Music Video Analysis: Katy Perry - Firework

Initial Thoughts:

'Firework' is a very powerful music video as it focuses on the individual. Once again, like Jason Mraz's music video, it uses 'real people' to convey it's ideology, and I am interested to find out whether similar techniques are used to do this so I can then mirror them in my own video.

Conventions

Props
There are limited important props in this music video. But perhaps the most significant ones are those that are used by the magician. Through these props he shows his unique side and wins over the men who were about to mug him. Whilst this prop is not relative to the pop genre, they are extremely relevant to the narrative, as they are part of who he is.


Costume
Once again many of the costumes in this music video are relatively in significant in that they are modelled to their character and that is all. However, Katy Perry is wearing a white dress which could depict the idea of purity, concerning all of the different characters in the video. It shows how their lives are pure, honest and overall important.

Setting
As many pop videos use split narratives we can expect a range of settings to be used. The audience is mainly presented with everyday settings including a house, hospital, nightclub and a pool party. This indicates the normality of the characters and is used to highlight their problems. For example, the girl
who is conscious about her body is at a pool party, where obviously she would be expected to wear swimwear. Similarly, the boy who is tormented by his parents arguing is placed in his home, where the majority of arguments happen - out of sight from the wider world.
At the end of the video people congregate what looks to be a main square of a city. Normally during the day people would be expected to socialise here and it is a place they would all have in common. This can therefore be used to show the unity amongst everyone. Although, the ideology of the song shows everyone to be special, these scenes show the recognition of each individual as they all celebrate together their happiness and uniqueness. Every setting has clearly been chosen carefully and enhances each small narrative in the story.

Stock Characters
Very much like the settings, due to the split narrative idea the characters used are perceived to be normal people including a young person with cancer, a girl who self-conscious about her weight and a teenage boy amongst others. By using 'normal' people, the audience can relate better to the song and can appreciate the ideology more, that everyone is special and that they have the potential to take control on the 'demons' in their life and overcome their fears. This can be very important for pop videos as they want to appeal to the wider audience.

Stock Events
As mentioned before the split narrative dominates the entirety of this music video. The everyday events of birth and parties again help the audience to realise their potential the have an impact on their everyday lives. It also shows how every thing you do, no matter how futile it may seem at the time, can be important. A good example of this is when the teenage boy attempts to stop his parents fighting. It is likely he might have done this out of impulse with little hope that it would have an effect but through trying, he comes out of his shell and stands up for his Mother, which almost releases him in a sense, to do the same thing next time his parents argue.

Codes

Camera Angle
As you would expect from a pop video, there are many different camera angles throughout the four minute video. Some significant ones include the low angle at the end which portrays a sense new found power and strength from the people with the fireworks coming out of them. Again, this indicates how everyone has the potential to be powerful and special and take control of their lives.
At the same time there are several high angle or even birds eye view shots that look down on the wealth of people who have the fireworks coming out of them. This would have been done to indicate to the audience, once again, how everyone is important and unique.

Camera Range
Through the use of close-up shots the audience can see the emotion in everyone's faces which helps to engage them in each narrative. The establishing shots also use camera range to create a very effective opening sequence. The first shot is an extreme long shot and following that each shot becomes more zoomed in and focuses on smaller detail. By the end of the opening sequence the camera has focused in on Katy Perry who is standing no top of one of the many buildings in the city. This could symbolise how its the people who make the city what it is and therefore how it is the inside of a person that counts and the personality opposed to the overview and the first impressions.
When the fireworks are introduced to each person a mid shot is generally used so you can see the effect on the person, but also long shots are regularly used to show the amount of people who are confident and who are alive with this firework.

Composition
Composition is sometimes difficult to do in pop music videos as in general people are moving about within the frame a lot. Looking at Katy Perry's parts in the video, when she sings into the camera she abides by the rule of thirds, which states that an audience prefers to look at something that is slightly off centre opposed to the dead centre. It is important for pop music videos that during parts of the video when the singers is singing to the camera that this rule is taken into account.

Editing
Due to the upbeat tempo of this song the editing is fairly fast paced and becomes faster as the song progresses. This helps to show the energy in the song and also keeps the audience interested and on their toes as they try to keep up with each shot. That being said the editing is rather unobtrusive which is vital as with the in depth narrative being the main bulk of the video it doesn't want to detract from the storylines.

POV
The use of POV is very effective in 'Firework'. Each time it is used the audience can see the challenge that each character faces. This is important, in that the audience does not therefore have to make up their own mind what might be their specific hurdle to jump.

Lighting
Like all the other codes and conventions lighting pays a big part in this video. The majority of the scenes are fairly dark, these are then lighted up by the fireworks. This shows how everyone plays a role in making the world what it is and how important the individual is in some situations.


Mis-en-scene
The use of fireworks is extremely significant in this music video. Without them the whole ideology would not be presented as well. Most people associate fireworks with celebration and happiness. Therefore, as they symbolise a new found confidence in each person, a starting point for them to grow as a person. Perhaps one of the most significant points this is used is the scene where the baby is born. The firework there represents the new life, the potential and the uniqueness of this baby who is only just entering this world and has the ability to do anything.

Ideology
The ideology in the song is perfectly summed  up by the line 'you're original, cannot be replaced'. The aim is to make people realised that they are special, there is no need to be ashamed of who they are and that they have the power inside of them to do whatever they like.