Music Video Analysis: Chris Brown - Run It!

Styles:

The video takes on the performance style, as it consists of Cris Brown performing the song at a party, singing and dancing with friends.

Techniques:

The only technique used in this video is cutting to beat, which aims to show as much about the setting as possible in snappy, short clips.

Theory:

♫ Andrew Goodwin - The Music Video Theory

*Thought through Beat: Although the video isn't narrative based, we are still able to establish what is happening, as the settings and the information revealed change as the song goes on. In the intro of the song, we see everyone sneaking into the sports hall and starting the party. During the first verse and the chorus, we see the conflict between the two gender groups and them having a 'dance off'. At first, we mainly see Chris Brown and the girl leading the other group, but during the second verse, we see more of the dancers to establish the setting in which Chris Brown is performing. During the bridge of the song, Chris Brown is alone with the girl he is interested in, but as the rap comes along, the narrative goes back to the battling scenes, until the party is broken off at the end of the song. Although there is a lot going on in this video, it is carefully balanced out with shots of the artist performing, making him the focus of the video.

*Relationship Between the Song and the Visuals: The visuals, in this case, amplify the meaning of the song. As the lyrics do not provide a clear narrative, the visuals can only match the theme of the song, which is about being at a party and proving himself to a girl who has a boyfriend (which could be why they are only seen together in a private place - the locker room).

*Narrative and Performance of the Video: Chris Brown's character follows through with the meaning of the song, as he dances and shows his interest in the girl, while he competes for her attention. One of the clearest parts of him mimicking the lyrics is when he says "with the kick that's sick that need to be hit" and does a dance move that hits the beat and pushes her away. 

*Technical Aspect: Lighting is a very important aspect of the video. Although for most of the video the lighting remains high key, when more intimate scenes are portrayed, low key lighting is used. Towards the end of the video, the audience is warned that the security is coming in, through their use of torches, which symbolise their authority. 

*Star Image: Chris Brown's image as a famous artist is shown through his unique style and expensive accessories he shows off in the video. While the other boys around him have a similar style, their outfits are much simpler and plain.

♫ Roland Barthes - The Five Codes

Out of Barthes' Five codes, the most applicable one is the symbolic code, as it makes many sexual references that aren't followed through. This is shown through his dance moves, as well as the girl's dance moves and body language when they are alone.

Representation:

♫ Richard Dyer: Star Theory

The artist's image is carefully constructed to match the target audience's needs. His style follows the current trends including cargo pants and trendy hats but also has unique additions to it, such as jewellery and baggy clothes, which was popular in teens in America at the time. This indicates the type of audience his image is designed to appeal to. Overall, his image aims to represent a confident, ut laid-back teen, who can sing and dance, but has a normal lifestyle - sneaking into places to have a party, running away from the police, etc.

♫ Laura Mulvey: The Male Gaze

As this was the first video Chris Brown released, it was very important to build his image as a desirable and dominant figure, in order to appeal to his audience. The difference between the two genders is made clear through their different behaviours, outfits and dance moves. 

The girls are wearing tight and revealing outfits, most of them showing their bras and accenting on often sexualised assets in the female body. On the other hand, the boys are wearing baggy clothes in dark colours, doing the exact opposite with their body and taking the focus away from their physical appearance and directing it to their accessories only.

Another way boys and girls contrast in is their dancing. While the boys in the video do more smooth and impressive moves, the girls act more as an accessory to the guys and entertainment for everyone around. 

Laura Mulvey's theory accents on the way women are portrayed as supporting characters to men, making them look more popular an desirable, and this video proves her point, as the girls are very dependent on the boys. For example, in the beginning, the boys are shown breaking in and starting the party, while the girls appear later on, only to stare at Chris Brown as he walks in and imply on how attractive and desirable he is.

Another way in which women in the video are portrayed as passive characters is in the way they only act in response to the men's actions and direct all their attention to the artists, being fine with beinf touched and sexualised.

Mise-En-Scene

♫ Lighting

The lighting in this video is mostly low-key, as the scene portrayed is a party on a school property. This is used to leave an impression of an illegal act and teenage rebellion - they are out late at night, sneaking into the school hall and having a party.

The direction of light in this video is very important, as it comes from behind the person portrayed in the shot. This is most common when Chris Brown appears singing in close ups and dancing, but it also be seen when the girl is dancing, directing our attention at her as one of the main characters, along with the performer.

The low-key lighting in the video is also used to create a sense of intimacy between Chris Brown's character and the girl, when they are in the hallway and in the middle of the dancefloor, having everyone around them be in the dark, except for them, who were dimly lit by a spotlight.

♫ Props 

One of the first things we see in the video is a DJ deck, indicating that there is going to be a party happening in this video. This is an easy way to establish the setting and intrigue the audience from te beginning.

