Sven Carlsson - Narrative

Sven Carlsson

Binary opposites drives the narration of the video forward e.g. Black and White theme.

There are two category music videos fall into according to Carlsson: Performance and Conceptual. Performance clips are where the video mainly shows an artist (or artists) singing and/or dancing. Conceptual clips are where something else is shown during the song's duration which may have symbolism or an artistic meaning. 

Performance

The audience can see the artist singing and dancing in the video.

Performance Clip

If a music video clip contains mostly filmed performance then it is a performance clip. A performance clip is a video that shows the vocalist(s) in one or more settings.

Common places to perform are the recording studio and the rehearsal room. But the performance can take place anywhere, from the bath tub to outer space. Walking down the street is another performance cliché, which is common in rap videos.

The performance can be of three types:

1. Song performance,
2. Dance performance,
3. Instrumental performance.

Rihanna's music video can fall under Carlsson’s performance theory. Performance clips are where the video mainly shows an artist singing and/or dancing. In this video Rihanna is doing both singing and dancing, it is mostly a filmed performance then it is a performance clip. To make it a performance clip the video must show Rihanna in one or more settings, in which case it does throughout the video. The performance can take place anywhere, from outer space like the desert to indoor space like the big room we see Rihanna dancing in surrounded by female dancers.

Narrative Clip
If a music video clip is most appropriately understood as a short silent movie to a musical background, it is a narrative clip. A narrative clip contains a visual story that is easy to follow. A pure narrative clip contains no lip-synchronized singing.

Art Clip
If a music video clip contains no perceptible visual narrative and contains no lip synchronized singing then it is a pure art clip. The main difference between a music video art clip and a contemporary artistic video is the music. While the music video uses popular music the artistic video uses more modern, experimental music, such as electro-acoustic music.

 

Carlsson (1999) developed a mythical method of analysis of music video - centred on a "modern mythic embodiment".

Viewed from this perspective the music video artist is seen as embodying one, or a combination of "modern mythic characters or forces" of which there are three general. The music video artist is representing different aspects of the free floating disparate universe of music video.

In one type of performance, the performer is not a performer anymore; he or she is a materialization of the commercial exhibitionist.

Another type of performance in the music video universe is that of the televised bard. He or she is a modern bard singing banal lyrics using television as a medium. The televised bard is a singing storyteller who uses actual on-screen images instead of inner, personal images. The greatest televised bards create audio-visual poetry.

The third type of performer is the electronic shaman.

Sometimes the shaman is invisible and it is only her or his voice and rhythm that anchor the visuals. He or she often shifts between multiple shapes.

At one moment the electronic shaman animates dead objects or have a two-dimensional alter egos (as in cartoon comics), seconds later he or she is shifting through time and so on.

Carlsson believes the performer is often made into a materialisation 'commercial exhibitionist' this is where the performer is made into almost a selling item; someone that fans often aspire to be and these scenes will be extremely high in quality and have a gloss to them.

Another type is the televised bard, which is a signing storyteller who uses on screen images instead of inner, personal images.

The third and final type is the electronic shaman, sometimes the shaman is invisible and only his/her voice that anchor the visuals.

The Rihanna Where have you been video consists of shots of her dancing and signing only. There is no narration beyond her performance. She is made to seem as a sexual object to the audience: this is evident through her sexual dancing and tight clothing. Rihanna's dancing is very confident and the camera often shoots close ups which suggests that she understands her role in the video is to make the audience desire her. Those who aspire to be like Rihanna in the video enjoy the video as they can narcissistically identify with the power she possesses over the male actor/dancer.

Conceptual
The audience watch something beyond the artist that aims to have artistic ambitions.
 

In this video, Rihanna aims to have artistic ambitions by cloning herself multiple of times to appear to have god like power.