+

Music Video ProductionCase Study

Millie Casemore

+Unit 29 - Music Video Production We will look at Music Videos from a number of perspectives, this

template is for you to write up your notes and to complete your case study.

The document is split into 3 different tasks, each with separate questions to answer.

Task 1 is concerned with the purposes of music videos and the strategies employed by labels and artists

Task 2 is concerned with the styles, techniques and conventions of music video production

Task 3 is your own case study into a minimum of three music videos where you can unpack and discuss the videos considering everything you have looked at in Task 1 and 2

+Unit 29 – Music Video Production Learning outcomes, this case study is concerned with

the first two learning outcomes of the unit:

1. Understand the purpose of music videos

2. Understand the styles, conventions, and techniques of music videos

3. Be able to originate and plan a music video production for a specific music track

4. Be able to work to complete production of a music video.

+Unit 29 – Music Video ProductionAssessment Criteria The assessment criteria addressed by this case study,

further details are in your project brief:

+Notes on completing the case study It is often easier to show something you are discussing

than to take time describing it. With this in mind, feel free to add lots of illustrative images from your chosen video examples. Links to YouTube/Vevo/etc are also encouraged.

Remember, when you make a point or define something, you should follow this with an example, an explanation of this and then link to further texts/videos where possible.

If you don’t think there is enough room to add your full response to a question, don’t just reset the font size to really small, add an extra slide wherever necessary.

+Task 1 - Purposes

Task 1 - PurposesQ1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a short explanation for each:ENTERTAINMENT – The first purpose of a music video is for entertainment. If the music video is entertaining then it is a substitute for seeing the artist live and it will appeal to the audience/target audience. They allow people to understand their music better and its meaning. In doing so the artist will gain popularity and appreciation. Bastille’s Pompeii is a key example of a music video designed to entertain audiences. This was one of their first songs which became popular so it was important to create a interesting music video. The music video is entertaining because it tells a story, Dan Smith (lead singer) is adventuring through the streets of Pompeii essentially trying to escape the metaphorical volcanic ash that will kill him – it is almost like a short film.BRANDING/IDENTITY– When artists create music videos, it allows for fans to understand who the artist is, and what their intentions are. Some bands use music to promote political, environmental or another form of message to society. This could, if people agree, allow them to gain popularity or , if people disagree, then lose fans. Mrs Potato Head by Melanie Martinez features a strong message regarding plastic surgery, it reminds people that is can go wrong and you don’t always need it to fix problems.SALES – Artists create music, sometimes, with just the intention of making sales/money. They can do this by endorsing/appearing on the branding of products so people will link that artist to that particular brand – this boosts sales and promotes the artist. Or, artists can collaborate with more high profile artists to gain popularity therefore boosting sales. Miley Cyrus partnered with Dr Dre to advertise the Beats Pill in her music video for ‘We Can’t Stop’. In the video there are various close ups of the product to advertise it to the viewer. This is a technique artists use to get more revenue for their album/single and so the company can also get a sales boost.

Task 1 - PurposesQ2 – What are some of the broader purposes of music videos? Think about some of the strategies employed by artists in their videos and how they represent themselves, you could consider where the artist is on a major label, independent label of unsigned, is there a difference between them?

POPULARITY/PROMOTE – Artists will create music videos with the main intention of widening their audience and promoting their music. If they create an artistic, meaningful and engaging music video people will discuss it and promote their music. They may want to widen their audience to gain sales or spread their message to more people. A Team was one of Ed Sheeran’s first popular songs and it meant it was important for him to create a meaningful and artistic music video to engage and widen his audience – which was successful.

ARTISTIC VALUE/TALENT – Lower profile artists, who’re signed to a more independent label as oppose to a major label, tend to create videos with more artistic value. These artists will not have a large budget for their music video, so they will have to be more creative, often tell a story and create a lot by themselves. Some indie artists create music videos just so they can show off their talents and because they enjoy creating music videos that are creative and interesting – this is common throughout the indie market. Portugal The Man are an indie band who create innovative music with strange, artistic music videos. This band is a key example of creating music videos on a lower budget with the intent to show artistic talent – they often deliver a strong message about society too. The music video for Atomic Man is basically just each band member morphing into each other and pulling different faces – they do create some interesting concepts in their music videos.

