BBK: Semiotic Music Video Analysis (Conceptual)

 

• Vance Joy's illustrative music video for his hit single 'Riptide' demonstrates a visual interpretation of each lyric without use of narrative or continuity. This can make it difficult to identify signifiers surrounding the artist and meaning within the video as Vance Joy is not present within it.

• However aspects of the video may give insight into the artist and his absence from the video can also indicate something about the artist, for example his lack of presence may infer a break away from genre convention. Coming from an alternative rock genre it is common for bands to feature, performing in their videos therefore his absence may be an artistic choice in order for the video to be appreciated as its own piece of art which is more important than establishing the artist for consumers.

• The videos conveys a stylised depiction of each line of the lyrics, it is made to seem vintage and looks as though shot on celluloid however this may be an aesthetic effect.  This creates a grainy, raw effect for the video perhaps reflecting on the way the singer feels about himself as an artist or about the connotations of love within the song.

• Although Vance Joy doesn't feature in the music video himself most of the male characters within it bare resemblance to him perhaps representations of himself or embodiments of his different characteristics. The costumes and props throughout the video are of a vintage style anchoring the celluloid tone and the artists chosen fashion style as he is often seen to be wearing vintage clothes.



"I was scared of dentists and the dark..."

• A motif of fear is presented throughout the video with the repetition of "I was scared of..". Due to the illustrative nature of the lyric, visual relationship this is then represented thoroughly in the visuals depicting women being dragged away to the 'dark side' and the gradual warping of the singers make up.  However concluding each of these women being dragged away he claims "I want to be your left hand man". These could perhaps connote a fear for himself or perhaps a want to protect the girl he addresses within the song.

• The use of birdseye, close ups of hands performing an action create a sense of POV and allow the audience to perceive the events the artist is describing first hand. 

• Inter-textual reference is disguised within the visuals of the video. The song lyrics refer to a movie in which a "guy decided to quit his job and head to New York city, This cowboy is running from himself, she's been living on the high shelf" these lyrics describe the plot of 'Midnight Cowboy' (John Schlesinger 1969) in which a Texan moves to New York in a romanticised dream of becoming a male prostitute. This reference comes in the form of a film suggestion to the girl that the artists persona is addressing perhaps connoting something about her status and his relationship with her.