How do the representations in Formation reflect the ideology of the producer?
Knee jerk reaction: Representations of working class black people to draw attention to underrepresented issues
Plan
MES kid dancing, binary opposition
The police killing black people
MES of graffiti: stop shooting us
Gesture hands up don't shoot
Martin Luther King justice and power black people civil rights
Sexualisation
Woman empowerment
Black settings: wig shop
Natural black hairstyles cornrows
Dancing and lip syncing
Conventional music video
Beyonce's kid
Images from hurricane aftermath
Juxtaposition between modern and historical
Bricolage: mixture of different styles
Non-linear narrative
Subverts racist stereotypes: 'Givenchy dress'
Antebellum dresses - re appropriation
Takes away the power from white people
Master shot: performance shot on police car
Paul Gilroy: postcolonial theory
Atypical and subversive song for Beyoncé
Binary opposition between old VHS effect and modern high quality cinematography
Binary oppositions make meansing clear
Representation of black women
Working class settings
Establishing montage of New Orleans
MES of slave owner costume: reappropriation of power!
Gospel church setting
Wig shop
News footage of hurricane katrina
Proairetic code of violence against black people: binary opposition of riot police vs little child
Choreography associated w/ afro culture, eg twerking
Community and empowerment
MES of beyonce sinking in to water on top of police car
Bricolage: a comnination of different forms of media
Content
Sample paragraph
"One powerful representation of working class black women is seen in the master shot of Beyonce sitting on a police car. The mise-en-scene of Beyonce on the sinking police car reinforces her status as both a criminal and as an outsider. In a manner totally unconventional for Beyonce, her dress is plain and unglamorous, emphasising the seriousness of message that she is portraying. But even more importantly, Beyonce resembles a stereotypical 1970's black housewife. This forms a binary opposition between a positive representation of black women, and the aggressive connotations of the US police force. It also reinforces the ability for the target young black female audience to be able to relate to Beyonce, and to be able to emphasises with the controversial issues that this video contains. The final high angled shot of Beyonce sinking in to the water demonstrates her vulnerability, and her inability to confront the police. This is a highly conventional and typical representation of the issues black women face in society today
Of course, Beyonce also represents a number of other clear representations of black identity..."
Further content
The setting of the abandonned swimming pool is symbolic of the black community drowing under the nfluence of poverty and racism
Mid shot of MES of a graphitit reading "stop shooting us", drawinging the audiences attention to a significant issue faced by the black community in A,merioca. Additionally, graphitit is also symbolic of black culture
Proiretic code of riot shields, signifies violence, aggression and conflict
MES of hoodie is symbolic of the steretypical way in which young african american boys are rperesented as troublemakers and criminals.
Paul gilroy and postcolonial theory