As part of my initial research I'm going to analyse a number of existing music videos from the same genre as the song I intend to create my music video for (indie/acoustic). This initial analysis will help me create some ideas for my own music video whilst also enabling me to gather a range of conventions that I will be able to apply to my own music video during the planning stages of my video as well as the actual filming of the video.
Newton Faulkner - Gone In The Morning
The start of the 'Gone In the Morning' video features a very small introduction of only 4 seconds long but this sets the frame for the rest of the video of the jigsaw board which holds all of the scenes for the video. Although the frame of the board or the table where the board sits changes throughout the video, the wooden jigsaw tray doesn't change however, parts of the jigsaw are taken away and rebuilt, revealing a different video clip each time. The jigsaw pieces are a unique transition style that allows the scenes/short video clips to change in a different way to what they usually do on music videos, setting the video aside from other similar media productions. As the jigsaw is taken away and rebuilt, a new scene is displayed on the wooden tray, each of which are representations of the song lyrics. For example when Newton Faulkner sings 'I'm gunna grow myself a giant Afro' the jigsaw that is built shows a black and white image of a woman with an Afro. Although this seems obvious and not a very imaginative or creative way of displaying the lyrics in the video, they are all very straight to the point and slightly and unusual video clips which is suitable for this particular song because of its unconventional and comical lyrics. The clips change between similar clips and of Newton Faulkner performing his song live from the top of a building in a city. The contrast allows the viewer to see the song being performed as well as the other clips meaning the transition between clips is quick paced and reflects the upbeat tempo of the song. As the jigsaw changes, the surface that the wooden tray is sitting on (acting as a frame) also changes between four different settings. The first setting that holds the introduction as well as the first lot of video clips is the quite formal with a green leather topped table and light which is followed by a checkered breakfast table, a wooden table with record sleeves below, a mechanics bench and an aeroplane. The different settings and different hands changing the jigsaw pieces offer a representation for different people and give different people something to recognise or relate to, meaning the music video will appeal to a wide audience.
Paolo Nutini - New Shoes
Similarly to the Newton Faulkner video, the Paolo Nutini - New Shoes video also features a small introduction to the video before the song begins to play. However, the Paolo Nutini video introduction has a slight twist and it actually a cartoon clip rather than a real life videoed clip. The cartoon virtually walks down the street and up into the upstairs window of a house where the video then flicks to 'real life' where the song instantly begins. Before Paolo Nutini begins singing the song is introduced with vintage 70's style writing of the song name followed by 'staring Paolo Nutini'. The cartoon introduction is unusual for a music video and automatically setting the scene for the rest of the video and creating a fun and upbeat style which then reflects the rest of the song. As soon as the song starts, the lyrics are being acted out by Paolo Nutini himself. For example as the first line goes 'Woke up cold one tuesday', the video shows him waking up and getting out of bed. Similarly, later on the words 'Woke up late one Thursday' with a similar clip of him getting out of bed and the words 'I made my way to the kitchen but had to stop from the shock of what I found' accompanied by the video clip of him doing exactly that. Paolo Nutini continues to act out the lyrics all through the song which allows the viewer to see and hear the song like a short film or story giving an extra imagery dimension. Throughout the rest of the song, the video continues to follow the artist through different scenes depending on the lyrics. Although the different scenes are always changing, the artists face stays central and continues to sing the song to the camera. This direst address throughout allows people to feel like the song/story is being told to them word by word keeping their interest throughout whilst also making it feel slightly more personal. The transition between different scenes and therefore different parts of the 'story' is quite quick with them flicking every few seconds, this is again a reflection of the upbeat tempo of the song making it look professional whilst keeping the viewer interested.
Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds
Unlike the Paolo Nutini and the Newton Faulkner video, the Mumford and Sons - Winter Winds song doesn't feature an introduction to the video the song simply starts as the video does. However the video does feature a number of different clips together making up the music video. the majority of the clips are in slow motion which at first, reflects the songs lyrics as well as its general theme. The different clips flick between the band running out of a forest and down the road whilst their all singing the lyrics of the song as well as some different and mysterious scenes of someone walking through a cornfield with a low camera angle following their legs and arms which makes the clips seem mysterious and provokes curiosity from the viewer, trying to encourage them to watch more of the video. However, as the song goes on the clips begin to change and start to include a number of clips that appear to have been taken on the band tour or something similar because they seem very natural and happy which also goes with the change in tempo as the song goes on. These clips appeal to the viewer more because they are very positive and show the band as themselves rather than a staged video, making them feel more like 'normal people'. A number of those clips were of the band performing live, featuring a number of close ups of different instruments and people singing which lets the audience know how important the music is to them. The music video begins to build tension and excitement as the song goes on with quicker transitions between music clips as well as a quicker tempo until the song finally comes to an end with a final drum beat, the band stop running down the road and suddenly stop, exhausted which continues for a number of seconds after the song has stopped. Throughout the video, the clips are often of natural colours and dull colours which reflects the folk music genre and colours that would stereotypically be associated with the genre.
