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Case Study - Geri Halliwell - Its Raining Men
Background Information about the artist & the song:
The use of close up shots not only reveal Gerri Halliwell but also the facial expressions of the panel of judges, in which she is dancing in front of - which express a state of 'shock' - which is what her new image is trying to do to people I.E her audience, and she wants people to know that.
Gerri Halliwell is a British pop artist born on the 6th August 1972 - however she is also a clothes designer, author & actress. She is mostly known for being a member of the successful girl group 'Spice Girls', where she was known as the ginger spice. In her last two years of being a member of the spice girls, its speculated that she earned a staggering $30 million. Although in 1998 she started her solo career with her first album being named: 'Schizophonic' - she also released four singles which reached top of the chart in the United Kingdom. Since spice girls as a solo artist she has sold around 12 million records worldwide and has been nominated for four Brit awards. Some of her most iconic songs are - 'Scream if you wanna go faster', 'Its raining men' & 'lift me up'.
The song 'Its raining men' was originally written by Paul Jabara & Paul Shaffer in 1979. It was covered by Gerri Halliwell in 2001 after being previously offered to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Cher & Barbra Streisand. The song is thought of as a camp classic and more recently as a dance anthem, gay anthem and as a classic female anthem. Geri Halliwell's version of the song was released on 30th April 2001 in CD single/casette format - with a length of 4 minutes and 18 seconds.
Background Information about the director of Gerri Halliwell - Its Raining Men:
The directors of Gerri Halliwell's music video to 'Its raining men" are called Jim Canty and Jake-Sebastian Wynne. The opening of the music video is inspired by the audition scene in the film 'Flashdance' which was released in 1983. The remainder of the music video is inspired by the famous film 'Fame' which was released in 1980.
Camera Work:
In the opening of the music video, the camera uses close up shots to reveal different parts of the artist body via 'fragmentation' - in which the artist Geri Halliwell is wearing very revealing clothing. The use of all these close ups help to sell her 'new image' & 'body' and also apply to the Male Gaze theory - because Males will be enticed to watch the video.
The camera shot & lighting work together when she begins her audition as the majority of the light is centered to the middle of the audition room where Geri Halliwell is positioned, she is centered within all the 'frames' showing she is the center of attention within the music video and helps to pull in the audience.
When she falls over the first time - a close up is used to connote a sort of intimacy with the audience - so they feel sorry & sympathetic towards her. The use of the camera & the lyrics work well - showing literal illustrations. For example where it says: "Its raining men" she is joined by a stream of mainly male dancers which come into the audition room dancing with her.
Narrative:
The narrative impacts viewers as the start represents her past and the rest of the music video represents the present time. The start of the narrative links to her past as she starts over the routine. This represents her career with the Spice Girls which went well at the start but then they fell apart which is shown by the way she dances well then falls to the floor. The second time she starts the routine it represents her solo career and how well that is going. Also, the second routine developes with more colour and gets more energetic showing she is having more fun at this stage in her life. The first time she attempts the routine, it is only set in the audition room with dark and dull colours which implies her time with the Spice Girls was not as good as she hoped it to be.
The narrative shows that she is being judged. This has a impact on the audience making them feel as though they're allowed to judge her much like the judges. She is trying to be successful as a solo artist and it's implies hat it is up to he viewers to decide whether they like the new her or not.
The narrative starts with her dancing by herself in a room then developes to having other dancers livening up visually what we can see. The dancers add more colour and energy. The first time the dancers come into the music video they flood in as if they are a metaphore for rain falling into the room. This visually links the lyrics to the narrative. Then the narrative shows her as a ballet dancer showing the more carlm and feminin side of her. Then in comparison to this we see her practicing boxing showing the more agressive side. This means the narraive is also giving viewers an insight into what Geri Halliwell is like alowing viewers to feel like they know her. The narrative focuses on dancing throughout. This impacts the audiences allowing them to see how physically fit Geri Halliwell is.
Mise en Scene:
The mise en scene in the music video has lots of representations behind it. For example, lighting and costumes are choosen carefully to create the right meanings which are needed to make a successful music video. I have picked out what I think are some of the main features of the mise en scene in this music video.
Lighting is used throughout to create meaning. at the start of the music video it is quite dull with the only light source being natural coming through the windows. This implies that there is freedom outside and she is limited to what she can do inside the audition room. To add to the dark effect, Geri Halliwell is wearing black dance clothing and the judges are wearing dull suits. The light only gets slightly brighter when she starts dancing. The light falls on her to emphasise her importance and enjoyment of music and dance. The fact the judges are wearing suits shows their importance. The costume that she is wearing is sporty suggesting she is a sporty person which is shown throughout the music video by her dancing and working on her muscles. Her clothes are revealing and show a lot of flesh. It implies that she has a lot of self- confidence and is proud of her body.
