The video is in black and white, which shows how basic it is. Also the fact that it is in black and white shows that there are no distractions away from the meaning of the lyrics and the video. The black and white could also represent a reflection of the main characters life which is hard and colourless.
Within the video there are many close ups of the protagonist. This then creates a feeling of sympathy from the audience towards the protagonist because the lyrics links to what we are seeing, a wasted life. The target audience for this video are the younger generation, between the ages of 15-25, this is similar to the singers age. The song is about drugs and this is a topic that young people get caught up in. The music video appeals to both gender because, although it is only a female in video, it targets both as drugs can effects both female and male.
At the beginning of the video there is a close up of a woman standing over a girls body and crying. As an audience we immediately think the girl laying on the ground is dead. We are then shown a close up of the body then the close up turns into a medium shot. The girl is staring blankly into the camera and in the background the sound of a bird chirping can be heard. This effective is used because it gives the audience a cold feeling towards the video, and they are drawn in to find out who she is and what happened.
We are then shown a medium close up, from this scene the audience learn more about the character and realise she is homeless as she is lying on a bench with a sleeping bag. She is not fully dressed suggesting that she can't afford clothes. She is wearing ripped tights and also a mans coat which is too big for her . Along with this she has thick makeup on which implies that she has been trying anything for money. This is also shown later on the video when there is a series of close ups of the girl putting makeup on in a dodgy flat and then a long shot of her showing her legs to get the car to stop. Suggesting that the girl is a prostitude. The lighting is very low key all the way through the video which makes it more realistic, However there is key lighting on her face which shows her negative expressions. She is distressed and the drugs are there to take her away from her pain and reality.
This music video attracts it's target audience because they are people who could be involved and trapped and it shows that there isn't away out. The circular structure intrigues the audience causing them to be attracted to the video.
If I were a boy By Beyonce
The song 'if i were a boy' is based around relationship problems and explores the way males stereotypically treat females in a relationship. This is enhanced through the use of role reversal narrative in which Beyonce is seen acting as the male typically would in a relationship, but as the music video progressed at the end it shows that she is the one who is being hurt.
The music video for the song was shot in black and white in New York. Beyonce said that the video shows that men commonly do to hurt their partners, like not answering their phones, before adding that the video is about little things that mean a lot in relationships.
Audience
through her music career beyonce has built a large audience, because of her range of songs. Most of her music is targeted at a younger audience, but is also widely popular. Aimed at a majorly young female demographic, 'if i were a boy' like much of Beyonce's music has a strong feminist perspective. Many of her lyrics describes independent women, and go against the typical conventions of pop music in that area.
Context
The song was successful worldwide, selling over 2 million copies and reaching to number one in the worlds single top 40. http://acharts.co/song/38420. The song was also nominated for 'video of the year' at the BET awards in 2009.
Style
The video opens with a short dialogue of the woman and man, describing the importance factors of relationship. This scene adds impact to the message of the video. The firm is shown in narrative form. although there are short performance scenes at the end. This is after the audience understands the full meaning of the song.
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