Claude Levi-Strauss was a French anthropologist who lived in
the early 1900's. He believed that the way we understand certain words depends
not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but much more by
our understanding of the difference between the word and its 'opposite' or, as
he called it 'binary opposites'.
Binary Opposition refers to a pair of related terms or
concepts that are opposite in meaning.
In relation to the production of music videos, binary opposition can found everywhere.
BINARY OPPOSITION IN CAMERAWORK:
 |
| EG. of a birds eye view shot |
- Low angle shot - High angle shot
- Worms eye view - Birds eye view
- Close up shot- Long shot
- Shallow focus - Deep focus
- Zoom in - Zoom out
BINARY OPPOSITION IN EDITING:
- Short take - Long take
- Slow cutting rate - Fast cutting rate
- Slow motion - Fast forward
- Fade in - Fade out
- Flashback - Flash forward
BINARY OPPOSITION IN MISE-EN-SCENE:
- High key lighting - Low key lighting
- Light - Dark
- Urban - Rural
- Fat - Thin
- Masculinity - Femininity
BINARY OPPOSITION IN SOUND:
- Low pitch - High pitch
- Slow tempo - Fast tempo
- Diegetic - Now diegetic
- Soft - Hard
- Quiet - Loud
COMMON BINARY OPPOSITION THEMES FOUND IN MUSIC PRODUCTS:
LOVE - HATE
Blank Space by Taylor Swift
This music video describes the roller coaster emotions felt when in love and after a breakup.
GEEK - JOCK/ POPULARITY - UNPOPULARITY
Last Friday Night by Katy Perry
This music video contrasts the stereotypical American Jock vs the unpopularity of a geek.
OBEDIENCE - REBELLION
So What by P!nk
This music video juxtaposes the rebellious attitude of the artist against what is normally expected.
APPLICATION TO MY PRODUCT:
The theory of binary opposition will definately have a role when it comes to replicating my chosen song, Stay High (Habits) by Tove Lo. Whether it is using lighting to contrast particular moods and atmospheres in scenes to selecting different coloured filters to add effect on the digipak or using adjacent shots to compare expressed emotions- Binary Opposition is a powerful tool.
