Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the way in which one media text references another. Many artists and bands incorporate intertextuality into their music videos in order to make specific references to films, events, books, TV programmes, media products, people, other music videos, etc.  Artists and bands incorporate intertextuality into their music video because it will help to make the video more popular by including a reference to another popular media text this is due to the fact it creates feelings of familiarity for the audience. In a music videos, if another media text is present it can be seen as a form of promotion and advertisement for it due to the fact it will help to raise publicity for that specific media text. 

The music video for Fancy by Iggy Azalea (ft. Charlie XCX) is an example of a video that incorporates intertextuality.  The characters represented in the video for ‘Fancy’ are almost identical to the characters in the 1995 movie ‘Clueless’ due to their costumes, make up and hair. The video for ‘Fancy’ is a pastiche video; meaning it imitates the original without mocking it like a parody would.  The music video consists of shots that recreate some of the most recognisable scenes from the movie. 

Blink  182’s music video for All The Small Things is an example of a video that incorporates intertextuality in the form of a parody. In this video the band take elements of other artists and bands music videos such as locations and outfits and then mocks them by adding humour. Some of the music videos that they mock in their own video, include; Britney Spears - Sometimes, Sugar Ray - Someday, Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle and Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way.

The music video for Decode by Paramore features clips from the 2008, fantasy movie ‘Twilight’. These clips have been inserted between clips of the band performing the song in a forest. The location that the band are performing in appears to the be exact same location as the first clip feature in the music video from the movie. In addition to this the band are wearing similar costumes to the actors/actresses in the movie as well as having similar makeup to them; this makes it appear as if they were part of the movie. 

Another example of intertextuality in music videos is in video for Awkward by San Cisco. In this music video, the layout of iMessage on iPhones appear on the screen showing the lyrics that the band is singing. The video also features a variety of emojis which are all available on iPhones. This therefore shows/promotes social networking.

I have not yet decided if I want to include intertextuality in my music video. However I think that it would be a good idea to include it because it would allow the audience to feel more familiar with what they are watching and possibly feel more connected to the video.