Costume, Make-Up and Hair Ideas

Where my Music Video Would Feature

Music Video Narrative Structure

Tzvetan Todorov:

This theory is about the structure of how a narrative should be. It includes four stages to complete the narrative which are:

1.   The Equilibrium

2.   The Disruption

3.   The Recognition of the disruption

4.   The re-equilibrium

The Equilibrium of this music video is Beyoncé, the singer, in the process of preparation for the beauty pageant with a montage edit of her and the other contestants preparing themselves. In the montage also includes shots were Beyoncé is, what looks like, he home with her awards. To the girls in the pageant, this is normal to them.

The disruption in the video is hard to identify but I think it is when she is seen getting weighed and measured and is when we start to see Beyoncé trying to change that by taking drugs and exercising.

The recognition of the disruption is when the presenter of the pageant asks her what her aspirations in life are. Beyoncé repeats “my aspiration in life” a number of times when she answers with “my inspiration in life is to be happy” and then we see her destroying all her trophies which represents that all she has done is torture herself for trophies. 

The re-equilibrium is the ending where it relates to the lyrics when she is singing "are you happy with yourself?  ” The last shot is her as before the 'home video' is on is a close up shot of Beyonce where she has short hair which is un-styled and minimal make-up. This represents that she is finished with the torturing of herself to win awards. Then the last clip is of her when she was a child and she won an award. This reinforces that you win sometimes but not always.

This music video does use the Todorov Theory to create a meaningful video and shows the journey of what the girls have to go through.

 

Kate Domaille, 2001:

Kate Domaille’s theory states that every story can be fitted into one of eight narrative categories, which are:

1.   Archilles

2.   Candide

3.   Cinderella

4.   Circe

5.   Faust

6.   Opheus

7.   Romeo and Juliet

8.   Tristan and Iseult

The video Pretty Hurts fits into the category of Candide which is the indomitable hero who cannot be put down. The reason I think this is because the audience see Beyoncé in front of her awards which shows she will keep trying and not be put down. Although at the end of the video, she makes herself look natural with un-styled hair, make-up and fancy outfits. This could be seen in two ways, she is either finished with the beauty pageants and it is time to call it a day or she is starting again and going through the beauty pageant process again.

Bordwell and Thompson, 1997:

The fabula story, which is the Bordwell and Thompson theory, is defined as the chronological series of events that are represented or implied. This video uses this to show the different things that are happening within the video put in an order which represents the journey of what the girls go through.   

Laura Mulvey – Male Gaze theory:

I have included this theory even though it’s not a narrative theory because it fits in with the video and helps explain the narrative a little bit more.

The Laura Mulvey Male Gaze theory reinforces how the women are portrayed in this video. The contestants in the beauty pageant want to make themselves look ‘perfect’ and therefore taking drastic actions to maintain what the perfect woman should look like. The women are seen wearing clothes which are very revealing which are used to show their boobs and other body parts such as the ribs of a extremely skinny girl. This puts into perspective would girls do to look a certain way.

 

 

LIIAR ANALYSIS