There are three different categories of music video. These are narrative, Performance, and conceptual.
Narrative – these tend to follow a storyline that relate to the words of the song, narratives are used in all genres of music and tend to be used more in love songs.
Performance - These are music videos that feature the artist/band/group performing the song through most of the video. These videos often incorporate a lot of close up shots of the artist and their instruments, shown in videos like The Killers – Romeo and Juliet.This also tends to be used more in band and group music videos.
Conceptual – this is seen alot more in modern music videos, it doesn’t really have any relationship to the music or the lyrics and is usually completely random, as seen in Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now.
In some music different categories are often incorporated into one video.
The music video that I have decided to analyse is 3OH!3 – My First Kiss, this is because I feel there are a lot of similarities between 3OH!3’s music video and our music video. There is an intertextual reference from 3OH!3’s music video that we have in our music video, this is the close up of the lips with different coloured backgrounds that continuously change.Other similarities include that both songs are in the same genre and have a pop/punk feel to them, both music videos do not have a strong narrative, and both music videos have a fun and artistic feel to them.
There are a lot of connections between Andrew Goodwin’s analysis and 3OH!3’s music video. The first is that there is voyeuristic treatment of the female body and a definite notion of looking at females throughout the song. The close up of the lips during the chorus of the song, the provocative clothing the females wear, and the roles that they play all show the voyeuristic treatment of the female body. Especially the medium shot that zooms into the women’s short gold skirt shows the notion of looking along with the actions of her caressing the singer’s face supports Andrew Goodwin’s analysis.
Another way 3OH!3’s music video supports Andrew Goodwin’s analysis is the demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs, which recur across their work. There are a lot of close ups of the two singers throughout the song , and this leads to the artists developing a motif which recurs across several other of their music videos (Don’t Trust Me, StarStrukk). Their motif is one that is fun, and not serious. You often find them pulling weird facial expressions, and dancing without any choreography. They have developed motifs because of the demands of the record label which supports Andrew Goodwin’s analysis.
3OH!3’s music video sticks to the common genre characteristics of pop/punk. There are a lot of close ups of the artists, panning around them like they are in the ‘limelight’, and they are involved in the narrative of the song. This is what usually happens in Pop music videos as they artists develop a recurring motif. The music video is cheesy and fun which is normally associated with Pop/Punk music video, this is shown by the connection between the lyrics and the visuals (when the featured singer Kesha sings ‘My First Kiss’ she kisses her lips). This is a theory that is included in Andrew Goodwin’s analysis.
3OH!3’s music video is quite artistic and I think that bears a resemblance to our own music video, this why I have chosen to analyse it. There is not an overwhelming variety of camera shots, but a lot of cuts which keeps up with the pace of the song. This what we will have to implement in our music video so the music has a connection with the visuals. I really like the changing colours of the background and the changing colours of the objects along with the wipes across the screen using people and the 3O3!H’s emblem keeps the music video fresh throughout. It does offer some repetitiveness but ultimately it keeps the view entertained throughout which the uses and gratifications theory says that a media text should do.
We sent an email to XL Recordings to seek permission to use the Vampire Weekend song A Punk but we did not receive a reply so we went ahead and used the song anyway. Had they said no we wouldn't have used it but we saw their silence as a yes.
The song I chose to analyse is a track called Evening/Morning by Bombay Bicycle Club from the album ‘I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose’. I chose to analyse this song as they are a band within the indie genre we were looking to create our music video in. This was their debut single.
As soon as the video starts the audience is greeted with the sound of a mixture of instruments often used within the genre. These kind of instruments let the audience know the kind of song they will be listening to right away. Along with the initial music, before the vocals start, in the video there is a person in a panda suit randomly sitting on a bench. This highlights the fun and random conventions of many indie music videos. The guy takes off his panda head and looks around in which there is a stand off between him and two other men. During this time there is a shot reverse shot which shows the emotions on everyone’s faces. The way that these are presented gives it quite a silly vibe, which is then reinforced as they run down the street chasing the panda, proceeding with strange facial expressions.
