1. Effective shots in music videos
Taylor Swift – I knew you were trouble
This shot is
effective
because of
the position
of the bodies
and the light
behind them.
The way they
are
positioned
creates an
abstract heart
between
them. The
shot is a mid
shot and they are positioned in the centre with a clear background around them,
making them the main focus. The light behind them also creates a silhouette,
making them contrast against the background even more.
Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
The lighting makes this shot effective. The three lights in the background reveal
parts of her body, and hides details like her face. We find this effective as the
artists’ image has changed recently, and this shot shows her audience that she
now has an unknown identity. This helps portray the message of the song.

2. Selena Gomez – Come and Get it
We find this shot effective because of the colour contrast. The black dress she is
wearing makes her stand out from the scenery. It is a long shot, taken from a
high angle and it also uses rule of thirds.
Ariana Grande – The Way Ft. Mac Miller
In this shot they have used the rule of thirds, which helps to make the picture in
the foreground to stand out. The lighting has been positioned so that she’s in a
shadow in comparison to the background and balloons, which are white, making
it obvious she’s the focus of the shot.

3. BridgitMendler – Ready or Not
The positioning of this shot is clever, she is in the centre of the shot and there is a
city/ sky background. The majority of the shot is the sky in the background and
she has her hands up. This shows the theme of freedom the music video has.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us
The positioning of this shot is behind some ice. It is a two shot of a low angle
looking up. This gives the audience the feeling that they are hiding. The point of
view shot makes them feel like they are in the scene.

4. Overall, we have learnt that the lighting is very important. It can help portray a
message the song is giving, depending on what is being said.
Also, Use of space and the way you fill the shot is important. Plain Backgrounds
or backgrounds that contrast the artist’s clothes are a common theme between
all these shots. This means we can use this in our own work when planning mise
en scene and settings for our own music videos.