Exam style 30 mark

In the pop music video The Man by Taylor Swift the video represents women as objects slightly differently to how Vance Joy shows it. In the music video the first time there is a high angle shot where the viewers can see a group of attractive girls, after watching the man which is actually Taylor Swift perform different grotesque acts. The use of this angle is simple and it focuses on the attractive women who are in swimsuits lying down on the ground showing them in a range of different positions. The use of the camera angle being this high is so the viewers can see all the sides of the women that are there for sex appeal. The fact that there are all on the floor while the man just walks past them all suggests that they are similar to objects that men tend to leave around lying on the floor like it’s use has been fulfilled. And later in that same scene all the women are surrounding the man dancing and looking directly into the camera as it gets closer. The use of the camera to use a close up shot on girls in bikinis is used to show these women as sexy as if they are really looking back into the viewers’ eyes which are typically a male audience. In the next scene there is a woman that is in a bed in a large room sleeping suggesting that the man and woman slept together highlighting that women are only objects to men to have sexual intensions with because the man immediately leaves the room without looking back at her.  

Similarly in the indie music video Riptide by Vance Joy, the video represents women as objects by showing them in scenes where the viewers can’t see their face. There is a shot where the camera is below a girl standing on a balcony. It appears that the shot is a first person point of view from the man who is spying on the girl without her realising which is a creepy concept. The fact that women are looked at like they are prizes to be won again objectifies them. The use of the low angle is to show the woman being higher physically than the man because the viewer can see her whole body and even her face which doesn’t seem bad because most camera shots don’t show the girls face so audiences don’t feel much empathy towards her, however in reality this shot has could suggest a more cryptic meaning that the men wanted to see by using this low angle. Throughout riptide the cameraman is usually showing the back of her legs and feet but in this front-low angle it appears the man looking at her is actually looking at her legs because it’s sexier that way.

In Taylor Swift’s music video The Man, men are portrayed more as a dominant and powerful role in society compared to women. The video starts with a white man looking out a window in a high class office in a suit to show how high class he is. He walks into another room receiving cheers from the other workers to portray how respected a white man in a suit is compared to women and other races. The man in this first scene is always in the centre of the frame to highlight that he is the centre of attention and the main focus to the audience directing them to believe that this character is important. The camera is behind him showing him raise his arms similar to how a monarch or king would raise his hands to his subjects as they cheer for him. The man is later shown on a yacht which is a very high class luxury that many male Americans want to have. The camera is above him looking down on him as he walks over the girls on the floor to give a wide shot to exaggerate the wide span of luxury items he owns including a butler. Another dream the target audience want are the endless selection of girls, mainly to have sexual relationships with, which is shown to highlight the lustful attitude that men show towards woman as we see him leave a woman in his bed.

The overall narrative of Taylor Swift’s music video is to show that being a man is easy and doesn’t have many repercussions to the many indecent acts they do. The man is shown in a subway train with his legs wide open to show how obnoxious it is and to again show things that men can do without thinking about others acting as if they are kings. The common phrase being “The Man” is commonly used to be the head, strong, dominant etc. The fact that there is no phrase for being “The Woman” is being explored by literally having a woman dressing up being “The Man” so that women can get that sense of power and authority.  

In the music video Riptide and in the music video The Man both music videos are shown to have moments where it is targeted towards a male audience although most of Taylor Swift’s music video is highlighting the perks of being a man meaning the men get more screen time which is surprising since the music video is made by Taylor Swift who is female and is showing off the male role by physically becoming one for the music video which we see her go through the process at the end of the video. It is shot to only focus on women because the target audience is mostly going to be men and considering Vance Joy is only starting out his indie band, the music video is shot like this to gain some sort of a following and appealing to a male audience by using woman and even being self-aware of it during the music video.

In conclusion both music videos Riptide and The Man use camera techniques, costume and body language and stereotypes to represent how men and woman are portrayed in the media. Even though one is an indie band and the other is a pop artist but both have similar views on how conventions are shown.