The document discusses the winning music videos for the 2015 MTV VMA awards for Best Editing and Best Cinematography. For Best Editing, Beyoncé's "7/11" won for its use of reversing footage, speeding up clips, and cutaways to transition between shots. For Best Cinematography, Flying Lotus' "Never Catch Me" won for its extensive use of moving camera shots like pans, zooms, and handheld shots to keep the video engaging.

1. By Jamie Tilsley
MTV MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS EXTENSION TASK

2. MTV VMA BEST EDITING AWARDS
For the 2015 MTV VMA’s best editing award went to Beyonce for her music video 7/11. The
nominees for the award were
•Winner: Beyoncé- “7/11”
•ASAP Rocky – "L$D" (Editor: Dexter Navy)
•Ed Sheeran – "Don't" (Editor: Jacquelyn London)
•Skrillex and Diplo (featuring Justin Bieber) – "Where Are Ü Now" (Editor: Brewer)
•Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – "Bad Blood" (Editor: Chancler Haynes at Cosmo
Street)

3. TASK
• For this task I have been asked to pick out the editing techniques used within
the winner of the 2015 MTV VMA’s best editing award: “7/11” by Beyoncé. By
doing so, I will better understand the role editing has in a successful music
video and will be more able to implement the techniques shown into my own
music video in the most effective way possible. I will also state why I personally
think this music video won the awards, stating why it beat its other nominees.
• Beyoncé: 7/11 music video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4YRWT_Aldo

4. REVERSING FOOTAGE
• The use of reversing the footage is seen in this music video quite often. Instead of doing the
same dance moves twice in a row, the foot age is simply reversed and then played forwards
again. It is effective as it matches up the dancing with the music without cutting to a new
scene and it keeps the flow of the video as it is the same clip.

5. SPEEDING UP FOOTAGE
• By speeding up clips the clips are shortened, leaving room for more footage to be used. Also,
the clips that are sped up seem to be mostly ones where Beyoncé claps, this may be in order
to match up the clapping sound with the snare noises of the song. It makes Beyoncé appear
to be dancing fast too, matching her up to the tempo and pace of the song.

6. CUTS
• There are many cuts from the same camera position but Beyoncé is moved around the room
as she moves and the film is cut, not showing her movement, giving an illusion as if she is
teleporting to different locations.

7. WHY IT WON
• I believe this particular music video won because it achieves in
making very normal settings such as hotel rooms and bedrooms,
very interesting. The heavy use of cuts, reversing and speeding up
of footage makes for a music video which fits very well with the
song it is accompanying. The fact Beyoncé is also extremely
popular adds to the interest that we actually see her in very normal
situations bodes well with viewers as they get a rare view of the
singer and she becomes more relatable.

8. MTV VMA BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS
The award for the 2015 best cinematography at the MTV VMA’s went to: “Flying Lotus (featuring
Kendrick Lamar) – "Never Catch Me" (Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple)
The runners up for the award were:
•Alt-J – "Left Hand Free" (Director of Photography: Mike Simpson)
•FKA Twigs – "Two Weeks" (Director of Photography: Justin Brown)
•Ed Sheeran – "Thinking Out Loud" (Director of Photography: Daniel Pearl)
•Taylor Swift (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – "Bad Blood" (Director of Photography: Christopher
Probst)

9. TASK
• For the second half of this task I will be evaluating the use of cinematography
for the music video of “Flying Lotus (featuring Kendrick Lamar) – "Never Catch
Me" (Director of Photography: Larkin Seiple). I will be showing the use of
different shots within the music video and how they are useful for creating a
good music video. I will also be stating why I think the music video won in the
category.
• Music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXD0vv-ds8

10. PAN SHOTS
• The camera is hardly stationary throughout the music video as there is excessive use of moving
shots. An example of this is pan shots. The camera moves horizontally whilst focusing on a certain
object or person. This is shown here through multiple scenes- a man is sitting at a pew as the
camera moves horizontally. These types of shots have the ability to make a motionless scene
become more interesting, as the camera moves instead of the things in the shot. This is used
widely in the video to make scenes with no action more gripping.

11. ZOOM
• The use of zooming in or out in the music video gives focus to the centre of the screen and
allows us to gain a new perspective on the scene, whether that be from closer or further away.
Here the technique is used in order to give the sense of movement through the isles as a
funeral is in session. The camera brings a closer view to the coffins as the deceased placed
inside, climb out and start to dance.

12. HANDHELD SHOT
• The handhold shot can be subtle yet effective, as shown here. There is no tripod used
and the camera is only held by the cameraman, hence the name. The shot gives slight
movement to the scene with the sway being produced by the cameraman's slight body
movements. It gives more of a natural feeling like the viewer may be in the scene, with
natural body movements making the camera feel more human like. It can however be
bad in some cases as it takes the viewer out of the scene as they notice the swaying of
the camera and it may give an unprofessional appearance.

13. UP TILT
• The up tilting shot gives a new perspective to the shot, and often starts with the bottom of something
such as someone's feet, and then gives more information later by tilting up to reveal the persons face.
The tilting upwards can make the viewer feel small as they look up to something in the shot and are
placed below it. Here the effect is used with silhouettes placed above the viewer. This can give the
viewer an uneasy feeling as they are given mysterious characters who are placed in a position of
dominance. It adds to the story and entertainment of the music video, keeping the audience engaged.

14. WHY IT WON
• I believe the music video for Flying Lotus’ Never catch me was a
winner in the cinematography category as it was filled with
constant movement and shots to keep the video interesting. The
whole video is a moving piece with planned out shots which all
have purpose in making the music video worthy of winning an
MTV award for best cinematography.