Micro essay for a music video Lorde - Royals
Camera work
Framing is a big part of this music video because every shot is framed perfectly. This helps the video flow smoothly. With having framed shots it shows the axis and perspective points creating a grid effect on screen, lining objects and lines up.
The variation of shots from a close up to long shots are very simple matching up with the audience’s feeling. The feeling that we are looking in on through a window at the people in the music video. This gives the video a sense social realism, making it more relatable for the audience.
Having lots of empty shots shown through mise-en-scene shots give the sense of realism and to create an ‘everyday’ representation that the audience can relate to.
Editing The editing isn’t really a major factor of the video. However, slow motion is shown to emphasise poignant movements. Long cuts are used to create a sense of boredom and matches with the pale/tempo of the song. The lyrics match with some of the actions that are shown in the music video. ‘Run in our blood’ – Blood on the mirror ‘Movies’ – Blank TV screen showing his life is no movie. ‘Diamond’ Silver chain dangling in the shot.
Mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene within the video is very blank. The house is plain, white washed and the props used are minimalistic. This makes the video based more around camera work and editing because it shows skill. However, by using minimalistic props and miseen-scene it draws you into the video, even though the video doesn’t seem to have any narrative.
Also the theme of violence recurs through out the video. There are lighters, boxing gloves and a knife which reference violence within the music video.
Sound The only thing I can pick out about the sound is that with every drum beat the frame changes. The lyrics match some of the shots to make the music video flow and link together.
Conclusion Overall, I thought the video was very disappointing. I found this disappointing because the recurrence of violence leads to nothing. There is no fight, no violence, just a very unclear ending to the video. I didn’t understand the narrative or what it was trying to convey. However, the camera work and editing intrigued me because of the simplicity of how it was produced and set out. However, because of the plain and boring mise-en-scene it just isn’t something I want to follow.