The budget for Billie Jean was 50,000 dollars which was incredibly small compared to his later budgets on music videos such as Thriller or Smooth Criminal.
2.
They stated that the music video was not fit for the audience of MTV but in reality, they did not want to star a black artist on mainstream television.
3.
Billie Jean includes the conventions of performance seen through Michael Jackson lip syncing as well as dancing. The music video also has a strong and obvious storyline to it.
4.
Some of the shots taken were to reflect the lyrics. An example of this would be the line 'her eyes were like mine' where the screen would show a freeze frame of Michael Jacksons eyes.
5.
Michael Jackson's main feature from his music videos were not his face or his voice but his dancing. Instead of constant close ups of the audience, long or mid shots were taken in order to show the dance routine.
6.
- The lamp post scene is a reference to Singing In The Rain
- The actual set gave it a Hollywood musical style to it.
7.
By using the notion of looking as a reccurring motif, it implies that the detective almost is a surveillance camera directed at Michael Jackson.
8.
Michael Jackson is seen to have some holy powers where everything he touches or steps on seems to light him. This makes him be seen like a superior being compared to someone like the detective.
Close textual analysis of the MV:
1.
- Film Noir
- Lots of performance shots
- Set on the streets
- Detective wearing his costume
- The floor lights reflect the 1970's disco floors
2.
Equilibrium - Michael Jackson appears and walks
Disequilibrium - Detective shows up and starts following Michael Jackson
New equilibrium - Detective is arrested and Michael Jackson escapes and disappears again
3.
The characters highlight and show the binary opposition between hero and villain or dark vs light or good vs bad etc.
4.
A lot of the freeze frames and split screens are to reflect on the actual meaning of the lyrics therefor it creates pace for the editor to go by.
5.
This creates a film noir atmosphere to the music video which includes typical conventions of film noir films.
6.
Michael Jacksons video broke and subverted stereotypes. Being a black male to perform, film and distribute a MV to MTV who have up till now only featured white artists. This was major at a time of great racism in the society. To feature a white person as a villain role and a black person as a hero role was unseen before.
7.
This music video does not reflect the theory of 'repetition and difference' since it was one of the first music videos with an incredibly successful outcome which opened up a path for a lot of the key conventions that we see in modern day music videos.
8.
The 'picture in picture' is an example of bricolage in the music video which links to Bauldrillard's theory of hyperreality.
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