Formation - Media Language

Historical context

1. Video released in February 2016 during Black history month

2. Explores flooding in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina

Intertextual references

1. Media literate audience would understand them

2. Footage taken from "That B.E.A.T." documentary

3. References to news footage such as police brutality through the lone dancing boy

4. Reference to MLK and different historical periods where black people were either oppressed or influential.

5. Beyonce rises her right hand in a fist on the police car - reference to the BLM movement

6. reference to floods in new orleans following hurricane katrina , sinking police car

Camera angles

1. Low camera angles (such as when Beyonce is sat in the old Manor House) imply she is powerful

2. Range of camera angles throughout such as slow zoom in and out, high camera angle, close ups.

3. Close up of Beyonce on top of police car singing the first lyric - implies she wants people to listen to her words

4. Camera often moves around Beyonce but is always focused on her suggesting she is the star

Body language/ stances

1. Beyonce has powerful body language through (such as her sitting on the car with her elbows on her knees leaning forward)

2. Other black women such as women in hair salon have powerful stances that are unwavering as the look at the camera

Editing/ footage

1. Beyonce uses VR style footage when dancing in the parking lot to allude to 90s style/ fashion when black hip hop style became increasingly popular.

2. By placing this next to scenes with high quality camera it alludes to the contrast of new and old

Sounds/ lyrics

1. Many clips from documentaries included - samples

2. Alludes to range of genres that are black inspired such as "bounce" (initial sound) hip hop etc.

3. "I like my negro nose" implies Beyonce is proud of her heritage and it is something she wants to show off.

Anchorage

1. "red lobster" lyrics anchored by a close up of someone picking/holding a red crustacean

2. "I twirl" anchored by low angle shot of Beyonce twirling her parasol.

Contrast/binary opposites

1. Contrast between outfits - Beyonce modest on police car but not in manor or corridor

2. Binary opposite between black people and white people

3. Contrast between women as powerful and men as passive

4. Contrast between new and old

Conformity to typical music videos

1. Star quality - Beyonce is central to shots and focused on

2. Beyonce sings lyrics to the camera

3. Beyonce and her troop dance

4. Range of clothes and styles seen throughout

The video has a political message

1. Beyonce makes gestures/lyrics that (middle finger, swearing) which suggests she is not interested in 'sugar coating' her message.

2. Also suggests she does not care if white audiences are uncomfortable - she talks unwaveringly about her pride and heritage.

3. her on a sinking police car is polysemic in its messages , could suggest she goes down with her people or that she is anti police force

Construction of black women as powerful

1. Beyonce central

2. Beyonce on car

3. Woman in formation / unity

4. Focus on black women throughout video

Construction of men as passive/ submissive

1. Men stand around Beyonce and are passive - implies they are waiting for her command

Combination of music genres

1. Genres such as pop, R&B, dance, hip-hop combined in order to celebrate the impact black people have had on the music industry

2. Specifically explores "bounce" as it is native to New Orleans. Came around in the 1980s which could explain the VR shots.

Applying theory

Semiotics Roland Barthes

1. Semantic codes - we assume the police we see in front of the little boy are inherently racist due to the cultural and political climate

2. Cultural/ referential codes - Beyonce shows New Orleans flooded - references Hurricane Katrina

Structuralism

1. Binary opposition between white police racism and black joy through little boy dancing and white police lined up

Genre Theory Steve Neale

Mix of black music genres to attract all black audiences and to celebrate culture.

Postmodernism

1. Homage - to different black sub-styles and cultures (mix of music genres)

2. Bricolage - Beyonce samples "That B.E.A.T." short documentary

3. Self reflexivity - Beyonce repeatedly looks at the camera breaking the fourth wall

4. Challenges that in the modern age we no longer refer to anything 'real' - Beyonce's video is based entirely on the real experiences and culture of the black community.

5. However, is Beyonce making valid social comments or reducing important issues down to a means to promote her own career and sell records? Balances the argument that Beyonce cares and wants to reflect the real experiences