“Happy” – Pharrell WilliamsTEXTUAL ANALYSIS 3

STUART HALL’S RECEPTION THEORY• Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory consists of the producer of the media text encoding a

meaning to the music video. Hall believes that the encoded meaning is either dominant and agreed with by the audience, negotiated where the audience understands the meaning and agrees with it to an extent whilst oppositional is completely different and is where the audience disagree with what the encoded meaning to the media text is.

• Overall, the view on the “Happy” music video was dominant as many found it catchy and even made their own versions from different countries. On the other hand, with what occurred in Iran is seen as the oppositional view as they obviously don’t agree with the intended message within the media text as what was intended was to bring joy and happiness to others and Iran did not like the song, finding it to be influential from western culture which they’re against.

DAVID GAUNTLETT’S MEDIA 2.0• Media 2.0 is about filter as content has become easier and cheaper to produce than

during the time when it was media 1.0, the distribution of products has also become open and limitless thanks to the internet and many other platforms that media can access and the attention of the consumer has reached to the point where there is the need to filter choice rather than in the past when there was the need for more choice.

• The theory of Media 2.0 links to the “Happy” music video by Pharrell Williams as the distribution of the product was simple through the use of different platforms such as MTV and YouTube being the main competitors as both showed the music video during the time it was popular. The content was simple, completely simple and filled with simple cuts from one scene to another – thus making it cheap and easy to make as it’s very simple with the many cuts and the actual footage used.

MISE-EN-SCENE• When it comes to mise-en-scene, there’s

no need for continuity in the costume, setting or the age of the people who’re in the music video as this is aimed at everyone everywhere, representing everyone in their own ways as for example, during one clip, they use a child to dance as well as Pharrell and other people of different ages and of different statuses as it would seem as they also used a working male along with a woman who appeared to be wearing something like that of the stereotypical at home wife.

SOUND• The people performing lip sync and make out they’re singing along with the song and

the lyrics as the lyrics also make a notion to their actions as when it says “clap your hands if you feel like happiness is the truth” along with people clapping their hands and smiling as smiling is hinted straight towards the idea of them being happy.

CAMERA ANGLES AND SHOTS• Using mostly mid shots, the music video

consists of multiple close ups and tracking shots, following people who are dancing towards the camera, even using a long/master shot to show the entire body of the performers, keeping the background the same throughout and trying to show it off with each shot, as if trying to show off the fact it’s not the same each time and going against the idea of continuity.

EDITING• This music video consists of

many different types of cuts, all very quick as it creates a fast pace for the song, switching between performers for each one. The editing technique of simple cuts works with this music video as it creates a sense of simplicity and could also relate to the audience in some way as it’s less flashy than all the newer music videos with the flashy effects.

• The editing creates a quick pace for the video with the use of these cuts as to match the pace of the song and create a sense of joy and happiness, as mentioned by the songs title.