Media Studies A2 Preparatory Task: Research for Advanced Portfolio Part 2 (3/3)

The objective of this task is to watch two professionally produced videos that relate to my own ideas in terms of musical genre and/ or style. In this blog entry, I will be exploring "Cleansing Cream"  by Brown Eyed Girls. Brown Eyed Girls, also know as B.E.G are a Kpop girl group who have been active for a long period of time. B.E.G is known for their songs that reflect society and what goes on in our world. The members have branched out into individual promotions and have recently become free agents after leaving their entertainment company, Nega Networks. Cleansing Cream was realised on 4th November, written by G.Gorilla and distributed by Loen Entertainment.

Lyrics and Interpretation:

It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
After playing like crazy all day, I erase my thick makeup
Will I forget by being like this?
Looking quite miserable, on top of my half-erased cheeks
On top of the half-erased lipstick,
The fallen tears melt with the cleansing cream


Why, why, why, unni?All throughout the night, why can’t I forget him?
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye


* What do I do, unni? I want to sleep now
But my heart keeps running to him
What to do, unni? I don’t think I can go on like this
Please, can you have a drink with me? I ask of you, unni


Have you ever been in love?Have you ever really loved?
Love – for others it’s so easy
But for me, it’s like an unerasable tattoo
I empty my glass again

Today, there was a really great guy who asked me out
But I kept seeing himI stupidly ran out from that place,I stupidly couldn’t do anything
What’s the use of pretty makeup?


Why, why, why, unni?(Why can’t I forget this one guy for all this time
Unintentional memories get erased in the far distance
He already forgot about me)
Why, why, why, unni?With my blackened and smeared tears, I can’t forget him
And I stubbornly say, bye, bye
Why, why, why
* repeat
Please party with me
I don’t want to erase my makeup yet
I ask of you, unni
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?
It hurts, it hurts – my closed heart – a lot, a lot
Oh my honey, honey baby – what do I do?

From analysing the lyrics of "Cleansing Cream", we are able to see that the song is about a girl who is in love. She attempts to make herself look physically appealing for the man she loves but whenever she sees him, she runs away in panic. Her attempts to make herself look beautiful are entirely useless as she is unable to approach the man she loves. The young girl seeks the help of her "unni" which in Korean means older sister. She seeks the guidance of someone who is more experienced to her but there is no response. The young girl is unable to forget about him and her passion results in insomnia. As she cannot sleep as her thoughts are only of him, she wants to party all night so she can avoid her thoughts.  In the end of the song, she remains confused and does not know what to do. 

Synopsis of "Cleansing Cream"

Within the music video of Cleansing Cream, the three characters that feature are a young girl, a woman and a man. From analysing these three characters, the young girl appears to be blind and the women is her older sister/ family relative. As for the man, he appears to be married to the sister and the blind girl appears to show interest in him, despite being unable to see his face. 

(The members of B.E.G do not appear within the music video)

The music video begins with the blind girl in a simple bedroom, walking blindfolded. The blind fold is a prop that foreshadows the blindness of the young girl as the audience are unaware that she is blind but will find out. The young girl is next shown to be sitting in her bedroom, which is filled with toys and other childish ornaments, despite looking like a teenage girl. This possibly symbolize the idea that being blind results in innocence as she is unaware to the evil in life. The young girl remain in her bedroom, staring blankly at her surroundings. 

The married couple are shown lying in their bed, their bodies turned away from one another. The blue lighting of the bedroom shows us that the relationship between the couple is cold and distant. As the couple lie in their bed, the blind girl enters the room in silence and begins to trace the features of the husband and the wife. As she enters the room, we notice that the room is lit in a blue light whilst the corridor has a warm colour, giving us insight into relationship of the couple. As she traces his face and shows an expression of happiness, the older sister wakes up and stares in horror as she witnesses the affection the blind girl holds for her husband. The older sister is not blind as so she is aware of the evil that surrounds her. Her sight results in pain and angst filling her heart. 

The older sister begins to show signs of frustration as she is angry that the younger sister is trying to get closer to her husband, placing a risk on their marriage. She stares at the sister with eyes of hate, as the sister wonders around the house with her blindfold and manages to touch the husband, who shows no emotion. The husband is a possible reason for the cold and distant relationship-he is emotionless to all who are near to him. The image we get of the older sister is that she is always seeing. She sees her husband asleep and she sees the blind girls action, when everyone else is completely unaware and she secretly watches the two characters through many mirrors. In comparison to the older sister, the blind girl is continuously walking around with a blind fold and there are shots where her eyes are blocked by the bed frame. Whilst the older sister sees too much, the younger sister sees too little.  The blind sister, through her senses and soft touches, yearns for a feeling of a relationship whilst the older sister has an in-depth experience of the relationship and knows that it is not something to yearn for. 

