Katy Perry- Roar

Music video analysis

The narrative of the song and how it links to the music& lyrics.

• The narrative of this video is that Katy survives a plane crash and is left with her not so nice boyfriend in the middle of the jungle where she is treated poorly and made to carry his bags, he gets eaten and has to fight for herself and transforms herself into the leader/queen of the jungle, in the video we see her destroying her old belongings for example she turned her heals into a weapon.

• This links to the song throughout for example she sings ‘you held me down, but I got up’ just after her boyfriend has been eaten which suggest now she is free of him and can be independent.

• Also as she sings ‘I got the eye of the tiger’ repeatedly through the song we see one in the video

Intertextuality within the video.• There is a clear link to Tarzan when she is swinging on the

vine and note also how the beginning and end has a storybook/ old/ cartoon feel. Tarzan was man of the jungle and by using this it enables us to see that Katy is women of the jungle and can be strong on her own. However she does still have her own image as she’s being very graceful and agile.

• ‘now I’m floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee’ is reference to the boxer Muhammad Ali. Just a as a caterpillar has its rebirth into a butterfly Katy is resurrected from her past as she finds her new self in the jungle starting a new life.

• During the video the tiger is wearing a label which says ‘kitty pury’ which is reference to her cat.

Camera movement& angles.• The camera is not used in any unusual way which

makes the video seem normal and relaxed.

• The camera gives us high angles so she is higher than everyone else and we are looking up to her which suggests her importance and makes her seem like a superior.

• However here we are looking down on her, this was perhaps used as it shows that if she can be strong so can we. Also here she just defeated the massive tiger on her own which suggests to the audience we can be as strong as her which gives a positive message to her fans.

Camera in relation to the artist.• During this music video , Katy is the main focus

throughout, she is the only star other than her boyfriend who dies, and her sidekick the monkey and elephant and nemesis the tiger.

• There are often close ups of her face which repeatedly reminds us that she is solely the focus of the video

• Also when everyone is included she is always in the middle.

• The camera also often pans around Katy drawing the focus into her closely.

Editing in relation to beat and pace of the song

• The music has cuts that match the beat of the song, for example every bar there will be cut or even every beat. The cuts get faster in the middle of the song around the chorus, this is because this is where the beat gets faster and more energetic and it matches the mood of the song.

Video sequencing• It starts with a title which makes

it look like a story, then the story starts and has 3 parts

- Being sad and with her boyfriend- Being scared and having to fight

for her own- Becoming leader of the jungle• This matches with the song lyrics

as the story is only told in each 3 verses.

• The song ends with the same title it started with saying ‘the end’ which carries along the theme of a story.

Lip syncing

• Most of the video is lip-sync which allows us to see that is her personal story and can relate more to her target audience as she is their inspiration so to hear the words coming from her mouth means more. Also the song can be seen as her journey in her life overcoming similar problems.

Post production• The fire flies that create a lion have been added post

production as well as the reflection of a lion in the water.

• Another thing that has been added post production is the cartoon of the west indians on the cave wall.

• all of the times a lion appears it has been added in post production to go along with the lyrics when she sings ‘roar’.

• Another thing added psot production is the start and the end where it says ‘the end’ and ‘roar’ this is what gives the video its storybook effect.

Mise en scene• Costume- jungle like, made clothes out of jungle things, however is wearing leopard print bra and grass mini skirt which is not practical at all but attracts the audience. • Lighting- Dark at the start which shows the scaredness and as it goes on and she becomes stronger becomes lighter and more happy.• Acting- Over dramatic very intense and overly acted.• Makeup- Natural yet perfect complexion. Wears lipstick made from a papaya.• Props- Monkey sidekick and elephant. Also her weapon she makes from her high heel.• Setting- jungle.

Star image and iconography

• Katy perrys main image can be seen as ‘bubblegum girl’

• She always has perfect hair and make up

• This is similar to the video as she has perfect hair throughout despite being in the jungle.

voyeurism

• This video is quite voyeuristic as we see her life living in the jungle and also see her not only in the shower but also in her bra and skirt made of vines. Her behaviour is also quite flirty at times like when she is leaning seductively against the tree.

Why this video amplifies the music.

• This video demonstrates the song in a overdramatic way, this is because of the theatrical acting, use of huge unnecessary animals such as the huge elephant and her swinging on vines through the jungle. It doesn’t contradict the song, yet it isnt calm enough just to illustrate the lyrics as it is quite over the top.