This document analyzes 7 shots from the music video for Ben Howard's song "Keep Your Head Up" and discusses how they conform to conventions of folk rock music videos. Shot 1 establishes the low-key lighting and ordinary clothing that set the tone. Shot 2 shows a scenic natural setting that viewers would want to visit. Shot 3 maintains the isolated rural setting and perspective shot from the artist's point of view. Shot 4 indicates the story is progressing from a struggling start to brighter times ahead. Shot 5 contrasts colors to convey a shift from unhappy to happier moods. Shot 6 shows the inclusion of comedy through a water slide built by the artist. Shot 7 depicts the characters having fun jumping in a lake, conveying

1. Conventions and Shots of a
Music Video

2. Shot 1
This is the first shot I took from the video Ben Howard – Keep Your Head
Up. This lighting in this part is very low key. As you can see in the
background the sun is only just beginning to rise which makes the whole
scene look calm and settling. With videos in this genre I found that
generally the lighting is all low key, so this matches the conventions of a
music video in this genre. This is because most of the music that is
involved in folk rock has a story to tell and the videos that are made are
not just for show.
The costume he is wearing is just casual jeans and a t-shirt, this is a big
convention of a music video in this genre because the artists like the
audience to be able to relate to the music and in doing so they like to
look and dress like an ordinary person, just like they would normally. It is
also very common for male artists to where what we consider ordinary
clothes as opposed to female artists who like to dress up.
The use of the low angle where we first see the persons legs has a good
effect on the video as it doesn't’t show too much about the person and so
gets the audiences attention.

3. Shot 2
I think the setting of this shot is
important. When the camera goes to the
high angle that lets the audience see all
of the setting, the trees and water in the
background it instantly looks like an area
that you would love to go to, there is no
busy traffic or loud noises, it creates a
feel of happiness which is what a lot of
Ben Howards videos do. The lighting
again is low key, although has
brightened up a bit now, it is normal for
low key lighting to be used in this genre
of music. I like this shot as it is showing
the person collecting some water, this
shows that he is working for something
and therefore this shot is the first
indicator that he is isolated and on his
own.

4. Shot 3
I chose this third shot because it showed well the setting in which he was, it looks
like he is down an old lane, a deserted forest or woodland area, again this reflects
the lyrics of ‘Keep Your Head Up’ because although he is on his own, he is carrying
on with what he wants to do. Just like before, the costume he is wearing is very
plain and ordinary, which helps the audience relate to the music even more. The
over the shoulder shot is effective as it is showing everything from his perspective,
and seeing it how he would see it, this is a typical convention of a music video in
this genre as it is common for the artists to want their fans to see how they see
their music, and doing so, chose camera angles like this.

5. Shot 4
This wide shot near the start of
the video is extremely important
in portraying to the audience what
is going on. It is yet another
indication that he is alone and
working hard. He is down the
same lane as shown in shot three,
which shows how long it is,
meaning he is struggling.
However the wide shot has made
indications that it is going to get
better because they are just
beginning to show brighter skies
and brighter lighting through the
bushes and trees. This is a big
convention for this genre because
folk rock is music usually is written
to tell a story, so the gradual
increase of brighter lighting
connotes the story being told.

6. Shot 5
This shot shows instantly how isolated the area that the 3 people are in is. The yellow corn
field that they are walking through is an ideal setting for a group of friends that are
wandering around and finding stuff to do. This is a typical convention of folk rock videos as
they are associated with calm and peaceful settings. The contrast in colours of the green
trees and the yellow field, I think is showing the difference in low and high key lighting, low
key is used to show something that is not very happy, and high key is the opposite, so at the
start of the video where it was all low key, this is now one of the first shots that is gradually
setting in more high key lighting meaning the mood has become brighter.

7. Shot 6
This shot, I chose to show the comedy that
is included in this music video, because at
the start it begins quite sad and depressing,
but as you see when the video progressed,
so did the mood, and the audience soon
realise that Ben Howard who was in the
video, was building a giant water slide so
that he and his friends could slide down the
hill. This camera angle is clever because it
shows the natural setting in the background
a lot clearer than others, you can see cows,
large trees and hills, this is the main way in
which I meets its stereotype because it
almost everyone would be able to relate to
where they were. The shot shows the mans
legs, showing that he is just wearing shorts
meaning that it is summer time, this
contributes to showing another way in
which you can Keep Your Head Up.

8. Shot 7
This last shot I have made is showing the 3 people jumping into the lake. After
sliding down the massive slide in the middle of no where they are now in
another extremely calm setting, but the disruption of them jumping and
screaming shows that they are having fun. This I think is the main way in which
the video relates to the lyrics of ‘Keep Your Head Up’. The clothes that they are
wearing, just like usual are ordinary clothes, but connote that is is summer as
there are shorts being worn as well. The lighting in this shot is again low key, just
like the rest of the video. This shot shows typical conventions of an ordinary
music video categorized in this genre of folk rock by using low key
lighting, ‘ordinary’ costumes and a peaceful setting.