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.
Synaesthesia noun The process of picturing sounds in the mind's eye.
"A film that responds to the pleasures of music, and in which that music is made visual, either in new ways or in ways that accentuate existing visual associations." - Andrew Goodwin (1992) - Dancing in the Distraction Factory
We completed an exercise in class in which we listened to the music alone, without any visuals, and had to draw what we 'saw' through the music. Firstly we listened to 'For Your Love' by Josh Record. The music to me seemed quite romantic and so, stereotypically, I drew a starry sky above a busy city. To be it seemed like a very John Green 'Fault in Our Stars' kind of romanticism and so the influence for my drawing definitely stemmed from almost the reverse of the film poster or the moment in the book where they lie on the ground gazing at the stars, totally in love.
Surprisingly, the actual music video was a little different to what I envisaged. Instead it was still centered around the theme for love or perhaps, in my opinion, obsession as the male character watches the female love interest. Maybe the reason for my visualisation of the music video was different as I only listened to just the music rather then the lyrics. The main lyric that did stick out however was 'For Your Love', the title of the song.
Secondly we repeated the task just with 'Intro' by the xx instead. This time it seemed to really work accurately since I almost imagined the whole music video correctly. Similar features were present in the official music video which I had not even previously seen. Some reason the music just reminded me of being in a car at night, while looking at all the street lights as they flew past. It also made me think of dark alleyways, barley lit with ominous looking people down them.
The importance of matching visuals to sounds perhaps is the most essential thing in a music video since if you were to have an upbeat song matched with dark visuals it may seem unusual an a little confusing. Unless the director is trying to draw juxtapositions, it very rarely comes out effectively. However, matching visuals to lyrics is arguably more important despite it not being necessarily the first thing the audience would notice when initially listening to the track. But I think it should equally be given the chance to have the same importance as sounds which inevitably takes over most of the time.
An example of matching visuals to sounds is in Years & Years' 'King' video whereby approximately in the middle of the music video all the bass and drum drops out, leaving just the lyrics and keyboard as the lead singer falls into water, leaving him engulfed by blue and bubbles. Compared to the rest of the video where there are contemporary dancers clinging on to the lead singer, this seems very 'mild' and in this way the visuals effectively match the sounds by becoming less 'manic' in this part of the video as the sounds/music becomes less 'manic'. Equally at this point the lyrics state 'let go' as the lead singer it 'let go' into the water below. Similarly, the chorus lyrics of 'I was a King under your control' is matched to the visuals through the band being 'controlled' by the dancers who cling to them thus, I think it is just as important to match visuals to lyrics as it is to match sounds to visuals. The Years & Years 'King' video is a narrative/concept/performance based video.
The lyrics similarly match the visuals in Catfish and
Bottlemen's 'Cocoon' music video whereby as a narrative based video, the main
story line revolves around a mental institution and a small love story which
restricted by their situation, thus the two are forced apart and metaphorically
'cocooned' by the workers at the mental institution who prevent them from being
together. Also, during the last chorus, the music gets louder as it reaches the
climax of the story (when the main boy and girl get together). In this way,
this emphasises the importance of matching sounds to visuals.
Perhaps a more iconic music video, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by
Queen demonstrates the importance of matching sounds to visuals. At the
beginning of the music video there is a choir-like and classical sound to the
music which is reflected in the visuals through the band being in a similar
position to how a choir would sounds however, through the use of ‘dramatic’
lighting you can only just see the outline of their faces which could also be
representative of the bands ‘rock’ roots. Thus, as the song gets more ‘rocky’
it switches from this more classical shot to performance, with mostly green/red
lighting, compared to the black and white ‘choir boy’ section which vastly
contrasts. Another example of matching visuals to sounds in this music video is
when there are more voices in the song, more faces appear in shot, reflecting
the sound quite directly. Equally, the lyric ‘I’m just a poor boy, I need no
sympathy’ matches the ‘choir boy’ aspect of the shot and also reflects perhaps
the innocence of both the lyric and the shot as the shot is quite innocent
through the basic lighting and basic black and white colouring. However, the fact that it is black and white could also add to the fact that they are a 'rock' band and therefore having just the outlines of their faces makes the band have a very memorable image rather than just imitating the 'choir boy' aspect the band collectively need to create an image which will stay in people's minds.
