Music Video Project- Research

1. Stage 2
Research + Experiments
Alice Leeman

2. Production techniques research
• Research potential production techniques you might want to use or
feel would be most appropriate – these can be related to camera,
editing, story, sound, etc
• You should look at a minimum of 3 related products in your research.
• You should collect clips/still images/how to guides/etc that might
help you. When watching scenes from films, etc you could also ask
potential target audience what they think.
• You may need to add extra slides!
• With each technique you should assess whether you can use it or
how you might employ or why you may want to disregard it
completely
• Always think about your investigations links to your intentions and
production!

3. Product 1
Artist: Imagine Dragons
Song: Whatever It Takes
Music video:
Story and Structure of music video:
Throughout the music video you are
watching the band perform in a
garage/basement. To make the
video more interesting to the person
watching, they have included
different scenarios to take place
while they are playing. In this case
they used natural disasters to show
what happened. At the beginning of
the video an earthquake is shown,
so objects in the room started falling
off walls and the roof was falling
apart. Then it started to rain and the
room flooded, leading on to the
room later being on fire and
everything is destroyed. Throughout
the video the band were fine and
were performing the whole time,
however this structure would
engage the audience because they

4. Product 1
Camera and Editing:
At the beginning of the music video, there is a clip that show’s small details of every scenario that
takes place in the music video, and then the music video starts from the beginning (before all
these scenarios happen). This kind of editing will let the person watching know what sort of
things to expect to happen in the music video, which should make the audience want to carry on
watching to see what leads up to that.
There are also parts in the music video where when the beat drops, an effect, or change of
scenario happens. For example at about 1:52 in the music video, the beat drops and an edit of
flashing light happens to represent the beat drop. Also, there is a point (2:50) in the video where
there is no music and one main singer is under water, however at 3:00 minutes in the beat
suddenly drops again and the scenario changes from being underwater to the artists performing
in a burning room.
The camera is usually focused on the band and each individual player and their instruments.
When you can hear the drums playing the camera, for example, will focus on someone playing
the drums to fit the beat.
There are different shots the camera is angled at.
• The front of the band (so you can see the full band facing you)
• Each individual member
• Different sections of the room so you can see what destruction is going on in the video
I find it interesting how the camera is mainly focusing on the band instead of what is happening
around them (almost like a metaphor or a message the artist is trying to get across)

5. Product 2
Artist: Rhodes feat
BIRDY
Song: Let It All Go
Music Video
Story, Structure, Camera and editing
The structure of the music video is quite simple because the whole video is set in the same place. The
two artists are in a remote area surrounded by hills and trees, etc. There isn’t necessarily a storyline to
the music video, however in this case, I find the imagery and the effects interesting.
In the music video, the environment is edited to have a pink effect on it. So the trees, the mountains, the
fields, etc, all have a pink tone to it. In some cases, viewers may find this relaxing that the environment is
a different color and they are in a quiet, remote area, especially as the song playing is supposed to be
fairly calming. This color effect that would be fairly interesting if I were to use for my music video.
Camera angles: In most of the scenes, especially where the two artists are stood still, the camera slowly
circulates them. In these shots the audience can see what the people in the video are surrounded by. The
way the camera slowly moves throughout all of the scenes makes the music video more relaxing as the
song is slow and steady.

6. Product 3
Artist: Of Monsters
And Men
Song: Little Talks
‘Little Talks’ Music Video
Story and Structure and Visuals
This music video is interesting as the video is almost like drawings in a book or in a picture brought to life
and made into a film/video. The people in the video all look as if they are cut out paper and the creater
of the music video has clearly used lots of different visual effects to bring the music video together. For
example, everything in the music video is black and white so there is not much color (which also adds on
to the idea that the visual is like a drawing/sketch). There is only one character that is full of color that
appears at the beginning of the video which is interesting as this character stands out and is almost seen
in the video as like a ‘guardian angel’ It is more common to see music videos shot through a camera,
recording real life people and objects. So the fact this music video is created with art and different effects
makes the music video more rememberable.
The people in the video seem to be on an adventure and have to face a few challenges while on this
journey. The storyline of the music video is made to keep the viewer interested, which it should as there
is always a challenge for the characters to come across so the viewers should always want to know what
happens next and also where the characters are actually heading to.
There are a lot of times where the scenes change or there is sudden
movement to fit in time with the beat. For example, in the chorus of the
song, there is parts in the song where the artist yells ‘Hey!’ and when this
does happen a character will open their mouth as if they are mimicking
this part of the song.

