TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF POST MODERNIST MUSIC VIDEO
Lady Gaga-Paparazzi
Director: Jonas Akerlund
Release Date:2008

The music video opens of Paparazzi opens with an iris-in of a Medium Shot of palm trees. The use of the iris-in is pastiche and homage (convential techniques of a postmodernism music videos) as this editing technique was conventional of American Sitcoms and Soap Operas in the 1950's such as It's a Great Life and I love Lucy. The Medium Shot of the palm trees have connotations of Hollywood specifically Beverly Hills which is especially known for movie stars and studios. From this there is a cut to a Close Up of a flower head and a cut to an Extreme Long Shot of a grand, magnolia manison with a green yard and palm trees. This mansion relates to what audiences would consider as a typical house in Hollywood therefore meeting audiences expectations which gratifies them. The mansion also connotes wealth. The use of these cuts at the beginning allows audiences to identify the location of the music video.
The mise-en-scene at the beginning of the video further connotes wealth and glamour. From the exterior shots outside it fades to an Extreme Close Up of chandelier diamonds than fades to a Medium Shots of it which also allows us to see the decorative roof and the size of the chandelier. This represents the lady who owns this house (Lady Gaga) as a rich madam. After this there are cuts to different parts of the house such as the staircase and out on the balcony. The balcony has a view of the sea and mountains; whilst there is a champagne bottle on the fence and a marble figure which futher promotes luxury and the indivdual being rich.
Throughout the beginning of the video it is mellow with birds chirrping during exterior shots which makes the text authentic and creates realism therefore presenting fiction as reality.
The typography inserted within the beginning of the video such as 'A Serial Pictures Production' and 'Starring Lady Gaga' is a typical way to introduce a program in the 1950's.
When there is a cut to a Medium Shot of money splashed on the florr with broken glass and mess it looks as if something is wrong and it is the beginning of a problem arising which relates to sitcoms and soap operas as there is also a situations that happens that mainly goes wrong.
Within the video the pictures and the lyrics relate. There is a scene where Lady Gaga and her lover are on the balcony. A Point of View Shot of a camera man(paparazzi) is used where we are looking down the lense of a camera and they are taking her picture with permission which is what she is singing about. This blurrs fiction and the truth as it presents the mediated text as reality.
When she gets pushed off the balcony by her lover it fades into a Close Up of Lady Gaga's face behind a swirly black and white background. This is a Hitchcock Homage as this scene makes reference to the 1958 film 'Vertigo' which sticks with the theme of the music video of re-presenting the 1950's. The use of icy, remote blonde 'femme fatale' character is also a hallmark of a Hitchcock film.
From this a movement match is used to a high angle, Long Shot of Lady Gaga on the floor with paparazi surrounding her taking photos. The use of the high angle camera shots connotes Lady Gaga as helpless and powerless especially as she is injured. During this scene, newspapers are shown with Lady Gaga on the front page with titles like 'No More Gaga'. These newspapers, the narrative of the music video and style of the music video has intertextual reference to Sunset Boulevard (1950).
At this point, the music begins to fade in and it cuts to a Medium Shot of a black limo infront of a long purple carpet with a man about to open the door and one getting ready to push the wheelchair. When it cuts to Lady Gaga being lifted out of the limo we see her diamonte neck brace which has connotations of glamour,money and being faboulous.
Lady Gaga's costume in this scene relates to what people who consider as fashion in the 1950's such as her sunglasses with flaps that transformes them into reading glasses was stylish eyewear in the 1950's. Also, later on in the music video there is an Extreme Close Up of red lipstick lips which was very popular with young women in the 50's.
When Lady Gaga is being pushed down the purple carpet, there is a Close-Up of Lady Gaga's face then cuts to a Long Shot of Lady Gaga as a humanoid that gets up and tries to walk. The humanoid breaks down distinction between binary divides and the difference between humans and robots. This humanoid also has intertextual reference to the Fembot in Fritiz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis.
Near the end of the music video there is a reference to popular culture through Lady Gaga wearing sunglasses which resembles mickey and minnie mouses' ears. This is reinforced by her wearing a yellow jumpsuit with mickey and/or minnie mouse's silhouette printed on it. This will gratify audiences as they are familar with those characters and are interested on the different take on it.
The video ends with an Iris-Out to a black background with 'The End' on it then cuts to different lists which state the Casts, Production and the Production company. This relates to the 50's as it was the conventional way to end a program.
Within the video different camera sizes are used. Close-Ups are used to show something that the director intended us to see. This is evident in the video where there is a Close-Up of different Lady Gaga merchandise such as her face on money notes and bottle caps with a g on it. This reminds audiences that it is a Lady Gaga music video. Long Shots are also used in the music to show performances like the dance scene which relates to pop music and is typical of music videos of that genre.
Lastly, different editing techniques are used for different reasons. The Iris in/out are used as it is conventional of 1950's tv. Straight cuts are also used as they are conventional of music videos. The fading techniques are used to retain interest as they are different because this technique isn't normally used in music videos.
In conclusion, I feel that this music video is a successful postmodernist text as it uses many of conventions such as Blurring reality and fiction, Homage, Pastiche and Intertextuality. Also it represents the 1950's and is obvious to audiences that it is the 1950's but adds contemporary aspects such as the updated humanoid to keep up with this decade. Generally I feel this music video would appeal to young audience and would gratify them as it provides them with a new/different perspective of music videos.