MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSES MAISIE BUCK A2 MEDIA STUDIES
BE AROUND THE PEACH KINGS
This music video would be categorised primarily under Joan Lynch's 1984 theory as a concept video, due to the lack of narrative or overt performance. There is an element of performance in the subtle lip-syncing, however the overall video is of a more abstract form.
I really like the idea of using double exposure as it creates an interesting aesthetic. The use of movement in both the underlaid image and the outline of the actors makes the footage more engaging, as it subtly draws the eye. I’m very drawn to the simplicity of these shots; by merely changing the speed of the background footage or manipulating the shape of the actors, it’s possible to change the whole dynamic.
In this video, they have refrained from making the images flat by merely altering the opacity levels. This means we are still able to see the faces of the actors through the underlaid images, and is a technique I will adopt when making my music video. This is because of the fact that I want my musicians to be recognisable, adhering - in a similar way to this music video - to Goodwin's theory that: "there is a demand for lots of close-ups of the main artist/vocalist”.
The song is of the indie genre, which is what I intend to use for my music video. It is timeless, but also modern and innovative, meaning the video fits effortlessly with the style of song. This, along with the lip-syncing, encapsulates Andrew Goodwin's theory, that 'there is a relationship between the music and the visuals’. The style of the video conforms to Jon Gow’s special effects extravaganza theory: “videos with human performance is overshadowed by spectacular imagery.”
Another of Goodwin's theories states that 'there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals'. I can see elements of this in the music video, but the visuals don't always directly correlate with the lyrics, instead they are used occasionally to amplify them. This screenshot accompanies the lyric: "another plane", in the context of travelling and being free. Because an image of a plane is shown on the screen, there is an obvious link, however the rest of the shots don't have much relevance to the lyrics they accompany.
The overall aesthetic of the video seems to radiate a dreamlike quality, complemented by a hazy afternoon palette and liberal use of lens flare. The colour grading is warm and makes the video feel autumnal, which is an appealing feature that most likely attracts their target audience of teenage indie music fans. Although I believe this colour scheme works for this particular video, in mine I want to reflect a more gritty aspect of the genre by using dull tones and darker shots.
Despite the minimalistic style, they have experimented with perspective and used depth of field and a variety of shot types (close ups, mid shots, long shots and low angles) to create a sense of satisfaction when watching. It gives the video a well-rounded overall feel and makes it easy to get lost in
WINTER WINDS MUMFORD AND SONS
This music video comes under the headings of 'narrative' and 'performance', with regards to Joan Lynch's music video classification. The majority of the video is composed of shots of the band performing their song, but it is interspersed with more abstract shots of them acting out a narrative.
The aspect I like most about this music video is the colour scheme. Each shot has been graded in such a way that makes it feels slightly more dismal. This would have been done by choosing to shoot the music video in indirect natural light, and then desaturating the footage during the editing process. I would like to follow a similar strategy to ensure that the overall tone of my music video is slightly reminiscent of rock music from the 1990s.
The entirety of the music video has been filmed in slow motion, which is a typical convention of the genre. It makes the shots look more cinematic and gives a well-rounded feel to the piece. Using slow motion in conjunction with a variety of dynamic shots gives the video a professional feel, as the overall piece doesn't seem too busy or rushed. This is a technique I plan to utilise when filming and editing my music video.
The video as a whole follows the band as they carry out everyday tasks, such as practising their songs, travelling around and performing. As the video progresses, it concludes with the band performing on stage, and is therefore converted from once being a performance-narrative video to being solely performance based. This is quite typical of the indiefolk genre as generally songs rely on a strong performance piece to showcase the artist or band.
The mise-en-scene conforms to the genre throughout; each band member is wearing clothing typically associated with indie-folk music, and the locations are all outdoors. The fact that the elements all work well together ensures that no part of the video feels disjointed or out of place.
The images in this video subtly amplify the lyrics, as stated by Andrew Goodwin. For example, this shot is of one of the band members walking alone through a field, with grey clouds in the background, and is accompanied by the lyric: "As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts". There is a clear relationship here between the visuals and the lyrics; ‘winter’ is represented through the dark clouds, and the band member is walking alone, suggesting he is ‘lonely’. This coordination, however, is not a technique adopted throughout the video, meaning the visuals occasionally amplify the lyrics as opposed to directly illustrating them.
The composition and framing of some shots in this video are quite interesting. This image is particularly aesthetically pleasing, as it conforms to the rule of thirds, but also has a slightly unconventional subject matter, with regards to the genre. The shot itself is very simple, but the use of varying depth of field and the amount of detail seen in the background makes it noteworthy.