Damien Rice - 9 Crimes
Unlike the Mumford and sons music video, the Damien Rice - 9 Crimes video begins with a 10 second introduction with no music, the only sounds that can be heard are the background city noises as the video follows round to a rubbish point. Although the long introduction might have caused viewers to lose interest in the music video, 9 Crimes shocks people as the clip turns to a head on the ground beside the bins. The sinister and shocking clip automatically provoke curiosity and make the viewer want to watch on to see what the video is about. The following clip then shows a woman's mouth singing the lyrics, the simplicity of the clip makes people subconsciously listen to the lyrics because their attention is not distracted by anything else. After this, the clip flicks to the artist walking past the bins, looking for the woman's head we presume, which again provokes curiosity making the viewers continue to watch. The following clips follow the artist reaching for the head attached to a string like a balloon which symbolises the feeling of losing someone and not having control. Throughout the rest of the video Damien Rice walks down streets holding the balloon and continues sing the words as he walks. Although the video clip is unusual and hard to understand, peoples desire to understand the clip and its bizarre content, encourages them to keep watching the video which is the preliminary aim of the production therefore making is successful. Similarly to other music videos, the songs themes are reflected by the way the video moves, the colours that are generally used and the body language of the actors. For example, the colours in the music video are washed out and the transition between clips is slow. As well as that, the movement in the clips has been slowed down. The slow movements throughout the music video are well suited to the music genre, the slow instrumental music and the song lyrics making the music video look professional and also presenting the lyrics and their feelings to the audience.
Imelda May - Kentish Town
Imelda May - Kentish Town Waltz begins with two different clips, the first of the clips started of the song with a black and white close up of the guitar player beginning of the instrumental and secondly of a busy street in a town. The transition between the two different clips was quite slow allowing the audience to see each clip properly. As the song goes on, the screen splits into two sections, once showing scenes of the town and the other of the song being performed by the artist, Imelda May. The split screen allows the audience to have both views rather than one or the other whereas the clips of the town which some would consider to be the worse areas of the town are places that people would recognise and relate too making the video appeal to a wide audience. Although the screen is split, the clips often changed sides which offered a different view and managed to make the video different and ensure its not boring for the viewer to watch. Another aspect of the video that makes the more interesting and appealing for the audience is the different transitions between clips. For example, as a bus goes by on one of the clips, another clip is revealed behind. The different transitions make the video look professional as well as keep the viewer interested in the video as well as the song. Throughout the first couple of minutes for the video, the clips are in black and white which I think goes well with the music genre. Its not until Imelda May goes to perform the song live at the arena that the clips become colour. This could also be a reflection of the lyrics for example as the lyrics are more negative and sad, the clips are black and white whereas when the song picks up and the lyrics become slightly more positive. Another aspect of the video that makes it look very professional as well as aesthetically pleasing is a change in depth of field whilst the artist is performing, flicking between the band and herself or in the town where they may focus on a person then to the scenery in the background. I particularly like this feature and think it goes well with the theme of the song. As the song ends, the video continues for an extra 10 seconds as the band and the audience take a bow to their live audience which makes the viewer feel as though they were at the concert, making them feel part of the video and the experience which will appeal to the viewers and encourage them to watch the video again or share the video. the longer outro allows the song to end properly without their being any sudden interruptions which again is relevant to the fact that the song is quite slow. Similarly to the other slower music videos, the last clips and the outro are in slow motion which again contributes to the themes of the video as well as the feelings that the artist wants to present to the viewer.
Summary/Conventions
- The speed of the song and the lyrics are factors that influence the way the music video is presented including the transitions between clips, the colour schemes and the type of clip shown.
- A number of the music videos show the artist performing live
- Some of the videos show the artist acting the lyrics to the audience whereas some of them feature more natural scenes of themselves or their bands
- The majority of the videos feature an introduction where the video is playing before the song or instrumental has started.
- A number of the videos also contain an outro which lets the song finish whilst the video continues. (this is more common in the slower songs)
- Focus pull/change in depth of field is common in the music videos usually between the artist and the scenery
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