TEXTUAL ANALYSIS 1 (JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE / MIRRORS)

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE / MIRRORS TEXTUAL ANALYSIS:

Justin Timberlake/ Mirrors is song and music video which fits within the pop genre. The video is 8 minutes 20 seconds long, it explains the love and memories that a couple go through then the loss of this loved one. I will analyse this music video using Mis-en-scene, Sound, Editing and Cinematography and how this features reflect the conventions of form and genre.

The sound that is used by Justin Timberlake is diegetic sound because Justin Timberlake can hear the music as well as the audience, as he is singing and performing the elements of the song and the lyrics of the song and the song makes it diegetic because Justin Timberlake can here it as well as the audience as he performs it, this is conventional of the pop genre because it has performance elements as well as a clear narrative. As the narrative is based around relationships, memories and the loss of someone the use of the diegetic sound of the lyrics reinforces the narrative 'Parallel on the other side' and this conveys the narrative as a whole, linking the lyrics to the actual visuals of the music video because the main protagonists in the music video (Old man and woman, grey hair) the old man mirrors everything his wife does, conveying love and affection and also 'You are, you are, the love of my life' is repeated as backing music over Justin Timberlake dancing this is also reflecting the genre of pop because there is the repetition of the same lyrics, this is conventional of the form of a music video also to have the same lines repeated which puts emphasis on the narrative and that her lover has gone but the memories are still there.

Mis-en-scene plays a big part in the construction of a music video and making the music video look effective and professional. The bedroom scene creates versimilitude which is very similar to reality as there is the use of a bed, mirrors, table, frames really set the scene, also there are a few different location changes which reinforce the time period and time line of these protagonists actual life. There are a lot of costume changes within the music video that show the different parts of the narrative and put the story together because you can determine the different parts of the story and what is included and it relates back to the different areas of the song, the costume of the old couple are wearing typical clothes the woman is wearing trousers and a cardigan and the man is wearing trousers and a jumper, but then when it goes to the past and when they were younger they wear stuff to fit the 50/60s era with checkered shirts and bandana's which reflects the genre. When the couple are in the old bar with the roulette tables the lights which are used are bright reds, blues, greens and yellows these colours have postive connotations and show a positive time in their lives, and their youth and that they were young and it was a time they enjoyed and which are memorable to them. At the end when Justin Timberlake is in a room full of mirrors, relates back to the title of the song and that he is stuck in time and that everywhere he looks is reflections of what has happened throughout the time.

There is not much editing within the music video, the editing is simple but looks effective. The main type of edit within the video are cuts from each location to another, these cuts are sometimes dissolves or fades which create a sense of immediacy and also reflects the past and that we are going to be cutting to a flashback, so it is there to let us understand how the time has changed and the difference from past and the future, this is typical of the genre itself as it shows a clear distinction. There is a clear mirroring shot which is an effective piece of editing in this piece as the screen is split in to three different sections and the old people walk through these different sections in different directions and come out in opposite sides, there is a motif the motif here is actually the old man because you see him appear at different points of the video, and he appears in the mirror during this shot. There are a lot of over the shoulder shots from the old woman to looking at the man, this shows the thought processes of the woman and that she admires the man and love him, this reinforces the narrative. There is also a time-lapse which occurs about half way through the music video which skips through the time periods from when the couple were younger until now, this condones emotion and reinforces love.

The use of cinematogrpahy in the music video helps create the narrative. The use of the establishing shot at the start of the music video, sets the scene and lets you engage with the location and this is a bedroom. Medium-close up shots are the most used camera angle throughout the music video because it shows facial expressions, and the body language of the characters. A track then a pan is used to follow the old couple when they're presented as youths around the club because it lets us follow their personal thought process and what is going on at that moment in time we can emphaise with the characters and understand their views on life. When the couple are in the bedroom shadows which look like bars go over the old mans face, this is zoomed in on and it makes the old man look like he is in prison and trapped, I believe it could sybolise that he is stuck in time and that his partner is not ready to let him go and wants him to stay in this time with him and never leave.