The importance of matching visuals to lyrics could be less
important in Duke Dermont’s ‘I Got U’ music video which is a narrative based
music video whereby the concept of the video revolves around a virtual world
which is created and the main boys goes on ‘an adventure’ through various
places on a mini holiday, whilst still being in the comfort of his living room.
The majority of the video is shot in a point-of-view shot, reflecting his
virtual ‘reality’.
George Ezra is an English
singer-songwriter. After releasing two EPs, ‘Did You Hear the Rain?’ (October
2013) and ‘Cassy O' (March 2014), Ezra rose to “fame” with the release of his
hit single ‘Budapest’, which reached the top 10 in numerous countries around
the world. Ezra's debut studio album ‘Wanted on Voyage’ (released on 30 June
2014), reached number one in the UK and the top ten in seven other countries.
It was also the third best-selling album of 2014 in the UK. Zane Lowe, one of
the most popular Radio 1 DJs, called him "one of the most compelling and
powerful new vocalists around”. Genres associated with Ezra are folk, blues
and rock.
The Record Label
Columbia Records is an
American flagship recording label, under the ownership of Sony Music
Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group. Columbia is the oldest
surviving brand name in recorded sound. Artists signed to Columbia Records
currently include ‘The Vaccines’, ‘One Direction’ and ‘The Script’.
Narrative
Sir Ian McKellen is perhaps the ‘star’ or the music video as
the music video is centred on him singing the song rather than George Ezra
himself. McKellen attempts to almost steal the song, ‘singing’ it himself, the
result being a very comic effect. The main narrative is that George is sat at a
bus stop when Sir Ian McKellen comes over and starts to sing his song, much to
the outrage of George. There is diegetic sound in the middle of the music video
as George and Ian argue however, this is resolved as George realises that Ian
isn’t going away and so the rest of the music video is Ian and George playing
and singing the song together. In this way, the music video is both narrative
and performance based, complementing the happy song with a comedic element. The
feature of Sir Ian McKellen also draws much attention to both the music video
and the song itself. Mise en scene
The is one set used through the whole music video which
appears to be in a studio with a painted background - which is quite similar to
an amateur school play set piece – of a very green landscape with hills etc.
There is wooded floors and even curtains at each side of the ‘stage’. In this
way the main focus is perhaps not on the set but rather the song itself and the
feature of Sir Ian McKellen however, the fact that it is in a studio is
suggestive of the narrative being Ian McKellen taking over George Ezra’s music
video. However, the fact that the central point to the song is ‘Listen to the
Man’, the music video imitates this with George eventually giving into ‘the man’
and performing with him willingly near the end of the video. Costume and Make-up
The sound of the song relates to Sir Ian McKellen’s Hawaiian
style shirt with a summer hat, white trousers and white shoes (Toms). In this
way, his outfit is perhaps associated with ‘holidays’ which imitates the summer
feel to the song which songs almost like reggae music. George Ezra however
wears a black jacket with black trousers and shoes, with an almost contradictory
white t-shirt underneath. This could reflect how George was unwilling to go
along with Ian McKellen’s dancing and singing until near the end of the music
video.
Props
Throughout the music video props are used to give the
feeling of the whole video being set at a bus stop thus, there are props such
as the actual bus stop sign as well as the bench next to it. In this way, props
are used to help the video’s narrative flow and provide more of an
understanding about where the video is meant to be set. Since they are not on
the actual location it is important that there are props that signify the
location and assist the narrative. Lighting and Colour
The lighting in the music video is very high key reflecting
the ‘happy’ sounding song and lyrics. This emphasises the importance of
matching sounds to visuals since if the music video had low key lighting and
quite a lot of blue rather than yellow in colouring, then the video would
appear juxtaposed and not look right so the upbeat song. The fact that there is
quite of lot of yellow and green in the video connotes the feeling of happiness
and nature, life. Thus, the colour of the video matches the sounds and lyrics
of the song.
