Music Video re-submissions and additons

Task one part 2

How has editing techniques on music videos developed over time?
When music videos started out, they were used mainly as a vehicle to help sell an album, without upstaging the song. Now days this has changed, with artists creating videos to make a name for themselves. This is helped by huge technological advances in editing software and techniques.

For example:
Using more close ups instead of wide shots. This gives the video a larger impact, and makes the film more visually impressive. This gives much more detail, and dilutes the sense of time and place for the viewer.

Expensive animation. This helps to give the footage a more real feel as opposed to cheap or low budget inserts that were previously used. This wasn't really used before, as the purpose of a music video is different now as to what it previously was.

Making the place and time blur. This is achieved by not following the common codes and conventions that one may see in normal dramas, ie wide shot, mid shot, close up. This is now thought of as okay as music videos are less important than drama.

In Camera Editing - This is the technique of shooting film in the exact sequence you want it to appear on screen. This is also done without any other editing software apart from the camera itself (ie - shoot film, cut, shoot film).

Multiple points of view ( MPoV's) - This is a technique used commonly in documentaries, to show a selection of peoples opinions or points of view, normally at a large event such as a war



How do the following apply to music videos?
- Story telling - The main principle of story telling is to engage the viewer in an active way, providing what they want in an engaging maner.

Lecturer feedback - areas for improvement

No evidence provided that you have completed Task One Part 2. 15.1NYA Please refer to part two of Task One of your Assignment Brief.


You have outlined some of the main purposes music videos referring to two good examples. 28.1P In order to achieve 28.1M, you need to explain the purpose of music videos in much more detail. We know that bands make videos to make money, but how does this happen? Why else might they make videos? What is synergy between media industries?

You have described the styles, conventions and techniques of three music videos (although not from very different genres) using some subject terminology. 28.2P In order to a achieve a Merit, you need explain the styles, conventions and techniques employed in such a way as to show how or why they are used with reference to appropriate examples. It would help you if you chose videos from very different types of genres so that it will be much more clear to you the differences in conventions and techniques (for example - country/classical/pop...)

Textual Analysis of music video - Milkshake by Kelis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2SZPb7UUtc&feature=related

Narrative - Milkshake, by kelis depicts a young woman in diner - singing, and dancing along to the song. Amoungst other things within the video she appears to be attrackting more customers, drawn to her 'milkshake'. We know that the milkshake refers to her breasts, because numerous clips within the video show her scantily clothed, or pairs - such as cherries, bagels, shakes and fried eggs.

Settings - In the street, outside the diner - in the front of house and in the kitchen.

Camera angles/shot types - (start to finish) - establishing wide shot, close up, ECU, MCU, handheld camera, tilt, pan shot, two shot.

Character presentation/costume/make up - Kelis and dancers - little clothing, showing of her assets, heavily made up to give a dominatrix look. Background people (other customer and kitchen staff) normally dressed and made up.

Soundtrack - To begin with, whilst kelis is approaching the diner we are able to hear the diegetic sound of life on the streets, when she entres the diner, the song begins.

Editing - Small amounts of editing applied to give the video a faster feel to match the pace of the music. No other apparant effect applied.

Textual Analysis of music video - Fu*k the pain away by Peaches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXiFuU7X_Fo

Narrative - From what i observed, i saw no apparent narrative. The video takes place in a police station possibly in the 1960's, in black and white - with Peaches singing to the lyrics in the cells in the station, and with the officers.

Settings - Police station - inside and outside cells.

Camera angels - Majority of shots are mid shots, with a few close ups.

Character presentations/costume/make up - Police officers dressed in a typical khaki uniform, small boy dressed smartly, Peaches is dressed in a sexy casual outfit with light make up and no outstanding features.

Soundtrack - to begin with, before the song has started to play we are able to hear sirens from the police cars which are on screen - then when the song begins this is all we can hear.

Editing - Black and white effects applied.

Textual analysis of music video - Telephone, By Lady Gaga ft Beyonce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U

Narrative - The video for telephone, has a fairly simple narrative. Lady Gaga is put in prison, for an un-known crime, and is contacted by phone. She is then bailed out by beyonce, and the two drive in a yellow truck to a roadside cafe. Beyonce talks to a man who we can presume is an ex-lover and then poisons him whilst he is away from his coffee. Lady Gaga who is the chef of the cafe has put poison in every ones food and drink, a massacre is caused with everyone dying. Lady Gaga and Beyonce then leave the scene of the crime and flee from the police.

Settings - Prison - inside - cells, cantine, offices. Outside - Yard, front of prison/Inside the cockpit of the truck/cafe - front of house and kitchens/by the truck in the desert.

Lighting - Indoors is very much un-natural high key lighting - bright white. Outdoors - has a more natural feel, however doesn't feel 100% real.

Camera angles/shot sizes/camera movements -to begin with the majority of shots are establishing mid shots. This helps to set the scene. As the music pics up though, a larger amount of wide and close ups are used with very fast editing. Other shots that i noticed are as follows - ECU/MCU/extreme wide and long shots.

Character presentations - As lady gaga has a reputation for her dress sense, and make up it is natural that she should follow this theme in her videos. With outrageous or no clothes on she always follows the dress code of the unexpected. She is presented with yellow hair, and brash make up from the start.

Soundtrack - Telephone follows an un usual format for the music video, featuring more speech than vocals making the video 10 minutes long! The soundtrack we hear is a theatrical performance, almost like a musical as the characters break into song with no warning. Despite this the effect that we get from the video is one that is quite like no other, with feeling that you would get after watching a theatrical performance as opposed to a music video.

Editing - Slow at the start of the song, speeds up towards the end, when the pace picks up. No noticeable special effects.

Task 1 - Why do bands make music videos?

Commonly, music videos are made by the band to accompany a certain song. This piece of film is then used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of the record. Music videos often become more widely known than the song they are promoting, with artists such as Lady Gaga creating a name for herself in the industry from her wild and outlandish music videos, or 'films' as Gaga refers to them, with her music video for telephone ft. Beyonce contains opening and closing credits, an enormous amount of speech with very little vocals and product placements. All of this helps to make the video over 10 minutes long, despite the fact that actual song only lasts 3 minutes 41 seconds!

Music videos like this generate an enormous amount of profit - so, why wouldn't a band make a music video? They are costly to make, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds sometimes, require a lot of patience, and a highly skilled team consisting of set designers, make up artists, studio and sound crews and many more. These difficulty's rarely prevent an artist from recording a video, purely as the profits and publicity can make them un like anything they were before.