Media Studies, ALGC

1. Analysis of Music Videos

2. Pop Music Videos
In this analysis we will discuss about the macro
and the micro elements of some pop music
video. The music videos which we are going to
analyze are:
• Firework by Katy Perry
• Bailando by Enrique Iglesias ft. Sean Paul
• Shake it off by Taylor Swift
• Adrenalina by Jennifer Lopez ft. Ricky Martin

3. Micro-elements
We are going to discuss the micro-elements of
the music videos which include:
• Cinematography
• Sound
• Editing
• Mise en scene

4. Firework-Katy Perry
• In this video camera shots are widely used e.g.
aerial shot is used, close-ups, low angle and
much more. The close-up is mainly used to show
the expressions of the characters in the video
and also to show the expression of the artist,
low-angle and high-angle shots are also present.

5. Establishing Shot

6. • Aerial Shot is used extensively to show the
fireworks and the place where it is shot, people
making a star can also be seen through this shot.

7. • The close-up were used
many times in the video
mainly when the word
“firework” came
expressions are also
captured in the close-up
shots.

8. This is a low-angle
shot which is used
for showing the
fireworks and in the
sky, which also shows
people and the
building too.
This is high angle
shot which is used
for showing the
people making a star
and the place where
they are gathered.

9. S•oTuhenred w Eerfef seomcte ssound
effects added at the end
of the video to show that
the fireworks were
natural. Otherwise there
were no dialogues, there
was one place where it
looks like the woman is
playing the violin
synchronized with the
song.

10. Editing
• Editing is used in the video extensively but the
main effects are the special effects to show the
fireworks and at the end there’s a fadeout effect
at the finishing. Special Effects can be see in the
video which shows the fireworks coming out
from the chest and the in the whole video.

11. Mise en Scene
• Location: 5 different locations are used in the
video:
Balcony of a building

12. Swimming Pool Club
Streets Hospital

13. • Costumes & Make-up: In this video costumes &
make-up are used according to the scene e.g. the
artist is wearing trendy clothes, she has make-up
to look beautiful but the rest are a bit different
e.g. there is one child who is in the hospital and
wearing the hospital uniform and the make-up
makes look that the kid is suffering from cancer
because he is bald.

14. • Props: There are many props used in the video
but the main props which are used are:
Pigeons, Cards are seen in the
video close to magician. A
woman in seen in the video
playing violin

15. FThae fcaciail aexplr esEsionxs ipn thre evidseo sarie osadn ands frustrated in the beginning but happy at the
finishing. As the lyrics tell:
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?......
Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?
Screams but no one seems to hear a thing.
These lyrics show depression and sadness but the lyrics after this are:
'Cause there's a spark in you?
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
'Cause, baby, you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go, "Aah, aah, aah"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y
These lyrics are enthusiastic and make the depressed happy and gives them hope about a nice
future. In the lyrics she said, “ Just own the night like the 4th of July” means live freely and
independent because America celebrates their independence day on the 4th of July.

16. Irritation, frustration,
aggression
Depressed
Sad and tensed because of the Happy, excited
eyebrows stretched.

17. Lighting
• The video is shot during the night time that is
why low-key lighting is mainly used and high key
lighting is used at the ending part of the video
because of the fireworks.

18. Low-key Lighting
High Key
Lighting

19. • CBinaeimlaantodgora-Ephnyr:i Tqhuies isI gal Bersaizailsi afnt .so Sneg awnh icPha huals
both Portuguese and English too. In the video some
shots and angles are widely used. e.g. wide shot is used
at many times because it shows the performance of
people, because it is featuring song so that is why mid-shot
is and the group of artists is seen at many times
in the video.

20. Establishing Shot
Wide Shot
used to
show the
performanc
e.

21. Medium-close-up.
Mid-shot
Two-shot

22. Low-angle shot
High angle shot
Wide Shot

23. Long Shot
Over the shoulder shot

24. S•oTuhen vdid Eeof fcoenctatisns sound effects which makes it
realistic e.g. the claps in the starting which looks
natural. Otherwise there is no dialogue in the
video or ambient sounds except the claps. Siren
sound effects are also added in the end to show
the police arrival.

25. Editing
Editing is used in the video and special effects are also
used at many places in the video. In the video
football is added by special effects, a jerk is also
created/added in the video by special effects. The
football may seem to be natural but if you look
closely you can see these are added using special
effects. A vibration is created in the video which
shows this is editing using special effects, it looks
like that the artist punches the ground and a
vibration is created.

26. Mise en scene
• Location: the video shows locations usually
public places e.g. mainly they are in a subway
and streets/road, people are gathered and
performing.
In this picture you can see they
are standing and playing on the
beach.

27. If you look closely you can
see houses and building,
which means It can be a
building or a street.
Behind the singer you can
see the location it looks like
a subway.
The people standing in the
front are watching makes it
look like a street.

28. Costumes & Make-up
• Very light make-up is applied to make it look
natural. The make-up is not too much and it
looks nice and decent. The costumes are mainly
worn according to the performance and dance
types.

29. They are dancing the Latin
dance form and are also
wearing the Latin dresses.
The artists are wearing
casual clothing.
These performers are also
wearing the dance clothes
but of new fashion.

30. Props
• Football is used many times in the
video and hand fans are also used to
by the Latin dancers and
microphones are also used in front of
the artist.

31. Facial Expressions
• The facial expression mostly depends on the
lyrics and the song. The title of the song is
“bailando” which means dancing and who
dances with a sad mood. The video is very jolly
and makes a happy mood.

32. The facial expressions are visible that shows that
it is a song which makes the mood cheerful.

33. L•iHgihgthi-nkegy and low-key lighting, both are used in
the video but high-key is used mostly because
the video seems to be shot in the day-light.
There are visible lights too.

34. Lights can be seen in
the background of the
picture.
Lights are visible in
the background.
High-key lighting
Low-key lighting

35. Shake it Off by Taylor Swift
• Cinematography: This video contains different
shots and camera movement which includes
wide shot, close-up, medium close-up, two shot,
extreme wide shot, etc.

36. Establishing Shot
Mid-shot
Two-shot

37. Extreme Wide Shot
Mid-shot
Wide Shot

38. Sound Effects
• The video contains sound effects which were in
the song e.g. when the artist’s voice is changed
into the voice through a megaphone. There are
no other sound effects indentified.

39. E•dTihteirne gis extensively editing used in this video
e.g. slow motion effect, there is cutting in the
video.

40. Slow motion effect used to capture the expressions,
this also helps the faster action more visible to the
audience.

41. Mise en scene
• Location: The video is shot in the studio because
there is nothing in the background except color.
In the starting it looks like it’s a gymnasium
because of the props but there was nothing in
the background.

42. • Costumes and Make-up: The costumes are very
different in different scenes. In the starting the
costume is of the gymnast, then the hip-hop
costume, ballet dance costume, simple
contemporary dance dress, cheerleader dress.
Gymnast Costume

43. Hip-Hop Costume
Ballet Dance Costume
Simple Contemporary Dance
Robotic Dance Costume
Cheerleader Costume

44. • Props: There are many props used in the video
which include: stereo, musical instruments,
microphone, megaphone.

45. • Facial Expressions: This song is all about being
happy as the lyrics say
But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, "It's gonna be alright.“
The facial expressions are also the same, in the
video the people are dancing and enjoying and
having a good time.

46. • Lighting: The lighting in whole song was high-key
lighting there was no source seen in the
video but the lights behind the scenes were
making it high–key lighting.