Research: Props and Ideas

Thinking Of You - Katy Perry

The Thinking Of You video is a great one to show representations through the use of props.

The establishing shot is a close up of a pair of black high heels which looks like they's be worn by a traditional woman. They are black because they resemble sadness and guilt and all of the other negative thoughts running around Katy Perry's head whilst cheating on her husband. Although at this point in the video we can not see that she is committing adultery, the negative connotations are already presented. The shoes seen as though they have been kicked off and flicked under a piece of furniture implying that she has undressed or has just made herself comfortable at home. There wouldn't be the same effect if the shoes were a different colour like yellow or green because they are much more playful colours so by making the shoes a dark dull colour it immediately sets a serious mood for the song.

This shot is another close up of Katy Perry playing with what seems to be a locket. The locket would probably contain a photo of a loved one who she is thinking of (linking to the title) and how she misses him. You can also slightly tell by the shape of her mouth in her facial expression how she might be regretful and frustrated. Her face is blemish free and she is wearing subtle makeup to reflect her innocence when she is associated with her husband.

Here, the identity of the man she is thinking of is revealed though the use of a close up of a black and white polaroid picture. This not only gives the audience an idea of the time period but also puts a 'face to the name' of the man in the song. It is perfectly revealed within the first 30 seconds of the music video in order for the audience to feel even more sympathy as they now know what he looks like.

This scene provides intertextuality between the song and the movie "The Notebook". By adding the ever famous bicycle scene it symbolises that Katy Perry felt the same as how Noah and Allie felt in this Nicholas Sparks-inspired novel. Since it is such a well known movie people will associate almost any romantic scene involving a bike used in this way with it. It shows the playful and exciting times that Katy Perry had with her husband before she cheated on him.

The video then quickly transitions into a war scene which looks as if it is going on as she is singing the song. The use of the guns and explosions in the background swiftly changes the tone of the video into being very serious as he is put in a life or death situation. In this song Katy Perry is taking advantage of his love as he risks his life on the battlefield. This provides evidence that she is some kind of villain in the music video however feels very bad about cheating. She actually really misses him (as shown by the use of flashbacks and her holding his picture).

This is a great shot to compare to with our video. This is how I expect the makeup to look at about the halfway point in the video when she is emotionally deteriorated but is still trying to look stable. Katy Perry's tear is a code to symbolise her sadness however by applying her lipstick it represents how she is trying to mask her guilt for cheating on her husband. So although she is emotional about what she is doing to him, she can't let her other lover know that she is, so she has to pretend to be strong.

How this influenced my planning and creativity:

• The use of props is very important as they stand as signs and signifiers throughout music videos.
• Props subconsciously give the audience a feel for the tone of the music video. So I could involve a few props in my music video in order to help the audience feel bad for our star.