As the night has come, the older sister stands as she watches her husband sleep. Whilst the area where her husband is lit with a blue light, the area where the older sister stands is lit with a red light. This gives us insight into the inner personalities of the two characters-the husband is cold and distant whilst the older sister is angry and destructive. It shows us that despite not being close to her husband, she wants him by her side. As the husband and wife have sat down for their meal, the blind girl remains in her room, holding something as she attacks her face with the small item. 

As she makes her way to the table, we see what she has done to her face. 

The blind girl attempted to wear makeup but as she is blind, she is unaware of the mess she has created on her face. Her attempts to impress the husband leave the husband and older sister staring blankly at her. Angered by this, in a jealous fury, the older sister grabs the blind girl and drags her towards the bathroom, where she pushes her under the shower and begins to wipe the blind girl's face aggressively, eager to remove the makeup. The door is locked and the husband attempts to open the door. This is the first time we see emotion from the husband. The makeup remains on the blind girl and the older sister throws her into a bathtub filled with water. She begins to push the blind girl, trying to suffocate her under the water. However, the blind girl manages to gently place her hand on the sister's arm.  Waking up from her rage, the older sister lets go of the blind girl and falls to the ground. Close analysis allows us to notice that both sisters have makeup smeared on their faces. This is a key factor in the music video. The makeup shows us that we try to impress people through our looks and we like people for their looks, but do we really know who they are? The sisters are mirrors of each other-both have and are trying to impress the husband through their looks. The older sister is aware of this and that is why she wants to remove the makeup on the blind girl's face- she knows that relationship and love are not based on appearance and she is showing signs of care and concern as she washes the blind girl's face.

Conceptual, narrative or performance?
The music video for "Cleansing Cream" consists of both narrative and conceptual ideas. The narrative ideas are evident within the music video as the entire music is telling us a story about love and the misconceptions of love and the absence of lip-syncing shows us that the music video is not based on performance. The conceptual ideas are presented throughout the music video, for example, both sisters have makeup smeared on their faces which symbolizes that the sisters are mirrors of each other by which both of them have and are trying to impress the husband with their books. Additionally, lighting allows conceptual ideas to be presented for example,  the area where the husband is lit with a blue light and the area where the older sister stands is lit with a red light. This gives us insight into the inner personalities of the two characters-the husband is cold and distant whilst the older sister is angry and destructive. It also suggests that there is a battle between the two forces. Furthermore, conceptual ideas are presented through the idea of seeing versus not seeing.The image we get of the older sister is that she is always seeing. She sees her husband asleep and she sees the blind girls action, when everyone else is completely unaware and she secretly watches the two characters through many mirrors. In comparison to the older sister, the blind girl is continuously walking around with a blind fold and there are shots where her eyes are blocked by the bed frame. Whilst the older sister sees too much, the younger sister sees too little.  The blind sister, through her senses and soft touches, yearns for a feeling of a relationship whilst the older sister has an in-depth experience of the relationship and knows that it is not something to yearn for.

Themes and Motifs:
Seeing and Not Seeing: Seeing results in being unaware to our behavior and results in innocence and being unaware to the word around us whilst sight results in seeing things we do not want to see in life.
Mirrors:Through mirrors, you are able to see your surroundings and see yourself. However, a mirror does not always show who you are-we can find ourselves in other people, such as the older sister and the blind girl.
Yearning for love: Whilst we desire to experience relationships, we are unaware that not all relationships are worth wanting.
Reflection: The sisters are reflections of each other and they share the same desire of lookig appealing to impress someone.
Protection through aggression: The older sister uses aggression as a way of physically and metaphorically removing the makeup from her sister but also herself.

Editing:
 The cutting pace with "Cleansing Cream"is in the time with the music. A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music, the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. The cutting speed increases as soon as we reach the chorus but there is a slowness that emerges due to the chorus. The slowness is created through the slow motion and the opening of the chorus itself is slow. The shot of the curtains moving suddenly in slow motion marks the start of the chorus. The slow motion effect reflects the emotions of both sisters as the older sister is in shock and is unable to do anything whilst the blind girl is focused on tracing their bodies.As we start to notice the frustration of the older sister, the cutting pace increases. As the two sisters battle their way to the bathroom, the slow motion effect stops and returns as it represents the two sisters and their juxtaposing characteristics. 

