7. Low Budget Ideas

Analysing Imogen Heap - A-Ha

,

This music video shows a young girl witnessing and participating in a number of strange and dramatic events. We are first shown a black and white long shot showing a silhouette in a forest bending on their knees, in a 'werewolf' manner. This immediately creates a sinister outlook towards the rest of the video. We are then shown an extreme close up of a young girl wearing thick eyeliner which suggests a stereotypical goth or punk.This then reinforces the idea of sinister and creepy atmosphere. The girl is staring directly into the camera which could be to make the audience feel uncomfortable or she could be 

looking out for 'help'. We are then shown a high angle shot showing two feminine hands which have red nail varnish on them, firstly they are apart and then we are shown them being tied up by a knot. This creates a scary atmosphere.

Throughout the video a small amount of colour is shown as most shots are in black and white this could be to create a more dark effect. However, we are frequently shown one particular colour and that colour is red. The colour red could symbolise blood and stands out  from the black and white. 

We are shown a pair of hands with red nail varnish which have already been shown however they were previously shown tied in knots and are now shown in black and white with only the red nail varnish as colour which could suggest death. Next, we are shown an extreme close up of a pair lips in black and white however the lips are red to create a 'sexy' character.

Throughout the video we are shown a number of different ways of performing. We are shown the artist lip syncing, instruments being played and dancers. We are shown a close up of a pair of hands with nail varnish playing a piano. We are then shown a close up of someone playing a red violin and then we are shown two female characters dancing. However, the speed is increased and the dancers look very chaotic which could reinforce to the theme of disaster that is suggested throughout the video.




The fix - Just Got Paid
                                                                                           

The first shot is a long shot of pure darkness and then one by one and in match with the beat four lights come in showing five outlines of five male bodies. 
The lights create the idea that they are performing live which could suggest that the music is 'real'. We are then shown a close up of a boy with long blonde hair. 

He is staring directly into the camera which
makes the audience feel more involved and would attract female audience members. I think it is effective how they have added the MTV logo advertisement as it makes it seem like a real music video.

We are then shown a change of location and a change of costume this is very stereotypical for a pop music video, so this group has chose to follow these two certain conventions. They have changed from a dark location with bright lights to a posh smart-looking house. They have also changed from casual clothing into suits. 

                                                                               

We are frequently shown all five boys together to enforce the idea of them as band, a strong band. Additionally, we are shown the band dancing to a unison choreography which is very stereotypical for a boy pop music video.
At the end, we are shown all five members in the location that we saw from the start standing altogether and staring directly into the camera which I think is a very effective shot.

6. Conventions of a music video

Lip-syncing is a main convention of music videos due to the fact that the artists sometimes have to dance which can result in their singing changing, therefore they record the song before and then lip-sync to create that cliche, perfect sound.

                           
This is an example of lip syncing in Cher Lloyd's - Swagger Jagger music video.

Close ups of artist are frequently used in music videos in order to show the facial expressions of the artists.

Long shots are also used in order to emphasise the artists body language. Additionally, long shots are used to show choreography.

Location change is regularly used within music videos to change the atmosphere, mood or to make the visual outlook more exciting.

 





Montage editing is editing which cuts to the beat and is stereotypically used for music videos to create a more sleek result. 

                              
This is an example of montage editing in Ellie Gouldings - Starry-eyed music video. 

Costume change is regularly used within music videos to show a change of mood or change in location. 

Aswell as the artist performing (singing, dancing or playing instruments) narratives are frequently used within music videos in order to make the lyrics or meaning the song more easy to understand. The narrative also makes the video more exciting. 

                             
Many artists make eye contact with the camera in order to connect to their target audience and their fans. 

5. Analysis of rock music video 2

4. Analysis of rock music video

I chose this music video as I think it is stereotypical of rock music videos. It is the music video the Bon Jovi 'Its my life' and shows a young teenage boy trying to make it in time for a concert which is ironically Bon Jovi's concert.

This first clip shows the young boy in his room watching the live stream of the Bon Jovi concert. His room is a very stereotypical rock room which immediately reflects his personality and his interests. Apart from the sunlight from his window his room is very dark, we can also see rock posters up on his wall. He then receives a phone call from a teenage girl. The shot then changes from a midshot of the boy to a midshot of both the boy and the girl whilst on the phone to one another. This clip is the narrative part of the music video. A narrative is more stereotypical for a pop music video however is frequently used for rock music videos aswell.

The next clip firstly shows someone playing the keyboard, then shows someone playing the guitar, then someone making a backing sound into the microphone and we are then revealed the artist lip syncing. The use of the shots of the different instruments indicates that the artist has a band performing with him which is very stereotypical of a rock artist and music video. We now begin the cross cutting between the artist performing and the teenage boy making his way to the concert.

The next shot shows the boy being very ruthless and jumping off a flight of stairs and onto the ground. This scene reinforces the idea of the song as the song is about doing what you want as your not 'gonna live forever'. We are also shown another performer lip syncing whilst playing a guitar this could be to help with the different harmonies within the song and could reinforce the idea of a 'rock band' rather than just the artist. We are then shown Bon Jovi lip syncing he then turns around and faces the camera and in the background we can see the audience that he is singing to singing along with him. The idea of a live performance is very stereotypical for a rock music video. It suggests that rock music is 'natural' and 'real'.