STATURE – Higher profile artists, usually signed to major record labels, tend to create music videos that have the intention of promoting their power and wealth to their audience - essentially showing off. These types of videos often have high budgets, include lots of expensive items and boast about where they live, what they own and what they can afford. Often they include a lot of product placement of high wealth items (Ferrari, jewellery, Nike, champagne). DJ Khaled creates high budget music videos that essentially show off his wealth and stature in the music industry. He often boasts about his life and how successful he is – his music videos are heavily sponsored, have a lot of product placement and have a lot of high wealth items in.

Task 1 - PurposesQ3 – Describe what is ‘synergy’ is and how it has been used in music videos [min. 3 examples of synergy and convergence] SYNERGY is when two different forms of media combine together (eg. Film and

music), often to promote. Films often ask artists to create the soundtrack to their film to promote the artist, so in return the artist will feature parts of the movie in their music video. Happy by Pharrell Williams was a song created specifically for the film Despicable Me- this is convergence. It was used thoroughly throughout the promotional campaign, in the film and was closely linked, by the public, to despicable me. It gained a lot of popularity and reached number one in the Top 40 UK. This is a key example of synergy because the music video converges with the film, minions are featured and two of the main actors (Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Carrell) are included in the video. Charli XCX created the song Boom Clap specifically for the film The Fault In Our Stars and was featured heavily throughout the ad campaign. Like Happy, it gained a lot of popularity and increased the profile of the artist. Boom Clap is synergy because it features a lot of actual footage from The Fault In Our Stars in the music video. Justin Timberlake created the song Can’t Stop The Feeling as part of the soundtrack for Trolls and to be used in adverts and promotions. Most of the cast for Trolls was in fact singers and celebrities, in fact Justin Timberlake played the main character which meant he was soon related and linked to the film. The music video, which is somewhat similar to that of Happy, converged with Trolls by briefly featuring some trolls in the video and loosely making references to the film.

Task 1 - Purposes

Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Carrell played a character in the film Despicable Me. The music video for Happy referenced the film by including these actors and by having a minion dancing – implying the theme/characters in the film.

Boom Clap includes many references and shots from the film within it’s music video. There are parts of the film included, like the one’s I’ve shown here, which emphasises the fact that this song was made specifically for that film. Also there is a very romantic vibe throughout the video (comical love hearts and hazy tone) which further implies the tone of the film and what it’s about. Throughout the music video, there are occasional references to the film and it loosely resembles to style of Happy by Pharrell Williams. There are some scenes which include the trolls from the actual film. The style and happiness of the music video resembles that of the film.

Task 1 - PurposesQ4 – Branding; select an artist you like and look at how they present themselves in their music videos. Explain what their ‘brand’ is, who it appeals to and why they might have done this. The band I have chosen is Panic! At the Disco (P!ATD), which is now an artist who mainly creates songs of the

rock genre – however they’re a difficult band to pin one specific genre on. Panic! At The Disco used to be a band consisting of 4 members and they were inspired by artists such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Their image and style, which is a quirky rock band, have remained fairly consistent throughout. In their first studio album, only three of the songs have music videos. These videos feature the lead singer, Brendon Urie, quite heavily because he tells the story and lip syncs parts of the songs – however the rest of the band were featured too. Their earlier music videos are usually regarded as quite odd and difficult to decode. In ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’, Brendon is playing the conscience of a groom about to be married. There are lots of close ups of Brendon singing and the camera follows him around for most of the music video. This allows people to link Brendon to the band and this creates their brand. At this point in time, mid 2000s, their fans were mostly young teenage girls who were attracted to the rebellious, ‘edgy’ and ‘emo culture’ that surrounded this particular band. In the early noughties it was a popular theme for music videos to show rebellion, which heavily appealed to young teens. Brendon, at this time, had a stereotypical emo haircut which will have attracted young teenage girls further. However, Panic! At The Disco’s latest album (Death of A Bachelor 2016) is a lot different to their first album. One major difference is that the band now only consists of one main member (three touring members), and this is Brendon Urie. He created the whole album by himself, doing all the vocals, instruments and lyrics. I feel that this changed the bands image slightly, because the bands music videos are a lot more sophisticated and now solely focus around this one member whereas before other band members were in the video in order to represent the band. The original fans of P!ATD have now grown up and the age of the fans has changed slightly because the rebellious image doesn’t appeal as much to the young teens anymore. The main fan base for P!ATD now is mainly older teens and young adults due to the fact that Brendon now explores more different themes and attitudes have shifted – although the rock, emo/edgy and rebellious vibe is still very much part of the bands, brand. Their music videos now tell a stronger story and you’re unable to understand the meaning a lot better. Not all the songs have music videos yet, however two of songs music videos centre around hell and cults – which is part of the reason why the fan base has shifted slightly. In Emperors New Clothes, Brendon Urie falls into what appears to be hell, and turns into the devil throughout the video. In LA Devotee, Brendon Urie plays the role of a cult leader or Satan in the music video. The cult and devil theme is very common throughout the rock genre, which is why the old identity/brand of the band still exists. He appears heavily in all of his latest videos which is what creates the bands new, but similar to the old, identity. Brendon appeals a lot to his fans which is mostly why he plays the main role so often in his videos – to attract and appeal to fans.