Up to 1:10 there has only been the two men chasing the panda through a housing estate. The audience then sees a wheel of a child’s bike that is then seen asking for payment for her bike. This is a very strange and childish thing which is often seen in indie videos but in different ways. The panda then rides the bike to what looks like a shed where a band is playing. He gets out the costume and starts playing the guitar. This small performance part is another convention of many music videos. The band are all in vibrant colour clothing which changes quickly between the bassist, guitarist and drummer which gives it an upbeat feel.
Soon after the lead singer is back on the run, this time he is in a yellow vest, sweatband and shorts where the two people chasing him are all in white. After this there are random cuts of the panda and the two men back in their shirt and ties, with the panda seen to be playing games with them. It ends up that the girl who sold the bicycle has the head of the panda costume, spinning around. As the music starts to quieten, the camera zooms out from the lead singer with his hands over his eyes and shows everyone in the music video doing star jumps and dancing weirdly until the end.
This music video was made up of many random and odd things that you do not typically see in music videos. This reaps the benefits as it does seem completely random from the song lyrics. But it works very well as it is within the indie genre. The video overall is visual interesting and quite amusing.
How are music videos made? Like most media productions, many music videos require an extensive team to make them work. This can be from the director to lighting technicians, everyone is needed. There are many different ways to actually make the video. Performance based videos often have the song playing from a speaker and the band singing / playing their instruments over the music so the lip sync can be dubbed correctly. Some effects make band performance look even better such as playing at double speed and then slowing it down. This requires the band members to learn the song and how to play it twice as fast. The result of this effect looks really good, as seen in videos such as The Script – For the First Time. Narrative videos need the story to be constructed with many shots. This often means a lot of locations have to be visited and shot at. Much more footage is shot than is needed and filming often takes a very long time to get right. Narrative videos often take longer due to getting two lots of film as there is normally performance within the video as well. After getting all of the footage, it then needs to be edited. This process can take a long time to perfect, but it is extremely needed. The lip syncing needs to be perfect to fit the song or it looks extremely odd for the viewer. After effects can then be added on such as onscreen graphics, transitions and reducing/increasing speed of clips.
Who are the main companies in music videos? In the music industry there are many companies who produce records, some of the biggest are Universal Motown Republic Records (UMRP) and Warner Records. Although being some of the biggest music production compaines in the world they often hire directors like Nick Bartleet (who has worked with bands like Pendulum) and Spike Jonze to direct their music videos. Where can you find music videos? Across many media platforms you can now find music videos, and the introduction of new technology has made this even easier. On television there are many music channels dedicated to playing music videos all day, everyday. The most popular examples of these channels are Kerrang for the rock genre and similar, 4music for the pop genre and mainstream, Channel U for urban and hip-hop music and MTV for a bit of everything. These are a few TV channels that operate in the UK but there are many channels dedicated to music videos in other countries such as Fly Music in Spain and Channel O in South Africa. Nearly all music videos can now be found on the internet. Sites such as YouTube allow users and companies to upload their own content. This is a powerful tool for distribution as it is a way of getting a music video to be accessed by many people very fast. Along with this, sites such as MTV, Kerrang and NME still show music videos on their sites. Through phones, iPads and other technology that can access the internet, music videos can now be watched with ease.
What are the purposes of music videos? Music videos are primarily used to market and promote the sale of a single for the artist and company to profit further. By making a music video the company ensures that the song can be played on many TV channels and be watched on the internet rather than just listening to the actual song. This means that the song is played a lot and can be drummed into the audience through different media platforms, ensuring that they remember the song if they like the sound of it. Companies spend money on music videos to make even more money in the long run, and it works very well.
The song I am going to analysis is Henrietta by The Fratellis. The song was released on their album Costello Music and was also their debut single.
