Sam Carter

Goodwin’s Music Video Analysis-

‘Riptide’ Vance Joy

Relationship between lyrics and visuals The majority of this music video is made up with links

between the lyrics and the visuals.This is an example of the link as

the lyrics are ‘come unstuck’

while the visuals are a midshot of

a girl coming ‘unstuck’ from being

tied to a tree.

Another example is from the

lyrics of ‘running down to the

riptide’ while the visuals show a

midshot of someone running and

then a shot of a actual riptide in

the sea.This close up shot of a left hand

holding a microphone is another

example of the relationship as

while this shot occurs the lyrics

are ‘left hand man’.

The demands of the record label

This music video doesn’t adhere to this part of the theory as the artist’s don’t appear in the video. This goes against this part of the theory as to comply with this part there would be lots of close ups of the artist’s face to show who he is and to familiarise him with the artist.

However, this unconventional approach may appeal to some viewers as it doesn’t comply with most mainstream videos as the artist isn’t shown. Some audience members may prefer this as they want to be seen as different and use this video to almost represent them. Showing that perhaps this music video could comply with parts of the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory as it suits their identity.

The notion of looking and voyeuristic

treatmentThis music video does contain some voyeuristic treatment of women with some shots as shown here. However, the producers of the music video have done this to carry on the relationship between lyrics and visuals as the lyrics during the first shot are ‘I was scared of pretty girls’ and the lyrics during the second are ‘running down to the riptide.’

Although they had a reason to use the voyeurism for the first shot feminist critics may still argue that the video suggests that women need to be getting undressed to be pretty. They may feel that it would’ve been more suitable for there to just have been a pretty woman in this shot instead. However, post-feminists may argue that this shot represents women being proud of what they look like as she getting undressed and not hiding behind clothes.

Relationship between music and visuals, the video

demonstrating genre characteristics and intertextual

references.

I have included these parts of the theory in this section as the unconventional nature of this video means that none of these have significantly been addressed. The relationship between music and visuals is not really a significant one as normally the pace of the cuts and shots would speed up with the pace of the music; although the shots do cut on the beat of the song showing some relationship. However, as the video is more focussed on the relationship with the lyrics and visuals the shot duration and pace of the shots remains roughly the same throughout the video.

The video doesn’t demonstrate genre characteristics as normally for this pop/indie genre the video would contain the artist and the video would have a fun feel to it. However, as previously mentioned this video is more focussed on the relationship between lyrics and visuals.

While analysing this video I did not notice any intertextual references, perhaps again showing the unconventional nature of the video.