Music video evaluation (Beyonce- If I Were A Boy)

The main reason that I chose to evaluate If I were A Boy by Beyonce Knowles is because it defies some of the stereotypical roles of men and women in the video. The target audience of this song is wide; it’s aimed at females, predominately those who are fans of her previous music, I also believe that it attempts to reach out to men who take their partner for granted. Beyonce steps into a stereotypical male role in this song and video, she is trying to emphasise some of their actions and the consequences of them.
The first shot in the music video is a medium close up of the female and then it cuts straight to the male character, this is so the audience can see the expressions on their faces, the narratives in this particular shot are very important as the female says ‘Intimacy’ whereas the male says ‘Honesty’, in society, we stereotype it to be the female who is more honest and trustworthy so already there is a play on this. After the short introduction, then the music begins. As Beyonce is walking down the stairs, pull focus is used in order to capture the audiences’ attention on just her and not on the surroundings (this is also seen when the roles are reversed and it is the male character walking down the stairs), it then immediately cuts to a wide two shot, this enables us to see both the characters, a medium shot is then used whilst the male sits down and the female character remains standing this is so that it appears as if she is over powering the male character and is the more dominant personality in their relationship. The props used here are those typical of ones in a kitchen at breakfast, for example crockery, clock, cups and a table and chairs this is to keep in line with the verisimilitude and the diegesis that it is morning (also as this scene is taking place the lyrics say ‘I role out of bed in the morning’ which further helps create the image it is breakfast time). A shot reserve shot is used to show both characters and how they are feeling, even though there is no dialogue we can clearly see there thoughts. Once again as Beyonce walks out of the door pull focus is used so as all the attention is on her and what she is doing, it is then cut and we then see a medium close up of her as she is walking out of the house. It then cuts to a long distance shot and then the camera peds down as it pans so we have a full image of her getting in the car, the car and the other male character.
Stereotypes are very much defied in the majority of this video, for example it is the male character who is making Beyonce her breakfast, Beyonce plays the role of a policewoman, we would generally associate this to be a male occupation. In the video, Beyonce and her male co-worker are using guns, Beyonce then helps her male co-worker to have a better aim. This prop being used is important as it shows a strong side to the female and that she is not weak and vulnerable like women are often stereotyped to be. During this scene, the camera focuses on Beyonce using medium close up, it then pans around so we see the male colleague, quickly followed by an extreme close up of Beyonce’s face showing her expressions and that she has no fear. Laura Mulvey (1975) argued that women are often only there to be looked at by males, this is often known as the ‘male gaze’ and is present in the video when Beyonce is undressing and is just in her bra and jeans with the male character looking at her, and then again when she arrests a citizen, a low angel shot is used to show the male is a powerful character and also what he is looking at. The lighting used is black and white, this is effective in that it creates drama and tension whilst looking simple and classy.
3:50 minutes into the video, the roles reverse and it is the male who is in fact the police officer flirting with a colleague. The stereotypical male and female roles are seen clearly as it is the female character making the male character his breakfast. Representation and costumes is very important here for example Beyonce now has her hair down whereas before it was all scrapped back, this is showing a more feminine and softer side to her. Beyonce is wearing a black suit; the suit and colour both connotate power and importance, however the white shirt connotates innocence and purity unlike the male character’s costume which is dark coloured, stereotypically the police uniform is a very masculine and very important and the police badges further enhance this. Also in this scene in comparison with the first scene, slow motion has been slightly used whereas in the first scene it hadn’t, I believe this is done so as an audience we focus more and empathise more with the female character as it is females who this is predominately targeting.
The characters tone of voice is essential in understanding how the characters feel, when it is the Beyonce who has been flirting with her co-worker, the male speaks slower, with a soft tone of voice, he uses rhetorical questions, Beyonce then responds with questions and a some what sarcastic tone. When the characters switch roles, it is the male who’s tone is arrogant, his voice is raised and he is laughing, no response from Beyonce is needed as the extreme close up shot of Beyonce’s face allows us to see her emotions. A transition of fade out is used this enables us to remember her emotions and empathise with her as the next shot begins. It is then that the audience understand how the video and the lyrics are in sync with each other and what message the song is giving through the video.