Mise-en-scene:
The first item that is seen throughout are mirrors, as the older sister uses them to observe the behavior of the younger sister, who is a reflection of herself as they both wear make-up to impress. The blind girl has many toys and childish ornaments in her bedroom,which symbolize how blindness can result to innocence as she is unaware of things around her. The toys can also show the innocence of the sister-she means no harm and only wants to learn and explore. The blind girl is dressed in a simple, white gown. This resembles the outfit of young girls in horror movies, such as The Ring.
 
A possible reason for choosing this outfit is that the girl is not noticed by the husband or wife, similar to a ghost. She is only noticed when things start to lose control. Additionally, the white gown shows us that she is innocent and pure. In Korea, the colour "white" symbolizes trust, which may be something that lacks between the two sisters. However, in Asia, the colour also symbolizes death. The blind sister may represent the death of the older sister's desire to impress through appearance. The older sister is dressed in formal attire which are tight and shows that she has a slim figure. The tightness of her clothing could give us insight into her inner emotions, as she witnesses the blind girl's actions but remains quiet, as if she is trying to keep everything in. As for her husband, he is also dressed in formal attire.

Camera:
A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music  the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Cleansing Cream" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera appears to be hand-held throughout. This allows the music video to have an interactive feeling, as if we are there with the characters. Additionally, as the camera is hand-held it suggests that the household/ the relationships within this household are not stable-they are dysfunctional and the hand-held camera can give insight into the emotions of the older sister as the rigid movements could suggest her frustrations and concerns. The hand-held camera gives an aggressive feeling as the blind girl aggressively applies her makeup and as the older sister drags the blind girl to the bathroom to remove her makeup under the shower. The frequency of rigid camera movements decrease immensely when the blind girl is on her own and when she is tracing the positions and facial features of the husband and wife. The medium close-up shot of the blind girl as the bed-frame covers her eyes gives insight into her condition, providing us with a message-she is blind. 

Target Audience:
The target audience for "Cleansing Cream" would be for anyone who is able to empathize with the lyrics of the song- individuals who are in love and make an effort to impress but are hesitant and afraid of love. Additionally, the song would be largely targeted towards females or those who are interested in men as the song mentions the girl meeting a guy but running away, however the song can be empathized from a male point of view. The song may be aimed at those who enjoy ballads. 

Ideas I could use in my own music video?
-Variations in cut pace.
-Themes which viewers may find interesting or will be able to empathise with.
-Conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas
-Effects such as slow-motion 
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Sudden camera movements
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video

Media Studies A2 Preparatory Task: Research for Advanced PortfolioPart2 (2/3)

Rescue by Yuna

The objective of this task is to watch two professionally produced videos that relate to my own ideas in terms of musical genre and/ or style. In this blog entry, I will be exploring "Rescue" by Malaysia indie artist Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, also known as Yuna.

About Yuna

Yuna attended Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam, where she studied law at its Faculty of Law. In 2009, she graduated with a Bachelor of Legal Studies degree. During her tertiary studies, Yuna was involved in the music scene. Yuna was once an independent Malaysian singer-songwriter. She began writing her own songs when she was 14 years old, and her first performance of her own songs was at the age of 19, after she learned how to play guitar. She has performed in numerous acoustic shows and events in many parts of Malaysia since 2006. The same year, she auditioned for the first season of One in a Million, making it to the top 40 round before she got cut from the competition. Yuna was eventually discovered in the US by the Indie-Pop record label and management company. They flew out to Malaysia to convince her to sign with them and then proceeded to get her a deal with Fader Label, a record label based in New York, in February 2011. She released her debut US EP, Decorate, in the United States in March the same year. "Rescue" was released as Nocturnal‍ '​s lead single on 27 August 2013

 (source: Wikipedia)

In this blog entry, I will be covering the following points:

-Synopsis of the music video

-Exploring whether the music video is conceptual, narrative or performance based.

-The underlying themes and motifs of the song.

 -Camera angles, special effects, mise-en-scene and editing techniques

-The possible target audience of the music video

-The ideas we can use in our own music video

Lyrics:

She thinks she's all alone and all her hopes are gone and so I wrote this song so she can move along. Things were bad. She was in despair. Things were bad and you were never there, but things were bad, she came up for air. She said a little prayer, she found herself. Yeah she's got light in her face, she don't need no rescuing she's okay.

Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing she's okay

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay.

She looks into the sky and all her tears are dry she kiss her fears goodbye. She's gonna be alright. Things were bad. It was beyond repair. She was scare, she couldn't handle it. Things were bad, but now she's glad. Can't you tell that she's walking on air?

Yeah, she's got light in her face, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay. Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay.

