Textual Analysis (Shot by shot)

The Buggles – Video Killed the Radio Star

Context Video Killed the Radio Star is a synthpop/New Wave song by British group, The Buggles. It was released in September 1979 and was the first music video to be played on MTV in America in 1981. The music video was directed by Australian director Russell Mulcahy, who later went on to direct videos for artists such as Duran Duran and Elton John.

Video Killed the Radio Star is a music video from the pop genre.

The video begins with a close up transparent image of the lead singer, Trevor Horn and bright lights. He has on white thick rimmed sunglasses. He begins to mime to the song whilst facing directly at the camera. The image becomes non-transparent, the lights disappearing.

The image cuts to a mid shot of two female singers, one with brown hair, wearing a white tunic with a pink belt, and the other who is taller with blonde hair, wearing a strapless pink dress, a red scarf and a red hairpiece.

The video cuts again to a long shot man playing the piano. He has the same style glasses as the lead singer and is wearing a silver shiny suit with a white shirt. There is another piano behind him and an audience to his left

There is then another cut to the lead singer. The camera pulls back, revealing him to be wearing a silver shiny suit with a black shirt. He is standing next to the two female singers with the piano player in front of him.

The camera cuts to the two female singers and then back to a side on view of the lead singer. There is then a long shot of the band and the camera begins to zoom in on the lead singer.

It then cuts to a mid shot of the two female singers, who move their arms in time to the song. After a close up of the lead singer, there is another mid shot of the two female singers. The one in the white tunic stands and sings, while the other moves her arms to touch her head seductively.

Following this, there is a long shot of the lead singer and the two female singers. The lead singer is facing the camera and the women are facing one another as they sing. The camera then zooms in on the man then cuts to the female singers.

The image once again goes transparent, with the lights from the start coming into video again. There is a close up of the piano player’s hands and the video becomes non-transparent.

The camera cuts to an extreme long shot of the band and then zooms in quickly on the lead singer who looks straight ahead of the camera, then looks directly at it. The camera then zooms in on the female singers. The woman in the white tunic sings whilst the other sways her hips and files her nails.

The video then cuts to a long shot of the band. The piano player, who is closest to the camera, is standing between to pianos, playing both with each hand.

The camera then begins to zoom in on the lead singer. There is then an extreme long shot from above. The word “Disco” in purple writing is seen above the band.

Final Analysis After analysing the Video Kills the Radio Star video, I have concluded

that it is a performance video as there is no narrative and storyline.

There are various camera angles and shots used in order to show the

audience the members of the band. As there is no narrative to this video, it means that Propp’s character

theory and Todorov’s narrative theory do not apply.