Filmed: January 11, 1999
debuted: March 3, 1999
Director: Paul Boyd
Another video I decided would be good to look at was Shaina Twain's 'Man I feel like a woman'. I chose this because it is a reversed replica of Robert Palmer's 'Addicted to love', first released in 1986, Palmer's video was shot in a day and used real female models for to play the band. Twain's video takes Robert Palmer's very objectifying theme of his video, with model women all looking the same and moving the same and turns it around, using stereotypical handsome men and having them arranged the same as the women in Palmer's. One of the female models recalls being asked to act like show room mannequin, furthering the idea of these women being manufactured objects, even in the way the models 'dance' is provocative, as they slightly ripple their body's as well as move in time with the music
Movements by the models in Twain's are slightly more dipped and larger although staying simple making the move fitting the up beat sound of Twain's song, just as the women, in Palmer's, more subdued movement fit the smooth sound of his song. The shots used by the director of Twain's video are mirrors of the shots used for Palmer's, with close ups on the face of the singer and of the bands instruments. Were it varies is Paul Boyd, the director of Twain's, chooses to have single shots of Twain alone with out the band behind, the first time he uses this shot can be seen at 0:58 to 0:59, this is to allow room for twain to move and attention to be wholly on her.
Because Paul Boyd chose to reverse the roles of males and females in this video from Palmer's original the video was always going to either be received well or it would flop. In general the video was a hit and won the 'MuchMoreMusic' video of the year award at the 'MuchMoreMusic' awards in 2000. It was also a success with ordinary people all over, comments such as "I love this video. It is the women's Robert Palmer video, 'bout darn time!" from user MySolidDreams, "The similarity to Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love video is hi-larious!! <3">
Although subtle the lighting in this video is staggered, with a lot of white light on Twain making her stand out, especially when she strips to the white shirt as it reflects the light, the light is then slightly less when its on the two band members closet to Twain and even less so on the two furthest away. This creates almost a pyramid effect, initially your eyes are drawn to Twain, then the two band members and then finally the two at the back. The lighting is consistent through out the video, however at 2:30 - 3:34 this changes slightly as Twain undresses the band members are lined up behind her and are dimly lighted, this is because at this moment they are adding nothing to the video they are simply thought of a background. That is the only point in the video where the lighting changes slightly, even at 2:56 where the man are again slightly lined up behind Twain Boyd goes back to using the lighting techniques of focusing on twain then the next two and then the next.
Boyd uses a lot of the same shots in Twain's video, close-ups, mid-shots and wide shots. There isn't a lot of variety to what he shoots in these shots, it tends to stick to the same things, most of the close-ups tends to be of either Twain's face or of an instrument and once or twice of a band member, most of the mid-shots are of the band or Twain and the wide shots are used for Twain on her own and when shes with the band. This could easily get boring as not much changes through out the video in the way of story, set and lighting but it is because of the way in which Boyd edits the the shots together that the audience doesn't get bored. The cuts are quick and clean and often to the beat, keeping the audience interested and makes the video seem fun and modern.
The video opens with a circular video transition i feel this gives the audience the impression that this video will be fun, light and entertaining. There is another of these transitions at 1:40-1:42 fitted to the sound of the electric guitar helping to flow into another shot. Unlike most videos the edits aren't necessarily on or off the beat, they are instead more focused around making the video flow. Boyd breaks the usual rules of editing, for example at 2:08-2:09 he cuts from a wide shot to a close up on Twain, this normally wouldn't work but does, due to the consistent element of Twains head staying in the same place. There is some very interesting, fun editing at 2:34-2:45, its a fun mixture of shot and scenes of her at various stages of her transformation edited to the beat, this editing style is repeated at 3:44-3:50. A part i particularly like and find fun is at 3:47-3:49 when there are three shots edited to the 'woo's, the three edits are shots of her transformation.
I feel as though this is a slight link between the lyrics and the visuals, as the song is about Twain wanting to go out and have fun, this is what she is doing in the video. Although there is not much to the video other then Twain having fun and showing herself off she does pick up on certain lyrics and emphasize them, for example at 2:00 Twain makes a hand gesture for the word 'crazy', she also tuggs on her shirt at 2:01 accompanied with the lyrics "man shirts, short skirts".
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