Video research

1. MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS:
KATY PERRY
“WIDE AWAKE” MUSIC
VIDEO

2. WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS VIDEO?
WHAT WOULD THEY ENJOY ABOUT IT?
The target audience for this music video is young teenage girls, her main target
audience range from 10 to mid 20s. The fact her album is called “Teenage Dream”
means that she is able to attract more teenagers as they can relate to her music.
This video is also is very symbolic as through out the video it make continuous
references to the controversial fairy-tale stories and films such as Alice and
wonderland, Cinderella and snow-white. Furthermore, Katy Perry’s target audience is
quite vast as her music also attracts many males with the content of some her
videos. She is also extremely current todays music industry for example she recently
released a hit single, called Teenage Dream. This single has now reached the No.1
slot in the charts, creating a lot of media hype around the album. Therefore,
audiences watching the video would like the comparison between a darker side we
see of Katy to the more fairly child like part we see of her in the video. Therefore,
they would also like the use of bright colours used throughout the music video.

3. WHAT GENRE DOES THIS VIDEO BELONG
TO? HOW DO YOU KNOW?
The genre of this music is pop, this is because the music
video it exaggerates the use of vivid colours, it is also
very magical with the bright flowers and the unicorn.
Furthermore, we also know this video fits into the pop
genre because Wide Awake" earned Katy Perry a
Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance. Pop
music is often associated with being fun, extravagant,
eye- catching etc. therefore, Katy Perry has created her
iconography inside and outside of her music, dressing in
a particular way both in her videos and outside of her
music. For example she is often known for continuously
chaining her hair colour

4. WHICH CATEGORY DOES THIS VIDEO BELONG TO?
PERFORMANCE/ NARRATIVE/ CONCEPT
This music video belongs to all three of these category's, this is because it shows us
the artist performing, it also tells us a story and develops a visual idea within the
music video.

5. HOW DO THE VISUALS AND MUSIC WORK
TOGETHER? DOES THE VIDEO ILLUSTRATE,
AMPLIFY OR CONTRADICT THE LYRICS?
The visuals and music work together
because they illustrate what the
lyrics mean. For example she says
“And now it's clear to me, That
everything you see, Ain't always
what it seems”. Therefore, here she
is implying that it is not always
about finding your prince charming
and being a princes, instead it is
important to dependent and strong
as a person.
Furthermore, the video the lyrics
amplify the lyrics, such as when she
punches the prince in the face, or
when he is waiting for her on a
unicorn. Also the fact that the floor
opens up is also an example of
exaggeration.

6. HOW IS KATY PERRY'S STAR IMAGE DEVELOPED
IN THIS VIDEO? HOW DOES SHE CONNECT
WITH THE AUDIENCE?
Katy Perry is known for an distinctive and fun-
based sense of personal fashion that
incorporates bright colours and food-based
themes. Her concert performances feature
elaborate staging's and costuming'. Therefore,
in this video her star image is developed with
the use of unique costumes such as her dark
violet dress, a black cloak and violet hair.
However, this look is not something she usually
incorporates within her videos as they are very
bright and eye-catching. Although later on in
the music the mood changes and her image is
developed through the use of bright colours
and hair. Also at the beginning of the video she
is looking into the mirror and thinking about
her appearance.
Katy connects with the audience with a lot of
direct address within the camera shots, this is
because they show her looking straight into the
camera so she is able to connect directly with
the audience.

7. HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGED TO LOOK AT KATY
PERRY? ARE THESE REFERENCES TO LOOKING IN THE
VIDEO? DO YOU FEEL THE VIDEO IS VOYEURISTIC?
In this video we are encourage to look at Katy Perry
in a way that is very innocent and fairy-tale way, this
also because she is making references make to her
childhood.
In my opinion this video is not voyeuristic way, this
is because Katy Perry is not being represented or
viewed as a sexual object within the video. Instead
she is being shown as this “Princess” with the
typical fairy-tale story. Therefore, the way she is
dressed in the video is also different to many of her
other videos, because they usually contain her
wearing little clothing. However, in this video she is
represented in two different ways, one being this
powerful mysterious women and on the other hand
this Greek goddess.
For example this is
from one of her
previous videos,
where Katy is
wearing little
clothing and
represented is
more negative way
for younger
audiences.
However, in this
video she is
represented in
a more positive
way as she is
viewed almost
like a Greek
goddess or
princess.

8. ARE THERE ANY INTER-TEXTUAL REFERENCES IN THIS VIDEO
TO STORIES, FILMS OR OTHER MUSIC VIDEOS? HOW MIGHT
THESE REFERENCES APPEAL TO DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF
THE AUDIENCE?
Throughout the video there are continuous inter-
textual references to films such as Alice in
wonderland and snow white. There are also
references to Cinderella as she is shown to be this “
Princess” with her prince charming awaiting her
riding a unicorn Therefore, it is shown to be very
enchanted.
However, the video also has another side to It as it in
the begging is it dark and gloomy in which there are
links to the horror film Nightmare in elm street. In
which there is short camera shot of Freddy Krueger.
Therefore, this is a reference to something to
something which is not very fairylike or bright which
is also shown in the video.
As a result, this might appeal to different segments
of audience because the audiences from them
different references might be attracted to watch her
music video or listen to her music. It is important
that Katy considers all of the inter-textual reference
she makes within the video so that she could so she
attract her music to a different market of people.
This is the
reference to The
Nightmare on Elm
Street.
Reference to
Cinderella
Reference to
Alice in
wonderland