When the exra dancers come in they brighten up the audition room as they are wearing bright coloured clothing. They bring in excitment to the music video. Geri Halliwell has a change of clothing at verious points throughout the music video. The change from the black clothing to the other coloured clothing represents the change from the serious audition to having fun.
Throughout the music video there are quite a few close- up shots of Geri Halliwells' face as she sings towards the camera. There is always bright light on her face to draw attention to her.
Close- up shots of her face allows viewers to see that she is wearing a Christianity necklace. This gives viewers an insight to her personal life. It shows that she is a religious person. Another insight we get of her personal life is that she likes dogs. A dog is shown in one of the shots which is quite random but again makes viewers feel like they are getting to know her personality more.
We then see Geri Halliwell doing ballet dancing. It shows the soft and feminin side of her. However, we soon then see her practicing boxing. This shows the more violent side of her. By looking at the two scenes we can see the difference in her personality and once again viewers feel like we are getting to know her more.
Editing:
At the start of the music video, the shot lengths are quite long compared to the rest of the music video. With the silence (as she enters the room and plays the music) and long length shots it builds tention for viewers as you wonder what is going to happen. Then as the music continues to get more upbeat, the shot lengths get slightly shorter to keep up the fast energy of the song. The shot lengths are quite small just over half way through the song when the song is very energetic.
Cutting from one shot to another tends to happen on a strong beat of the song which helps to emphasize that beat even more.
At the end of the music video slow motion is used and a slow fade to black. The slow motion makes viewers focus on Geri Halliwells' face for a long amount of time. This links the whole song together showing that the main focus throughout the video was her. Slow motion effects are good to use at the end of a music video as it helps to end a energetic music video gradually (much like the slow fading to black used). The fading to black gives viewers a couple of last seconds to view Geri Halliwell before the music video finishes.
The editing could simbolize her career. The start had quite long shots implying it took her quite sometime to build up a successful singing career. When the fast editing starts to happen it implies that she is now a successful singer and is enjoying life a lot more compared to the slow editing which creates a feeling of uncertanty or bordom in her life.
Intertextuality/Voyeurism:
Within the music video there are various examples of voyeurism. For example take how the music video shows off Gerri Halliwell s new body image. For example early on in the opening sequence of the music video an example of fragmentation is used showing different parts of the artists body - this is through the sort of costume she is wearing which is very revealing. Also throughout the music video their are various clips where she is shown working out - for example where she is doing sit-ups, the connotations from this is that the producers want to show the artist has worked to get the new image she has.
There are also various examples of Intertextuality - there are references to to the famous film 'flashdance' aswell as 'fame and the music video follows a similar pattern to J-Lo video - 'I'm Glad' At the very opening of the music video the audition room & layout is similar to that from 'fame'. These examples of interextuality mean that audiences who would normally stray away from this type of video, are able to relate to it because of the various references.
Visual & Lyrics + Visual & Music:
With regards to the visuals and lyrics the music video mainly amplifies and is not literally illustrative. This is because we hear lyrics such as 'its raining men' in reality it isn't. However when these lyrics are spoken early on in the music video, when Gerri Halliwell is in the audition room, loads of people come 'teeming' to amplify the idea of 'its raining men'.
With regards to the visuals and music - changes within the pace of the song, such as where it gets to the chorus are obvious within the editing. Also with every change in the music there is a change of location, reflecting the change in mise en scene which helps make the video more entertaining. There are also examples where the sound of the music cuts on the beat at times - for example take when Gerri Halliwell falls to the floor and the music and bass drop down to reflect this.
Mulveys Male Gaze Theory:
Mulveys' male gaze theory is used in the music video. It is used to attract both men and women by showing Geri Halliwells' body alot throughout the music video. The male gaze is said to help sell a music video as viewers watch it to admire the female body (in this case Geri Halliwells' body). She wears revealing clothes displaying her body almost throughout the whole music video. Her tummy is never covered. I think the male gaze works in her music video as she has a good body which she clearly did a lot of exercise to get it.Throughout the music video you get a feeling as if both men and women are meant to be looking at her because both male and female judges seem to be looking at her and women are shown looking down from their window at everything.
