Beyonce FORMATION MUSIC VIDEO ( 2016)

Contexts : Summarise the social , political and historical events and issues that are directly referenced in the video. Beyonce at the start of her music video Formation targets racism and social issues surrounding the black community (Black Lives Matter movement) for example her shot on the sinking New Orleans police car presenting her being dominant and assertive over the police, as she's black and within black communities the police discriminate and oppress them usually resulting in police brutality or death. She uses the historical references of slavery in ancient houses to highlight how the police control black pupils as they did previously and black people need to take their equality rights plus raise awareness on significant racist inequality issues. Beyonce hanging out the car with her hair hanging low shows comfortability and freedom which she uses to oppose discrimination. The title 'Formation' means an action of forming something which is the unison between ethnic minorities standing against and rebelling inequality/ injustice. The pool scene shot dance in unity portrays strength within every ethnic race that the police try to destruct and control. The child holding his hands up surrendering to the police links to the fear of brutality/ being killed due to his race. She also uses the derogatory term "negro" that was used against black people perhaps to reinforce dominance over the ethnic minorities and take back authority. New Orleans flood from hurricane katrina can be a direct reference to destruction and black races being sabotaged by the police. Beyonce uses Messy Mya's sampled sound to make her target audience have a clearer idea of her narrative and issues within society as he was a famous black LGBT figure that spoke out on race and sexuality inequality. The police lights in the video show how black people from deprived areas are targets to negative police treatment, linking to Messy Mya who was shot dead at a New Orleans Party. Martin Luther King's newspaper picture links to his movement to gain Black equality which is Beyonce's key message in this music video. He was a social activist that non-violently protested against ethnic inequality which is an inspiration for Beyonce. She references 'hot sauce' which portrays how she is southern but still black, the afro american hair is a reference to black culture and ethnic bakgrounds that is used as beauty as well as nostrils that she references from Jackson 5 as black people have bigger noses as opposed to caucasians. She purposely points these features out as they were frowned upon to convey how she admires them all. The grafiti on the wall stating "stop shotting us" evidently shows how people are expressing their troubles informally. The police holding their hands up perhaps is due to the raised awareness taking effect over them and their realisation of their wrong behaviour they commit. Beyonce makes a reference to creole as her mother is from the south meaning that she is aware of the opression and inequality that black people experienced in the south which links to the hot sauce which is popular amongst creole pupils. Star persona : How does Beyonce present herself in this video ? Personality, use of sexuality and sex appeal , perspective on social events ? Is she just a glamorous pop star dressing up or expressing something more profound ? Is she representing something beyond herself ? Representation : Find some examples from the video of the different ways social issues , ethnicity, gender and any other factors are represented in the video , focusing on social status and power as well as any use or subversion of stereotypes. Look at relevant technical codes like iconography and costume,framing, camera angles and lighting/colour. What are the messages in the video ?