Music Video Research

Codes and conventions of Music VideosPopOne Republic - Counting Stars I chose to analyse this video as I really like the song and the video has an interesting narrative to it. The video is set in an abandoned unused basement of a building. There is a duel narrative (two story lines happening at the same time, then at the end join together) going on in the video which I find really interesting. In the basement the band are practising mean whilst up stairs there is a Church meeting going on above the band. The layout of the two different scenes are really interesting as church group seen is superior due to the fact the room they are in is positioned above the band and is a much nicer modern room, however the room One Republic is in is abandoned and placed below the church meeting, potentially to depict heaven and hell, and at the end of the video when the two ‘different worlds’ collide. This narrative continues after music finishes which is when the two worlds collide which I found really interesting and this aspect of a music video is really common in pop music videos as it gives the video extra depth and this technique is easily transferable onto our own music video.Another aspect of the Counting Stars video I really like is the link between the video and the song lyrics as the lyrics match with the actions of the band which I have a print screen shot of on the next slide. Also the songs tempo matches the dance moves rhythm e.g. as the song speeds up and gets more intense the cutting rate increases and so does the speed of the bands choreography.

This print screen is a shot of the main signer Ryan Tedder mirroring the lyrics of the song ‘everything that kills me’ by running his hand across his throat

There are a variety of close up shots of Ryan Tedder the lead vocalist throughout the song. This is to promote the artist and make a connection with him and the audience. Also close ups could be used so the artist can develop motifs which reoccur across his videos (Andrew Goodwin).

This print screen is a shot of all the members of the band as this is a common feature of pop music videos/ most music genre videos with a band in, as it is a recognised convention of a band and shows the connection between them all. Also the lead singer is places at the front to show his importance, and so the viewers can connect with lyrics of the song.

These two screen shots are showing the link between the narrative in the music video and the band performing. In this shot both narratives are doing the same choreography at the same time and the video uses a fast cutting rate between the shots to show building intensity as the chorus approaches.

This screen shot is where the two different narratives combine after the music has finished. I took a shot of this as I really like the fact the narrative continues after the music has finished, and the two different story lines that are happening in the video combine in the end.

Codes and conventions of Music VideosIndie RockColdplay – Paradise I chose to analyse this music video as I found the narrative really interesting and engaging and the video includes a variety of common conventions of chart music videos. The music video is representing the main singer of the band Chris Martin dressed as an elephant going on a journey to find his elephant family. The video starts off using emotive shots showing the single elephant looking lost and lonely and as the song progresses the elephant (Chris Martin) is reunited with the rest of his family (the rest of Coldplay). The narrative is very emotive as the elephant goes on its journey to ‘paradise’. Also the video is abstract due to the fact they chose to use an elephant as the protagonist rather than a stereotypical boy which is quite common for the ‘indie rock’ music genre. Mid way through the video the lonely elephant is videoed begging on the street for money to go and find his family. Whilst he is doing this he is holding up the song lyrics as they are being sung, I really like this idea as it is more interactive with the audience and shows a clear link between the video and the song lyrics.Towards the end of the music video there is an aspect of live performance which is very common for most genres of music videos. However the performance is a completely live concert which isn't commonly used as many videos use ‘structured reality’ via a fake audience to create a live feel to the video however the director can control the surroundings easier. I like the fact that Coldplay used a completely live performance as it allows the fans to feel closer and more connected with the band as many fans are featured in the video.

This print screen is a long wide shot of Chris Martin dressed as the elephant holding up the song lyrics on a piece of card. I really like this idea as it shows a link between the abstract video and the song. This simplistic idea is very easy to replicate in our own music video and looks very effective. I also like the graffiti background as it adds depth to the shot and depicts the elephant as lost due to the oxymoron of elephants being in a city graffiti environment rather than a desert.

This is a shot taken from the Paradise music video, it is a real live performance of Coldplay performing in a large music venue. Using live performance is very effective as it allows the audience to identify with the crowd and also it creates a buzz in case the viewers can see themselves in the audience which creates an intense atmosphere. It also allows the fans who weren't able to attend the live performance to experience it and connect with the band. Showing an aspect of the live performance also allows the fans to feel the atmosphere of a concert and promotes the bands upcoming tour.

Codes and conventions of Music VideosHip HopFuse ODG – Azontohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VetNdbu-ZNc I chose to analyse this music video as the video is very engaging and easily repeatable. The video is set in a variety of different places with people doing the same/ similar dance moves in each shot through out the video. The video includes a variety of different locations like an unused basement, a city street, outside an art gallery, a car park, a bedroom etc. all of these locations are easily transferable into our college project as the city York possesses all of these locations and many others that we can use. I also like the shots used in this video as they use a variety of close up shots, wide shots to fit everyone in, and full length shots so you can see the dace moves clearly, also as the song tempo increases so does the cutting rate which is really effective.A common feature of most music videos is also included in this video as the main singer Azonto is features through out the video signing the lyrics and imitating the dance moves using a variety of different shots, however mainly close up shots of his face. The reason this techniques used in music videos, especially less well known ones is to promote the artist and to allow the fans to have an easily recognisable face to look up to.The song is very catchy and the video is very light hearted as all the dancers and actors featured look like there having a good time and due to the lack of narrative the video is humorous and has a fun light hearted feel to it.

