A music video is typically a short film which includes a song and imagery combined with each other. When produced, this creates a music video. Music videos are produced for promotional or artistic purposes. They are normally created to market the artist as they intend on getting many views on different forms of technology such as, computer and televison.
Camerawork
Camera movement, angles and shot distance all need to be analysed when creating a music video as they will have a significant impact upon the meaning. Camera movement will normally accompany the movement of the performers when they are walking or dancing etc, but it may also be used to create a dynamic feel to the stage performance e.g. circling the band as they perform on the stage. Close up shots dominates the screen due to the size of the screen and because of the desire to create a sense of intimacy for the viewer. Lip synching is typically used within music videos and the close up shots like to emphasise this.
Editing
The most common form of editing associated with music videos is the fast cut montage which reders many images which are impossible to grasp on the first viewing so that is ensures multiple views. There are some music videos which use slow paced transitions to establish a mood. This is apparent in music videos for female solo artists with a broad audience. Editing is normally enhanced with digital effects because they play on the original images to offer different expereinces for the audience. Split screens, colourisations and CGI are all examples of this.
Camera Movement
The movement of the camera tends to follow the artist or dancers. If there are people walking in the video the camera movement is likely to follow them. Camera movements which are used within music videos are pans, tilts, crane shots and tracking shots. They all manage to create a different atmosphere which is suitable for the theme of the music video.
Mise en Scene
Mise en scene includes the costumes, location and the props used within the music video. The costume of the artists are very important in a music video as they should be suitable towards the theme of either the performance or narrative. If a performance is being filmed then the costume is likely to be something which is seen to be fashionable or something that you would expect to see them in when they are in the public eye. If a narrative is being filmed the costume is most likely going to be something that fits in with the theme of the song. You could expect to see some costume changes which would be realistic depending on what is happening within the short film. When filming a music video, the location is very important if you want to get the correct vibe. For example, if you were to be filming a drum and bass song about clubbing it would be inappropriate to film in a park. Finally, the props which are used should have something to do with the lyrics or vibe within the song. Props can definitely help a song be portrayed correctly, especially if there is a hidden message within the artists lyrics.
Lighting
Some music videos decide to use black and white effects to portray a mood or emotion throughout the video. Artificial lighting can also be used to make the artists look a particular way.
Voyeurism
"The idea of voyeurism comes from Freud and refers to the idea of looking to gain sexual pleasure. It has been said that the male viewer's gaze at the screen is geared to notions of voyeurism in that it is a powerful controlling gaze at the objectified female on screen. In music promos, as we have seen, the female on screen has been a staple element through the Scopitones to Duran Duran and beyond. Goodwin argues that the female performer will frequently be objectified in this fashion, often through a combination of camerawork and editing with fragmented body shots emphasising a sexualised treatment of the star. In male performance videos too the idea of voyeuristic treatment of the female body is apparent with the use of dancers as adornments flattering the male star ego." (Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video (BFI 2004))
Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyonce is a good example of voyeruism. Lady Gaga is dancing around the prison in her underwear and when in her cell she is covered in caution tape but only over her intimate areas. When in the car Beyonce is wearing a bra top which shows a lot of cleavage. This would create the powerful controlling gaze at the female.
Performance or Narrative Based
'Often, music videos will cut between a narrative and a perfomance of the song by the band. Additionally, a carefully choreographed dance might be a part of the artist's perfomance or an extra aspect of the video designed to aid visualisation and the 'repeatability' factor. Sometimes, the artist (especially the singer) will be a part of the story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time.' Stever Archer 2004.
The mise-en-scene may be used as a guarantee of what Simon Frith terms ‘authenticity’ as in the stage performance/use of a rehearsal room by a band whose musical virtuosity is their main selling point. It can be important to a narrative-based video to establish setting and relationship to existing film or televisual genres. Equally it may be used as part of the voyeuristic context by suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure, such as a sleazy nightclub or boudoir. Or finally, as John Stewart suggests, it may be used to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle for the audience, as in the current dominance of a futuristic look with emphasis on the latest gadgetry. (Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video (BFI 2004))
Ed Sheeran - Lego House is an example of a narrative music video. The video's narrative displays Grint developing through a mental breakdown, ending with Sheeran and Grint meeting as Grint is forcibly removed from a music venue and Sheeran comes out of an elevator. Source.
The song's accompanying music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas and presents Rihanna's relationship with her boyfriend as being like a drug and how their addiction to each other results in the singer leaving her boyfriend because of his possessive nature. Source.
Rihanna's 'We Found Love' is a good example of the singer acting as the narrator and participant at the same time. She lip-syncs the song on her own in parts of the music video and then in others she is acting with her on-screen boyfriend trying to explain their relationship and how unhealthy it is.
Beyonce's 1+1 music video is an example of a performance music video. The song's video features close-up shots of Knowles and incorporates psychedelic light effects and symmetrical filming photography. Source.
Star Image
Richard Dyer noted "a star is an image constructed from a range of materials" (Richard Dyer 1979). For pop music the materials include the songs (their lyrical themes and musical structures/genres), the record covers (singles and albums and the image of the star they present), media coverage (from interviews about career and private life through to tabloid gossip), live performance (the image through the stage show) and arguably most significantly the music videos, which may draw upon the image presented in all of the other aspects.
Intertextuality
The music video is often described as 'postmodern' which is a slippery term sometimes used as a substitute for intertextuality. If we see music promos as frequently drawing upon existing texts in order to spark recognition in the audience then we have a working definition of 'intertextuality'. John Stewart suspects that the influence of video games will predominate for the younger audience with the more plasticised look of characters emerging (as seen in Robbie Williams' 'Let Love be your Energy' and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Californication'). His description of the music video "incorporating, raiding and reconstructing" is essentially the essence of intertextuality, using something with which the audience may be familiar to generate both potentially nostalgic associations and new meanings.
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