Theories linked to Florence & The Machine - 'Ship To Wreck'
Michael Shore's criticisms of music videos
Recycled Styles - This video contradicts Michael Shore's criticism because there is no intertextuality which suggests no individuality and there are no obvious recycled styles from other music videos. However she does recycle her own styles because other recent music videos from Florence and the Machine have a similar amplified style.
Surface without Substance - This idea is mostly linked to mainstream pop which provide plenty of upbeat sounds and dance sequences however lack a narrative or substantial depth in the lyrics meaning. This is not the case with the Florence and the Machine video since the lyrics have such a strong meaning while the music video itself uses amplification to strengthen the lyrics meaning. For example, in many shots there are two Florence's which suggests bipolar disorder and one Florence is calm and trying to make sense of the situation while the other is constantly pulling her away or upsetting the situation further with confusion. This creates the idea that Florence has two mind sets, one being that she wants a relationship with the man and the other being self destructive finding it impossible to keep the relationship consistent. This links to the question in the song, "did I build this ship to wreck?" - The ship being a metaphor for her relationship. This all suggests that there is a lot of substance to Florence's music as their is with many indie music videos because they commonly write about their own experiences making the videos meaningful and trying to make the audience understand their story. The screen shot below shows the destructive Florence in the front trying to disrupt her relationship:
Information Overload - A lot of rap, pop or hip hop videos contain a lot of information such as images and sound and variations of these creating an overwhelming product. This may be done to make sure the audience constantly has some sort of stimulation, making the product interesting at all times. Indie music videos are different from this because they are narrative and are commonly a product of the artists experience. These are not always suppose to be enjoyable narratives because they are true therefore can be dark and depressive or pleasurable meaning that they do not need all the information which pop or hip hop videos need. Any artist wants their music to be successful and the Florence and the Machine video is filmed in a way which can be confusing as the shots move constantly and pan to follow Florence moving from room to room and this makes the viewer constantly awake and watching.
Image and Style Scavengers - This is very true for artists from all genres. To create music videos many artists take inspiration from many different sources from points in history and these can be music videos, fashion icons etc. and especially indie artists are know for using past fashion styles to make themselves look unique compared to other mainstream artists. For example, Florence and the Machine's fashion strongly identifies with the 40s era:
However in the 'Ship to Wreck' music video, although clothing is not a key feature of the video, she wears quite modern clothes. Notably a waistcoat which suggests the more modern movement of androgynous clothing:
Decadence - The 'Ship to Wreck' music video greatly contradicts this part of the theory because the music video is about Florence having a destructive side to her personality which ruins her relationships with people. It could equally show her having to keep her anger inside while she acts normally. E.g. pouring wine while her emotions are on the table attacking the party guests, shown by the dinner table shots:
This suggests that indie music videos do not show decadence as much as a pop, hiphop or rap video would because they are normally narrating a personal experience rather than displaying 'the high life' as mainstream music often does. The 'Ship to Wreck' video also shows Florence knocked out by sleeping pills at the end of the video, completely the opposite of displaying decadence:
Immediate gratification/Adolescent Male Fantasies/Speed, power, girls and wealth - Indie videos generally contradict this part of the theory because the style of music is less about pleasing the audience with images of amazing products and parties and are more about having depth and meaning and making the audience think about something. Sometimes the indie videos about experiences show the negative effects of immediate gratification while adolescent male fantasies are rarely explored and are more present in pop or hip hop videos which show women in skimpy clothing, fast/expensive cars and parties on boats and exotic beaches.
Cliched imagery - Indie music is known for being unique with the artists being very distinctive compared to many mainstream artists. This makes cliched imagery very uncommon because the artists strive for individuality and this is shown by Florence's unique video 'Ship to Wreck' which interesting shots and angles.
Soft-core pornography - Indie music does not adhere to this theory as it is common in hip hop or rap videos with scantily clad women dancing with the male artist. Indie music is more emotive and uses experiences which are relatable to middle class or working class people.
Narrative theory - "narrative is rarely complete and often fragmentary" ... "therefore complete meanings/narratives don't exist"
This is a very true theory for any music video. Usually there is a climax point in the short narrative however we never usually find out how the characters got in that position or what happens to them afterwards and this can make the video more relatable to an audience. The music video for 'Ship to Wreck' by Florence and the Machine adheres to this theory because it gives a fragment of a narrative which is also interpretational. This being that Florence has either a split personality or is keeping her feelings inside and the video is a creative output for those feelings in the form of two Florence's with contrasting emotions. There is very little narrative in the video and it is more amplification of the lyrics however the audience can interpret what is happening in different ways and create a narrative.
Binary Opposition
The theory by Strauss is definitely adhered to in the 'Ship to Wreck' video with the two different versions of Florence greatly contrasting each other. One is calm and trying to make sense of the situation however the other one is trying to worsen the situation and is not in control of her feelings. This opposition is conceptual (control and panic) because of the emotions expressed by each Florence's face and what they are trying to do while and visual opposition is also explored through the violent movement and stillness of the two Florence's.
General Theories
1. Laura Mulvey's theory
Florence & the Machine
The male gaze theory suggests that we are viewing the video through a mans eyes and the shots of female characters are there to please men. It also states that women are portrayed as either a "virgin or a whore". This is adhered to in the 'Ship to Wreck' video as Florence is shown in the beginning wearing only a bra and jeans with a man in her bed suggesting that she has slept with the man. The clothing and situation suggests that she is more towards the "whore" side of the scale of Laura Mulvey's theory however these images are not there to please the viewer in a sexual way because the images portray her as confused and upset. There are also drugs all over the floor and she is not styled to look sexual in the stereotypical way, suggesting that the video does not completely adhere to the theory. This may be a modern concept proving that the theory is outdated as even in popular music, the female singers are strong characters and are not shown through a male gaze. This being said, hip hop or rap music still strongly adheres to the 'male gaze' because it displays images of sexualised women from the view of males.
50 Cent - 'Just A Lil Bit'
2. Steve Archer's theory
This theory states that there is a clear relationship between narrative and performance and the video will cut between the two. It also states that a carefully choreographed dance or an extra aspect of the video designed the aid visualisation will be present and add the 'repeatability' factor. The Florence and the Machine video does adhere to this genre because although there is little narrative and more amplification of lyrics happening in the video, it does alternate between performance and amplification. It also has an visualisation aid which is Florence herself playing the two contrasting characters and this is repeated through out the video as a motif.
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