The video is mainly a band performance but also includes a narrative. The main part of the video is the band performance which takes place on the street outside of a house (Henrietta’s house), Where a variety of shot are used to show the band from Henrietta’s point of view.
The video starts with a shot of Henrietta which sets the scene for the rest of the video, the video is in black and white which really works for the video because it fits with the sad feel to the lyrics which is juxtaposed to the upbeat music.
There are fast little shot in the video of things that relate to lyrics for example her husband is mentioned in the song and a shot of a man in the house is shown, these shots create a narrative to the song and break up the band performance.
At point in the song the two parts are used together like in the kitchen the band are eating with Henrietta, this shows there is some sort of relationship between the singer and Henrietta, this links the words to the video.
Between the narrative part of the video and the lyrics real life issues are put into perspective in a creative way. The narrative of the video juxtaposes the lyrics because the lyrics are about Henrietta not being able to do what she wants and being controlled by her father however the video shows Henrietta going out and enjoying herself.
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor who has worked on music videos, commercials, film and TV. His music videos are off-beat in their visual storytelling, particularly their mix of live-action, animation, and puppetry.
Throughout his career he directed feature films like Being John Malkovich and Where the Wild Things Are, short film, television like Jackass and his main area of expertise is music video. He has directed music videos from Fatboy Slim – Praise You to Kanye West – Flashing Lights.
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is a French director, who has worked on music videos, commercials, film. He is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.
Throughout his career he has directed films such as Be Kind Rewind and Human Nature, short films, French documentaries and around 80 music video, most notably, Daft Punk – Around the World and Radiohead – Knives Out.
David Fincher
David Fincher is an American film director and music video director, known for his dark and stylish thrillers. He has directed music videos such as Lady Gaga – Born This Way and Madonna – Vogue. Over the last few years he directed several box office films such as Seven, and Fight Club.
From AS Media I have learned many skills which I will bring over to A2. Although my media project didn't go totally to planned, I can learn from my mistakes of things that did not go well last year. Last year I found out that I really enjoyed the editing process as it can totally change the footage you get into something totally different. This year I hope to take an active role in both the camera work and editing, while expanding my knowledge within the two. The mistakes I will change is staying on top of the work load and getting all the work done by the correct deadlines. The music I mainly like is rock and pop punk with my favourite bands being Blink 182 and All Time Low. My favourite music videos are Blink 182 - All The Small Things and 30 Seconds to Mars - Kings and Queens.
Adam
In AS Media I have developed skills in camera work and editing, through our A2 project I would like to develop my skills further. I am really interested in media and am looking into doing media production at university to develop my editing skills further. In the project I would like to expand my skills in camera work. Genres of music that i listen to are indie and punk, my favorite bands are Maximo Park and Whole Wheat Bread, my favorite music videos are Pencil Full of Lead - Paolo Nuntini and Tribute - Tenacious D.
James
In AS Media I possessed a skill set of how to manage a project well, time management, camera work and learnt how to edit on Final Cut Express. This year I hope to become more accomplished using Final Cut Express as I feel it will aid me when I go to University to do Media Production/Practice. I like all genres of music, with Indie, Noise-Pop, and Electronic being my favourite genre's. My favourite artists are Menomena, Beach House, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Crystal Castles, and The xx. My favourite music videos are Coma Cinema - Blissed, Menomena - Rotten Hell and Coma Cinema - Only.
Hannah
In my AS Media project, my skills and understanding in media developed in various ways. By starring in my video I realised how much I like to perform within film and my passion for acting and our storyline increased. Through editing I learnt how to work with the programming software ‘Final Cut Express’ and began to edit my groups opening sequence. By the end of the year I had learnt how to act in front of a camera and edit film to a good standard. This will help me with my next project, a music video. Hopefully further my skills and understanding with this task. my preference in music consists of chart music, indie bands and club classics. For example: Arcade fire, Ellie Goulding and Mystery Jets.
