Music Video Analysis#2
Title Track
Maroon 5 - Payphone
Track
Artist
"Payphone"
Single by Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa from the album Overexposed
April 16, 2012
CD Single
Digital Download
Conway Recording Studios
Pop
Released
Format
Recorded
Genre
Wiz Khalifa singles chronology
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The video begins with a flashforward that starts with a beleaguered Levine torching his ride and dialing a telephone number at a payphone.
Synopsis (Plot)
Another typical day at a Las Vegas bank for Levine is shown next, which turns into chaos when some bandits enter and take charge – all of this happens while the song plays in the background. Levine grabs a gun from one of the robbers and threatens to get rid of them.
Synopsis (Plot)
He and his female co-worker escape, though Levine is shot in the arm, but when some cops mistake him for one of the robbers, Levine tells the female co-worker to hide in a car and steals an AC Cobra 427 that belongs to Wiz Khalifa to get away from them.
Synopsis (Plot)
A car chase follows and when Levine is almost caught by the police, he steers the stolen convertible onto the wrong side of the road and causes a huge explosion, which destroys one of the police cars. When he finally reaches his destination in Los Angeles, he passes by a place where Wiz Khalifa, the owner of the car, performed his rap earlier. After Levine gets out of the convertible, it also explodes and he enters a booth, injured, with the titular payphone, probably to call for help – this connects to the beginning of the video.
Synopsis (Plot)
Ideology
The video is the interesting one, it tells the story of the protagonist who is trying to escape Policemen in a high speed car chase. Adan levine, the main vocalist of Maroon 5 plays the protagonist in this story. It features plenty of actions including fire and high speed chases. This story of action is something that is often seen in a pop video. The video allow the lyrics to be reflected through a narrative.
Ideology
What does the video do
The song's title comes from Levine's line at the start of the song, which also serves as the hook: "I'm at a payphone trying to call home all of my change I spent on you." We're not sure where he found a payphone and why he didn't call on his cell.
The song's music promo sees Levine escape from a bank hostage scenario only to be pursued by the police across the Californian desert. "The video is this crazy thing; it's about a bank robber,
Ideology
How is "POP"signified?
The genre "Pop os signified throughout. In Pop videos you expect a lot of drama and a narrative. As you can see from the stills to the lest, both of these are present. The narrative features the main protagonist in front of fire, while there are plenty of guns, making this quite dramatic, very conventional.
Reception
Natalie Finn of E! News gave a positive review for the video, writing that "Adam Levine looks just as good as a buttoned-up bank employee as he does as a dirty, wounded fugitive trying to outrun the cops.Becky Bain of Idolator wrote that "The clip is an enjoyable mini-blockbuster, but it’s still missing one important ingredient: Adam Levine without a shirt.Rebecca Ford of The Hollywood Reporter gave a mixed review, writing: Although it's fun to see such a big-budget clip from the band, the story line doesn't make complete sense. Since Levine's character didn't rob the bank, why does he keep running from the cops? And why does he leave the pretty lady behind?
Genre
As it is a pop song. The song "merges one of the band's biggest hooks with clever lines. It is shining example as an addictive head-nodder. "Payphone is an alchemy of elemental pop-rock building blocks that conjures virile longing in the same corny-graceful way as past M5 hits like She will Be LovedLevine's voice soars, the piano and guitar hit notes of bitter nostalgia, and for once the words' hurt feels real. And whether by Pro-Tooled magic or old-fashioned sweat, the song also sounds remarkably like it was recorded in a studio by musicians who actually came together to play as a band — even if one of them was only dropping by on his way to the soundstage.
How it is Signified(cont)
Pop videos are always very performance based. Payphone is no different. We see the main protagonist Adam Levine running around with his female accomplice. There is normally a quest that the protagonist takes on, again this happens, as the protagonist attempts to win over the female. The narrative reflects the lyrics. The little "Payphone" forms the main part of the story, there is an actual payphone that forms the main part of the music video.
Representation
How is signified
The Lyric video for the song premiered on April 16, 2012 on Maroon 5's VENO channel. The clip is in an animated graphic novel style, drawn in panels. The clip shows the main character, presumably frontman Adam Levine, looking back on his relationship and heroically fighting monsters, rescuing old women from muggers, etc. Towards the end, Wiz Khalifa appears in a hoodie, acting as Levine's crime-fighting sidekick.