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay.

That girl is you yeah and that girl is me, that girl is stronger than the raging sea. That girl is you yeah and that girl is me, that girl is stronger than the raging sea.

Yeah, she's got light in her face, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay. Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing she's okay.

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

No S.O.S. needed, no rescuing, she's fine out there.

Yeah, she's got life in her veins, she don't need no rescuing, she's okay.

(source: AZ Lyrics)

Interpretation/Analysis of Lyrics:

The lyrics tell us the story of a girl who had been a relationship but the relationship has ended. Prior to the break-up, her boyfriend was never by her side and even after the break-up, he was not present-suggesting that he did not care for her. The lyrics tell us about the mental breakdown experienced by the girl and how she moved on in life and "found herself"- she has become stronger and independent, no longer relying on love to help her through moments where she will need rescuing. The song goes back and forth, remembering the past but as we reach the chorus, we reach a climax of positivity and happiness, her present emotions rising. The line "That girl is you yeah and that girl is me" suggests that the song can be understood by many girls and she is addressing her audience. The line suggests that many girls will experience neglect, isolation and hopelessness within a relationship; however they will find happiness after escaping from the chains of the relationship. The line “That girl is me" suggests the possibility that the artist had previously been in this type of relationship, making the emotions and feelings within the lyrics genuine. Furthermore, the line "Yeah, she's got light in her face" suggests that she has found happiness and peace. The Sun holds connotations of warmth and life, which could also be elements which she has discovered after breaking up with her boyfriend. 

By having light on her face, it suggests that she had no life or warmth within, due to the coldness of the relationship.

Synopsis of Rescue

From observing the lyrics, we can see that Yuna is portraying the girl who has escaped from all her fears and melancholy. She is portraying the girl who no longer needs help or an "S.O.S". During the music video, Yuna can be seen walking through different locations-forests, urban locations such as cities and brick walls with graffiti designed over them and rocky, mountainous beaches. The exploration of all these various locations is a metaphor for life-life is an adventure and we must explore to find our way through life, along with the difficulties and simplicities it offers. Being present in various locations and having a smile on her face, it shows us that she has adapted to her surroundings, she has found peace and happiness where ever she is and as a result, she does not requiring guidance or help-she doesn't need rescuing. All the locations within the music video are locations that would require some form of help or support. The rural locations such as the forests or the mountainous beaches would require survival skills and being cautious and the urban locations would require knowledge of how the area operates or the requirements to live there.

Conceptual, narrative or performance?

The music video of "Rescue" consists of conceptual and narrative based ideas. The conceptual based ideas are provided through the scenes which present Yuna being transparent and having a rainforest within her. This is a conceptual based idea as rain forests are known for being beautiful, peaceful and exotic. By having a rainforest within her, it shows us that she has metaphorically become a rainforest-she feels beautiful, peaceful and exotic. As rainforests are home to wild creatures and rare plants, it also gives insight to how she feels. The emotions within are wild and new to the girl who once held fear and despair in her heart.  Furthermore, the various scenes of Yuna being in both rural and urban locations are conceptual based ideas as the urban locations show us that she has become grounded and strong, similar to the architecture of her surroundings. The rural locations show us that she has become free of her past emotions and that she is willing to take risks. This is shown by which she stands close to the edge of a cliff, where the ocean is visible. Additionally, the use of a purple cape during "Rescue" gives us the image that she is free. The purple Cape can also represent Yuna letting go of her fears and frustrations. This is due to purple being a dark colour, holding dark connotations. I  The narrative based ideas are introduced through the conceptual ideas and the lyrics of the song-they illustrate the change that has took place within the girl, who represents Yuna and many other girls who have experienced the same things listed within the song.

Themes and Motifs

Freedom-the spacious rural and urban locations, purple cape and the flow of the attire symbolise freedom and being care-free.

Isolation & Escapism- Throughout "Rescue", the artist Yuna is all alone and does not seem bothered by her isolation. The isolation is seen as escaping from her fears and frustrations and finding happiness and peace in nature.

Express yourself- Along with expressing herself through the lyrics, Yuna expressed herself through her assortment of bright and colourful outfits.

Adventure & Life- The exploration of various locations is a metaphor for life-life is an adventure and we must explore to find our way through life, along with the difficulties and simplicities it offers.

Finding you in the darkest of times- The outside world is where Yuna finds peace and happiness and this results in Yuna finding herself-she finds the elements she had lost-Independence, happiness, a care-free attitude and motivation.