Task 1 - Purposes

Task 1 - PurposesQ5 – Compare One Direction and Animal Collective music videos [find them on YouTube!], what can you discern about each act from their videos? What is the main aim? Explain why.

One Direction are a very popular boy band that rose to fame after they formed the band on X Factor. Their music videos have a running theme throughout - they’re about love, women, feature themselves heavily and they are lip syncing the song. However, Animal

Collective’s music videos have a very different theme running throughout – they’re artistic, difficult to decode and don’t feature the band as heavily as One Direction. Because of the

bands experimental status they are not as popular as someone like One Direction, but their videos are a lot more artistic. Their videos are experimental and have a lot more

talent and creativity expressed into them. One Direction’s music videos, for example What Makes You Beautiful, have very clear

meanings and don’t require you to think much about them – they are passive. It is clear from watching What Makes You Beautiful that One Direction are trying to tell a girl how beautiful she is, but she doesn’t listen and won’t realise. Whereas Animal Collective’s

music videos, for example Fireworks, require a lot more thinking into the deeper meaning because the video doesn’t blatantly say what the song means. They use torches to light up the bands face, this may be due to low budget, use animations, effects and lighting effects

in post production in their videos which increases their experimental and artistic status.

Task 1 - PurposesOne thing that is significantly different between One Direction and Animal Collective’s music videos is that One Direction show their faces a lot and Animal Collective don’t. The band members are the centre point

of the music video and they want their audience to focus on them – this appeals heavily to young tween/teenage girls. In the music video for Drag Me Down, they are featured in most of the music video and there are a lot of close ups of their faces. They appear as if they’re singing to the camera or their

audience because the viewpoint is them looking down onto the viewer which makes it seem as if you’re in the audience.

Close Up of singer Close Up of singer

Wide shot of bandAnimal Collective’s music videos are completely different to One Direction’s in some

respects, they focus less on the band and more on the meaning and lyrics of the song. They do appear in their music videos, but they’re usually obscure or appear as

silhouettes – this allows the audience to focus on the music more. Their music videos have a lot more work done in post production to add artistic value to the videos.

Obscure view of band

Represented through silhouettes

Close Up of singer

+Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ1 – Describe and explain the use of camerawork in music videos, i.e. the types of shot used with examples to illustrate this. The most common and popular camera technique is close up camera shots of the artist or

specific points. This particular shot is used because it creates a whole new dynamic for the viewer which allows them to get up close with their favorite artist and allows producers to show viewer what is important in the music video. Close up shots really allow the viewer to see what is going on in the music video and see what is significant. This shot also used to help brand the artist and promote their image to their fans. An example of a music video using lots of close up shots is, One Direction’s music video for ‘What Makes You Beautiful’. When certain singers from the band, are singing in the song, they have a close up on the music video. In the beginning Harry Styles is featured singing to the camera. This technique is used because it’s as if he is singing to his fans – his fans want to see his because they idolise him and it’s as if he is singing live to them. The close up shots are used furthermore for each band member, making sure that they each get ample time on the camera. The music video also features mid shots of the band members and a female. This female is featured quite often in mid shots because she represents the audience. The main audience for One Direction is teenage girls. The girl in the video is who the fans want to be and it allows them to relate to the girl and imagine they are her. This technique is used to show significant aspects of the music video to the viewer which is what the girl is in ‘What Make’s You Beautiful’.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ2 - Describe and explain the use of editing in music videos, i.e. the way in which shots are sequenced, considering the rhythm of the edit and combinations of shots and post-production techniques. One editing technique that professionals use is editing clips to beat of the music. They do this to

