Introduction:
We decided to analyse different music videos to identify similarities within our own music video. This also gave my group and I some new ideas that we could use to develop our idea making it more successful. We also decided to analyse videos by looking at three main factors including, content and visual style, content and visual style of the video and artist representation. This is to find similar to the videos that had these particular factors, we had to analyse the various music videos from these various genres.
Content Analysis
Video 1: Sia - Elastic Heart
Analysing this particular music video was interesting as the visuals and content of the video was unique and different to most mainstream music videos.
Themes Apparent: The particular themes that were explicitly evident to me included isolation, struggle, connection and escape. These themes also supported the particular narrative of the music video.
Lighting and Colour: There was natural lighting throughout, top lighting as well as back lighting with no added colours as I believe the artist wanted to keep a natural and innocent tone to it. Furthermore, the natural lighting makes it more realistic as the top lighting adds to the personalities of the characters that are caring and innocent to each other.
Body Language and Facial Expression of the Characters: The two characters have flexible bodies in addition to their body language throughout bend and dance to the music. This is followed by their neutral facial expressions in the beginning in which then turns into an aggressive facial expression. This creates suspense and tension for the audience especially if the narrative is not as clear to them.
Setting: The setting is a white empty white room with a large cage in the middle. This is where the two characters dance inside. The us of the cage represents imprisonment.
Iconography: Iconography in the music video includes the cage to illustrate the how the two characters that may feel trapped and the bandages the male character has wrapped around his hands to portray his struggle.
Character Representation: The characters are represented unconventionally as they are perceived by the audiences as dirty with no emotions. Instead they express their emotions through dancing as their form of communication. Characters like this are not usually mainstream and therefore, this music video is more likely to be targeted towards a niche audience.
Artist Representation: This is not evident in the music video as the artist is not present.
Editing: There was slow editing used in the beginning of the music video and fast editing gradually used towards the end of the music video. This accompanies what the characters feel within the narrative as the type of editing is used to empathise their emotions. First calm and non-expressive and then aggression.
Use of Camera Work: Panning shots are used throughout the music video to capture shots around the cage. Establishing shots were also used to allow the audience understand the type of setting the characters were in and extreme long shots and long shots were used to capture the characters when they dance together.
After analysing this music video, we identified some similarities that we also may use in our music video such as the type of editing they used to portray their emotions within the music video without any words. Moreover, this will create some type of suspense for the audience. We wanted to keep our music video clean and simple like this to keep a natural tone to it.
Artist Representation
Video 2: A$AP Rocky - L$D (LOVE, $EX, DREAMS)
Whilst analysing this music video, the bright colours and creative editing really captured my attention. Although this type of complex editing was no what I had in mind, A$AP Rocky is very similar to the artist Post Malone which makes sense why their artist representation may be similar in many ways. Originally coming from a lower class background, they portray a stereotypical individual who may be from this particular background and therefore they both may have similar morals and values.
Body Language and Facial Expression of the Artist: The artist has a neutral face throughout the music video with a calm and relaxed type of body language. This mellow type of vibe we get from him is contrasted between the creative editing and vibrant colours used throughout the music video. This is also contrasted from when he is performing, lip syncing to his song. This is when he becomes a little more active.
Costume, hair and makeup: His clothes tend to follow mainstream fashion as he has different types of outfits throughout the music video. It goes from black and white or bright colours and geometric patterns on his tee.
Interaction with Others: In this music video, he has a female companion with him which looks like they have an emotional relationship together. They accompany each other throughout the music video until the end where she disappears.
Camera work: There are many crane and panning shots that follow the artist around which is also accompanied with complex editing which gives it a trippy feel to it. There are also close-up shots of him and medium shots of him when he is with the female character.
From this analysis and from the title of the song, the music video is meant to portray an LSD trip. This is supported by the colourful edits and camera shots shown in the music video. The narrative also predominantly focuses on him and his female companion and from the title reads 'Love and Sex' which may inform the audience what that female character was to him. The similarities I found with this artist and the artist that I have chosen for my own music video is that they have similar themes within their music video that focuses on the opposite sex, money and drugs.
Structure and Artist Representation
Video 3: The Weeknd ft. Future - Low Life
Analysing this music video, the particular structure and the character representation used within this music video was similar to how I wanted my music video which was why I was interested in it.
Performance: The performance in this music video was mainly the artist performing the song. There wasn't much any other performing within the music video, this is how I want my music video. With very few things to distract the audience from the artists.
Concept/ Abstract Ideas: The artists are lip-syncing to their song with other female characters that are standing in the background to attract more audiences.
Narrative within the video: There isn't a narrative as the concept is based on performance.
Conclusion
Overall, I will be taking these ideas from these music videos. I will do this through the same use of dark coloured clothing with high and low-key lighting. This evokes suspense from the audience. Similarly to these music videos, this is what I want to achieve within my music video. This has helped me on how I can achieve a successful music video looking into some music videos that have similar factors that I want to include.
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