Analysis of Pop Videos 2

Beyoncé - Single Ladies

This music video does not follow many of the typical ways in which videos try to be successful but the things they do include are effective enough. This particular video became popular due to the dance routine that many people learnt and made parodies of. The dance routine had also been used on many other forms of media like television shows including Glee and CSI Miami, the comic book series The Brave and the Bold, and films including Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and Sex and the City 2  which performed covers of the song. 

I think this video as become successful as the dance routine is throughout it and it shows all the steps allowing people to be able to learn is if they watch it. This reduces viewer fatigue a lot. The dance is also fairly simple and easy to learn. 

The video however does follow certain convention of pop videos. This include showing close ups of the artist  and the majority of the time having her centre frame so the viewer will look at her. Although the location of the video does not change the colour of the background switched from white to a dark grey while all the dancers are wearing black. A music video that is in black and white it widely used in pop music which is successful here because other conventions are missed. 

The cinematography is fairly successful as although at first it seems like it just cuts from long to mid show of the dances (straight on) about half way through the video the camera starts to move and begins to circulate them. This reduces view fatigue as just as they are about to become bored of the same shot types it changes and gives the viewer something different to look at. The lip syncing is successful all the way through and it has to be as the main focus is Beyoncé and everyone is looking at her so it has to be perfect to make it feel as if she is signing as she dances at that it is not recorded separately and added afterwards.

I think this music video is very successful as it challenges many of the pop music video conventions but still follows enough for it to be effective and well made.