At the start of the music video, there are close- up shots of her body. This allowes viewers to feel like they get to have a close look at her body. For example, there are shots of her legs, arms and tummy. The male gaze is represented in the music video by the male judge taking off his glasses in approval as if to get a better look at her. She has caught his attention whether it is because of her talent or body.
The way she dances and moves can be quite sexual. She rubs her hands on her body and crawls along the judges desk to kiss his cheek. This is linked to the male gaze theory as men would enjoy seeing Geri Halliwell being like that. As we are positioned on the judging pannel through techniques used by the camera, men would like the idea of her crawling along the table where viewers were positioned. Also, a cheeky kiss from her to the judge and then again at the end of the music video (but that time aimed at viewers) would make males look at her especially as she has been displaying her body throughout the music video. There is a shot where she is shown in slow motion moving and taking off her jacket. This would attract the male gaze as she is taking off clothing revealing more flesh. The male gaze is further used when shots show her working out. Viewers are watching her work out on her abs without sweating. Some men would find this attractive as it proves how fit she is.
Towards the end of the film she is dancing in rain which can be considered as sexy. This is further represented by some of the moves she does. This would attract male gazing.
Also, a lot of the camera shots focus on her body almost forcing viewers to look at her body. She is using her body as a focus of the music video thinking it is what viewers want to see.
Narrative:
The narrative impacts viewers as the start represents her past and the rest of the music video represents the present time. The start of the narrative links to her past as she starts over the routine. This represents her career with the Spice Girls which went well at the start but then they fell apart which is shown by the way she dances well then falls to the floor. The second time she starts the routine it represents her solo career and how well that is going. Also, the second routine developes with more colour and gets more energetic showing she is having more fun at this stage in her life. The first time she attempts the routine, it is only set in the audition room with dark and dull colours which implies her time with the Spice Girls was not as good as she hoped it to be.
The narrative shows that she is being judged. This has a impact on the audience making them feel as though they're allowed to judge her much like the judges. She is trying to be successful as a solo artist and it's implies hat it is up to he viewers to decide whether they like the new her or not.
The narrative starts with her dancing by herself in a room then developes to having other dancers livening up visually what we can see. The dancers add more colour and energy. The first time the dancers come into the music video they flood in as if they are a metaphore for rain falling into the room. This visually links the lyrics to the narrative. Then the narrative shows her as a ballet dancer showing the more carlm and feminin side of her. Then in comparison to this we see her practicing boxing showing the more agressive side. This means the narraive is also giving viewers an insight into what Geri Halliwell is like alowing viewers to feel like they know her. The narrative focuses on dancing throughout. This impacts the audiences allowing them to see how physically fit Geri Halliwell is.
Mise en Scene:
The mise en scene in the music video has lots of representations behind it. For example, lighting and costumes are choosen carefully to create the right meanings which are needed to make a successful music video. I have picked out what I think are some of the main features of the mise en scene in this music video.
Lighting is used throughout to create meaning. at the start of the music video it is quite dull with the only light source being natural coming through the windows. This implies that there is freedom outside and she is limited to what she can do inside the audition room. To add to the dark effect, Geri Halliwell is wearing black dance clothing and the judges are wearing dull suits. The light only gets slightly brighter when she starts dancing. The light falls on her to emphasise her importance and enjoyment of music and dance. The fact the judges are wearing suits shows their importance. The costume that she is wearing is sporty suggesting she is a sporty person which is shown throughout the music video by her dancing and working on her muscles. Her clothes are revealing and show a lot of flesh. It implies that she has a lot of self- confidence and is proud of her body.
When the exra dancers come in they brighten up the audition room as they are wearing bright coloured clothing. They bring in excitment to the music video. Geri Halliwell has a change of clothing at verious points throughout the music video. The change from the black clothing to the other coloured clothing represents the change from the serious audition to having fun.
Throughout the music video there are quite a few close- up shots of Geri Halliwells' face as she sings towards the camera. There is always bright light on her face to draw attention to her.
Close- up shots of her face allows viewers to see that she is wearing a Christianity necklace. This gives viewers an insight to her personal life. It shows that she is a religious person. Another insight we get of her personal life is that she likes dogs. A dog is shown in one of the shots which is quite random but again makes viewers feel like they are getting to know her personality more.
We then see Geri Halliwell doing ballet dancing. It shows the soft and feminin side of her. However, we soon then see her practicing boxing. This shows the more violent side of her. By looking at the two scenes we can see the difference in her personality and once again viewers feel like we are getting to know her more.
