Katy Perry – Last Friday Night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcy_1IPREw8

Genre:The genre is a pop music video, in which the artist presents a narrative of a teenage house party set in the 80’s, with ‘Katie’ who is named at Kathy, as the stereotypical geek who lives next door to the huge party. The video shows Kathy before and after her make – over as she sits on her bed trying to remembers all of the antics from the night before, giving a sense of nostalgia.

A typical convention of a pop music video is that there will be a clear link between the lyrics and visuals. This helps the audience to see the lyrics on screen and enable the song to be easily remembered by the music video.

For instance, in Last Friday Night, the lyrics “pictures ended up online, I’m screwed” and there is visuals of the social media site to illustrate this.

In addition, the use of social media relates to the typical target audience to which pop music videos appeal to. This music video is about teenagers partying and growing up, therefore the narrative would appeal to this similar age range. Furthermore, pop videos tend to show younger people to also help attract a similar younger target audience.

Genre:In pop music videos, artists tend to be fashionable and mainstream. This particular music video is unique within the narrative and lives up to stereotypes illustrated within a pop music video. For instance, ‘Kathy’ Katie Perry, is the conventional geek, wearing glasses, head gear, braces, dungarees and plaits, looking unpopular as she sits at home alone whilst there is a party next door. However, after her make-over, she becomes popular and looked at, fitting in with people at the party.

As a result of this, a message can be portrayed that young people have a hard time growing up, feeling they have to look a certain way and have a certain image to fit in, be ‘popular’ and looked at.

When Kathy has her make-over, she fits into the fashionable, main stream, conventionally attractive image where she has fun and lets loose, giving the music video a happier tone which is conventional of a pop music video to have a happy ending.

Genre:Furthermore, animation has become popular within the pop genre, this is due to advanced technology being popular within younger audiences, therefore appealing to the target audience. Animation is used greatly to create an exciting, loud and lively atmosphere.

In the music video, a straight cut is inserted into the scene, at which the ‘geek’ looking male imagines Kathy and him together, therefore informing the audience of his affection for her.

The use of this breaks up the party narrative, adding a uniqueness but also, still relates to the target audience, suggesting the extremity and the mind-set of younger people, as he is imagining himself as a knight, rescuing her and falling in love.

Within this scene, a high angle shot has been used which could articulate how now that the artist has had a make-over, she is more powerful and important, therefore representing stereotypes of ‘popular’ people being conventionally attractive. In addition, the shot allows the other teenagers at the party looking at Kathy and her new image. Conventionally, this fits into the genre, as pop music videos tend to have scenes of young people who are conventionally attractive, partying with their friends as this is what appeals to the target audience of younger people.

The lighting within this scene

is bright symbolising a happy

and fun loving atmosphere.