8/10/2019 Analysing Sky Ferreiras Night Time, My Time

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Analysing Sky Ferreiras Night Time, MyTime music video in relation to the

concept of genre .

Billy Claytonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2Q2BkqGfw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2Q2BkqGfwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2Q2BkqGfwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2Q2BkqGfwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y2Q2BkqGfw

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Chosen Track

Night Time, My Time is a song by New York based indie-artist Sky Ferreira from heralbum of the same name which was released in October 2013. The song isconsidered to be an Indie-Electronic track with dark-synth vibes. The music video,directed by Grant Singer (pictured) was released on the 27 th November, 2013 viaher VEVO channel.

The music video was shot partially in a Los Angeles desert one month prior to itsrelease and displays Ferreira in the backseat of a car, walking along a dimly-litmotel balcony and sitting in a mysterious looking bedroom glowing with pink andblue lighting.

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mise-en-scene to intertextuality in Night Time, My Time Twin Peaks byDavid Lynch & Jackie Brown by Quentin Tarantino

Before even reaching the video, the track title itself acts as an inter textual reference to DavidLynchs television series Twin Peaks , in which the character of Laura Palmer sits in herbedroom, and after a short monologue, recites night time is my time , which Ferreira, being

a Lynch fan felt was very fitting for the title of her album.When the music video begins, Ferreira is seen walking across a dimly-lit blue motel balcony,shown through close ups of her feet, over the shoulder shots and shot reverse shots. At thispoint, we understand from the unique location and chiaroscuro lighting that the genre of thetrack is an alternative one, as the disorientating close ups and use of the dreamy lighting indark locations are typical to the Indie-Electronic genre (Seen in Canadian artist Grimesmusic video for Genesis .) The use of the balcony also shows a significant resemblance to ascene from Quentin Tarantinos 1997 release Jackie Brown in which two characters are seenconversing on a Los Angeles neighbourhood balcony quietly planning a shooting. Like thisscene , Ferreira is shot walking towards the camera with numbered doors passing her on theright and she turns to check if anybody is following her. Due to this, paired with the eeriemelody and trudging pace of the song, a sense of trouble similar to that of Jackie Brown issuggested and therefore conforms to Katie Wales theory that genre is an inter textual

concept.

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mise-en-scene to intertexuality in Night Time, My Time Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino

Next, we see Ferreira sitting on a bed and taking off her glasses. The white lace button-upshirt and black bobbed wig she wears along with the red lipstick paints an inter textualreference to Pulp Fictions Mia Wallace whos costume is identical to this. Ferreiras tremblingbody and frantic movements during the climax of the song are reflective of Mia Wallacesheroin overdose in Tarantinos film, as the camera follows Ferreiras hands unbuttoning hershirt and lowering her head as if she is losing control of her self, much like the scene from thefilm in which Vincent attempts to revive Mia. This inter textual reference which Ferreiraportrays throughout the whole video helps to establish the genre as an indie alternative textdue to its heavy reference to the Pulp Fiction character who stems from a non -mainstreamfilm background.

This therefore conforms to John Hartleys statement that we need to understand genre as aproperty of the relations between texts, as in this case, from learning that Ferreira and GrantSinger credit Tarantino as major influences, we learn to expect alternative film intertexualityin their productions. The music video also conforms to Goodwins theory as the artist is lipsyncing to the track, focus is made on her painted lips and the character Ferreira isembodying may be interpreted as a woman of the night archetype linking the lingerie andbedroom visuals to the lyrical theme of darkness and disorientation.

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Mise-en-scene to intertextuality in Night Time, My Time TheShining by Stanley Kubrick

In further support to Katie Wales theory that genre is an inter textual concept ,another notable intertextual reference in Sky Ferreiras Night Time, My Time music

video includes the shortly intermitted shower scenes. Throughout the music video,very short, often no longer than 2 second close ups of Ferreiras face in a glowingshower are seen which coordinate with her album cover of the same name. Thesescenes along with the cover shoot act as an intertextual reference to StanleyKubricks 1980 release The Shining which involves a young woman getting into agreen shower and exiting as a demonic old woman. Ferreira may have referencedThe Shining in her music video as a way of showing that like the changed woman,the sense of disorientation develops to an identity struggle, thus implicitly linkinglyrics to visuals.

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Nicholas Abercrombie and Goodwins theories Theorist Nicholas Abercrombie put forward the statement that genres permit thecreation and maintenance of a loyal audience which becomes used to seeing

programmes within a genre. This refers to what the audience may expect from an artist

when they listen to a new track or watch a new music video. Sky Ferreira createsprimarily Synthpop and Indie-rock themed music with lyrical themes of young romance,anxiety and agression.

The majority of her visuals are directed by her close friend Grant Singer who Ferreiras fan base have become familiar with after learning he has directed six of her musicvideos and shot three of her well known photo shoots, and therefore people developan expectation for the visuals the two create. This links to a section of Goodwins theoryin which he states artists begin to develop a repeated visual style that audiences

familiarise with . In Ferreiras case, glowing lasers, pouty close -ups, photo projectorsand distorted lighting are all often notable components to a typical music video of hers.

Youre Not The One Everything Is Embarrassing Lost In My Bedroom Night Time, My Time

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