1. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
Music Video Analysis - Gender Roles
Song Title: Super bass
Artist: Nicki Minaj
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. What are the men/women doing? (Dancing, sitting, swimming, etc.)
From beginning of the video, Nicki Minaj dances provocatively on her own, then further on
in the video, she dances provocatively against a man stood dressed in a suit, then again
against a topless man. Nicki Minaj then dances in sync with 5 other women, all wearing the
same outfit with some colours changed. Then later on she’s in a pool filled with pink liquid
surrounded by 5 men, all topless. She then pours pink liquid out of a champagne glass in a
sexual way, over her body.
2. How are the men/women dressed? How much skin is revealed?
Her first outfit she’s wearing a tight pink and white, possibly PVC, all in one which
emphasises her cleavage, clearly showing her in a sexual light. Her second outfit is a plain
white tank top with a yellow bra which edges are sticking out, a pair of short jean shorts
again with matching yellow underwear edges sticking out, this combination emphasises her
long legs, and tiny waist, again showing her in a sexual light. She’s also wearing pink ‘Doc
Martins’ which then matches her pink hair, and even yellow laces which matches he
underwear.
3. Are there more, fewer, or the same number of men as women?
At the beginning of the video there’s two men and only Nicki but not shot together, then it moves on
to Nicki being with one man dressed in a suit, who is then undressed a little further on in the video.
Then Nicki is dancing in sync with 5 other women, but no men. Then there is a shot of Nicki with 5
men behind her, one of which then goes into the pink pool with her. Then back to Nicki dancing with
the 5 women around her. At the end of the video, Nicki Minaj is dancing on one man while the other
4 women are then dancing on the other 4 men. So there is the same amount of women and men,
however they are rarely shot together apart from in the ending.
4. Describe the body language of the men/women: are they sitting, standing, gyrating,
mugging, etc.?
Throughout the video for the majority of the time, the women are dancing provocatively,
whereas you don’t see the men dance, they’re just stood up.
5. Do the men/women have power? How do you know?
I think the women have the power in this video because they seem to be able to control the
men by acting and dancing provocatively.

2. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
6. What’s the message of the song?
I think the message behind this song is about Nicki falling for a man because of the lyric ‘Boy
you got my heartbeat running away. Beating like a drum and its coming your way.’ But
however I think they portray this feeling in a negative way because in the video they act as if
you have to act provocatively to get who you like.
7. What type of music is the song?
I think it’s mostly rap and pop.
Music Video Analysis - Race
Song Title: We Can’t Stop
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. What races do you see represented?
Caucasian and black
2. Are there any dark skinned women shown? How many?
Yes there are however the majority are Caucasian women and 4 black/dark skinned women.
3. What is the race of the person at the focus of the video?
Miley is Caucasian however I think in this video she’s almost trying too hard to look and act
‘gangster’ which is a typical negative stereotype of black/dark skinned people, who are
featured in this video.

3. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
4. What are the black/Latino/Asian/white/Native American/Pacific Islander people
doing?
The first shot of a black person is a close up shot of a male eating a sandwich made of 100
dollar bills, which could represent how materialistic he is, showing he has so much money
he can waste it however he wants, or it could possibly show how much he loves money and
wealth by consuming it.
The next shot is a close up shot of a black man in almost total darkness with just a single
light shining on his face so only he is seen. The shot is just of him alone with two tongues
overlapping each other with him looking straight into the camera. I think this shot was used
for shock value, because it’s never been used before and it is very unusual, this means it will
bring attention to the video because people will talk about it being strange and shocking.
The next shot is of a Latino woman who is dancing with Miley, she has clearly been made up
to look like a stereotypical Caucasian woman with fake platinum blonde hair. I think they did
this as a parody of what Miley Cyrus used to be or look like when she was the child star
‘Hannah Montana’. While they are dancing there is a projection onto them of coins falling,
which I think shows how much they love money.
The next shot of a black man standing next to Miley who is presented as a typical ‘gangster’
with many gold chains around his neck, gold watch and a gold wrist band. He’s also wearing
sunglasses, a hat backwards and tattoos on show. So he is dressed very casually as a
stereotypical ‘gangster’ or gang member would dress, I think this is to show Miley is
connected with gangster looking people to try and make her seem more mature to try and
escape her old child star self.
The next shot is of the same black man who is stood next to Miley doing hand movements in
time with the music, probably to show he likes it. The next shot is of 3 black women
surrounding Miley Cyrus all of them dancing provocatively together, then of Miley on her
own dancing provocatively with the three woman all encouraging her. I think this is again
used to show Miley in a new light, completely different to her child hood star self. Then the
next is of a load of people all of different races, including black people, all dancing in the
pool splashing around.
Then the next is of everyone dancing in a room and the shot is focused on one black man
with a sign used for phallic symbol whilst walking.
The next is of Miley Cyrus smashing a piñata shaped like a bottle, which when breaks
contains sausages and pancakes, then the black guy comes into shot and tries to smoke a
sausage.
Next is a shot of the 3 girls dancing in the older shots with Miley Cyrus on the floor.
5. What’s the message of the song?
I think the message of this song is to show Miley in a new light, to show she is no longer the
child star everyone associates her with, so its showing she has grown up and matured.

4. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
6. What type of music is the song?
Pop.
Music Video Analysis - Sexuality
Song Title: Blurred Lines
Artist: Robin Thicke ft. T.I., Pharrell
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe any sexually explicit body language:
Dancing sexually towards the men all the way through the video, the men constantly stare
at the girls no matter what they’re doing. The women are biting their lip and fingers
throughout, which could be classed as sexual.
2. Who is more sexualized – men or women? Both?
Women, completely. Everything the women do in this video is hyper-sexualized just for the
‘men’ in this video. Even just when the women are casually walking past the men, the men
stare at them as if they are sexual objects to be looked at.
3. Are there sexually explicit lyrics or messages?
The majority of the lyrics or messages in this song are sexualised. For example: “But you're
an animal, baby, it's in your nature. Just let me liberate you.”
And the chorus “And that's why I'm gon' take a good girl. I know you want it, I know you
want it, I know you want it. You're a good girl. Can't let it get past me, you're far from
plastic. Talk about getting blasted. I hate these blurred lines, I know you want it, I know you
want it, I know you want it. But you're a good girl, the way you grab me. Must wanna get
nasty.”
4. How are subjects of the music video dressed?
The women are clearly the subjects of this video and each of them are wearing only shorts
and some form of revealing top, for example one only has a bra with the rest of her top
completely see through.

5. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
5. Describe the relationships between the men and women: Are they long or short term?
Casual or serious?
I think their relationship is completely casual and short term, the men are only talking about
sex and how the girls look, not about if they care about them or even if they have any
feelings that aren’t sexual for them.
6. What’s the message of the song?
I think the message of this song is to show Robin Thicke as a sort of ‘womanizer’, that he’s
only bothered about sex and women.
7. What type of music is the song?
Pop, the beat and lyrics and catchy.
Music Video Analysis - Materialism
Song Title: Don’t Stop The Party
Artist: Pitbull
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe the products that are highlighted in the video: (cars, jewelry, clothes, etc.)
One of the first shots in this video is him on a yacht with woman. Another is of him in front
of a huge house with a big swimming pool, showing he can afford a house like that. Another
shot is of almost 10 big bottles of some form of alcohol, showing he can afford that much
drink, whereas most people would think the price of just one bottle is too much. In another
shot you see a big oversized watch on his wrist, which shows he can afford jewellery most
can’t. He is also wearing sunglasses which are clearly branded but we are not able to see the
exact brand.
2. Are any brand names shown?
Not many are in shown in the shot, like the drinks all have their labels distorted but they are
obviously of high quality and expensive. His watch is branded however not in shot long
enough to see the exact brand.

6. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
3. How is wealth defined in the video?
Not really by clothes, more by the house, the pool and the yacht which not many people are
able to afford.
4. Are products mentioned in the song lyrics?
No, but money is mentioned “You don't get money, but I do, I do”
5. What’s the message of the song?
That he loves to party with gorgeous woman and spend his money on things like houses and
yacht.
6. What type of music is the song?
Pop.
Music Video Analysis - Violence
Song Title: This Is War
Artist: Thirty Seconds To War
Directions: As you closely watch the music video, answer the following questions with
as much detail as possible.
1. Describe any violent lyrics in the song:
“We will fight to the death, to the edge of the earth” “To fight, to fight, to fight the war is
won” “Oh, to the leader, the pariah, the victim, the messiah.” “This is war”

7. Unit 29 – Music Video Production
Music Video Analysis Worksheets
2. Describe any violent body language:
Not really much one on one fighting, but the way he stands when holding the gun is in a
protective stance, then when hes looking straight down the gun into the lens when shooting
comes across very protective and angry.
3. Describe any violent actions or weapons that are shown:
Multiple guns being fired throughout the video, theres even a shot with the vocalist looking
straight down the gun into the camera lens. There is a flame thrower in the video being
fired. A shot of a car being shot at from a helicopter, presumably during a war.
4. Describe any self-mutilation or violence:
No self-mutilation, but there is violence throughout the entire video with guns constantly
being shot, videos of cars exploding and being set on fire, clips of famously known evil
dictator.
5. What’s the message of the song?
I think its about society and how the artist doesn’t agree with war of any kind.
6. What type of music is the song?
Rock/Pop