riptide

Question 1

Who was riptide made by

Answer 1

vance joy

Question 2

genre and context - narrative

Answer 2

riptide music video is unusual, it rejects narrative and lacks spectacle or special effects - the video was used to encode uniqueness.

Question 3

genre and context - lyric and visual significance

Answer 3

there is a hyper illustration of the lyrics - it shows the lyrics visually in some scenes.

Question 4

genre and context - repeated sequences

Answer 4

disjuncture is constructed through repetition of image sequences - they have no obvious place in the narrative - e.g. ice lollies becoming unstuck

Question 5

genre and context - no relationships built

Answer 5

normally videos feature the artist to build a relationship between the audience and the artist. However riptide does not feature vance joy meaning no relationship is built - however the uniqueness may build this instead

Question 6

genre and context - voyerism

Answer 6

whilst riptide does not offer a voyeuristic relationship between the artist and the audience, the video repeatedly shows a woman being watched

Question 7

genre and context - intertextuality

Answer 7

riptide is inspired by the 1970’s aesthetic with direct references to the 1973 wicker man.

Question 8

genre and context - conventions. cultural and referential codes (barthes)

Answer 8

the video is produced like a short film - montage of images.
however it also uses conventions of film such as subtitles and billing block - making the video postmodern.

Question 9

genre and context - iconography. cultural and referential codes

Answer 9

riptide references to other film genres - iconography referencing 1970’s horror and western films

Question 10

surrealism - what is surrealism

Answer 10

the 20th century avant garde movement - it rejected a rational vision of life, this was often achieved through irrational juxtaposition of images.

Question 10

Economic context - budgets

Answer 10

many bands start with low budgets - then the videos arguably increase in scope and production levels as the band grows. - however riptide received 555 million views.

Question 11

representation of hands

Answer 11

Hands - hands can generate both intense pleasure and intolerable pain.

the representation of wounded and severed hands represents castration anxiety - the injured hands commonly shown are male.

Question 12

how are female hands identified

Answer 12

female hands are identified by the visual code of nail polish - belonging to victims.

Question 13

scenes with female hands

Answer 13

'’taken away to the dark side’’ - unresponsive hands being dragged away. also the ouji board scene . and the violent attack in which a female hand got stabbed. hand that gives permission to objectify girls.

Question 14

how are Male hands shown and what scenes can they be seen in

Answer 14

male hands appear more active, signifying a sense of control,

the shot of the male hand supports the idea that male hands bring pain.

the cutting of aloe vera can be seen as a metaphor for castration - bringing pain

Question 15

representation of women - visual
beach

Answer 15

the scene which the female can be seen undressing on the beach - connotes voyeurism - being sexualised for the male gaze - blonde, slim ect.

Question 16

representation of women - tree scene

Answer 16

a female is tied up on a tree and manages to escape from the ropes - man holding her captive - places her in a submissive position.

Question 17

representation of women - stab

Answer 17

womens hand being stabbed - red nails - sexualised and stereotypical - women victim of violence.

Question 18

representation of women - singing

Answer 18

woman singing - ‘’ i love you, when your singing that song and i got a lump in my throat cause your going to sing the words wrong’’ - her lips dont match with the lyrics - subtitles show the wrong word.

Question 19

Media language - camera work

Answer 19

the video uses a lot of close ups - looking at gun, lollipop ect.

there alot of whip-pans throughout the video.

the use of canted angle shots when the girl runs away - signifies a riptide how its like a vortex. - confession increases as song progresses

Question 20

Media language - song performer

Answer 20

1st shot - ‘star’ is glamourus nd performing the lipsinc.

2nd - subtitles show with spelling mistakes - makeup is smeared.

3rd - look of distress and crying

4th - now blood coming from her neck - connoting violence because she sung it wrong.

5th - blood gone but holding neck - not conventional of a music video lipsync

Question 21

intertextuality within the video

Answer 21

opening - billing block - reference to film industry.

dragging away - reference to horror films.

vhs tape - reference to film industry.

cowboy - reference to western films.

packing suitcase - reference to wes anderson.

almost becomes a short film with all the references.

Question 22

example of literal imagery

Answer 22

'’all my friends are turning green’’ - denotation his friends are turning to money and financial rewards. connotation his friends are envious of his success.

Question 23

media language - editing and intertextuality - montages

Answer 23

montage - use of disparate images invites audiences to interpretation. - eg - when there is a close up of two characters on a car then they turn their head to look at something but then it cuts to a photo of money.