Camera angles, special effects, mise-en-scene and editing

Mise-en-scene:

Within Yuna's "Rescue" music video, Yuna presents an assortment of bright and colourful outfits. This is significant as the various outfits contrast from the dimly light locations and the outfits give us insight into the inner emotions of Yuna. The purple cape which appears frequently symbolises the freedom and pride Yuna has. However the purple cape may also Yuna letting go of her fears and frustrations. This is due to purple being a dark colour, holding dark connotations. A majority of Yuna's attire consists of both tight clothing and flowy clothing symbolising the strength and care-free attitude she has adopted. As for location, the urban locations show us that she has become grounded and strong, similar to the architecture of her surroundings. The rural locations show us that she has become free of her past emotions and that she is willing to take risks. This is shown by which she stands close to the edge of a cliff, where the ocean is visible. 

Editing

The cutting pace within "Rescue" increases as the song reaches the chorus. This creates a sense of rising energy and momentum within the song. Additionally, as the cutting pace increases, it also results in the change of emotions-describing how emotions change from hopelessness and loneliness to joy and liveliness. The use of slow motion creates a feeling of peace and comfort. The use of slow motion also reflects the emotions of the girl mentioned within the song and Yuna herself. The special effects  which present Yuna being transparent and having visuals from nature within her are significant as it shows us that she has metaphorically become a part of nature-she feels beautiful, peaceful and exotic. As nature is home to wild creatures and rare plants, it also gives insight to how she feels. The emotions within are wild and new to the girl/Yuna.

Camera

A majority of camera angles during "Rescue" comprised of low angle shots. These shots enabled viewers to be able to see the beautiful scenery within the music video and also get rays of sunshine to reflect onto the camera, giving a beautiful shot and showing us that the music video presents happiness and peace through the sunlight, as these are the elements that sunshine connotes to. The mid shots also enable us to see the surroundings of the artist. Additionally, the low angle shots present Yuna as being power and strong, showing confidence in her after the melancholic emotions she had previously. There are also high angle shots, suggest as when the artist plays with the purple cape. The high angle shots as she smiles can represent the hope she holds for her future, contrasting to when her hope was gone. Moreover, the sudden zooming in and zooming out of the camera whilst Yuna is in the forest shows us that she has become confident like never before, possibly more upfront. The sudden zoom in and out also gives a hypnotic feel to the music video, as if we are travelling to a different place. The camera is hand-held and this makes the music experience feel interactive, as if we are there with her. This makes the music video become more appealing as it allows us to share the experience of escapism along with the artist. The sudden and quick tilt and pan of the camera adds energy and movement to the music video, which allows contrast to the slow motion effect, which adds calmness and peace.

Target Audience

The target audience of "Rescue" would be aimed at young girls who are able to empathise with the lyrics of the song, as it is about a young girl as it includes the female pronoun "she" within the lyrics. Additionally, the line “that girl is you yeah and that girl is me" addresses the audience and the lyrics are targeted towards girls. Despite the lyrics addressing and targeting girls, the song may be aimed at those who are looking for a positive and uplifting song to listen to, as the song has a positive message to listeners which is about the return of hope, strength, and freedom and finding oneself in the bleakest of moments.

Ideas we can use in our own music video

-An assortment of outfits if the locations are dark or we would want to show the inner feelings of the artist. 

-Slow motion effect to add a feeling of calmness and peace

-Variation in camera angles and shots as a way of showing appealing surroundings and also to provide an impression of the artist. For example, the low angles make them appear to be more powerful and the high angles make them appear vulnerable. 

-Sudden tilt and pan of the camera as a way of creating movement within a shot which has the slow motion effect. 

-sudden zoom in and out

-Hand-held camera to make the music video more interactive, as if the listeners are next to the artist.

-Increasing cutting pace as the song reaches the chorus, creating energy and momentum.

-Visual effects such as Transparency Effect.

-Attire which holds symbolism. For example, the purple cape which appears frequently symbolises the freedom and pride Yuna has. However the purple cape may also Yuna letting go of her fears and frustrations. This is due to purple being a dark colour, holding dark connotations.

-Locations which hold significance. For example, the urban locations show us that she has become grounded and strong, similar to the architecture of her surroundings and the rural locations show us that she has become free of her past emotions and that she is willing to take risks.

-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video

Media Studies A2 Preparatory Task: Research for Advanced Portfolio Part2 (1/3)

The objective of this task is to watch two professionally produced videos that relate to my own ideas in terms of musical genre and/ or style. In this blog entry, I will be exploring "Hair Short" by Korean female-duo Wings, who are known for their backing vocals in the Korean Version of "Wings" by Little Mix. Their name is inspired by "Wings" as the two artists came together from working with Little Mix.The duo's debut single "Hair Short" was released on March 12, 2014, directed by Digipedi. 