enable the music video to match the tone of the music – you wouldn’t edit a music video for a slow song to be fast paced. The beginning of songs tend to have a slower beat because the song builds up tension and the story throughout, this means the editing is slower paced. The faster paced edits tend to be near the end of the song when the drama unfolds and then song has more depth to it. A really good example of fast paced editing is the music video for Phoenix by Fall Out Boy. Most of the music video switches shots on a specific beat; the beat for the song is quite fast paced so the music video needs to match this. The music video centres around a gang trying to capture the band and essentially ‘destroy rock and roll’. So, as you can imagine, the music video needs to be fast paced because there is a lot of action and drama within. The fast ‘cut to the beat’ editing helps tell the story in an exciting way to the viewer because it’ll keep them hooked. Having lots of short shots edited together helps the viewer see more of the story and keeps their attention because they’ll miss a vital plot line.

A good example of slow paced editing is the music video for Madness by Muse. The song has a relatively slow beat, so the music video matches this. Having a slower paced video is essential for a song with a slower beat because it means that the viewer is not overwhelmed and so the video doesn’t look out of place in comparison to the song. However, the song is a very dramatic song so in order to portray this drama subtly in the video, all of the dramatic shots are in slow motion which works really well. Also the lighting is a lot softer and darker in this music video which, again, allows the video to be subtle and not be too much for the slower paced song

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

Phoenix – Fall Out Boy

Fast paced editing was used to edit multiple clips of the same scene together for dramatic effect.

Madness – Muse

Slower paced editing uses longer lengths for shots for the same scene, these shots were about 3-4 seconds long.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ3 - Describe and explain some of the technical developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

A popular editing technique is fast cut montage which has become popular because it creates videos that essentially make viewers want to watch them again in order to understand them. Fast cut montage is basically when a music video is edited to the beat of the music which creates a good pace for the music video. This specific form of editing makes it so viewers have to watch the music video again, and again in order for them to understand it – this increases views and revenue. Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars uses this fast cut montage technique in his music video. The video centres around Bruno Mars and his ‘crew’ lip syncing and dancing to the whole song. There is a strong beat throughout the song which means the music video was able to be cut effectively to the beat. Most, if not all, of the shots and even the movements are synced up to the beat of the song. All of the shots would’ve been filmed whilst the backing track was playing in the background, so in post production the shots could easily be synced up with the specific beats.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

All of these shots were

synchronised perfectly to the beat of the song

which created an

effective and entertaining music video.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ3 - Describe and explain some of the technical developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

Various artists have, in the past, created one take music videos with lack of editing – if any at all. This is when an artist creates a music video which is filmed in one go and is virtually not edited at all. Usually these videos are filmed with drone cams, for fast moving or birds eye shots, or Steadicams, for walking etc. An example of a one take video, filmed with a drone cam is OK Go’s music video for ‘I Won’t Let You Down’. The music video moved around a lot and featured a lots of birds eye shots because the video had girls using umbrellas to create images and patterns. A pre-programmed drone camera would’ve been used to film this video in one take – it would’ve been filmed at a slower pace so it could be sped up in post production. Another one take video that was most likely filmed with a Steadicam was ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ by Taylor Swift. The whole video was filmed more or less in one take with very little editing. The video doesn’t actually cut at all, it flows really well into each different scene – this tells the story better. This type of music video is really entertaining for the viewer because it’s different from the average fast cut montage. This music video has lots of different scenes and it almost flows like a staged play – which it essentially is.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions Drone and Steadicam

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ3 - Describe and explain some of the technical developments in music videos, i.e. in terms of how the music videos are filmed, edited/produced and viewed

There are two types of music videos that are being created, these are representational and non representational. Representational music videos are when the artist is in the music video. The artists are often lip syncing or acting in the music video mainly for fans and to create a public image. Most music videos are representational and this is more so the case in the pop and rock genres because these artists want to portray who they are. An example of a representational music video is Blank Space by Taylor Swift. This music video is telling a story and she is making fun of herself in the video. She is the main character and actor in the video. Non representational is when the artist is not featured in the video at all, use actors as oppose to artist. Non representational music videos tend to more commonly used throughout the indie market and deep house market. This may be because these artists want their fans to focus solely on the lyrics and the story of the song as oppose to trying to sell an image of themselves. These videos are usually artistic and have a story with a strong message told throughout. An example of a non representational music video is Changes by Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau. The artists are not featured and the music video is focused around telling a story. The story takes on the role of an action movie but in a childish manor. This music video allows the viewer to connect more with the meaning of the song and the lyrics because they’re not focusing on the artist, they’re focusing on the song.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