 Shortly after, we see boys jumping through windows and climbing fences, hinting that they are sneaking into a private property. This gives the audience the idea that they are probably teenagers that are sneaking out at night to have a party. The window and the fence are significant props that helps the audience establish the small details about the storyline. 

As typical for male artist videos in the 2000s, girls and jewelry are used as props to show a man's status. This is the case in this video, as we see the rapper surrounded by girls and wearing gold jewelry. 

Towards the end of the video, where Chris Brown and the girl are alone in the changing rooms, we are made aware of this fact by the lockers and the bench surrounding them. This gives the audience an impression of complete privacy and intimacy.

At the end of the video, the party is broken up by the security guards of the school, which are first introduced through the use of torches behind the guy who looks as if he was meant to watch the door for intruders. The use of flashlights as a symbol of authority is accepted worldwide, which means that any type of audience will understand the storyline.

♫ Costumes

The costumes in this video seem to be the same for all teenagers - hats, bandanas and loose clothing for the boys, and tight jeans and small tops for the girls. This reflects on the fashion trends at the time it was shot and the type of music they listen to. The way they dressed would also be described as inappropriate by many adults, which tells the audience that they are rebellious.

The only people wearing different costumes in the video are the security guards at the end, making it easier for the audience to distinguish between characters.

♫ Locations

There are three locations of the video - the school sports hall, the changing rooms and the place Chris Brown performs by himself.

The school is used to show that all of the teens are still in school and go to the same school and are normal kids - they break into the school to have a party, instead of going to clubs. It also indicates his target audience. 

The changing rooms where him and the girl are alone, suggesting privacy and intimacy. This is a popular expectations of children their age, which again suggests they are normal and ordinary.

The third location, where Chris Brown performs and dances adds the element of performance to the video, which is typical for R&B music videos. This lets him interact with his audience and sing to them. 

♫ Colours

Gold - The whole video has a golden tint and a hint of gold in almost every shot. Gold represents luxury, prestige, ideal, success and wealth. As this video aims to establish the singer's status, this colour is used to confirm his fame and success.

Orange - Along with the golden tint, there is also a deepened orange glow, that signifies an exotic and exciting persona, representing the artist as alive and fun.

Blue - When Chris Brown is alone with the girl in the chaging room, everything around them is blue. This colour signifies confidence, masculinity, trust and power. This is meant to (again) reflect on his status and his power.

♫ Camera Work:

The video opens with a low angle of teenagers jumping over a fence, representing them as powerful and energetic, making them appear as 'cool'. The fact that this behaviour is glorified tells us about the target audience of the singer - teenagers and young adults. The only other occasions in this video low angle shots are used are when Chris Brown first enters the party and in the location where he performs to the camera.

Close Ups in the video are used to introduce characters, show reactions of the audience and let the performers interact with the audience while performing.

Extreme Close Ups are used to direct the audience's attention on details, such as actions and product placement, as well as show where a character's attention is focused, if followed by a shot of something that would be a product of interest. These types of shots are more memorable for the audience, as it not only gives them the oppurtunity to only focus on the object shown, but they can sometimes be uncomfortable due to the close proximity.

        

Medium Shots are used to show relationships between people in the video, as well as to emphasise on their status. This allows the audience to get a closer look without envading their private space. 

 

The long shots in this video are used to establish setting, locations and the people in it, hinting on the target audience. They show the locations (school), the people (teenagers) and the setting (a party) making it clear that the video is aimed at people of the same age.

♫ Sound

There is both diegetic and non-diegetic sound in the video. The diegetic sounds are sounds include noises from metal fences, doors, people walking, jumping and talking. They ppear at the beginning and the end of the video. The rest of the sounds are non-diegetic - the music.

♫ Connection to the Record Label

Run it! was Chris Brown's first single, instantly making him a sensation, which resulted in a huge interest in him and demand for a music video, which came out two months later. 

The main actress in the video, Destiny Lightsy is a singer, actress and dancer, who starred in the film 'You Got Served', produced by Screen Gems (a production comapny parented by Sony Entertainment)  a year before the release of this video. As Chris Brown's record label (Jive Records) is also parented by Sony Entertainment, this allows the companies to use the same actors, dancers and performers, as they already have a contract with them, which saves them money and gives more oppurtunity to the individuals signed to them.

♫  Target Audience

As made obvious many times in the video, the primary target audience is teenagers and young adults, predominently girls, as they are more likely to listen to R&B and admire Chris Brown. However, as the song includes rap, and the girls wear tight clothes, while the boys demonstrate their status, the video/song could also entertain many boys too.

The secondary audience, however, is adults who enjoy R&B music. This is made obvioous at the end of the video, when the guard come in to interrupt the party and once everyone is gone, they start dancing and enjoying the music. This suggests that the artist's music is for everyone and people from all ages can enjoy it equally.