Lyrics and Interpretation:

I confidently stepped out the door
Put my twinkle bag on top of the bar
Waiting for my turn but why am I thinking of you (no)

I want my hair short, just like the celebrities
It’ll look good, right? I won’t regret it, right?

(Did you break up with someone?) Oh no
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change

I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty

I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty

Girl, let’s talk about something else
But don’t stop talking
A brief moment of silence will make me think of him

(Did you break up with someone?) Oh no
(You’re crying) I’m not crying
Why do you keep asking? It’s just for a change

I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty

I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty

Why does my face look so ugly in the mirror?
I want to cut it off quickly, I will be born again
I’m cutting my hair short hair short hair short

I’m cutting my hair short, I’m cutting my hair short
It’s not because I broke up, I’m not crying either
I’m doing this because it’s pretty

From observing the lyrics of "Hair Short", we can see that the song is about a girl trying to move on from a break-up or past relationship. The girls are going out, trying to have fun with their friends, a typical representation of break-ups, but the girls are reminded of their ex-boyfriends, realising that they are trying to escape and forget about their exes and their past, instead of trying to face their issues. In the second verse, the girls want to cut their hair to mimic the appearance of celebrities. This could show us that they are trying to prove their exes that they are moving on and have become beautiful and idealised, like celebrities. However, the two lines " It’ll look good, right? I won’t regret it, right?"  show us that the girls are hesitant, which is a result of their past relationships, showing us how much they have been impacted by their past relationships. The lyrics show us that the girls are denying that they are effected by the break-up and are becoming irritated by the interrogation, claiming that "It's just for a change" and that it's because it will make them pretty. However the 10th verse shows us the underlying reasons for why the girls want to cut their hairs-to rid themselves of their past relationship in hopes of starting anew. This is significant as in modern Asia, cutting long hair to short hair is seen as forgetting the past and moving on. 

Synopsis of "Hair Short"

The music video starts with two girls, who appear to be twins, brushing each others hair. The two sisters are emotionless, staring blankly. A young man enters and begins to fix the old television the two sisters use. The relationship between the sisters and the young man is unknown. As the young man attends to fixing the old television, the sisters stare at him from behind, expressionless, still giving no insight into their inner feelings. From the start of the music video, we can sense an oddness and unfamiliarity due to strange behaviour of the two twin sisters, This oddness is similar to the two twins sisters who appear in the horror movie "The Shining", which may be a possible reference.

The sisters are found in the same bed, reading the same book. The bedroom appears to be symmetrical, showing us that similar to the symmetrical room, the sisters are also symmetrical to each other, suggesting the possibility of both sisters sharing the same emotions and feelings. The chorus starts and the two sisters begin to cut their long locks, showing close-up shots of their hair begin cut. They also start to dance, presenting dance movements which represent hair and the cutting of hair, such as scissors. The lyrics of the chorus reflect the music video, as the girls explain that they are cutting their hair, but not because of a break-up. However, the two sisters are also shown looking at the young man as he cuts the leaves that entrap the house they live in, showing us that despite trying to move on, they still hold affection towards him. He stands on a ladder, unaware of the twins looking at him and remains unaware even after climbing down. After cutting each others hair, their new hair cuts are revealed, both sisters supporting a bob hair cut. The sisters return back into their bed, but there is a slight change-one of the sisters is no longer reading a book and shows more emotion when lip-syncing. She snuggles into her bed sheets and dives into a dream where she finds herself watching the young man and her twin sister kiss and hold each other. She remains emotionless. Her eyes squint harder and now she dreams of the young man kissing her, as she lays on a sofa. Her twin sister stares with no expression, holding sharp scissors behind her back as she watches her other half make love to the man she also loves. This could possibly be a flashback that the two sisters have or they could be dreaming about something that had previously happened, drawing us to the idea that the young man is in a relationship with both sisters.  This allows us to return to our previous point of the two sisters having identical emotions and feelings. The sisters are so identical that they appear in each others dreams. Suddenly the hairs of the two sisters grow rapidly and their hair returns back to being long. There are 2 interpretations to this- the first interpretation is that the sisters return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship. The second interpretation is that the sisters have sexual thoughts of the young man, and the return of their long hair can be seen as a symbol for t return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship.. The sisters now sit apart, both facing away from each other, discovering that they share the same feelings for the young man through their dream. Realising that their hair has returned to its previous length, the sisters repeat the process of cutting each others hairs.It is speculated that the two sisters slept with the young man, as there are two scenes where a sister lies in the bed, with the reflection of the young man stands in the mirror which hangs above their bed. The twins stare in the mirror, lip-syncing to the song, 

"Why does my face look so ugly in the mirror?

