It’s alright, it’s okayAshley Tisdale

Camerawork

The camerawork and compositions of the shots in this video are all very reminiscent of hand held camerawork with disjointed and unsteady frame work. This sort of camera work is perhaps used so that viewers feel as if they are watching something filmed by another audience member instead of professionals, this adds and element voyeurism as Audiences get satisfaction out of watching something that is either secretly filmed or filmed with a mysterious edge.

The camerawork also includes some interesting angles as well as out of focus medium close ups and extreme close ups to add to the unprofessional feeling given off by the camera work.

Most of the camera work is filmed from below the artists representing a sort of control and power over the situation which is reinforced by the lyrics and her body language.

Editing

In regards to this video you can look at editing from 2 different perspectives:

• Colourisation

Throughout the video colour plays an extremely important role in enhancing mood and emotion. The colour appears so enhanced in the video one could almost assume that video itself was taken from a film or television extract, this in its own right gives a certain effect to the video and makes it compelling to watch because our eyes are drawn to the High definition colours. There is also a strong sense of continuity in the colours of the video evoking mood and emotion into viewers with dark blues, reds and blacks being emphasised to highlight anger and a sense of rebellion that is also amplified in the video with the narrative. The colour scheme is also mirrored in her clothing which also adds to the overall mood as well as representing an image that is perhaps dark and mysterious. Lights are also used to portray different stages in the video, from past present to future. Where bright lights are used to emphasise the past and an almost ‘happier’ period of time in direct to contrast to the darker, moodier lighting of the present to highlight the opposite.

• Shot sequence/cut edits

Cut montage is the most frequent use of editing in this video, with fast paced cuts and edits mirroring tempo, beat and rhythm. Due to the fast paced cuts most of the images are almost impossible to grasp in one viewing therefore it can almost be guaranteed that fans and audiences will watch multiple times to grasp the video and truly understand what is going on.

Star Image

“A star is an image constructed from a range of materials”Richard Dyer

Considering this statement in terms of this music video, Ashley Tisdale has a previous reputation for her work in High School Musical and other Disney productions, if you therefore believe this statement, her image is very much based around innocence and the ideal ‘tween’ lifestyle, however this music video is almost a step in the complete opposite direction. The image presented in this video is neither one of innocence or Popular ‘tween’ culture.

The lyrical elements to the song and the video suggest that the artist is making a change in her image and is wanting to present herself as a serious musical artist outside of the ‘Disney bubble’ as well as an attractive young women, dressed to appeal to young men yet still allowing female audiences to form some sort of attachment in terms of idolisation and image imitation. Neither the video or image draw upon its predecessors enabling the artist to detach herself from previous representations.

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The idea of voyeurism is a constant throughout this music video. The main ideas behind voyeurism, screens being within screens, is used frequently towards the final shots of the video where audiences are made to participate in the taking of photographs whilst watching them shot through the

camera. However if we take into consideration Freud's original explanation of voyeurism as an outlet for sexual pleasure, the female in this video is frequently objectified through a combination of fragmented body shots which emphasise a sexualised treatment. Elements of provocative sexual actions have been added to intensify the gaze of the viewer emphasising control. Viewers are subjected to watching a series of intimate exchanges between two individuals adding to the voyeuristic elements.

The artist is very much on display as a sexual object, fuelling her image and representation.

Voyeurism

Intertexuality...

Breaking away from genre conventions this video has no intertexual references running through it in terms of material or cultural examples the video would be recognised by the artists fandom because of his role in the teen drama 90210 in which audiences would aim to emulate aspects of the show in their own life. By using this maleLead target audience is reinforced and continuity is formed between image and representation.

Narrative and performance

The majority of the music video is based on narrative with the lyrics being amplified to help link the video with the song in regards to a bad break up where the girl is trying to move on. However, as you would expect in terms of genre conventions, there are elements of the video which are very performance based which empower the artist as well as show her performance skills as an artist and a connection with the audience. The narrative itself is almost reminiscent of a modern day American drama and is perfect for a modern day American audience

To conclude...

This video has relied heavily on the use of narrative performance to sell the video as well as fast paced cut montages and colourisation to keep the audiences compelled and interested. Audiences get the impression that this artist is very much aware of her sexuality and this comes across when looking at her body language, clothing and image, however this is in complete contradiction to her previously constructed image. This video then was perhaps an outlet for the artist to present her new, darker image and whether or not it works is for you to decide...