2. Performance
A music video is designed to promote the album and the artist. To do this successfully they must
enhance how audiences receive their music.
Authenticity is a big part of this. I used lip syncing to show this as it is a key concept of music
videos. Because I used a band in my video, I also had to make sure that the instrument playing
was accurate so it looked authentic. To do this I asked people who I knew could play the
instruments to participate.
For the times in the video when the instruments weren’t perfectly accurate, I added the doodles
as a distraction.
The fact I used performance in my video reinforces the stereotype.
3. Narrative/concept
The narrative for this video is about a past relationship which has failed and the male lead. Who
is also the singer in the band, is reminiscing on how good it was.
I think these characters are well introduced and their relationship clearly develops to the climax of
the song where the tone of the music changes. By the end of the song there is no resolution to
their relationship and the singer is seen to get upset and frustrated.
The concept of the video is reinforced by the imagery, mise-en-scene and post production, this is
a concept used in many music videos.
4. Camera shots
A range of shots is used to emphasise the artist and the location. Whilst filming the band scenes I
had multiple cameras set up on tripods to film it from different angles. I have a range from low
angle, birds eye view and close ups. This all contributes to the aesthetics of the video.
This is my shot list:
5. Costume and props
This is the costume and props list which I used for my video.
In some aspects of the video I tried to use Laura Mulvey’s idea of the ’male gaze’, this includes
dressing the female lead in a skirt. However, to contrast this she also wore a denim jacket and
trainers. The two women in the band are wearing jeans alongside the men and this challenges
the existing stereotypes of women.
Their costumes do stick the the conventions of the ‘indie’ genre, with black skinny jeans,
patterned shirts and graphic tees.
6. Doodles
The doodles in my video and the other ancillary products, are original to my work and are
exciting as its not something that is used often. This effect enhances the repeatability of my
video.
Paramore’s ‘Hard Times’ video had come out just before I started planning my video and so the
doodles integrated in the video was an idea I had early on in the planning stage. I watched many
tutorials on how I could do this before I started so that I was prepared for the editing.
I added the doodles in by taking screenshots of each frame and drawing on them using the paint
app.
7. Changes of speed
A convention of music videos tends to be slowed down footage next to footage at its original
speed. I challenged this by using a less conventional method of adding small clips of sped up
footage throughout.
This adds to the upbeat feel of the song and the video.
When the tone of the song changes and gets more ‘moody’, the footage follows suit and isn’t as
positive as it was.
Another way I have altered the speed is by adding jump cuts into long footage. An example of
this is when the two characters are walking near the beginning. The idea is there but is
unnecessary to have a long amount of time watching them walk.
8. Montage editing
Although I didn’t use this much in my video, there are two sections where I do and it is quite
commonly seen in music videos. This is a good way of showing parts of the narrative which I
can’t fit in to the rest of the video. This does tend to be used to show relationships and so I did
too.
9. Grain of Voice
Because I have the lead singer, and other band member, singing there is a lot of addressing the
camera and breaking the fourth wall. This is so the song seems more personal and involving to
the audience.
Elliot is the lead role in the video and so because of this has the most camera time. He is in the
foreground of the band and also in the narrative part. This relates to Roland Barthes’ ’grain of
voice’ theory where the lead singers voice is like an instrument as so they become more
significant than the other members.
By placing Elliot in the front of the photos used on the digi pack and advert, this too reinforces
this theory.
10. Male Gaze
As discussed before, I both reinforced and challenged this theory. Jade, the female character,
does wear a skirt and there are shots of her walking away where she is almost flirting with the
camera. However, to subvert this she also wear a denim jack with converse to highlight the ‘indie’
style. The two female in the band are instead wearing jeans and this is a trend with the males too.
I think the indie genre itself challenges the idea of male and female gaze as the videos are more
about the music than the people, unlike pop. The people used in my video are just normal
people styled in an alternative way but there is no excessive makeup or short skirts and high
heels etc.
