Song Mashups

Video #2: A Fair(y) Use Tale

What is this mashup trying to communicate? Is it technical experiment, social or political commentary, a comedic parody, or an abstract work of media art?

This mashup is more of a comedic piece of work that  expresses the copyright law and how the Disney characters are frustrated with it. The video takes clips from various Disney movies to portray things that might be associated with copyright laws. 

Did its creator follow or break copyright laws in its production?

The creator, Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University, did not break the copyright rules because he respectively gave credit for all the footage of the different characters he used through out the video. He listed the title of the movie it was from, along with the production company and its release date.

Do you think that mashup like this requires copyright permission? Why or why not. 

A mashup of any kind would require copyright permission from the original owner because maybe he/she doesn't want their work to be reproduced. Copy right permission  is required to ensure that the user does not misuse or falsely claim credit for something that wasn't originally theirs. Copy right permission will also help someone avoid getting into serious trouble because getting copyright permission will allow the intended user to use and manipulate the song since they are allowed to and they aren't doing this without the owner's permission. 

Music Video Analysis

Initial reaction: 

At the beginning of the video, the cartoon artwork and simple lyrics made me assume that the song was just another song that had a rhythm and beat with rhyming lyrics but as kept watching my initial reaction was proved to be quite wrong. As the song and video progressed I began to realize how much meaning there was to the video and lyrics.
Analysis and interpretation: 

There are a few themes to this video. One theme is that one can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. That humans can do such a wide range of things, whether it be good or bad. Another theme that can be associated with this video is that the pursuit of power can ultimately corrupt a person. The music video is conveying the message that two different roads that are taken in life can result in two very different outcomes.

Consideration of cultural context: 

Jamie Laurie, the singer of Flobots, was fascinated by the idea that humans are so capable of so many things. That humans can be so creative and peaceful yet we can also be so devious and destructive. The song and video was created based on this idea.

Expression of aesthetic judgment: 

The video quite well expresses the song. The scenes that are played corresponds to the song and sends the message across clearly to the viewer. At the beginning, the video starts off light-heartedly with two friends riding their bikes with no handlebars, then they part ways. As the song and video progress, the message gets clearer and the video conveys the lyrics well. As the song gets darker, the video becomes darker as well, with scenes of death and destruction that compliment the lyrics. The video and song then end with the light-hearted scene of the two friends on their bike and leaving the viewer with an eerie feeling. The video brought the lyrics of the song to life and made things more prominent. The usage of symbolism also shows the amount of thought that went into the production of the video and I admire the song quite a lot.
Ongoing reflection: 

A friend of mine made me listen to the lyrics but I never quite understood the song unitl I watched the video. Though I am not a fan of rap music I do like this song because there is so much meaning and thought that was put into the video.