                                     

 These three shots are taken from the clip and they are quick, sharp shots of the boy jumping and then landing on the floor. These shots have been edited to have short duration cuts so it links with the music which has three quick, sharp beats played at this exact same time. I think this is very effective and shows how the narrative and the concert link.



This clip shows the teenage boy jumping onto back of a lorry, this is quite a dangerous thing to do which indicates how badly he wants to get to that concert. He then falls into a woman who is walking a large number of dogs, the dogs then chase him which creates a humorous side to the narrative. This clip is continuously cross cutting between the boy trying to get to the concert and the artist performing at the concert. 

This clip shows the performers and the audience and the location. We can see that the location is in a tunnel, the tunnel is dark and dirty which is a very stereotypical location for a rock music video due to the fact that rock artists indicate that they only care about the music rather than the location or costume. This clip reveals a clearer outlook of the costumes of the artists, we can see that they are all wearing dark leather clothing which is very stereotypical of a rock artist. We are shown the audience again and we can see them jumping a singing along to the song which creates an excited atmosphere for both the audience and the artist. 

This clip shows the teenage girl at the concert looking for the boy, she seems upset and worried that he's not there which could suggest they are in a relationship which creates the theme of love which is actually quite stereotypical for rock however love is shown more subtly compared to a pop music video. It then cross cuts to the boy running down a road amongst cars which reinforces the idea that he really wants to get to the concert. 

This clip is showing the instrumental of the song where the instruments are being played and one of the performers is making an instrument-like sound into the microphone. This clip creates a very stereotypical rock vibe due to the fact that the instruments are a main factor of rock music. 

This final clip shows the boy jumping onto a lorry and then rolling underneath it. This is the most extravagant and dangerous thing he's done throughout the video which suggests that he is getting closer to the concert location. Just after he jumps it freezes as he is in the air which creates tension and makes the audience question whether he is going to make it. This reinforces the idea of that edgy and dangerous factor that rock has on someone. We then see him running over cars as it cross cuts between him and the concert. He then finally makes it. 

3. Analysis of pop video 2

I have chosen to analyse One Directions music video of 'What makes you beautiful' as it is extremely stereotypical and follows many conventions of a typical music video. The video shows all five male band members at a beach and then three girls join them whilst they participate in fun and group activities. The song is about trying to persuade a girl who thinks she isn't beautiful that the little things she does makes her beautiful.

One of the first shots we see shows all five male band members wearing casual clothing and on a beach. We now know that the beach is the main location. I think that they have used a beach because it is a stereotypical place for teenagers to 'hang out with friends' so this will help the audience relate. This shot is a long shot and shows all the boys walking next to the sea whilst lip syncing, lip syncing is a very stereotypical convention of a music video and is done very well throughout this video.





 

Close ups are used throughout the video of the band members staring directly into the camera. This is to make the audience think that they are staring directly at them, this technique would be used specifically for female audience members. Each close up shows the beach location in the background out of focus, and the band member in focus. Close ups are mainly used for solo's throughout the song to make the focus and attention onto that specific band member.

We are then shown shots of the mini bus that the boys are travelling in. These shots are used for the narrative of the song. The narrative of the song is the idea that the boys have come to the beach to meet some girls. So, when these shots of the mini bus are shown no member is lip syncing but the song is still being played in the background. The use of a narrative is very stereotypical for a pop music video as it makes the video more interesting and more watchable. I think it is effective how we are shown shots from both outside and inside the bus and it creates two very different perspectives.

We are then shown a shot of a red convertible with three girls and we instantly realise they are the three girls that the boys are meeting. This long shot shows that the wind is in the girls hair which makes the shot much more effective as it creates that idea of 'natural beauty'. We are then shown a mid shot of one of the girls and the song plays 'The way that you flick your hair gets me overwhelmed' the girl spins and flicks her hair. This is very stereotypical of a pop music video to link what is shown to the lyrics. 

An effect used frequently throughout the video is cross fade. The cross fade is used mainly to show two different locations. But has also been used to show people. The first cross fade shows a very subtle section of girls hair and then cross fades into a low angle shot of both the boys and the girls clapping. The other cross fade shows three different locations: the inside of the boys bus which then cross fades into the high angled long shot of the girls red convertible which then cross fades into an extreme long high angled shot showing the beach and the hills behind it. A cross fade not very stereotypical of a pop music video as sharp cuts are usually used instead. 

These three shots show the band lip syncing altogether as a group and they also show three subtle location changes. The use of a location change is very stereotypical of a pop music video. The last shot shows all band members walking along the beach and towards the camera however, there has been a subtle costume change. The boys are now wearing jumpers which suggests that it is evening which indicates that they have been at the beach all day. A costume change is very stereotypical of a pop music video, however it is usually much more obvious.

This shot shows a mid shot of Harry singing to one of the girls. Harry is lip syncing his solo which makes the moment very overwhelming. We can see that they are still on the location of the beach however it is now sunset as we can see through the girls hair, the use of the sunset makes the shot much more romantic. The use of the theme of love is very stereotypical of a pop music video, especially a teenage boy band as most female audience members 'wish it was them'.

One of the final shots show all five members in a long shot facing the camera. They are still on the beach however the sun has almost set which has resulted in the members looking like silhouettes which I think is very effective.

1. Brief