Technical

AspectsThe video begins with a long shot of six

teenagers sitting on a wall, the shot changes

to medium close-ups of some of the teens

lip-synching in time to the music. This creates

an atmosphere of confusion as the

audience is not yet certain of who is the

main artist may be. However, as the mise-en-

scene of the shots changes from the youths

outside in the cold, to that of a young girls

bedroom, the audience quickly realize that

the girl in the new shot is the singer. The constant use of close-

ups illustrate the singers

expression and allows her

to look directly at the

camera, creating what is

known as a direct mode of

address. This constant

contact with the audience

indicates that the video

may be personal, or

containing some sort of

message.

Technical Aspects

• The use of editing is noticed when two separate images in the video blur and fade and are overlapped on top of one another. The use of multiple images may be a reference to the confusion and frustration the artist feels, illustrating the pressures of teenage life, being ‘17’ but going out and ‘drinking with her friends and they’re all 21’. This indicates the artists need to convey her feelings of being pressured by older friends and stifled by parents

and rules at the same time. The confusion established through these mixed messages is portrayed though the overlap of images that creates information

overload for the audience.

Conventions/Genre/Meani

ng

As in many Pop videos, such as the previously

discussed Call Me Maybe video, the video

opens with multiple close-ups of the artist,

selling her brand-image to the audience and

illustrating the lip-synching skills of all the actors

in the video. However, we can see already the

video is following a slightly more

unconventional route, instead of only the main

artist lip-synching, the six other actors in the

opening shot also lip-synch.

Conventions/Genre/Mea

ning

Many conventional Pop videos

follow a obvious storyline or narrative,

this video only half-converts to this rule,

there is no defined story but instead there

are disjoined images from the artists apparent

‘life’ merged in with the close-up lip-synched

Shots. This use of narrative elements without fully converting

to a full-fledged storyline creates an almost fragmented video, suggesting

the artists life is similarly broken up and messy. This ‘messiness’ is also

conveyed through the quality of the video, the use of a handheld camera

and a lower quality image. The somewhat unprofessional look to the video

illustrates the artists portrayal of her youth and naivety, as well as her

message of youthful confusion in the lyrics, in comparison to the polished

and finished high quality videos that accompany traditional Pop videos.

Carlsson

Like many

Pop videos

when relating

Sven

Carlsson’s

theory of

modern

mythic

embodiment,

the artists is

viewed as a

commercial

exhibitionist.

The artist sells

her edgy,

sexualized

brand image

to the

audience

through the

close-up shots

of the singer.

The use of the over the shoulder shot into the mirror is

used so the artists facial expression can be seen when

she is applying her make up and getting ready. The use

of this complicated shot emphasizes the image of an

attractive young girl putting on lipstick. Drawing

attention to her lips could be seen to sexualize her

image and thus confirms her as a perfect example of

Carlsson’s commercial exhibitionist. She could also be

viewed as a televised bard, as her lyrics relate an

obviously personal story of being 17 and caught

wanting to go out like her older adult friends, clashing

with her youth and naivety.

Shore

The video demonstrates many of Shore’s key ideas and theories. Firstly

we can see the idea of stimulated experience, the audience would

fantasize about experiencing the same exciting, almost dangerous

outgoing lifestyle the artist seems to be living in the video. The

numerous different shots of the artist in many different locations and

scenes could cause information overload – too many things

happening at once, confusing the audience. There is a hint of

adolescent male fantasies shown as the video contains close up shots

of the artist half-naked whilst she shares an intimate moment with a

unknown boy.

Goodwin

This video at first glance appears to

be extremely disjunctured, with

images of the artists and other

actors in the video lip-synching

outside followed by the artists in her

bedroom, the artist outside on a

motorbike with a boy, the artist

running along a pavement with

overlapping images on top, the

artist in bed with a boy and at a

nightclub. This disjunction implies

the artists troubled nature. This sense

of trouble and danger is amplified

as the lyrics relate strongly to the to

the visuals and illustrate the artists

emotions.