’BABY ONE MORE TIME’ TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
’BABY ONE MORE TIME’
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS
CONVENTIONS OF THE ‘POP’ GENRE• LINKS BETWEEN LYRICS AND VISUALS (STORYLINE OF SONGS FITS WITH
STORYLINE OF MUSIC VIDEO)• BRIGHT LIGHTING• BRIGHT FASHION CLOTHING AND PROPS• INCLUDES DANCE ROUTINE• USUALLY MADE TO LOOK TYPICALLY ATTRACTIVE• MAIN SINGER SOMETIMES PART OF STORY
CAMERA• DURING THE VERSES AND CHORUS’ OF THIS VIDEO MANY MID SHOTS
AND CLOSE UPS ARE USED TO SHOW THE SINGER – BRITANY – HOWEVER TO SHOW SOME OF THE MIS-EN SCENE AROUND HER, HOWEVER THE FOCUS WOULD ALWAYS COME BACK TO HER. THIS IS A COMMON CONVENTION IN POP VIDEOS, THAT THE MAIN SINGER IS THE MAIN FOCUS, AND THE ATTENTION IS FOCUSED ON WHATEVER THEY ARE DOING – USUALLY SINGING AND DANCING.• IN THE BRIDGE PART OF THE SONG, THE MUSIC GETS LESS UPBEAT
AND THE LYRICS SAY ‘ I SHOULDN'T OF LET YOU GO’, AND A LONG SHOT IS USED SHOWING BRITANY SMALL AND SURROUNDED. THIS SHOWS THE VISUALS FITTING WITH THE LESS UPBEAT MUSIC AND THE LYRICS.• AFTER THIS IT BEGINS TO BUILD UP TO THE LAST CHORUS THIS TIME
GETTING EVEN MORE UPBEAT AND ALSO MANY TRACKING AND TILT SHOTS ADDED TO GIVE EVEN MORE OF A LIVELY ‘POP’ FEEL.
EDITING• MUCH OF THE EDITING THROUGHOUT THIS VIDEO USES GOODWINS ‘BEAT’
THEORY, WHERE MANY OF THE CUTS AND VISUALS FIT WITH CERTAIN BEATS.• MANY OF THE CUTS, ESPECIALLY JUMPCUTS FIT WITH EVERY 2ND OR 4TH BEAT. • THESE CUTS TEND TO HAPPEN QUITE OFTEN, USUALLY NO MORE THEN EVERY
2 BEATS. THIS FITS THE LIVELINESS CONVENTION OF POP, AS THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CUTTING KEEPS A FAST PACE.• IN THE BRIDGE SECTION, THE SONG SLOWS DOWN AND SO DOES THE PACE
OF EDITING, WITH THE FRAMES LASTING A LOT LONGER THAN IN THE VERSES AND CHORUS’, CUTTING MAINLY EVERY 4 BEATS.
MIS-EN SCENE• THE LOCATION THROUGHOUT THIS VIDEO WE SEE IS IN A HIGHSCHOOL, WHICH FITS WITH THE
STORYLINE AND SO STICKING TO GOODWINS CONVENTIONS OF LYRICS AND VISUALS. THE SONG REFERS TO A TEENS FEELINGS AFTER BREAKING UP WITH HER BOYFRIEND, AND SO THE AUDIENCE AGE GROUP IS ABLE TO RELATE TO THE VISUALS.• WE ALSO SEE THE POP STAR PART OF THE STORY PART OF THE VIDEO WHICH IS A CONVENTION OF THE
POP GENRE.• ANOTHER TYPICAL CONVENTION OF POP IS THAT IT MAY INCLUDE A DANCE ROUTINE, WHICH THIS VIDEO
IS FULL OF. THIS MAY BE TO IN ENTICE THE TARGET AUDIENCE – TEENAGE GIRLS – AND ALSO TO KEEP WITH THE UPBEAT POP FEEL.• BRITENY IS ALSO MADE TO LOOK ATTRACTIVE AND FASHIONABLE, COSTUMED AND MADE UP IN WHAT
WAS ‘IN FASHION’ AT THE TIME THE VIDEO WAS MADE.• ONE CONVENTION THIS VIDEO DOESN’T INCLUDE, IS THE LIGHTING BEING VERY BRIGHT, HOWEVER IS
ALSO NOT DARK. THIS MAY JUST BE BECAUSE THE MOOD ISN’T MEANT TO BE HAPPY AS IT IS ABOUT A BREAK UP!
SOUND • BEFORE THE SONG STARTS WE HEAR A DIEGETIC BEAT AS BRITNEY TAPS WITH HER FOOT AND ANOTHER BEAT WITH HER PENCIL. ANOTHER DIEGETIC OFF BEAT IS ADDED AS WE SEE THE CLOCK AND THE SCHOOL BELL RIGHT BEFORE THE MAIN TUNE STARTS.• THROUGHOUT WE SEE MANY EXAMPLES WHERE THE LYRICS FIT WITH WHAT
IS HAPPENING ON SCREEN:• “SHOW ME” “MY LONELINESS”