Analysing Music Videos

For our music video task we have decided to focus on experimental texts which we can take inspiration from to create our own. We have decided to focus on experimental videos as this gives us more space and ares to cover in film which will allow us to create a video which is unique and exiting. This video, P.S.Y.C.H have us inspiration through the confusing narrative that it includes. The video starts of with text and stabilising shots giving the video contextual information, e.g its set in 1942 and is about a solider. The establishing shots give the viewer a greater understanding of the area and this is something we would like to include in our video. The videos audio sound then has words which repeat 'i want it all' This links to the narrative as the solider was stranded at the place where they are filming and wanted to be freed. The use of colour connotation of white red and blue also can notes the United Kingdom flag which relates back to the story line of the text being based around  a British Solider. The video also includes multiple close up shots which gives the video variety and cuts in when the music changes, this has given us ideas to link some shot changes when our audio changes to create an organised feel. This music video uses a person to demonstrate some feeling within the text. This has driven us to decide we won't be using a subject within out film as we want to keep it as experimental as possible and use nature and things around us to create it.

Feedback From Our Client

Carol Vernallis Research

Carol Vernallis is a theorist whom is known for her thoughts on music video editing. Her theory is based around four concepts, based around how music videos are manufactured....

• Narrative
• Editing
• Camera Movement
• Deigesis

Narrative is how the video is a visual response to the narrative. Meaning the things happening on screen are representative of the choice of lyrics being sung at that moment in the music. Although, the narrative may not always be completed every time and the music video can be left open to an audience's own interpretation. Music videos always have a type of subject driving it forward, but it doesn't always have to be the narrative, it could always be the music or elements such as the editing. 

Editing, is a "dear convention of music editing" according to Vernallis. Although it can disrupt or even break the conventions of continuity editing. The editing can also be made obvious and brought to the foreground, opposed to the invisible style of continuity editing.

For Example you may see...

• Jump Cuts
• Breaks of the 30 degree rule
• Extreme changes in pace
• Juxtaposed frames
• Graphic matchs

In terms of camera movement, Vernallis stated that establishing shots are a key camera feature of music videos as well as switching to close up shots and switching up the extremes. The camera will also move in time to the music in order for it to flow better and look more professional.

Extreme shots are known as master shots and are extremely common.

The diegesis is the world of the music video, Vernallis explains that it is not always completed or is revealed slowly. It may sometimes also be disrupted in some way, according to her this also means that there may be a lot of repeated shots and certain frames can seem more distinguished and important than others, which is because the way that they may have been shot/framed in post production.

Andrew Goodwin Research

Andrew Goodwin, a member of the Editorial Board of Popular Music and Society for almost 20 years, passed away on 10 September 2013. Andrew was a professor of media studies at the University of San Francisco for 20 years. He received his PhD in cultural studies from the University of Birmingham, England. A Corresponding Editor for Media, Culture & Society, he wrote music and book reviews and other articles for Tricycle and Inquiring Mind. He wrote songs, played guitar and drums, deejayed for KUSF, and played in bands. His blog, “Professor of Pop,” combined his enthusiasms for music, theory, and teaching.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03007766.2014.883131

Andrew Goodwin was a director of music and a media theorist. Upon spending his years analysing and developing upon music videos and their production, he published a book entitled Dancing In The Distraction Factory. This book told the audience all of the theories he believes reside inside music videos. He came up with some codes and conventions that he states are most typically found in every music video that has been uploaded.

Genre Characteristics

Music videos more often than not, include a demonstration of typical genre characteristics. And certain genres will have specific codes and conventions. For example if you were to watch a music video of a live performance, nine times out of ten its a rock or metal video, this is so the audience get an idea of the amount of energy they put into their music and just by watching the music video they see a demonstration (e.g All My Life by Foo Fighters)

Also film genres can link into this as they can have a huge impact on producing music videos, for example a lot of rock videos get inspiration from horror movies and the horror genre. 