7. Conventions
Music Video Conventions
From looking through my research there are different conventions in each music video that I find interesting and I
could use for my own video.
In the music video called ‘Let It All Go’ with Rhodes and BIRDY, I like how the camera is used and the different
shots that are filmed. As the song is slow, the camera moves slowly in the video which is a tip I could use for my
video. The music video has different camera shots in it, for example close ups of the face and the surroundings,
are camera shots which could be used during verses, etc.
Different camera shots I could use:
• Low angle shot
• High angle shot
• Head on camera shot
• Establishing shot
In the Imagine Dragons music video there are a few times when the main chorus starts or the beat drops and
then the scenes switch over or something dramatic happens. There are some cases in the song I am using, where
the beat drops and this is an opportunity to add in visual effect.
Locations/lighting
For my music video I’m intending to film most of it at outside locations so I have a wider range of choices of
where to film in an area. As I will be filming in different locations and outdoors I will need to make sure I have the
right lighting for each scene so this may mean I will have to have with me a video lighting kit of some sort.
Especially as the daylight hours might be changing I will need to make sure I don’t waste time and get the shots I
need to before it gets lighter/darker outside.

8. Genre Characteristics
Song: ‘Angels’ by Tom Walker
The genre of my song choice: Alternative/Indie
This type of song is supposed to have a message that reaches out to the audience, and have quite an
important meaning to it in ways that the audience can relate.
About the genre of the song:
Both genres have a rock music vibe to it (alternative/indie rock) that is heard/felt in the song. The song
isn’t a heavy type of rock music like heavy metal, but alternative rock is definitely the main genre in this
case. Songs like ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis, and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana are songs that have an
alternative rock genre to it. There songs are popular songs from the late 1900’s and this show’s that the
song I chose (‘Angels’ by Tom Walker) can be likely to appeal to audiences of all ages, from the older
generation to the young.
With this genre of music, most people would expect something that would relate to the song itself
(intertextuality) if the song has a deep meaning to it. In this case the song does so I could include a
storyline of some sort when putting together my music video.
Music videos of this music genre can be interpreted in different ways and styles. In a lot of the music
videos that were made of this genre in the early 90s and onwards, a lot of the music videos were of the
band playing the song on stage, in concert or in a different location. For my music video, however, I do not
have a band playing or someone lip syncing. I use a few different locations with one performer, almost like
a story I put together with my music video.

9. Chosen approach/justification
For my music video, I have decided to film in a few different locations.
• Empty Church
• Empty Church Yard
• Outdoor areas:
Down an empty lane
Forest
At each location I am filming I want to make sure I am filming each shot at different angles
and I film different sections of the location so it doesn’t seem like everything is the same and
is boring throughout the video. I am going to try and create a kind of storyline with my video
as I want the video to be quite interesting that will make the audience want to carry on
watching.

10. Experiment 1 - Process
I had used the camera before
starting the project, when I was
filming for a TV Advert in College, so
I had some sort of idea and
experience of how I use them. This
was useful for my this experiment I
did before starting to film for my
music video.
For my first experiment I used the
cannon 600D Camera that I was
going to use to film my music video. I
took the camera and the tri-pod to
an open area that I could easily visit.
I visited an area called Knapton and
recorded some footage at an open
field during a sunset. This
experiment was mainly for me to get
used to the different uses of the
camera, such as changing lighting,
how to focus it, and getting used to
setting up the equipment so it isn’t
that new to me when I start the real
project. These experiments weren’t
that hard to carry out and I got used
to using these fairly quickly.

11. Reflection
In my experiments I recorded some footage in the outdoors, at an open field at a time of
sunset. The reason I chose this certain location in my experiment is because in my actual
music video I am going to have outdoor locations so I wanted to experiment with the
different angles and footage I could film that I may use in my actual music video.
In one part of the experiment I recorded different angles of a tree, such as close ups, long
shots, establishing angles, etc. Angles such as long shot is an angle I would want to use in
my music video footage. In one section of my experiment I did a close up of a tree,
starting the camera from the bottom and working my way up. This angle is something I
am planning on filming in a couple of different locations in my music video. For example,
in the location in the Church I was going to film the large window at the end of the alter,
slowly starting from the bottom to the top.

12. Experiment 2 - Process

13. Reflection
• What elements of your experiments will you include in your final
product? What about this process has been notable [positive and
negative]?