Narrative
'Payphone' by Maroon 5 is a narrative based video. The main characters of video have a simple life and they have many plans, as per seen in the video but then the life takes a twist and suddenly the artist finds himself on the other side of the law as a criminal while trying to save his love's life. He desperately wants to get back to his normal life but then is not easy anymore. The entire video is very interesting and carries a message that life can change at anytime and our plans may not come true. The lyrics go with the video and represent the feelings of the artist. The video is shot mostly in the out doors and has the elements of action sequences in it.
Intertextuality
How does it construction appeal
Pop genre fans come to expect music video with a lot of drama, Payphone is no different. Maroon 5 music videos are normally rather extravagant, the same can be said for those that Adam Levine features in , such as "My Life." As it is conventional, it makes this video easy to follow. The narrative is interesting as well and there is an interesting twist as it turns out the first shot is chronologically the last in the narrative. This causes the viewer to re-think what they've seen, adding more attention to the song
Concepts this video contains
Action
Thrilled
Adventure
Passion
Themes and atmosphere
The clip is in an animated graphic novel style, drawn in panels. The clip shows the main character, presumably frontman Adam Levine, looking back on his relationship and heroically fighting monsters, rescuing old women from muggers, etc. Towards the end, Wiz Khalifa appears in a hoodie, acting as Levine's crime-fighting sidekick. Levine was spotted shooting the video, making a call from a Los Angeles phone booth, fleeing from the police with model Bregje Heinen and speeding away in a classic sports car.
Performance
Lip syinching by the singer himself acting as the main character while doing all the actions sequences throughout out the video
Andrew Goodwin'a Theory
Relationship between lyrics and visual
It is about a relationship, maybe with his girlfriend, a best friend or anyone he would love dearly. The video suggests that he fell in love saving her.
As he could not se her being trapped among the robbers and That is his fairy-tale, may be not quite the same, but we get the idea. He want to be like a super man and he saved her from the robbers
He bought her out and the police is after him now and he don't know exactly what to do so he just trying to save her and that's the reason he left her alone You can't expect me to be fine,
I don't expect you to care
I know I've said it before
But all of our bridges burned down.
Narrative Based
The narrative itself is very interesting, the wide array of action, mixed in with a possible love story, makes it hard to keep your eyes off the video. Adam levine has almost a cut-like following from Maroon 5 followers and others alike, the fact that he is involved heavily also allowed a lot of fan interaction and this narrative is allowing the music to come to life like a story.
I'm at a payphone trying to call home
All of my change I spent on you
Where have the times gone? Baby, it's all wrong
Where are the plans we made for two?
Advanced Portfolio
Maroon 5's Adam Levine appears next to a torched car to kick off the 'Payphone' video.
The Voice US judge frantically dials from a pay phone in the video's dramatic opening scenes.
Maroon 5's Adam is seen as a geek-chic bank worker in a flashback.
The 'Moves Like Jagger' singer is seen flirting with a female co-worker in the video.
The Maroon 5 frontman shows off his numerous tattoos in the video.
The 'Payphone' music video continues to tell its story in flashbacks.
The peace is soon disturbed by the arrival of a gang of armed bank robbers.
Adam is seen huddling behind a desk alongside his co-worker while the robbery is in progress.
Adam takes a rare opportunity to escape by stealing one of the armed robbers' weapons.
The 'Moves Like Jagger' singer turns the gun on his assailants while plotting an escape.
Adam and his crush make a daring escape from the scene while being fired on by the robbers.
The two escape from the crime scene but Adam is mistaken by police as one of the assailants.
Adam urges his co-worker to stay behind while he stages a getaway to escape from the police.
Adam steal a valet's car and speeds away from the scene with police in hot pursuit.
15. The music video is one of the most action-packed promos Maroon 5 have released to date.
Adam Levine is chased down by an armada of police cars and helicopters into the desert.
Adam turns action hero for the climactic car chase scene of the 'Payphone' video.
Adam pulls a daring stunt to escape the police causing a crash that ends in a huge explosion.
After escaping the chase Adam parks up under a bridge and torches the stolen car
After escaping Adam heads to a pay phone to dial an unknown friend for help
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By aroojtas123