Changes – Non Representational

Blank Space – Representational

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

Q4 – Genre conventions; often music videos adhere to genre conventions within their visual style and production techniques. Select a recognisable genre and use illustrations to explain what their genre conventions are…

HIP HOP is a renowned genre that has a very specific style in the way the artists are presented. These artists are always presented as powerful and wealthy – this is done through the use of expensive items and camera techniques. Usually there are close ups of expensive cars, the singers are wearing a lot of jewellery and there’s usually there’s attractive women who’re sexualised. Common themes throughout hip hop music videos are drugs, gang culture, crime, rebellion/against police, wealth and women. PANDA by DESIIGNER – In the music video for Panda, the artist is playing a criminal whilst lip syncing to the song. He is seen robbing a car which then results in him dealing with quite a lot of gangs. Around his neck are golden chains, which we can only assume were expensive – maybe he acquired them through stealing. The car he is seen driving appears to be sleek and expensive, which is a common asset to the hip hop genre. In this genre, male artists tend to perform to the camera as if they’re interacting with the audience - in this music video, this is very apparent. In a few shots people and the artist himself are seen smoking which links to the common theme of drugs throughout hip hop. Desiigner continuously performs to the camera which makes it seem like the viewer is at one of his concerts. Panda by Desiigner is a classic example of how the hip hop genre is represented in music videos, there is crime, expensive cars and implication of wealth.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

Close Up of artist smoking

Wide Shot of carClose up of artist stealing car

Long shot of artist showing off jewellery

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsPOP MUSIC is another renowned genre which also has a common theme and style running throughout. Music videos for pop songs usually heavily represent the artist and they’re featured a lot – use of close up and lip sync. There is usually a choreographed routine to go with the song or there is a strong storyline which links to the song lyrics. Often the video tends to be bright, upbeat and fast paced which appeals to a large audience, usually young adults and teens – hence the genre name, ‘popular’. The lively and colourful nature of these music videos appeal a lot to teens and young adults because it makes the viewer feel happy and envy the artist. Because the artists are featured so heavily, their appearance is important. They’re often wearing on trend fashion and they always look flawless – this further appeals to fans. In Little Mix’s music video for ‘Hair’, they are always in frame and consistently the centre point of the music video. Fans, mainly teen girls, of Little Mix want to see them in the music videos because they act as idols, which is why in the pop genre, artists are featured a lot in their videos. The girls are wearing fashionable clothing, their hair is styled and their make up is flawless. In some parts of the song the girls perform dance moves and generally move to the beat of the song throughout.

All of the band is featured in one

frame

Girls dancing and performing with the

song

Close up of band member

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

One Direction’s music videos are very similar to Little Mix’s. The band is featured heavily throughout and there are a lot of close up shots of them too.

This is, again, because the audience is mainly young females who are attracted to the band members, so they’ll want to see them in the music videos.

Drag Me Down by One Direction

Ain’t My Fault by Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson is a solo female pop artist who again uses lots of close ups to brand herself. She is featured in her whole video dancing in time to the music

and singing to the camera.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and ConventionsQ5 - John Stuart’s description of the music video “incorporating, raiding and reconstructing” is essentially the essence of intertextuality [something asserted by Andrew Goodwin]. Can you explain what intertexuality is and find some examples of it in music videos? Intertextuality is when there is a visual reference within a music video which derives from different sources of

