analysis

1. ‘YA MAMA’
FATBOY SLIM
Lily Harrison &TabithaWright

2. Who is Fatboy Slim?
■ Fatboy Slim is the stage name for Norman Quentin Cook.
■ He is an English DJ, musician, multi-instrumentalist and record
producer/mixer.
■ He grew up in Surrey and began to DJ when he moved to Brighton to study for
a degree.
■ In the past he has won ten MTVVideo Music Awards and two Brit Awards.
■ https://youtu.be/k-I8XymMkwo -A compilation of his ‘best hits.’

3. Ya Mama
■ The lyrics ‘Push the tempo-po, Praise the tempo’ are repeated many times
throughout the video, reflecting his classic ‘big beat’ style.
■ Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and
synthesizer-generated loops and patterns - common to acid house/techno.
■ Other DJ’s that feature this genre are-The Prodigy,The Chemical Brothers,
Fatboy Slim,The Crystal Method, Propellerheads, Cut La Roc, Basement Jaxx
and Groove Armada.
■ The video’s release date was July 16, 2001.
■ Link to video- https://youtu.be/JEq10L7u3SM

4. Social, cultural and historical contexts.
■ "Ya Mama" is a song by British big beat musician Fatboy Slim, released
as a double A-side single in September 2001.
■ The song is written by Fatboy Slim
■ The song is on his 2000 album Halfway Between the Gutter and the
Stars. "Ya Mama" is also on the Charlie's Angels soundtrack and film and
in a trailer for Spy Kids.
■ The single peaked at No. 30 on the UK singles chart.
■ Fatboy Slim was originally known as ’DJ Ox,’ and decided to change it to
‘Fatboy Slim’ after he developed ‘a desire by him to name himself after
a major contradiction in the aspects of the world.’

5. Video Location
■ Although Fatboy Slim is a British DJ, he filmed the video in It was filmed
in Carriacou in the Grenadines, where a complete town market was built
and destroyed
■ This makes the actions in the music video more out of the ordinary
because it is in an undeveloped area where you wouldn't’t expect
mainstream music.

6. Carriacou
■ Carriacou is an island of the Grenadine Islands
located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea,
northeast of Grenada and the north coast of
South America.
■ Carriacou is the largest island in the Grenada
Grenadines. It is also the largest island in the
Grenadine Islands
■ Carriacou is renowned for its coral reefs-
Carriacou is known as the "Isle of Reefs", and
features some of the most unspoiled coral reefs in
the region. Most diving takes place on the calmer
Caribbean side of the island, where 33 dive sites
suitable for all levels of divers can be found.

7. Music video
■ The music video was produced by Traktor
■ The song's music video is centred on a tape of the song which makes its
listeners unwillingly enter into chaotic uncontrolled arm movements,
trembling, dancing, to their own amazement as well as the other
persons'.
■ Tom and Jerry shorts Baby Puss and Jerry and Jumbo can be heard in the
background in-between breaks in the song
■ A link to the making of the video is here- https://youtu.be/inXJhF3aaxI

8. Traktor
■ Traktor is a group of film makers who first appeared in Scandanavia during the 1990’s.
■ They are a filmmaking collective working exclusively under the nameTraktor.They take shared
credit for all their activities, which include writing, directing and producing.
■ In terms of commercials they are best known for Miller Lite, Diesel Jeans,Volvo, Levis, Fox
sports, MTV, Adidas, Mountain Dew, GE, Axe, Nike,VirginAtlantic, Booking.com, and
Heineken. Equally heralded for their music videos,
■ Traktor have created work for artists including Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx,The Prodigy,
Flaming Lips and Madonna.
■ AsTraktor is a collective of film makers, ‘Some projects are directed in pairs with one director
taking the overall lead. Creatively, though, there is always discussion and support between the
members throughout the process. But when it comes to the shoot, regardless of the
collaboration, there is only ever one voice.’
■ CurrentlyTraktor works out ofVenice California.

9. The Single
■ The song contains various samples;
■ the guitar riffs are sampled from "The Kettle" by Colosseum.
■ The "Push the tempo" vocals are taken "Let the Rhythm Pump" by Doug
Lazy.
■ The "Shake what ya mama gave ya" vocals are sampled from "Shake
Whatcha Mama GaveYa" by Stik E &The Hoodz.
■ Most of the track was taken from Block Rockin' Beats byThe Chemical
Brothers.

10. Narrative structure and Goodwin’sVideo
Theory
■ ‘There is a relationship between music and visuals.’
Amplifying- Cuts between shots exaggerate the videos narrative. It is a narrative
based video, as it tells a story.The concept is that as soon as people listen to Fatboy
Slim’s track, they then start to loose control of their feelings.They dance
dramatically and the shots are sped up in order to add to this out of control effect.
■ ‘There is a motif that the artist develops across their work.’
Fatboy Slim includes in most of his videos everyday people dancing crazily/
abnormally to his music. In his other video ‘weapon of choice’ a man in a suit starts
dancing to his music, despite sitting in a posh looking hotel.This is similar to when
the people in the ‘Ya Mama’ video would dance once they hear the music.