Editing:
At the start of the music video, the shot lengths are quite long compared to the rest of the music video. With the silence (as she enters the room and plays the music) and long length shots it builds tention for viewers as you wonder what is going to happen. Then as the music continues to get more upbeat, the shot lengths get slightly shorter to keep up the fast energy of the song. The shot lengths are quite small just over half way through the song when the song is very energetic.
Cutting from one shot to another tends to happen on a strong beat of the song which helps to emphasize that beat even more.
At the end of the music video slow motion is used and a slow fade to black. The slow motion makes viewers focus on Geri Halliwells' face for a long amount of time. This links the whole song together showing that the main focus throughout the video was her. Slow motion effects are good to use at the end of a music video as it helps to end a energetic music video gradually (much like the slow fading to black used). The fading to black gives viewers a couple of last seconds to view Geri Halliwell before the music video finishes.
The editing could simbolize her career. The start had quite long shots implying it took her quite sometime to build up a successful singing career. When the fast editing starts to happen it implies that she is now a successful singer and is enjoying life a lot more compared to the slow editing which creates a feeling of uncertanty or bordom in her life.
Intertextuality/Voyeurism:
Within the music video there are various examples of voyeurism. For example take how the music video shows off Gerri Halliwell s new body image. For example early on in the opening sequence of the music video an example of fragmentation is used showing different parts of the artists body - this is through the sort of costume she is wearing which is very revealing. Also throughout the music video their are various clips where she is shown working out - for example where she is doing sit-ups, the connotations from this is that the producers want to show the artist has worked to get the new image she has.
There are also various examples of Intertextuality - there are references to to the famous film 'flashdance' aswell as 'fame and the music video follows a similar pattern to J-Lo video - 'I'm Glad' At the very opening of the music video the audition room & layout is similar to that from 'fame'. These examples of interextuality mean that audiences who would normally stray away from this type of video, are able to relate to it because of the various references.
Visual & Lyrics + Visual & Music:
With regards to the visuals and lyrics the music video mainly amplifies and is not literally illustrative. This is because we hear lyrics such as 'its raining men' in reality it isn't. However when these lyrics are spoken early on in the music video, when Gerri Halliwell is in the audition room, loads of people come 'teeming' to amplify the idea of 'its raining men'.
With regards to the visuals and music - changes within the pace of the song, such as where it gets to the chorus are obvious within the editing. Also with every change in the music there is a change of location, reflecting the change in mise en scene which helps make the video more entertaining. There are also examples where the sound of the music cuts on the beat at times - for example take when Gerri Halliwell falls to the floor and the music and bass drop down to reflect this.
Mulveys Male Gaze Theory:
Mulveys' male gaze theory is used in the music video. It is used to attract both men and women by showing Geri Halliwells' body alot throughout the music video. The male gaze is said to help sell a music video as viewers watch it to admire the female body (in this case Geri Halliwells' body). She wears revealing clothes displaying her body almost throughout the whole music video. Her tummy is never covered. I think the male gaze works in her music video as she has a good body which she clearly did a lot of exercise to get it.Throughout the music video you get a feeling as if both men and women are meant to be looking at her because both male and female judges seem to be looking at her and women are shown looking down from their window at everything.
At the start of the music video, there are close- up shots of her body. This allowes viewers to feel like they get to have a close look at her body. For example, there are shots of her legs, arms and tummy. The male gaze is represented in the music video by the male judge taking off his glasses in approval as if to get a better look at her. She has caught his attention whether it is because of her talent or body.
The way she dances and moves can be quite sexual. She rubs her hands on her body and crawls along the judges desk to kiss his cheek. This is linked to the male gaze theory as men would enjoy seeing Geri Halliwell being like that. As we are positioned on the judging pannel through techniques used by the camera, men would like the idea of her crawling along the table where viewers were positioned. Also, a cheeky kiss from her to the judge and then again at the end of the music video (but that time aimed at viewers) would make males look at her especially as she has been displaying her body throughout the music video. There is a shot where she is shown in slow motion moving and taking off her jacket. This would attract the male gaze as she is taking off clothing revealing more flesh. The male gaze is further used when shots show her working out. Viewers are watching her work out on her abs without sweating. Some men would find this attractive as it proves how fit she is.
Towards the end of the film she is dancing in rain which can be considered as sexy. This is further represented by some of the moves she does. This would attract male gazing.
Also, a lot of the camera shots focus on her body almost forcing viewers to look at her body. She is using her body as a focus of the music video thinking it is what viewers want to see.
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