I want to cut it off quickly, I will be born again"

The girls realise that they are only returning to their past emotions of loss and rejection and they notice that their love for the young man is only causing the relationship between the sisters to become envious and hateful. This is also shown by which one of the sisters holds a sharp scissor close to the eye of the other sister, giving insight into her disturbing emotions. The sisters hold hands, realising that love results to hatred and that the only way to make these emotions of love and hate disappear is to get rid of the one who made them return-the young man. Holding their scissors behind their backs, the sisters draw closer to the young man who is still trying to fix the old television. A series of shots of the sisters cutting the heads off of people in pictures are presented. An image appears:

This image is Judith beheading Holofernes. Judith was a Jewish lady who had beheaded Holofernes after overhearing plans of the Jewish people to surrender against the Assyrian camp. Holofernes was responsible for weakening the Jews as a result of famine. Determined not to surrender, she seduced Holofernes with her captivating beauty, waited until he was thoroughly drunk and cut of his head. With the head of Holofernes in her bloody hands, she returned to her people. With their new courage, they raided the Assyrian camp and drove the enemy away. Similar to Judith beheading Holofernes to save her people, the twin sisters beheaded the young man with their scissors as a way of preserving and saving their sisterly bond. They place his head inside a serving tray and leave his headless body on the floor. They remain seated, both holding the tray. 

Conceptual, narrative or performance?

The music video of "Hair Short" consists of conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas. The conceptual based ideas are presented through the various scenes presented throughout the music video. These include the image of Judith beheading Holofernes. Similar to Judith beheading Holofernes to save her people, the twin sisters beheaded the young man with their scissors as a way of preserving and saving their sisterly bond.  The cutting of heads on pictures is also a conceptual based idea as it gives insight to what the two sisters are planning to do but it is also unpredictable due to the savageness of the action. The rapid growth of hair is also a conceptual based idea as there are 2 interpretations for it which hold symbolism- the first interpretation is that the sisters return to having feelings of loss and rejection from their past relationship. The second interpretation is that the sisters have sexual thoughts of the young man, and the return of their long hair can be seen as a symbol for the rebirth of their sexual drives and perversion. Moreover, the sisters being present in each others dreams is a conceptual idea as it shows us that the  two sisters having identical emotions and feelings. The sisters are so identical that they appear in each others dreams. As for narrative, the music video tells a story as there are some scenes where the artists do not lip-sync and the narrative ideas and story are provided through  symbolism, images and the conceptual ideas, along with the lyrics. They help to provide the narrative ideas. Performance based ideas are provided through the short dance sequences provided by the artists, presenting dance movements which represent hair and the cutting of hair, such as scissors. The performance based ideas of the music video add energy and action, as most of the music video consists of stillness and sudden movements to create fear and tension. The dancing in the chorus is as if the girls are cutting their hair and moving on, breaking away from their past but as soon as we return back to the verses, the girls return back to their emotions of loss and rejection from their past relationships.

Themes & Motifs

Karma- Due to the young man causing the two sisters to go through emotional suffering and resulting in the sisters becoming hateful due to love, the sisters made the young man feel the pain they had felt-by beheading him. His cheating caused him his own downfall. 

Protect-Similar to how Judith beheaded Holofernes to protect her people, the twins beheaded the young man to protect their sisterly bond. The sisters decided to eliminate what was destroying them.

Moving on-the sisters move on from their past relationships by cutting their hair. Cutting their hair symbolises moving on from past relationships.

Reflection-the sisters are reflections of one another and they share the same emotions and feelings.

Love and Hate-the sisters are perfect examples of how love can change your relationships with others, resulting in hatred and creating a distance.

Editing, camera and mise-en-scene

Editing:

The cutting pace within "Hair Short" is in the time with the music. A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music (which is the genre of music Wings falls under), the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Hair Short" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. Furthermore, "Hair Short" uses a slow motion effect when one of the sisters falls asleep and she starts to see a dream. The slow motion effect makes it feel as if time has slowed down as soon as the sister kisses the young man, creating a dramatic feeling but the slow motion effect stops instantly when the camera is directed towards the other sister who is witnessing the affair. The slow motion effect also creates a sexual image when the sister and young man kiss. Additionally, there is a time lapse effect when the sisters hairs grow rapidly. The time lapse effect exaggerates /emphasises the feelings of loss, rejection and sexuality. 

