bruno mars grenade analysis

The music video I am analyzing is ‘Grenade by Bruno mars. The video is a well-known narrative video, which defies emotion and relative feeling to an audience through its visuals as well as audio. The song is about a man ’s feelings towards a girl who means a lot to him but she doesn’t feel the same back. In the video it is very simplistic in the sense that minimal percentage of production was designated to post production, meaning it had basic continuity editing where it showed the artist in different places. The video storyline is around a connection with the lyrics. It shows the efforts that the man would go through to prove his love for the women. It shows him all the way through pulling a piano with a rope. This is a dominant ideology in the video and shows the struggle, this creates interest to the audience visually on the journey this man is embarking on. We question as a viewer where he is going? Why he is going? And why he has a piano? But this all adds up through the artists star persona, his musician ability is shown through the fact he is pulling a piano which in most of his songs he plays himself. The genre is signified through the use of mise en scene, cinematography and editing. Also the connection within the lyrics is very cleverly done as it swerves away from being classed as a performance video although it contains similar characteristics. For example the lyric ‘In front of a train for ya’ then ironically at the end of the video after witnessing the girl he loves with another man, he ends up committing suicide and standing in front of a train. The emotion of the song is complimented through the visuals, which in all creates suspense and interest to the video.

Editing

As I earlier mentioned the editing used in the video is very simplistic.

This is a skill in itself as it highlights the naturalistic feel to the video/song. A montage edit is used throughout the video; we follow two scenarios of the same man, 1 of him pulling a piano on a journey somewhere, another of him in a room reminiscing looking at photos etc.

The variety used within the edit maintains the viewers interest as we are not always looking at the same things it is constantly changing.

The effect the edit has on us as an audience is that we are always occupied and being informed. The effect is has on the video is that the level of interest is sustained throughout. The duration of the clips are not too long to become repetitive of lack interest and not too short to change the genre/feel of the video.

Interesting transitions to represent change in scenario are used for example, when he is in the room before the first chorus a swipe is used in the form of a truck which goes across the screen fast and the shot then changes into him in a car tunnel still pulling the piano. This unique transition is used rarely within the video but seeing it is aesthetically pleasing to the audience and they continue watching to see it again.

The mise en scene within the video has essentially affected how the

Genre is put across; the artist, and the videos intended meaning by applying the appropriate colors and props, costumes etc. The audience has a preferred response to the video understanding the true emotion being emitted. The uses and gratifications theory can be applied to the video as the fact he is in a suit allows a range of people being able to identify and relate to the character through his costume. It adds connotations of a smart, normal, workingman, which in itself emphasizes the natural meaning behind the song of love.

A dark color filter has been applied to a majority of the video, to engage the depressing, emotional feel that the genre represents. These specific songs require signifiers to ensure the audience of the genre and style of the artists video/song. Production design was vitally important in this video as it showed the character going through scenarios such as rough neighborhoods interlinking gang culture and violence, adding to the appeal it has to an

Audience.

Sound

As it is a music video the sound itself was the song throughout but Miniscule sound effects were used for example in transition of shots as a truck passed, in the background a truck engine would play. Also in the end of the video as the train approaches the character the sound of an oncoming train plays. Through various viewings of the music video I have not picked up on any Intersexuality use within it.

Theories

Andrew Goodwin’s theory can be applied to this video as it demonstrates genre characteristics for example, close ups, mise en scene specific factors etc. As well as there is a distinctive relationship between the lyrics and the visuals, amplifying what is going on. In the video the artist Bruno Mars plays the role of the main character, which includes a lot of focus on him via cinematography. This promoted the artist himself and could even be a demand by him or the record label to gain the most profit possible. The uses and gratifications theory is applies in how the video allows the audience to identify and relate with the content of the video through the visuals and the lyrics. This attracts a more varies and range audience as the relation for the audience to the song depends on personal past experience.