Textual Analysis (3)

Work - Ciara ft Missy Elliot

An RnB genre of video, it is typical of other RnB music videos, however it also challenges the typical genre characteristics of most RnB music videos.
The majority of RnB videos are often located in cities which are expensive to live. It is also generic for the artists in this genre to be clad in expensive clothing and jewellery and in the driving seat of desirable cars. Showing the artist is rich, successful and an example to their target audience. RnB artists such as Chris Brown, Rhianna, and Beyonce include these generic features in their music videos. Ciara has been known to use these conventions of RnB in her previous videos but she has contradicted these conventions in this particular video.

To enable the audience to become involved in the diagesis of the music video (work/building site) there is an introductory scene before the music has started to establish the location and display typical props such scaffolding, cement mixers, dusty scenery , cranes, pneumatic drills, fork lift trucks etc. The video is simple in the way that only one location is been used, which is a building/work site. This does not follow the typical conventions of an RnB music video, thus it shows her individuality as an artist. There is a range of shots to show different job roles around the work site and contradicts the stereotypical views of the audience by replacing traditional male roles with women. Use of diagetic sound also creates realism within the music video with sounds of machinery which the audience would associate with that particular, industrial environment.

The song is called 'Work' and the location immediately amplifies the lyrics as it is a building/work site. The women are wearing elements of a construction site uniform with gloves, jeans complete with rips, white tops but more feminine and sexualised. This mis en scene creates a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals as the word work is emphasised through a work location, uniformed clothing and the props of machinery used on a construction site. The chorus 'you better work' is enhanced with fast, strenuous dance choreography by Ciara and her backing dancers which relates to the hard work and stamina she puts in when carrying out the dance. The lyrics on the bridge of the song also says 'walk that walk' which she illustrates herself by walking and strutting with attitude in the video. There is also a shot of her swinging on a crane with the sunlight above her 'which amplifies the lyrics 'the spotlight is on you' through the sun and the low angled camera shot of her to make her role dominant.
In addition I can gather a few inter textual references as an audience which I can familiarise with in this video. I can sense an image relating to Charlie’s angels when she is wearing a revealing boiler suit and her being in a work environment as they are always on missions in strange locations. I think she uses this to show that she is an independent, strong woman just like the women in Charlie’s angels. Her change in costume to create different images for herself can also be closely linked to Charlie’s angels too as they constantly go under cover with different identities.