He stated five key setups for a music video that help to analyse it

-Stadium Performance

-Studio Performance

-Location

-Narrative

-Conceptual/ Experimental

The stadium performances, as mentioned, are mainly used for rock music to highlight the enthusiasm and (with the use of close ups) the physical endurance. But studio sessions are more stripped back, usually used for sad and meaningful songs that will show the artist in a more vulnerable state. 

Voyeurism

There are frequent references to the notion of looking and the voyeuristic treatment of both genders in a sexual manual in order to sell records. This can also include the use of props, for example items such as TV screens, telescopes, binoculars or mirrors.

Record Label Demands

Record labels often have certain high demands, that can include things such as close ups of the artist or require a certain theme or style that recurs across their work. (For example The 1975 with their black and white era that portrayed them as sad indie musicians in order to bring in the teenage crowd that have a disposable income)

Intertextual References

This point is the use of other texts (such as films, TV shows, other music videos) within a music video. (e.g The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars and their video inspired by The Shining) This can bring in an audience that are fans of the interxtual reference but also gives more depth to the production and shows there has been more thought behind it 

Promotional video evaluation

Evaluation

Overall I feel that each task for this unit was conducted well and achieved successfully as a result of careful planning and active engagement. I feel that initial research into my client’s brand and type of business was vital as it allowed me to develop some ideas in terms of what I wanted to create visually and conceptually. I looked into her work by visiting her official Facebook page and salon website; this helped by giving me some grounds to go by in terms of her aesthetic and visual style, so that I could incorporate it into my work.

Doing this allowed me to develop an idea of what type of color scheme and background music I wanted to use. I researched multiple promotional videos on YouTube, which gave me inspiration to work from. By doing this, I was able to find corresponding music to use within my promotional video, whilst avoiding the risk of using any copyright audio material.

By conducting research prior to starting the project, I was able to have a rough idea of how long I wanted the video to be and what I wanted it to look like. This made the editing process easier. I was able to cut the video into various short shots to include almost everything within the beauty salon to make sure I was promoting all the things the client wanted to be included within the video.

I made sure to get as involved as possible within my clients work. I attended the salon when there were clients in there having treatments so I could capture the craftsmanship as well as the glamour that surrounds and makes up the salon.

Ideally I would’ve liked to interview my client so I could introduce the owner into the video to make the video more personal. I would’ve like to have added more videos of different treatments as I feel like more shots of the work environment and the results from the treatments would’ve added authenticity to the overall product and added more balance between the hands on work and the products on show within the salon.

We chose to add a range of shot types within our video such as panning shots, Close-ups. I feel this made the video have arrange of video techniques and made the product more interesting to watch. We chose to film the interior and exterior of the salon to show the audience all the benefits of the salon and show off all its glamorous aspects.

Promotional Video

Label Bins

Labelling bins in Premier Pro to help organise our editing process.

Health & Safety

We have to be careful when filming for our video because me and my partner will be going out in the industry, to film a local beauty business in Nuneaton. Because of this we will have to consider health and safety to ensure we're cautious with all our equipment to make sure we do not damage it, but also out of reach from clients and staff on duty for that day. 

We will be taking a tripod to the business which means when setting it up and having it positioned around the salon, we will have to be very careful that nobody trips over the legs and hurt themselves. Subsequently, we will also have to ensure that the tripod doesn't get knocked which could then effect the camera or quality of the recordings. To make sure this doesn't happen, me or my partner will be monitoring the equipment at all times and making sure it isn't obstructing peoples access around the salon. 

Making sure the equipment is safely positioned around the salon is very important, as we also don't want to damage any of the furniture or treatments which will be located on the shelves around us. 

We will need to make sure the camera also doesn't come into contact with any liquids whilst we're there. Although it's important to capture an array of different treatments into the video, we also need to consider the equipment around us, for example, the camera which we will have with us at all times. 

Release Forms