This print screen is a shot of the title credits introducing the song. The credits say ‘off da ground’ which is spelt phonetically in an African Ghanaian dialect which is where Fuse ODG descends from. This edit is something that could be very easily replicated in my own music video using the ‘final cut’ software.

This is a close up shot of Fuse ODG, there are a variety of close up shots of him (the lead vocalist) throughout the song. This is to promote the artist and make a connection with him and the audience. Also due to the fact Fuse ODG isn't a very well known artist these close ups could be to allow the audience to recognise the artists face and create a brand image for him using Also so that FUSE ODG can develop motifs which reoccur across his videos, similar to creating a brand image so fans can easily recognise him (Andrew Goodwin).

This is a shot from the ‘AZONTO CAM’ it is a hand held camera that films either home videos or people out on the streets. I think this looks really effective as it allows fans to send in there videos and get involved on the making of the music video. Also I like the fact it says ‘AZONTO CAM’ in the bottom corner as it signposts that more abstract places are being used and that it isn't a professional filming. The text at the bottom of the shot also has the name of the song in which allows the viewer to constantly remember the name of the song which increases promotion and will allow the viewer to remember the title easier. Also this small effect could be easily replicated when making my own music video via the ‘final cut’ programme I will be using to produce my video

This print screen is a snapshot of one of the dancers feet, this shows in detail the choreography that is being utilised in the video. Also this close up allows the viewer to see the dance moves close up to potentially learn them, which many viewers have done, resulting in the ‘AZONTO dance craze’. The dancer is wearing white trainers which also represents the urban dance vibe of the song and Azonto’s dress style, these trainers could also be used for brand awareness e.g. for Nike to advertise there products.

These two screen shots show clips of some of the many dancers used in this music video. The dance moves are reasonably simple and very repetitive which allows the viewer to see the dance moves clearly and potentially learn them, which many viewers have done to create the ‘AZONTO dance craze’ which is advertised on Fuse ODG’s website where fans are encouraged to send in there own music video version of his song and have a competition to chose the best remake.

This print screen is a shot of two dancers in a underground car park imitating the Azonto dance moves. I think this looks really effective as a car park is a very common every day place which makes it relatable for the viewers, instead of alienating them with upper class unrealistic images. Also the fact the dancers are wearing masks creates a sense of mystery to the video which I could easily interpret in my own.

This shot shows one of the masked dancers next to a street performer. I took a screen shot of this as York city centre has many street performers which therefor means I could directly interpret this shot effectively.

This is a group shot of all the dancer in the music video coming together. All the dancers in the Azonto music video have different ethnicities and dress differently and this shot shows them all coming together and signals the music video finishing as everyone has joined together.

This shot shows the singer Tiffany (who's is featuring in Fuse ODG’S Azonto single) dancing. This shot complies with a variety of codes and conventions used in the hip-hop genre of music as there is an attractive female dancing in a seductive way and being and pictured as being promiscuous. Also this shot promotes the male gaze as Tiffany is very good looking and therefor male viewers will be attracted to her, and female viewers will aspire to be like her.

Throughout the music video the ‘3beat’ brand logo is featured in the left hand corner the entire duration of the video. 3beat is the record label Fuse ODG is signed to and is a dance music label. This logo could have been used to promote the label and so that other similar music videos that are signed to the label get more views as fans who have enjoyed Fuse ODG –Azonto will probably have an interest in other music in the same genre signed to the same label.

Codes and conventions of Music VideosHip HopAkon – LonelyI chose to analyse this music video as it is in the hip hop genre which is the genre I have chosen to use as my music video genre for my final project. This video complies with a lot of the common codes and conventions of the hip hop genre as there is an aspect of live performance, sexualised girls, and the main male singer is portrayed as a player. The narrative of the video is constantly linked to the song lyrics as Akon is acting out the lyrics throughout the video. There are also a variety of close ups of Akon as he is singing the lyrics as the same time as they are played which gives the video some synchronisation with the lyrics. Close ups are a common occurrence in music videos as they promote the artist and creates a relationship between the audience and the singer. The music video has a variety of emotive visual effects that the audience can relate to as the narrative is about a boy who cheats on his girlfriend and the couple are both left lonely. This relatable narrative would be easy to interpret into my own music video as the story line is simple and doesn’t involve a large budget or a large amount of people.

This is a shot of a mock live performance which is a form of ‘structured reality’ via a fake audience, to create a live feel to the video however the director can control the surroundings in the shot much easier which is why many music videos opt to use this form of ‘live’ performance in a video.

This print screen is a shot that complies with one of the codes and conventions of hip hop music videos as the females are seen as sexual objects and the male is normally portrayed as being a stereotypical strong male and a ‘player’ which is exactly how this shot portrays both genders.

All of these images are a montage of the main artist (Akon). There are a variety of close up and full length shots in the video so the audience can clearly recognise Akon and so they can start to get a feel of how he looks, dresses and acts which creates a brand image for him. Also the images portray him as a sexual object who looks after himself and who all the girls want, by using these sort of images it allows Akon to build up a female fan base who will want to listen and buy his music. Also close ups could be used so the artist can develop motifs which reoccur across his videos and create a unique selling point to the artist (Andrew Goodwin).