media. These can be references from cinema, previous music videos and fashion etc. Artists create intertextuality by using props, costumes and editing to represent the source. This is done to allow to the viewer to link the reference to it’s source and create nostalgia for the viewer. However, it is different to synergy because it is not two forms of media working together to promote the other, it is a reference to a pop culture, film, actor or music video. An example of intertextuality is Shania Twain’s music video for ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’. Throughout the whole video Shania Twain is representing and using the same concept as Robert Palmer’s music video for ‘Addicted To Love’. In ‘Addicted For Love’, Robert Palmer is in the front singing, surrounded by emotionless, idealistic/flawless woman playing instruments. This set up is then also used in ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’. Shania Twain, like Robert Palmer, is in the centre singing, surrounded by emotionless, idealistic men playing instruments. The background for both videos is the same except in Shania Twain’s the sky is more red as oppose to orange in Robert Palmer’s. The music videos even start in the same way. They both begin with close ups of the models dancing in time to the song. The whole set up and choreography for both music videos is virtually the same. The singers are performing the song to the audience. Both videos have the models dancing, emotionless to the song whilst playing the instruments. Shania Twain’s music video for ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’ is a perfect example of intertextual references regarding Robert Palmers ‘Addicted To Love’. Another example of intertextuality is Fat Les’ music video for ‘Vindaloo’. The music video is essentially mimicking or mocking the music video for The Verve’s, ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. In both videos, the actor/artist in each video are dressed exactly the same. They’re both wearing a leather black jacket, with a denim jacket underneath, messy curly hair with black loose fitting jeans. Both music videos have the same concept, the artist/actor is walking emotionless through a city whilst lip syncing to the song. They’re pushing people out of the way and have a somewhat, arrogant tone to their appearance/stance. Even the beginning of the song is the same. They both begin with a close up of the actors feet walking and then the camera pans up and shows them coming to a halt at a crossing, which they stand at until the song properly starts. The main difference between the two is that The Verve’s is more serious whereas Fat Les’ is more like a parody which is mimicking The Verves.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

This is a side by side comparison between ‘Addicted To Love’ and ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’. As you can see Shania Twain’s is virtually the same as Robert Palmer’s. The models are placed in exactly

the same positions playing the same instruments with expressionless faces – but they appear flawless and idealistic, The two singers are placed in the centre singing into a microphone on a stand, in front of the models. Even the background is incredibly similar, except one is more red

than the other.

Task 2 – Styles, Techniques and Conventions

This is a side by side comparison of ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ and ‘Vindaloo’, as you can see the artist/actors are dressed the same and the environment is the same in both videos.

+Task 3 – Case Study

+Task 3 – Case Study

For your individual case study you are required to prepare material on a minimum of three music videos.

This should provide discussion on the usage of the following: Purpose of the video [consider the strategy of the artist and

the intention behind the video, remember the core purposes and break this down into the other purposes we discussed] /

Style[s] used Techniques employed Intertextuality Camerawork/editing Genre conventions /

+Task 3 – Case Study

You should include a video link for the video You can include as many illustrative stills as you like Be creative in your approach, it is suggested you use

the heading on the previous slide a guide on how to structure your response to get you started

Remember, make a point, use a specific part of the chosen video as an example, explain yourself and then link to another video where possible

Task 3 – Case StudyBlank Space by Taylor Swift (pop)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg

Taylor Swift made it apparent to her fans and the media, that the intention of Blank Space was to represent the medias depiction of her as a person and her relationships with different men – it also tells a story. Taylor in the video is playing a seemingly harmless and beautiful woman who dates men with the intention of ruining them. She tells them that they’ve been cheating on her and she goes crazy at them. In the video we see her with mascara running down her face, tearing his clothes, smashing his car and generally acting crazy. The video links really well to the lyrics. At one point she says “Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream” which is represented through her seeming innocent but she is actually a nightmare later on in the video.

Blank Space is part of the pop genre and it has a lot of the pop conventions. For example, Taylor Swift in the video looks flawless and has clearly had her hair and make up done professionally. This is because she is in the music video a lot playing the main character – this is a common feature of pop music videos. Most shots of Taylor are close ups or medium shots of the artist singing or acting within the music video. Close ups are used so the artist can be heavily represented and allow the audience to understand who they are – this creates a representational music video. There were various other camerawork techniques used. For example, one main point of the video was to show how grand and expensive the mansion was. To portray this, there are lots of wide shots and long shots to allow the viewer to see the large, luxurious rooms.

In Blank Space there were various editing techniques used to achieve an appealing music video. The technique ‘cut to the beat’ was used to represent the pace of the song, to tell the story further and make it so viewers have to watch it again to understand what was happening. At the start of the song, the story is not dramatic and somewhat dreamy. The clips were edited to be longer and in time to the beat to represent love and how calm the story was. However, in the middle of the song Taylor starts to become crazy and angry at her boyfriend. As the song develops the clips were edited to be shorter, faster paced and slightly irrational to represent the anger and craziness of Taylor. Another editing technique which was used in some parts of the song was slow motion. In the beginning slow motion was used to create a dreamy effect to the song to represent the seemingly ‘perfect’ love.