Sound The music video incorporates diegetic sound near the middle
of the music video as Sir Ian McKellen and George Ezra argue over the
performance. The use of diegetic sound complements the narrative since is also
provides an explanation as to how they ended up in the situation. Ian McKellen
just confirms that he ‘likes the song’ and wanted to sing it. Thus, they carry
on with the song, but having resolved the ‘conflict’ they decide to sing
together.
Camera Work & Editing Similar to many conventional music videos, the majority of
the shots are mid-shot and in, only becoming a two-shot/long shot to display
their ‘dancing’ and therefore convey what they are doing in the right way. The
majority of the shots are not placed on a tripod, therefore it adds to the flow
of the music video. However, the long-shot is filmed gradually pulling in and
later out which gives a variety to the shots used. Throughout the video there
are straight cut used in sync with the music.
alt-J (also known as
∆) is an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds, by Gwil Sainsbury
(guitar/bass), Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton
(keyboards/vocals) and Thom Green (drums). The band's debut album An Awesome
Wave was released in May 2012 in Europe and September 2012 in the United
States, and won the 2012 British Mercury Prize. Gwil Sainsbury amicably
departed the band in early 2014. Their second album, ‘This Is All Yours’, was
released in September 2014 and went straight to UK number one.
The Record Label Infectious Records is a record label whose bands have included Alt-J, Drenge, The Paradise Motel and The Subways. Infectious was established by Korda Marshall after leaving RCA, and became part of Marshall's Mushroom Records UK (now A&E Records) operation in the mid-1990s. Korda was also responsible for signing Muse.
The Director Ellis Bahl is originally from Upstate New York, Ellis attended film school at Emerson College in Boston, MA where he obtained a B.A. in Media Studies. It was his love of improv comedy and music, however, that brought him to NYC where he studied with the Upright Citizens Brigade and formed the folk rock band Stamp Collectors. His connections within the indie folk/rock scene led Ellis to start directing music videos.
Narrative The whole music video is in reverse and in slow motion as it
reveals an extreme argument between a quite possessive man and a, what we find
out at the end of the video, to be a hostage. The video ends (or begins in the
video) with the death of the woman who was held hostage by the man. The video
follows them as they fight, throwing glasses, physically fighting until she is
drowned in the bath by the man eventually. We do not find out what relation
this married man has to the woman until the end of the video, when the woman
has duct tape put over her mouth and is shut in the cupboard by the man. It is
not clear that she is married to him, however it can be interpreted that she
was in fact married to him, but not in a healthy relationship. Equally this
could be a woman who he had an affair with.
Mise en scene
Settings and locations
Throughout the music video it is set within a small flat,
the fact that there is only one location could emphasise the isolation of the
woman being trapped in such a place. The repletion of the lyric ‘Please don’t
go’, also is reflected in this way as it shows how the man perhaps cares for
her, in a possessive way, and therefore doesn’t want her to go. Thus, the use
of one location of a small flat with a bathroom and kitchen imitates their
relationship.
Costume and Make-up
The two character’s wear casual clothing. The man wears
jeans with a navy jumper with fairly smart shoes. In this way, the fact that the man wears perhaps more expensive clothing is suggestive of him returning from work and therefore taking advantage of the young woman who has been trapped in the flat. Lighting and Colour
The whole video is particularly dark with quite a lot of
blue which matches the ‘dark’ tone of the music and the narrative. The blue in
the video has connotations of sadness and therefore reflects how the woman is
in a problematic relationship and is isolated in the small flat. The basic colour palette could also signify how the woman has not seen 'the light of day' in a while, since she had been trapped by the man, the fact that there is also very little colour could also be suggestive of how her isolation has quite literally sucked the colour from her life. Camera Work & Editing
The whole video is in slow-motions which helps the viewer to understand what is happening and to identify with the narrative. Since it is a purely narrative music video it is essential that the camera work is clear in conveying meaning. The majority of the shots are mid-shot and in thus, this presents information clearly. The camera is always moving which helps with the flow of the music video and it is also clear that there was perhaps no tripod used, just a stabilizer which adds to the feeling of the young woman's prolonged isolation.
The overall pace of the video is quite slow and in this way, there is perhaps less straight cuts in comparison to 'typical' music videos. However, when the pace of the video does pick up, the visuals match up and straight cuts are used more frequently as the bass etc. increases in volume and tempo.