Question 24

how can barthes be used to analyse

Answer 24

semiotics - riptide is polysemic meaning it has multiple meanings- codes can be used to interpret different scenes.

Question 25

steve neale

Answer 25

repetition of montage, difference is the surreal moments.

Question 26

evidence The Singing Woman (The Microphone Lady)

Answer 26

Visual Code: Her appearance transforms from high-glamour (perfect hair/makeup) to a state of distress, with smeared mascara and a bloody neck. Technical Code: A tight close-up and prolonged shot duration create an uncomfortable, voyeuristic intimacy as she panics. Audio Code: The lyrics "I got a lump in my throat" and "she’s singing the words wrong" anchor the visual of her physical distress and loss of professional control.

Question 27

evidence The "How to Photograph Girls" Scene

Answer 27

Visual Code: A prop book with a literal title is flipped through, showing clinical instructions on how to frame a woman's body. Technical Code: An extreme close-up (ECU) isolates the book, removing any human context and focusing entirely on the "instructional" nature of objectification. Audio Code: The upbeat, folk-pop melody contrasts sharply with the cold, controlling visual, making the "instruction" feel more calculated.

Question 28

evidence The Beach and Swimsuit Shots

Answer 28

Visual Code: Iconography of tanned legs, feet, and a woman unzipping a swimsuit focuses on fragmented body parts rather than a whole person. Technical Code: A slow POV zoom from behind bushes or a low-angle "spying" shot positions the camera as a stalker, creating a voyeuristic perspective. Audio Code: The lyric "closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen" links the woman specifically to a Hollywood sex symbol, reinforcing her role as a visual "prize."

Question 29

evidence The Bound/Victimised Woman

Answer 29

Visual Code: A woman is shown tied to a tree with ropes or dragged under a bed by an unseen force, using 1970s horror movie tropes. Technical Code: High-angle shots are used when she is bound to make her look small and powerless; discontinuous editing cuts her "struggle" into jagged, frantic segments. Audio Code: The lyrics "running down to the riptide" and "taken away to the dark side" provide a literal narrative for her being pulled into danger or "lost" to a predatory force.

Question 30

The "Left Hand Man" Sequence

Answer 30

Visual Code: A man’s hand is seen performing aggressive actions (pointing a gun, stabbing a hand), while women are shown as the passive "receivers" of the fear. Technical Code: Shallow focus isolates the man's actions, while the fast cutting rate between the man's weapon and the woman's reaction establishes a binary of "aggressor vs. victim." Audio Code: The recurring line "I'm gonna be your left hand man" suggests a supportive role, but the violent visuals subvert this, suggesting the "man" in her life is actually the source of the threat.

Question 31

evidence surreal "All my friends are turning green"

Answer 31

Visual Code: A pile of dollar bills (money) or a green-tinted shot of an object. Technical Code: A Medium Close-up that isolates the "green" object, stripping away context to create a visual puzzle. Audio Code: The lyric "all my friends are turning green" is used as a polysemic signifier—it could mean jealousy (envy) or "selling out" for money.

Question 32

evidence surreal The "Uncanny" Performance

Answer 32

Visual Code: A woman's lip-syncing is noticeably out of time with the music, and her expression becomes increasingly blank or vacant. Technical Code: Jump cuts and discontinuous editing break the "flow" of the performance, making it feel artificial and "wrong". Audio Code: The lyric "you're gonna sing the words wrong" acts as a meta-instruction, where the audio literally describes the "failure" happening on screen

Question 33

evidence surreal Dream Logic / Bricolage

Answer 33

Visual Code: A rapid montage of unrelated "found" images: a cactus, a microscope, a shovelful of dirt, and a swinging light. Technical Code: Intellectual Montage—placing two unrelated images together to force the audience to create a new meaning (e.g., a "scared" face followed by a dark room). Audio Code: The repetitive ukulele strumming provides a steady rhythm that contrasts with the "choppy," illogical visuals, making the video feel like a dream sequence.

Question 34

evidence surreal The "Horror" Montage

Answer 34

Visual Code: Iconography from 70s cult horror (a woman being dragged under a bed, a graveyard at night, a hand being stabbed). Technical Code: Whip pans and low-angle tracking shots create a sense of being "hunted," which is a surreal contrast to a sunny indie-pop song. Audio Code: The lyric "taken away to the dark side" provides a dark narrative anchor for these scary, disconnected visuals.