Performance Music Video Analysis: Oceana - Cry Cry

I have chosen to analyse the music video to Cry Cry by Oceana.

1. The music, lyrics and imagery work in collaboration.
    The lyrics represent a story, whereas the music video is very simple and conceptual. The editing fits  
    around the music and some guitar sounds are directly heard as Oceana strums the guitar in the video.
    Also when she sings 'Deep inside, you cry cry cry' at one point, she is seen looking at a bird in a cage'.  
   This represents that the music video is more metaphorical rather than literal.
 
2. The performance drives the music video and it is sustained throughout. There may well be 
    narrative or conceptual elements too.
    Oceana performs throughout, whether it is just singing or dancing. There are very few cutaways  
    to metaphorical representations of how she feels such as the water, bird, and her burying her
    face in her arms.

3. The band or artist sing/mime throughout. The lip-sync is believable.
    The lip-sync is believable throughout as this is a performance video so there are certain audience
    expectations that the singer would sing and perform for the camera.

4. The role of the band / artist may switch between artist performance and artist-in-character 
    performance.
    Initially Oceana just performs, whether that be by herself, with a guitar or with a microphone. She then
    sings as artist-in-character but as herself while contemplating. The difference is noticeable as she is no
    longer performing to the camera, but is just singing to herself. Examples of this are when she is sitting
    against a wall and buries her face in her arms.

5. The audience will expect to see singing/ dancing/ movement/ playing instruments. This is likely 
    to conform to their expectations of the genre and/ or the band/ artist.
    Oceana dances, sings and plays the guitar in this music video. The laid back, melancholic style of this song
    is very prominent with the message behind the song and represents Oceana as a serious artist.

6. The band/ artist performance will be engaging/ impactful/ visually striking.
    The music video is very simple and gets more memorable towards the end with the juxtaposition of lighting
    and liveliness portrayed by Oceana. Initially she is very conserved and melancholic, and by the end the
    movement through the dance is very free, also juxtaposing the bird in the cage. Other moments og visual
    impact along with the bird in the cage include the many outfits/ sides of Oceana, the location of the run-
    down, dirty building and the water falling down against the wall. Although the music video as a whole is
    not made for repeat viewing, it is made to represent the song in a more conceptual way that represents
    Oceana's style as a singer and a performer.

7. It is likely that the video features highly stylised costume, hair, make-up, backdrops and effects.  
    A variety of sets, backdrops and costumes is common.
    There are a variety of costumes ranging from casual to expensive dresses as she performs with the
    microphone and dresses suited for her to dance in that are glamorous yet revealing. There is a different
    make-up and hairstyle for each different outfit that results in a lot of work. There are also many locations,
    for example the empty room where she performs with the microphone, the kitchen, the staircase and later
    on the mirror and the lights. There are no effects present in the music video as they are not needed to help
    portray the message with the theme chosen.

8. A strong sense of development is expected - things change and move on.
    Development isn't prominent in this video, although the editing speeds up with more backdrops and
    costumes being introduced further into the video. There is no narrative portrayed in the video as it's purely
    performance with cutaways to the artist contemplating while singing.

9. A strong sense of artist identity is crucial through movement, gestures, costume/ hair/ make-up 
    and band relationships. The video is aspirational to fans of the band/ artist.
    Cry Cry was Oceana's first single from her debut album meaning it was necessary for her to introduce
    herself and target certain audiences. She presents herself as a serious artist with respect for the history of
    the genre, presented with the style of her performance with the microphone which is very reminiscent of
    singers from the 20th Century. This helps her establish a fanbase that likes original Soul/R&B with a
    modern twist. At the end of the video she does more complicated dances than at first, with more modern
    hairstyles and outfits. This helps attract younger audiences interested in the genre. Playing the guitar helps
    her presents herself as a serious artist as it connotes her musical identity. The fact that she can play musical
    instruments is important when establishing yourself as a musician and not only a singer. Also, the message
   of the song is very important and personal, so it wouldn't make sense to make a music video that was more
   fun and upbeat.

10. Beauty shots/ money shots are expected by the record label, plus repetitions of these key 
      shots.
      Beauty shots are seen around the middle of the music video. For example at 1:27-1:31, the lighting is
      perfect, and so is Oceana's make-up and hair, which is repeated later on. The main money shot in my
      opinion is when Oceana is at a MCU in a corner looking to the right as this is when she has the most
      make-up and best lighting. 2:26-2:28 would be an example of this.

11. Extreme juxtapositions and binary oppositions make the video interesting.
      There are constant changes from where Oceana looks miserable and sad, to where she is dancing with
      wide movements that represent how free she is. Also, the lyrical juxtaposition from verse to chorus,
     where the verses represent a sad story of a girl getting into trouble, and the chorus where Oceana speaks
     directly to her/us with hope is very uplifting. This is represented in the video with my point before of her
     dancing versus her being very closed up (sitting down, in a corner etc).

12. Discontinuous editing is standard.
      There is a constant change of settings and costumes.

13. Audience will gain pleasure from references to popular culture.
      The 20th Century throwback of her performance with the microphone is the closest reference to any
      popular culture in the music video. The location is unknown, although the dress she wears at 2:18 is very
     glamorous and may have a Dream Girls vibe.

14. The video will be polysemic in nature, offering different layers of meaning, despite only being a 
      performance video.
      The song itself is polysemic, and the music video adds to this with a lot of iconography such as a mirror,
      the bird and the water mainly representing different layers of meaning from Oceana dealing with the
      reality of the situation (Oceana's best friend dying at a young age from getting into drugs and the wrong
      men) to hope with the dancing and the hints of happiness while Oceana is performing the most.

15. It is likely to provoke a strong audience reaction.
      I don't think it will provoke a strong audience reaction, but is satisfying to the audience, as it suits the
      song and represents it well.