Task 3 – Case StudyOne of the main points of the song, in the beginning, is to create this ‘perfect’ vision of love. This vision of love has been created successfully using visuals/mise-en-scene and heavy iconography. At the start of the song we see the man pulling up outside Taylor’s mansion dressed in flawlessly in a suit. Taylor is dressed in glamorous dresses and is seen walking down the grand staircase in various scenes. This ‘flawless’ and ‘expensive’ look that they both achieve is to create the dreamy aspect to the song and to portray how the media sees her. Taylor, in the beginning, portrays herself as innocent and harmless. The horse that she rides in the video is pure white to present this innocence. However the red lipstick and black dresses she also wears could be implying she is dangerous – red implies danger However, as she begins to turn crazy the flawless appearance she has starts to turn imperfect and begins carrying out crazy actions. In one scene she is seen with mascara running down her face and clawing at the wall – this implies insanity. To portray the insanity, towards the end of the video, she is seen smashing his car, throwing out his clothes, tearing up pictures and trying to punish him for cheating – these actions are usually linked to petty things that girls would stereotypically do to a man after a break up (further implies the vision that the media has of her).

Task 3 – Case StudyEmperor's New Clothes by Panic! At The Disco (indie/rock)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFF2v8VsaA

The music video for Emperor’s New Clothes is a contrast to one of their previous songs This Is Gospel – the music videos begins where This Is Gospel begins. This Is Gospel is about fighting for the ability to love, whereas Emperors New Clothes is about the desire for wealth and power – each video represents a different side to a person. The music video shows Brendon Urie appearing to be entering heaven but then he drops through to hell and begins turning into the Devil. The lyrics “if it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine” and “I see what's mine and take it” represents the greed that people can have and the desire for wealth. The lyrics ,“lavish mansions, vintage wines” and “I am so much more than royal”, represent the desire for wealth.

Emperors New Clothes is part of the indie/alternative genre and many parts of the music video represent this genre. A common theme of indie music videos is for the video to have a strong narrative which tells a story through videos which link to the lyrics. The story that is told throughout this video is Brendon turning from this person searching for the ability to love, to a greedy and arrogant devil. This is done to make people want to watch more than once and to hold peoples attention better. However, Panic! At The Disco is renowned for being a rock band so there are quite a lot of conventions from the rock genre within the music video. Rock is often associated with the devil, rebellion and quite demonic aspects – which is portrayed throughout Emperors New Clothes. The whole concept of the music video links really well within the rock genre because Brendon is turning into a demon, in hell. The video has a very grungy, creepy theme to it. The floor is dirty and muddy, there is fog surrounding Brendon and there are skeletons placed around the place. These aspects further convey the rock rock genre and link with the theme of the video.

Task 3 – Case StudyEmperors New Clothes has a very significant style to it and was filmed in a specific way. The music video is very jittery and moves around a lot, which creates this significant style and presents a satanic and crazy theme to the song. In order to achieve this, the music video was filmed at 12 frames per second with the soundtrack being played at half the speed whilst filming. Later on in post production, when editing, the clips would have been sped up to match the pace of the sound track which creates this jittery/jumpy appearance in the video.

The camera work in the video is quite consistent throughout the video. The camera follows Brendon around in a circular motion zooming in and out throughout. This technique makes it appear as if the whole video was filmed in one take because it never flips in between angles, it moves into the angles whilst following the centre point (which is Brendon).The way in which the camera follows him around in a seemingly singular take only adds to the transformation of Brendon. This is because it makes it seem like it all happened so fast to create a dramatic effect. There are close ups of Brendon singing, which then flow into him looking around the place confused and scared, but still singing. As he transforms further the camera movements become quicker and more frequent to represent how hungry for wealth and power he is. Whereas in the beginning the camera moves slower to represent fear and confusion.

In the beginning of the video, Brendon appears and acts totally differently to how he does in the end. At the beginning he is cautious and wary or where he is and what is happening. His stance is closed because is on the ground looking at his hand in fear as he it turns grey and stone like. This continues until he is halfway through his transformation and he starts to take a more confident approach. He is standing up in a powerful stance to imply power, then he looks at the camera with an evil facial expression as he brags about “lavish mansions and vintage wines”. This portrays the greed aspect of the song and the video. At the end of the video when he has fully transformed, Brendon represents full and total power through visuals and his stance. He is shown with a cloud of mist in front and behind him, with light beaming from behind to create a powerful and ‘godlike’ appearance. This part of the video was filmed with the soundtrack going a double the speed to create a dreamy, almost slow motion effect. This was done to create a better effect as his clothing is flows, the light moves and as the fog moves – it further implies the power and godlike appearance.

