Music Video Research - Deconstruction

As part of our research into how to create a music video we watched different music videos decontructing them almost scientifically; counting the amount of cuts used, medium close up and in and the amount of shots/set-ups.

We started this process with Ed Sheeran's music video 'One'. What made it particularly difficult to count the number of different shots was the fact that the camera was not on a tripod and so was constantly moving, making it seem like many shots were different where they we in fact cutting back to the same shot. We counted around 15 different shots with approximatley 64 cuts which in comparison to the other music videos is quite low. However, the overall pace of the music is very slow and so this amount of cuts seems conventional. The amount of shots that were medium close-up and in is expectedly high, with these types of shots taking up most of the video at 58%.

To display the variety between different paced videos we looked at The Vaccines 'If You Wanna'. We counted around 22 shots altogther, similar to Ed Sheeran's video, there was not any non-moving shots so when there was a cut back the angle would be slightly different in the shot which was used earlier in the music video. Unsurprisingly due to the quick tempo of the music there was about 132, almost twice the amount used in Ed Sheeran's music video. Also, 60% of the shot used were medium close-up and in, showng the importance of using these shots to ensure that the audience connects with the band/artist quickly in the around 3-minute period of the music video.

McBusted's 'Air Guitar' music video displayed a similar pattern. There was 19 different set ups and (yet even more cuts) 153 cuts with 64% of the shots being medium close-ups and in. 

Royal Blood's music video 'Little Monster' displayed the same conventions. There is around 15 different set-ups and a grand total of 245 cuts. In this way, the amount of cuts reflects the fast pace of the song and in turn the music fits in perfectly with the visuals and hence does not appear jarring. Conforming to the other music videos I looked at, around 73% of shots were medium close-up and inwards. This helps to create a sense of intimacy between the audience and the band and therefore create a connection between the two.

In conclusion, from the research above it is evident that generally music videos use shots which are medium close-up and in and this is perhaps used to create a connection between the band and the audience. The amount of cuts also depend upon the pace of the music and therefore, the faster the music, the more cuts. It can also be said that there are usually between 15-20 different set-ups.