Sneha

INITIAL RESEARCH

Their research and planning seemed to be an essential part as it laid the foundations for their

music videos.

They had detailed research into their chosen genre of music which helped understand the

codes and conventions. They analysed other students work and evaluated for what went well

and what could have been better. This gave them an idea of what to focus on when they

created their own music video.

They had detailed planning – especially their storyboard. The storyboard was crucial when it

came to the production of the music video as they were able to know what they were doing.

This ensured a smooth shoot day/s. Their shot lists could have been clearer in terms of what

is included in each shot but it still seemed to have been followed.

BLOG RESEARCH

Narrative: PART OF ME - Katy Perry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuwfgXD8qV8&list=PLEFpfXTUvxos-7EHqig2fiZRyBtLq8jde&index=3

Focuses on a particular storyline that is related to the lyrics of the song.

Usually have deeper meaning.

2 types:

Linear: narrative goes from the beginning to the end in coherent chronological order.

Fragmented: narrative is jumpy and it could start from the end to the start.

In this video, Katy Perry has gone through a rough heart break but isn’t going to let that stop her from being herself .

Performance: LET HER GO – Passenger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA

This is usually where the artist is performing their song on either a stage or some sort of set.

Could be a live or studio performance.

Heavily based on camerawork as opposed to mise-en-scene.

Cheaper to make therefore have a lower budget.

In this video, Passenger are on a stage performing in front of a crowd.

Concept: STRESSED OUT – Twenty One Pilots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY

Based on a single idea or theme.

They tend to not match the action or theme and are unusual.

In this video, there isn’t a clear storyline going on and its hard to understand what is going on.

TYPES OF MUSIC VIDEOS

POP ♪ RAP/HIP HOP ♫ SOUL ♩ R&B ♬

Teen target audience Loose fitted costume

(hoodies/tracksuits), bandanas

Black and white colour grading /

darker colours

Men have a lack of costume and

woman have minimal costume

Fashionable, trendy costume Tattoos/jewellery Mix between performance and

narrative

Most are very sexual and wealth

focused

Rapid cuts – according to the beat Objectification/Male Gaze (Laura

Mulvey)

Tends to be slow paced to fit the

pace of the music

Soft R&B: soft colours, natural

lighting

Young actors Lots of jump cuts, close-ups, long

shots, high angles and low angles.

Long takes paired with close-ups

of singer to emphasise the lyrics

Narrative and performance based

Narrative/performance Shallow focus, centre of rule of

thirds

Long shots are used to show the

surroundings of the singer

Close-ups of singers to show their

emotion

Close ups Performance based More emotional shown through

extreme close ups of tears/eyes

Long shots of them dancing

usually

Voyeurism (Laura Mulvey) Themes of violence, sex, alcohol

or drugs

Mostly have frame within frame

shots.

Fast R&B: quick cuts, fast paced,

bright colours, jewellery

Heavy use of makeup (Katy

Perry/Lady Gaga)

CONVENTIONS OF DIFFERENT

GENRES

One take videos interest me because they seem so effortless however they require a lot of time and determination. If one thing goes wrong they have to start again right from the beginning. Another reason that they interest me is how even though it’s a single long take it can convey so many different things such as emotions, moods and atmospheres. Using this can benefit my video as it’s quite unique and it stands out. However, a restriction would be getting it to be smooth as we do not have access to a Steadicam. Therefore the whole video may end up being too shaky.

Drone shots interest me as they give a sense of location and they show the scale of a place. This is used in mostly fly over shots. Reveal shots are also quite attention-grabbing as they show the point of interest for the video. It can benefit my video by being used in either the intro and outro to capture the audiences attention. One restriction is that there is no access to a drone making it difficult to film these types of shots.

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

Cutting to the beat also interests me as it usually helps with the fast paced editing.

It is also visually pleasing to watch as it is satisfactory. This could benefit my video

as if we decide to have people dancing it works more effectively. One restriction

may be not having a significant amount of shots and then piecing them together so

they flow.

Visual effects are very interesting to me as they can give off a fun, different vibe.

For example in Katy Perry’s Firework music video many visual effects are used. It

can be used to reflect the character and personality of the singer and how they want

people to perceive their song. One benefit is that using visual effects can enhance

the music video. However, one restriction could be that adding these visual effects

may be difficult as I have never done something like this but through practice it

would improve my skills.

EDITING TECHNIQUES

I think what makes a good formula for a music video is having the following:

Relevant Narrative + Artist Involved + Mise-en-scene (costume and props mostly) = A GREAT MUSIC VIDEO.

These, in my opinion, are essential things that make a successful music video. The narrative helps tell a story and this, if used wisely, can convey the message behind the song lyrics that

the singer/songwriter is trying to portray. I personally prefer when the narrative is relevant to the lyrics of the song because it helps make sense of what the song is about, if its not then it

can get a bit confusing. p

Having the singer involved in the narrative can help the audience build a connection with the artist as it adds a personal touch. The audience are more likely to understand it from the artist

point of view. p

Having the right costume and props; mise-en-scene in general, is key as they are the most important parts that help get across the message. These are more effective for narrative style

music videos. The mise-en-scene is essential as it determines the representation of the people, place or object.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD MUSIC

VIDEO?