Research- Timed analysis Music Video

Ariana Grande- 7 rings
Timed analysis









0.00-0.15
The music video starts of by having the camera shooting different locations and mise en scenes. It shows a variety of different shot types such as close up, mid shot and full shots. One of the full shots is taken from a high angle therefore portraying the underestimation of the female character and how she is most likely dominated by a male outside the music video. We can also hear background diegetic sounds of a police car and an ambulance which can imply that the group of girls may have caused trouble and therefore are not as innocent as they are usually stereotyped as.
At the 15th second there is close up shot of the main singer Ariana which is drawing the audience`s attention on her emotions and facial expressions.


establishing shot

0.15-0.30
The close up shot of the singer`s face shows the heavy make up that she is wearing such as eye liner, shiny lip gloss. Furthermore, she can be seen as a character complying to the category of the Aspirers as she is wearing shiny diamond earrings, necklace and rings, showing that she wants to be trendy and cares about how her appereance and image appears in front of the audience.
The fact that she is wearing all these accessories and the heavy make up may emphasise the stereotype held upon females that the only thing they care about is their appereance and how they appear in the eyes of other people.
The line where the singer says ``girls with tattoos who like getting in trouble`` portrays girls in a different light and shows the `rebel` side of their character and persona rather than the usual innocent and passive persona males see them in.

0.30-0.45
The mise en scene all conducts of the colour baby pink including the lighting, the champagne bottles and clothing of the girls in the music video. The baby pink colour has connotations of sweetness, feminine and tenderness, meaning that the music video may be a feminist approach and an act against the dominance of the males, which can also be seen through the use of female characters only as there are no males in the video.
The line of `write my own checks like i write what i sing`` suggests the interest of Ariana in succeedeing in the music industry therefore she is not not a female that would be satisfied with the average but she wants to be a succeessful singer and person in general showing that females care about their future careers not just their looks.
Having the singer saying ``Rather be tied up with coffs and not strings`` is suggesting that she prefers to be put in prison rather than being told what to do and controlled by someone. Therefore this music video is conveying the message that she is indeoendent and does not do what anyone tells her to or follow. 

The screen time of the music video shows that the character that we see the most is the main singer- Ariana Grande therefore this demostartes her significance in the video and suggests that her presence is vital.

0.45-1.00
We can see that Ariana is standing on the table in a shiny silver corset which by feminists in the early 20th century is considered as a symbol of male patriarchy where women bodies were objectified. However, in the late 20th century onwards artists use the corset to actually symbolise female empowerment where in this music video in specifically can be part of the feminist approach against the male domination. However, on the other side it can also be used as a strategy to attract more audience and views to the video as wearing clothes like that is more attractive to men so as a result of this there are going to be a higher number of views of this music video helping Ariana to suceed in her career. So, wearing more sexual clothes such as a corset is a sacrifice but in return it will do Ariana a favour. This shot is a full shot which therefore shows the mise en scene around her and her full body too.
As the singer is American and the music video is shot in the USA the feminist Liesbet van Zoonen will argue that the display of women`s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture.
At the 54th second, the singer is wearing a very big baby pink coloured coat which makes her look like a very powerful and sturdy persona.

1.00-1.15
``I see it, i like it, i want it, i got it`` can implies that she must be financially stable and independent therefore she can afford to buy herself anything that she likes. This opposes the stereotype that females are financially dependent on the men in the family. So if they work hard on their career they can become independent and not rely on the males.
At 1.09 the mid shot of Ariana is taken from a low angle therefore making the singer look powerfull and domianant. It makes the shot more dramatic and creates a sense of hope to the audience as it portrays the character as a hero.

In the music video, the editing uses many special effects. For example, the use of contrasting neon looking lights such as pink and blue is very effective as it creates depth. Without contrasting light colours and light intensities the video will look very flat.
1.15-1.30
``I`d rather spoil all my friends with my riches`` implies that currently there isn`t a men in her life most likely therefore she is dedicating this time to her friends and is saying that she likes to take her of her friends by buying them presents as a way of showing she loves them.
There is a mid shot showing the group of girls sitting down and pouring alcohol in their cups implying that they may be having a girl`s party.

1.30-1.45
`Happiness is the saem price as red bottoms`` in other words means that according to the singer happiness is something that can be bought with money.
The mise en scene changes to a clearly white room where Ariana is sitting in. The white symbolises the purity and pease. ``My smile is beaming, my skin is gleaming, the way it shine i know you seen it`` emphasises the confidence that the singer has built over the time and the white mise en scene around her symbolises perfection which can be a way in which she describes herself.

At exactly 1.30m in the video, we can see that a match on action is present which is when a character begins to move in one shot, we see the continuation of the same movement in the next shot. This can be seen when the female singer is standing and laying on the top of the table in the kitchen, moving her legs and this action continious right after this shot, in the next shot following up.

Furthermore there is a shift from a large setting where there a many girls into a small white room where only Ariana is there. The large setting has neon lighting with the contrasting blue and pink colours whereas the shot with the small room consists of only white and a neon bright pink lighting. This makes the video look bigger as it shows the shift in contrasting locations from large to small locations and from light neon colours to plain white.

1.45-2.00 
At about 1.50minutes in the video we can see that the lighting of the video shifts from light brigh and saturated colours to dark pink which can be a way of showing 2 different periods of her life the positive and negative things she may have gone through. Because in the shot where the lighting is in dark pink and other unsaturated colours there is a window with brigh pink ray of lighting coming inside the room symbolising that even in the worst moments and darkest times there is hope.

2.00-2.15
The symbolic conventions used such as the cat ears wore by the singer may have been used to portray her in a light where she is seen as a sweet and innocent girl.

As the audience we can also see the use of shot sticking artificial lense flares which is the light that passes through the face of Ariana. This effect lights up the face of Ariana and attrats the attention of the audience as it places the attention onto her face at that shot.

2.15-2.30
The shots taken at this point of the video are mainly full shots which therefore show all the characters in the video as well as the mise en scene and what is in the surroudings.
The beat of the song changes and becomes fast beat and speeds up.

2.30-2.45
We can see that there are a few girls dancing on the top of the cars which can demonstarte they they don`t care and do what they want. This can be seen as part of the act of rebelling against the men.
The full shots taken at this point of the video show how they are dancing and having fun which can relate to the uses and gratification theory of Blumler and Katz. This music video is playing the role of entertainment and diversion towards the audience as the tone of the music is quit uplifting and cheerful therefore it can amuse the audience and help them relax.
The use of symbolic codes such as the champagne bottles and glasses are a way of portraying the wealth of the singer which is furthermore emphaised when she sings ``i want it, i got it`` suggesting that she can afford to buy herself anything.

2.45-3.00
As this is the ending of the music video, it just shows different shots of Ariana in the different mise en scenes explored throughout the music video. At the closing shot we can see how the girls are laughting and clealy having a good time therefore the absence of men is not a problem for them at all.