11. Intertextuality
■ The Chemical Brother’s did a music video known as “Do it Again.’This uses the same
concept asYa Mama, where once music is played the people in the video start dancing.
■ Do it Again video link here- https://youtu.be/UVrwzjtBHq0 skip to 1.07
■ The repeated phrase ‘push the tempo’ was actually taken from the song "Let the Rhythm
Pump" by Doug Lazy.
■ Video link to ‘Let the Rhythm Pump’ is here - https://youtu.be/GVIa62k3VNY
■ (For other samples taken see slide 9)
■ Samples fromTom and Jerry were also used in the music video.Tom and Jerry shorts ‘Baby
Puss’ and ‘Jerry and Jumbo’ can be heard in the background in between breaks in the song.
■ Tom and Jerry is a ‘slapstick comedy.’ Perhaps it was used in the video because it relates to
the actions of the characters. Slapstick is a style of humour involving exaggerated physical
activity which exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy- this is familiar to the
dancing that the cowboys and town people do in the video and maybe that is why the clips
ofTom and Jerry were used.

12. Frame by frame analysis

13. Still Language/Technique Representation/ Narrative/Theory
Tom and Jerry- Intertextual links
OldTV, clutter all around.
Links to Goodwin’s theory of music videos-
intertextuality and ‘screens within screens’.
Cartoon characters, informal, childish-creates
childish representation of characters, fast
paced, visual links with the music- fast paced
movement like the fast tempo music.Tom
and Jerry is a slapstick comedy, not serious
like the music video- it is humourous. Clutter
represents characters as inactive and
sluggish.
Mid Shot- of Characters, parcel is being
delivered to man.
Builds the narrative story- a parcel is
delivered with a CD in- this is theYa Mama
song and causes the characters to be
disrupted, causing a disequilibrium (narrative
theory)
Long shot- displays setting and area- poor,
shack style house.
• Represents characters as poor, lower class
individuals. Also in an undeveloped area
which conveys poverty. Conventional of
the Carriacou Island, an island of the
Grenadines.

14. Still Language/Technique Representation/ Narrative
Fast paced music mirrors the
movement of the video. Cramped
space, chucks rubbish on floor.
His actions display his care free
character.The music and editing
linking together is representative of
Goodwin’s theory of links between
visuals and music.There is an
equilibrium, he has relaxed painting-
Todorov’s theory.
Mid, upper body shot displays delivery
man giving parcel, facial expression
very happy, cheap looking clothing.
Happy facial expression foreshadows
later events- in the parcel is the tape
that makes every one become
uncontrollable.
Clothing displays the poor area.
Mid shot- displaying back of man’s
jacket- display peace symbol. His hair
is grown out very long.This is the
moment he puts the tape in the stereo
so everyone can here.
Peace symbol reflects man’s
personality- hippie, stereotypically
known to use drugs. Hair and beard
grown out very long represents him as
lazy and not taking care of him self,
narrative is built along further as
others can here music and makes them
become uncontrollable.

15. Still Language/Technique Representation/ Narrative
Visual link between the lyrics and
the visuals in the video, is being
displayed on a sign where the main
character is selling the tape he has
been listening to the makes him
move uncontrollable.
‘Push the tempo’ is the main lyric of
the song which is visually
represented here, this links to
Goodwin’s music video theory.
Selling the tapes foreshadows the
scenes to happen next.
Point of view camera angle- view
from fence. Main character’s friends
are leaving him.
We see from the main character’s
perspective, with the use of POV
shot.
View of character behind prison
bars. Upper body shot. Looking at
officer going insane.
Stereotypical representation of
prison, character looks helpless-
looking through bars in orange
outfit- relates to slapstick comedy.

16. Still Language/Technique Representation/ Narrative
Poster of sexualised woman in
background. Upper body shot displaying
facial expression- appears confused.
Sexualised women links to Goodwin’s
theory. Clothing represents him as poor,
dirty and lazy.
Mid shot displaying character sitting on
old, ruined sofa watchingTV knocking
everything off the table.
This is when all the characters start to
become uncontrollable. The Location
looks dirty and messy which represents
the character negatively and also as lazy
as he is just watching television.
Other character breaks through the wall.
Music speeds up faster which is mirrored
through the fast paced editing.
Wall being broken displays the poverty
of the characters because how is not
strong. Furthermore creates the video to
be more slapstick because these events
would not happen in reality. Mirroring of
editing with music supportsGoodwin’s

17. Still Language/Technique Representation/ Narrative
Over shoulder shot- camera angle of
head police officer talking to main
character who is about to be put in
prison.
Over shoulder shot puts you into
perspective like you are one of the
other police officers- takes you into
the scene.
Close up of main character in prison
zooms in closer to revealing his eyes
changing colour.
Mise-en-scene-Wears Orange,
prisoner outfit an angry facial
expression.
Orange suit- stereotypical prison
outfit. Close up of facial expression
displays his anger. His eyes changing
colour could display his insanity
based upon listening to the music.
Estabilishing shot- scene zooms out
to photograph, links back to
beginning of video when photograph
didn’t have him in.
Displays he has now found his peace
by listening to music- he is in his
happy place: builds his ‘hippie’
representation.