Katy Perry’s ‘ET’ Analysis

Looking over Katy Perry’s song ‘ET’ shows familiar links to other sources of media, film. In particular the film 'Wall-e', this is a film about a robot whose mission is to clean up earth as it became inhabitable for humans. The links that Katy Perry’s song ‘ET’ made will be discussed throughout the analysis.

The opening of the song starts with a high angled shot looking down that slowly tilts upwards. The shot shows what looks to be like a lot of rusty metal that has been abandoned but as the camera tilts upwards the audience can clearly see that it meant to be set in an urban environment. This shot references the setting for the film Wall-e, the stills below show how the mise-en-scene of the settings are very similar despite the act that one of them is from the animated film. This also shows that there is an intertextual link between the music promo and the film, the song is a homage of the film and replicating the setting but for the promo instead.

 

 

The still above is from the film 'Wall-e', and the still below is from the music promo.

 

 

You can see how the mise-en-scene of the promo is very similar to that of the film, this makes it very clear that the promo is referencing the film throughout the promo.

Also about 20-30 seconds into the film the audience can see another link to the film again. A mid shot is used to show a robot with a glowing teardrop-shape on its chest, this is meant to be a direct reference to the character ‘Eve’ in the film. The robot isn’t similar to ‘Eve’ from the film so the promo could be a pastiche that makes a comment about the robot.

The still above is from the film 'Wall-e', and the still below is from the music promo.

 

The promo also makes references to the earth. During the promo, cut a ways are used to describe what is happening to the earth but without saying it, the cut a ways show plants and animals decaying, this is making a reference to the earth and it is saying this is what happening to it. It could also be symbolism; the fox could be the earth.

 

Although there are not decaying animals in 'Wall-e' the symbolism shows the process that the earth is going through.

Lastly, during that last part of the promo the audience can see Kanye West floating around in a space pod. This is very similar to the film again because during the film Wall-e, the robot, get trapped in a space pod and is launched. This part of the promo is making a direct reference to the film, it is even suggesting that Kanye West is Wall-e the character out of the film.

The still above is from the film 'Wall-e', and the still below is from the music promo.

 

 The two stills show the similarities between the space pod mise-en-scene, they both have a futuristic look and have advanced technology in them.