Task 3 – Case Study

In this screenshot from the beginning of the song we seen a very confused and scared Brendon as he begins to see his transformation.

However, as the song develops he begins to become used to the idea of his transformation and begins to admire who he is becoming.

This part of the song is where Brendon starts to act satanic and his power and greed show through. He is almost fully transformed by this point so it is evident why his personality changed – he begins to look evil.

In the final scene, we see Brendon fully transformed into the devil. To create the godly and powerful effect backlights, ash and smoke was used to create a dreamy and mysterious, yet powerful demon.

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Task 3 – Case StudyDollhouse by Melanie Martinez (alternative rock)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcVv9R1ZR84

Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez has a very strong meaning behind the song which is portrayed heavily through the lyrics and the music video linking to her life. The whole story is about a dysfunctional family but on the outside they appear ‘picture perfect’. This concept is portrayed through a dollhouse; when children play with dolls they look perfect and always have perfect lives. However, ‘Dollhouse’ represents the harsh reality of this and how people hide behind curtains. There are three strong line which presents this theme is “Everyone thinks that we’re perfect, please don’t let them look through the curtains”, “Places, places, get in your places. Throw on your dress and put on your doll faces” and “Picture, picture, smile for the picture.”. These lines represent how families can appear perfect on the outside, however when you really see what goes on behind closed doors you see how messed up families can be – people hide behind curtains and pictures. In the video, the mum is an alcoholic (“look at my mum, she’s got it going on. Ha! You’re blinded by her jewellery” and “when you turn your back, she pulls out a flask”), the dad is a repeat adultery (“mom please wake up, dads with a slut”), and the son is a drug addict (“and your son is smoking cannabis”). Melanie plays the daughter in the music video and she is able to see how dysfunctional her family is and tries to tell them, but they won’t listen (“no one ever listens” and “I see things that nobody else sees”).

The genre of Dollhouse is alternative/indie which is presented throughout the music video. A strong convention of the indie genre is a strong narrative or strong storyline. This music video tells a strong story about a seemingly perfect, dysfunctional family which makes the viewer want to watch again. The video delivers a powerful message to the viewer which is another convention of the indie genre. However, the music video fits into the alternative genre too because it is fairly strange and artistic, which again is a convention of the indie and alternative genre. All the characters are dressed in an over exaggerated fashion and there is a dark/strange theme running throughout.

Task 3 – Case StudyThe camerawork for this video uses close ups of the artist to portray her and further imply the meaning to the song – these are edited to the beat of the song. Melanie is the main character is the video, she tells the story of her family to the viewer whilst appearing slightly sadistic and psychotic. This psychotic, eerie tone she has, is created because she is telling a sad story but she has a slight smirk on her face. The video features many of her lip syncing clips as close ups to present this eerie tone to the viewer and to narrate the story further. When Melanie is describing her ‘messed up’ family to the viewer, the camera pans round the subject and then there is a close up of said item. For example, when Melanie is explaining how her mum is an alcoholic, there is a shot of her mum laid of the sofa passed out with a bottle in her hand, the camera angle is then a close up of the bottle to really imply the message of the song.

In this music video there is lots of iconography and mise-en-scene used to portray the message and to link with the lyrics. Throughout the whole video, the video links to the lyrics perfectly through visuals. When Melanie sings the chorus about the family lining up for the picture, the family moves into a position to be photographed. Their clothing and hair is flawless and their skin has a shimmer to it to represent their perfection, which they want to portray to everyone. Shimmer and glitter often portray happiness and perfection which is why it is used on the skin in this video. A flawless appearance often implies that you are a well put together and perfect person, however people often hide behind this because who they really are is the opposite. This concept links to these rich and ‘perfect’ families that had a reputation to uphold throughout most of the last century and if people found out the truth, you were frowned upon. People in the 1930s to 1950s had a constant reminder of what the idealistic family is and you had to match that family ideal because it was displayed on posters and commercials. Dollhouse links to that family ideal because her family appears to be that perfect, idealistic family but they’re the opposite.