Mise-en-scene:
The attire of the two sisters makes them appear to be innocent and feminine, contrasting with their inner feelings and their actions. The first outfit of the twins is a short, floral, puffy dress, covering their arms and revealing their legs. The colours of the dress mimic the attire of the two sisters from The Shining, giving a possible insight into their behaviour. The sisters brush each others hair with vintage hair brushes, which make them appear to be feminine. The sisters are also sitting on a blue vintage sofa and the pictures on the walls all have vintage frames. Most of the furniture within the music video has a vintage appearance but the bright colours of the furniture make it seem more modern, making it more appealing to a wider audience. Additionally, the sisters carry sharp scissors whilst wearing these outfits, creating a contrast between their beauty and their dark intentions. Moreover, after the two sisters cut their hair, there outfits change to a knee-length polka dot dress in black. This symbolises transcendence by which the girls have moved on from their past relationships.The sisters also wear a teal and red outfit which is worn when dancing.The variations in attire is a common feature within Korean Pop music videos as it allows the music video to be more eye-catching. The young man is dressed in simple attire, which causes the audience to focus more on the twin sisters. Within the vintage frames, there is a piece of art by Caravaggio of Judith beheading Holofernes, which was painted in 1588-99. The image foreshadows what the sisters will do to the young man. The cutting of heads in various images also foreshadows the actions of the sisters. 

Camera:
 A certain beat with the song marks a change in camera angles and zoom. Within Korean Pop Music (which is the genre of music Wings falls under), the cutting pace changes according to the rhythm of a song. With "Hair Short" the chorus marks the increasing cutting pace and the frequency of the changes in the camera zooming in and out. The camera zoom changes with every cut-it goes back and forth, which is similar to the sisters going back and forth with their relationships and return and escaping from feelings such as love,loss and rejection. The mid shot of the sisters in bed and the wide shot of the sisters sitting on the vintage sofa shows us the symmetry of the room and as the sisters are wearing the same attire, it shows us that the sisters are identical to one another, physically and mentally.The two-shot of the sisters shows us that they are close to one another and the close-up shot of the sisters holding hands also shows us that the sisters are close. As the song reaches the chorus, the camera slowly but gradually zooms closer to the two sisters as they read in their beds. There are also extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting each others hair. During the extreme close-ups, the scissors are close to their eyes and this creates tension as you are able to see the red veins in their eyes. The extreme close-up shots of the girls cutting their hair in slow motion also creates an image of fragility and simplicity to the idea of moving on.

Target Audience:
The target audience for "Hair Short" would be for girls who are experiencing a break-up and are experiencing the same emotions as the artist-confrontation by others, denial and the urge to move on. The target audience would also consist of K-pop fans as Wings is a K-pop duo. However, the song would also be targeted at those who are searching for something new within K-pop, as K-pop has been criticised as companies are producing groups with generic music and videos(consisting of wide spaces and wide dance floors, extravagant clothing, the sexualisation of the artists, lack of interesting plots) and fortunately, Wings debuts with a song and music video which contrasts to the generic K-pop music videos and provides us with a innocent yet spine-chilling music video, which will grab the attention of many K-pop fans and may encourage them to buy their song. "Hair Short" would also be targeted to individuals who have an interest in The Shining, as the two artists resemble the two sisters from the infamous film and those who are interested in themes such as violence, the supernatural (such as the rapid growth of hair and the reasons behind it) and evil inside good (and vice versa), as the sisters have good and evil inside their hearts since they murder the young man for the good of their sisterhood.

Ideas I could use in my own music video?

The ideas I could use include:
-Symbolism and the deeper meaning of things within a music video
-Variations in attire and surroundings as a way of creating movement and energy within a music video.
-Possible references from other media outlets/Use other media outlets as inspiration (For example, Hair Short included references from the Bible, such as Judith beheading Holofernes and The Shining)
-Stillness (The members of Wings remained motionless and emotionless during the music video and despite not moving a lot, they were able to mimic the twin sisters in The Shining)
-A dance routine (Allows movement and energy to be present within a music video, contrasting from previous shots of stillness)
-Cutting pace increasing as song reaches the chorus.
-Cut with certain beat of a song.
-Gradual zoom in
-Camera shots which will create a certain feeling
-Plot twists/unexpected plot/unique plot
-Variations in camera angles and shots to add movement and energy, allowing the audience to stay concentrated on music video.
-Variations in cut pace.
-Themes which viewers may find interesting or will be able to empathise with.
-Conceptual, narrative and performance based ideas
-Effects such as slow-motion or time-lapse
-Music video holds relevance to the lyrics.