Analysis of Music Videos

Pop Music Videos

In this analysis we will discuss about the macro and the micro elements of some pop music video. The music videos which we are going to analyze are:

• Firework by Katy Perry•Bailando by Enrique Iglesias ft. Sean Paul•Shake it off by Taylor Swift•Adrenalina by Jennifer Lopez ft. Ricky

Martin

Micro-elements

We are going to discuss the micro-elements of the music videos which include:

•Cinematography•Sound•Editing•Mise en scene

Firework-Katy Perry

•In this video camera shots are widely used e.g. aerial shot is used, close-ups, low angle and much more. The close-up is mainly used to show the expressions of the characters in the video and also to show the expression of the artist, low-angle and high-angle shots are also present.

Establishing Shot

•Aerial Shot is used extensively to show the fireworks and the place where it is shot, people making a star can also be seen through this shot.

•The close-up were used many times in the video mainly when the word “firework” came expressions are also captured in the close-up shots.

This is a low-angle shot which is used for showing the fireworks and in the sky, which also shows people and the building too.

This is high angle shot which is used for showing the people making a star and the place where they are gathered.

Sound Effects• There were some sound effects added at the end of the video to show that the fireworks were natural. Otherwise there were no dialogues, there was one place where it looks like the woman is playing the violin synchronized with the song.

Editing

•Editing is used in the video extensively but the main effects are the special effects to show the fireworks and at the end there’s a fadeout effect at the finishing. Special Effects can be see in the video which shows the fireworks coming out from the chest and the in the whole video.

Mise en Scene

•Location: 5 different locations are used in the video:

Balcony of a building

Swimming Pool Club

Streets Hospital

•Costumes & Make-up: In this video costumes & make-up are used according to the scene e.g. the artist is wearing trendy clothes, she has make-up to look beautiful but the rest are a bit different e.g. there is one child who is in the hospital and wearing the hospital uniform and the make-up makes look that the kid is suffering from cancer because he is bald.

•Props: There are many props used in the video but the main props which are used are:

Pigeons, Cards are seen in the video close to magician. A woman in seen in the video playing violin

Facial ExpressionsThe facial expressions in the video are sad and frustrated in the beginning but happy at the finishing. As the lyrics tell:

Do you ever feel like a plastic bagDrifting through the wind, wanting to start again?...... Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?

Screams but no one seems to hear a thing.

These lyrics show depression and sadness but the lyrics after this are:'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shineJust own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a fireworkCome on, show 'em what you're worth

Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"As you shoot across the sky-y-y

These lyrics are enthusiastic and make the depressed happy and gives them hope about a nice future. In the lyrics she said, “ Just own the night like the 4th of July” means live freely and independent because America celebrates their independence day on the 4th of July.

Irritation, frustration, aggression

Depressed

Happy, excitedSad and tensed because of the eyebrows stretched.

Lighting

•The video is shot during the night time that is why low-key lighting is mainly used and high key lighting is used at the ending part of the video because of the fireworks.

Low-key Lighting

High Key Lighting

Bailando-Enrique Iglesias ft. Sean Paul•Cinematography: This is a Brazilian song which has both Portuguese and English too. In the video some shots and angles are widely used. e.g. wide shot is used at many times because it shows the performance of people, because it is featuring song so that is why mid-shot is and the group of artists is seen at many times in the video.

Establishing Shot

Wide Shot used to

show the performan

ce.

Medium-close-up.

Mid-shot

Two-shot

Low-angle shot

High angle shot

Wide Shot

Over the shoulder shot

Long Shot

Sound Effects•The video contains sound effects which makes it realistic e.g. the claps in the starting which looks natural. Otherwise there is no dialogue in the video or ambient sounds except the claps. Siren sound effects are also added in the end to show the police arrival.

EditingEditing is used in the video and special effects are

also used at many places in the video. In the video football is added by special effects, a jerk is also created/added in the video by special effects. The football may seem to be natural but if you look closely you can see these are added using special effects. A vibration is created in the video which shows this is editing using special effects, it looks like that the artist punches the ground and a vibration is created.

Mise en scene

•Location: the video shows locations usually public places e.g. mainly they are in a subway and streets/road, people are gathered and performing.

In this picture you can see they are standing and playing on the beach.

If you look closely you can see houses and building, which means It can be a building or a street.

Behind the singer you can see the location it looks like a subway.

The people standing in the front are watching makes it look like a street.

Costumes & Make-up•Very light make-up is applied to make it

look natural. The make-up is not too much and it looks nice and decent. The costumes are mainly worn according to the performance and dance types.

They are dancing the Latin dance form and are also wearing the Latin dresses.

The artists are wearing casual clothing.

These performers are also wearing the dance clothes but of new fashion.

Props

•Football is used many times in the video and hand fans are also used to by the Latin dancers and microphones are also used in front of the artist.

Facial Expressions

•The facial expression mostly depends on the lyrics and the song. The title of the song is “bailando” which means dancing and who dances with a sad mood. The video is very jolly and makes a happy mood.

The facial expressions are visible that shows that it is a song which makes the mood cheerful.

Lighting•High-key and low-key lighting, both are used in the video but high-key is used mostly because the video seems to be shot in the day-light. There are visible lights too.

Lights are visible in the background.

Lights can be seen in the background of the picture.

High-key lighting

Low-key lighting

Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

•Cinematography: This video contains different shots and camera movement which includes wide shot, close-up, medium close-up, two shot, extreme wide shot, etc.

Establishing Shot

Mid-shot

Two-shot

Extreme Wide Shot

Mid-shot

Wide Shot

Sound Effects

•The video contains sound effects which were in the song e.g. when the artist’s voice is changed into the voice through a megaphone. There are no other sound effects indentified.

Editing•There is extensively editing used in this video e.g. slow motion effect, there is cutting in the video.

Slow motion effect used to capture the expressions, this also helps the faster action more visible to the audience.

Mise en scene

•Location: The video is shot in the studio because there is nothing in the background except color. In the starting it looks like it’s a gymnasium because of the props but there was nothing in the background.

•Costumes and Make-up: The costumes are very different in different scenes. In the starting the costume is of the gymnast, then the hip-hop costume, ballet dance costume, simple contemporary dance dress, cheerleader dress.

Gymnast Costume

Hip-Hop Costume

Ballet Dance Costume

Simple Contemporary Dance Costume

Robotic Dance Costume

Cheerleader Costume

•Props: There are many props used in the video which include: stereo, musical instruments, microphone, megaphone.

•Facial Expressions: This song is all about being happy as the lyrics say

But I keep cruisingCan't stop, won't stop moving

It's like I got this musicIn my mind

Saying, "It's gonna be alright.“The facial expressions are also the same, in

the video the people are dancing and enjoying and having a good time.

•Lighting: The lighting in whole song was high-key lighting there was no source seen in the video but the lights behind the scenes were making it high–key lighting.