‘My Kind of Woman’ by Mac Demarco
Genre: Indie Rock
Mac Demarco is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.
This first close up shot introduces the star and it helps advertise him. Close up shots highlight the artist’s talents when they are singing and they also show their passion and emotion.
Long and wide shots are used as establishing shots to set the scene of the narrative in the music video. Here we can now start to see how Mac is dressing up as a woman (also connoted by the title and now reinforced). Mac is surrounded by newspapers, maybe giving the idea that he is in his mother’s womb- not being affected yet by society or fame. He then falls and breaks the newspaper, connoting how he is born and is given a name- which is shown with letters that light up. It has been increasingly popular to include a narrative in the music video as it helps to tell a story which the audience could relate to. Usually the narrative would link in well with the lyrics which leaves room for more imagination.
There is a narrative in-between the performance to give more meaning to the music video. It helps the audience to relate to the lyrics of the song. Also the letters behind (which spell ‘Mac Demarco’ light on one by one. The low lighting makes us focus on them and makes the artist’s name stand out more to the viewer- advertising him and also reinforcing together with the lip sync that he is the singer. He also keeps putting on makeup and jewellery, maybe showing how he is growing and each time more things are demanded of him by society.
Costumes give people different identities making it easier to understand the media text and also help to distinguish them from everyone else. Props are also very important to ensure that the music video looks realistic. In this media text the fact that Mac is slowly changing into a woman reinforces the lyrics ‘You’re my kind of woman’. In the narrative this can be portrayed as he is now a recognised artist and is on the spotlight of fame.
The prop used- the board above, further reinforces the narrative’s relation to the lyrics and the song name. The lighting plays a big role as the spotlight is focused on his face and the board is white, while the rest is dark. This makes us focus on both the singer and the song’s name.
Indie music videos are known to be quite low budget: the main settings of the videos are for example in studios- like above. These are places which can be accessed easily and they can create a very mysterious atmosphere. The settings are kept simple because it is a typical convention of indie rock music videos to focus more on the artist/performance. Everything that Mac is surrounded by connotes how maybe this is when he got his fame and started experiencing things.
A close-up of his face follows him wherever he goes as he sings ‘I really don't know, why you stick right next to me, wherever I go’. His makeup and wig is also now all smudged and all over the place. This maybe connotes how this is his life now that he is famous and affected by things like drugs or standards. This is clear when he sings at the same time: ‘I'm feeling so tired really falling apart, and it just don't make sense to me’.
Editing is very important to make the video interesting. Most indie genre videos would have special effects to either make it run smoothly or to create an effect that makes the audience feel as if they are in the music video. Shots are usually cut either fast or slow to reflect the pace/beat of the music. The camera keeps following him around and he starts to take off his wig and makeup- maybe connoting how fame is taking his expense and he has now given up to portray himself as the industry and people want him to and not how he really is. The mist effect shows how time keeps passing and he is losing himself as we literally can barely see him now.
We can now see a medium shot of him getting into a fetal position, linking back to the start when he was ‘born’ . The fact that he is wearing worn-out vans with white socks links with the fact that normally people that make or listen to indie rock music wear grunge/alternative clothes. (like worn out skater vans)
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