The document summarizes the mise-en-scene, camerawork, editing, and theory used in a student's music video project. Key elements included: - The main location was the protagonist's bedroom, meant to depict a place of sedentary escape after a breakup. - Props like a photograph and clothes were used to drive the narrative and represent themes of heartbreak and moving on. - Shots like close-ups and long shots were used to convey emotion or establish location. Angles were often at eye-level for natural feel. - Editing matched action, used pace to mirror the music, and cut to the beat. Flashbacks were distinguished with blue t

1. Question 1a: How have you used, developed or challenged the language
of music videos?
Mise en scene: Locations
The first and most predominant location of my music video is a bedroom. The bedroom is
bright and vivid in colour, mainly because of the rich natural light shining though from
behind. The reason for using a bedroom was to create a sense sedentary. A bedroom is a
place to relax and to be away from the outside world. This therefore made a good place for
our character Hammad to be first situated. The bedroom created a lethargic feel for our
character who was heartbroken after a failed relationship. We attempted to depict the idea
that Hammad had been in there for a long time.
Use of a bedroom was influenced by various other music videos/media.
This is the opening shot to ‘If I get high’
by Nothing but Thieves, which our first
shot is very similar to. Here, the bedroom
is portrayed as a place to escape.
This is a shot from the TV show ‘Skins’.
Skins locations are often bedrooms of
the teenage characters, and could be
seen as a signifier for youth and
innocence.
This idea helped in deciding the bedroom
location for our music video because we
knew our main character was going to be
young, and wanted them to be seen as
fragile and for the audience to identify
with him.

2. Mise en scene: Props
One prop we used in our music video was the photograph of Louisa in the picture frame.
This prop acted as a framing device- it followed Hammad from the beginning to the end
and helped create a theme of heartbreak. He uses the photograph to remember her but at
the end leaves the photo behind in order to move on.
The same can be said for the clothes Hammad picks up and brings along with him, until
subsequently throwing them away to try and forget about her.
This was influenced by the music video for ‘bachelorette’ by björk. Although, thematically
the video is very different, it helped us conclude that a framing device would help drive the
narrative. The framing device in ‘bachelorette’ is a book.
A less significant prop we used was a mobile phone. Hammad uses this at the beginning
to text her, and later on to phone her. But no answer suggests that Louisa wants nothing to
do with him anymore. This idea is something that most people can relate to today- being
ignored or rejected when calling/texting someone. Use of this prop therefore helps the
viewer identity with our character more.

3. Mise en scene: Costume
Hammad wears a white long sleeved top, green hoodie and denim jacket along with ripped
skinny jeans and converse. He also wears jewellery. This outfit tends to be worn by many
young people so this can be easily identified by the audience who may wear similar
clothes.
In the flashback scene, Louisa wore a Christmas jumper as we wanted to give off the
effect that Hammad and Louisa were together for a long time, and to make the viewer feel
more empathy to Hammad’s situation.
As Hammad gets outside, he puts his hood up, which suggests he might be trying to block
out the outside world, which also creates a separation between the viewer and character.

4. Mise en scene: Colour
The colour at the beginning of the music video is mainly white. This colour associated with
safety, which helps develop the idea that our character has stayed in comfort of the
bedroom for a long time. The colour white could be argued to the juxtapose the situation
Hammad is in, because white connotes perfection which is far from what our character is
experiencing.
However, when Hammad leaves the
house into the outside world, there is a
sudden loss of colour. The black and white effect was used to emphasise our characters
grief- it creates a sense of hopelessness after leaving the safety of bedroom.
Black also connotes mystery. It is left
unclear to the audience exactly why
Hammad is no longer with Louisa.
Black also gives an impression of
anger, which could explain why
Hammad throws her clothes away- he
is annoyed that he is alone.
Eventually, the colour comes back, after Hammad has thrown away the clothes and
decides to leave the photograph on the floor, there is a sense of normalcy and balance in
the end.

5. Camerawork: Shots
As cameraman, I tried to experiment with a range of shots to create meaning. In the
bedroom scene, I use a close up of Hammad as he stares at the photograph of Louisa,
and another of his hand as he touches it. Close-ups helps viewers understand the
characters emotions and feel empathy for him. This helps establish the idea that Hammad
has a special connection with the photograph and that the girl meant a lot to him.
Whereas, outside in the underpass shot, I use a long shot as Hammad walks away from
the camera. This builds on the idea that Hammad is leaving behind the relationship and
moving on. The long shot also gives the viewers a more specific idea of the location, and
urban environment can presumedly be place our young viewers can identify with.
An over the shoulder shot was also used in the bedroom scene to establish an empathy
for our character. As he looks in the mirror, it creates a notion of looking that our audience
can see through the same eyes. The same goes for the shot where Hammad texts Louisa-
it put the audience in the same situation.

6. Camerawork: angles
Most shots in the our music video tend to be
quite level and balanced. Eye-level shots for
example help the audience feel more
comfortable with the character as it puts them
on an equal footing with them. This could be
because it gives the shot a more natural feel.
During the picking up clothes scene, the
camera tends to face towards the floor and
bed in the same way Hammad is looking
down to pick up the clothes. This could make
the character look more vulnerable, and the
fact that we don't see his face in this scene
creates a separation and disorientated feel.
Camerawork: movement
Various camera movements were used such
as the tilt shot (right image), this was used to
show the narrow ally the character walked
through.
Tracking shots were very commonly used to
put attention on the character, and so the
audience follow and focus on his narrative.
The shot below is a pedestal shot where the
camera raises up from the subject. This
again, was used to put more focus on the
character, and to emphasis his action
(staring at the photograph).

7. Editing/sound:
One editing technique I used was match on action. This was used when Hammad was
sitting down and when he stands up, the camera shot changes but there is a clear
movement in the action of standing up. This simply creates a feel of realism by ensuring
there is strong continuity. This helps the audience stay focused on narrative. If the cut was
badly edited, the viewer may notice this and feel less inclined to keep up with the story.
Another editing technique I used was pace of editing. The video begins with slow cuts as
the music builds up. At 1:42 - 1:52, fast forward and slow motion is used to mirror the pace
of the music which is fast and upbeat at this point.
In the flashback scene where Hammad looks back on a memory with Louisa, I use colour
manipulation by giving the shot a bright blueish tint, so that viewer can deduce that it was
a flashback.
I ensured that I cut to the beat of music throughout the music video to help the viewer feel
the music more, or ‘see the sound’ as said by Andrew Goodwin.
Diegetic sound was not used in our music video. This was mainly because there was no
need for it- we only had our main character who do not speak to anyone or do any actions
that needed sound.
Theory:
My editing style conforms to Goodwin’s theory that music videos have a relationship
between music and visuals because I cut to the beat of the song, and the visuals are
clearly illustrative of the music.
There is also a link between the visuals and lyrics. For example, Hammad texts Louisa
‘come home’, and one of the lyrics is ‘give me a reason to find you home’.
Also at 2:19, when the lyrics say ‘when the world stops turning’, I created a spinning effect
as Hammad walked to complement the lyrics of the world turning.
The lyric ‘bring me the medicine’ is said when Hammad is trying to call Louisa, and could
imply that Louisa is the medicine Hammad needs back to feel better.
Despite the character never looking directly at the camera, it can be argued that we use a
notion of looking such as the shots where Hammad looks in the mirror at himself, and
stares at the photograph at multiple times throughout the music video.