a way for her to convey her message personally.
The mise-en-scene of this video is slightly on the wacky and wild side, for example her costume and make up consists of tattoos, piercings and bright coloured clothing. John Stewart is quoted in Pete Fraser’s article Teaching Music Video to have stated that mise-en-scene can be used to emphasise an aspirational life style for the audience. The mise-en-scene in this video being slightly wacky shows that she has a disregard for what people think, which could show rebellion and youthfulness. This can be seen as a good thing as it is some people’s belief that it is her life and she should do what she pleases. This could be aspirational to some viewers.
The editing within this video is mostly quite simple. It mainly consists of straight cuts. The simplicity of the editing is to allow the artist to shine through. According to Dyer in his article Stardom states that Stars depend upon a range of subsidiary media to construct an image for themselves which can be marketed to their target audiences. The editing is the one thing that remains simple thing in this video that does not distract the audience from consuming Pink’s star image.
Another music video that is similar to this video which I like is called “The Only Exception” by Paramore. The visuals for “The Only Exception” were designed for e less aggressive song that Pink’s “So What” however, it still has that story and conveying the message like style which is what I like about this video. Paramore’s music video has a sort of circularity of narrative where the main singer starts of in one room and walks through a variety of them and ends up back where she started. It is this originality and creativity that I love about the video.
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