old town road csp

    Cards (58)

    • opening wipe transition
      makes video appear cinematic while also a little old fashioned
    • Title,logo and small print
      add to the feeling that we are seeing a movie. creates a narrative
    • Spaghetti western genre symbols
      - serif font
      -yellow/sepia colour palette in most shots
      -establishing shots of grass, cowboy hats,horses etc
    • symbolic codes
      e.g dollar symbol on bag, make it easy for the audience to understand the narrative and character
    • freeze frame on each character
      with the accompanying sound effect and superimposed names, is also a feature of several western movies
    • what might the freeze frames be a ref to?
      modern movies Tarantino and Guy Richie
    • how does OTR challenge typical genre conventions
      by having a mostly black cast
    • spaghetti western movies lead roles
      made in the 20th century, typical for white men to be casted as lead roles
    • unconventional in terms of time period
      western times 1800-1900s, historically black people given very little equality and freedom at that time
    • how are black men shown in positions of power?
      wearing sheriff badges
    • what does the unconventionality give modern audiences?
      A selling point- more inclusive representations
    • Chris Rock
      brings in audiences, adds a sense of comedy to the mv
    • role of white female
      stereotypical 'damsel in distress
    • how is the girl depicted as vulnerable and needing an older male to protect her?
      shared facial expressions and her call to 'daddy
    • Billy Ray Cyrus
      will also engage audiences who may know him as a country/western legend and/or Miley Cyrus' dad
    • What else does Billy Ray Cyrus do?
      adds to the genre of OTR being a country and western song
    • subtle wide angle track out
      reveals the white father sneaking up on them with a gun- adds comedy and irony
    • girl positioned behind her father
      no weapon, suggests she is weaker. adds to the idea of her being weaker and passive
    • juxtaposition of 'everythings gonna be alright' with gunshot
      adds humour and emphasises the danger they are in
    • why is lil nas x and BRC an unusual collaboration?
      lil nas x-young,black,very new artist (rapper)
      Billy ray Cyrus- much older, white man, established musician
    • how did the combination of lil nas x and billy ray Cyrus draw in audiences?

      added to the humorous nature
    • everythings gonna be alright'
      reflects white privilege and racial assumptions as Billy Ray Cyrus suggests that as Lil nas X is with him they'll be fine
    • whip pan transition
      follow by hand held tunnel adds excitement and drama
    • trombone shots
      add a feeling of disorientation and fear
    • binary opposites
      of little boy wearing modern clothing in a modern setting vs lil nas x who is old fashioned. emphasises the difference and makes the singer appear out of place
    • boy calling out for his mother
      reflects the more modern context of mother being able to protect the family
    • montage of slow motion long takes
      emphasise their shock at seeing him [lil nas x] and makes him appear 'other
    • lil nas appearing othered
      reppresents him as not belonging and seeming exotic in comparison to the rest of the community
    • breaking the 4th wall
      conventional for mv's
    • tracking of shot following him and central framing
      connotes his importance and positions him as a kind hero on a quest
    • shot reverse shot editing
      emphasises the people's stunned reaction to him and his dancing
    • lil nas x and the girl dancing
      draws attention to the similarities and differences between the old and the new,the traditional and the modern
    • race between car and horse

      adds further comedy
    • narrative break with dialogue
      fairly unusual for mv
    • girl dancing on the horse in the background
      adds to the surrealist postmodern themes. also adds humour
    • costume change into black embellished cowboy outfit
      gives him a sense of power, and suggests he is starting to embrace a modern life
    • modern world
      lil nas x can succeed as a black gay artist
    • shot back at shop
      reflects ideas surrounding consumerism and life in small town USA
    • expensive car speeding off

      more conventional of rap genre than country genre
    • paradoxical concepts

      lil nas x and older white people adds to surreal feeling
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