This document discusses various music videos that have inspired the creator's own video project. Some key aspects that the creator wants to emulate include: close-up shots focusing on specific details; framing a subject through a mirror to imply hidden feelings; simple costumes in bold colors; consistent lighting and color tints throughout; psychedelic editing effects used sparingly; extreme close-ups of objects and details; slow motion; matching video elements like dripping water to the song's beat; performance shots directly to the camera; telling a story through separate images; costumes and makeup fitting a 1960s style; blue/pink color contrasts; animation combined with real life elements; beach and city locations; and a series of very short shots capturing friends spending time

1. This newly released video is
for the song Art School by
Frankie Cosmos. The use of
close-ups to focus on specific
aspects of mise-en-scene is
something I really like and
want to include in my own
video. I’m also inspired by this
video because it takes a fairly
ordinary – if a bit weird –
concept, and makes it into
something more. It uses one
location and one idea and, as
is often the case, less is more
here. I like the simplicity as it
allows the viewer to focus on
the visual style which is
definitely what I want to
encourage my own audience
to do.

2. I also really like some of the shots in
this video – the idea of framing her
through the mirror instead of directly
is something I want to use. It not only
creates a more interesting image, it
also implies that she has a focus on
how the world perceives her and
even that she’s hiding how she really
feels, which suits some of the ideas I
have for my song.
The costuming in the video is another area that has
influenced my decisions about my own video. I like the
simplicity of it and I definitely want block colours I think in
my own video – I’m aiming to create strong, bold images
with each shot and I think bright colours will help this.
However I may have one or two actors dressed less
ordinarily to create a sense of contrast and the surrealism
that often comes with Indie music videos. Obviously as
well the costuming will be predominantly for guys instead
of girls as the song I’ve chosen is sung by men.

3. One of the main things I like about this video is the fact
that there is a clear lighting and colour tint throughout.
You can see from the screenshots above that every
shot looks similar in terms of colour. I will definitely be
doing this with my video, hopefully with more of a
warm/orange/sepia tint.

4. The editing in the video for Bedroom Eyes by Dum
Dum Girls is quite psychedelic and I would like to
include something similar in my work. I really like the
mirror effect on the right, and I think the kaleidoscope
effects really bring out the colours in the video. I don’t
necessarily want the editing to be the main feature of
the video however, so I probably will not have it in
every shot. I think it will bring a dreamlike/surreal
quality to my video if I do include it though, which suits
the retro 60s vibe I’m aiming for.

5. I love this video for Fineshrine by
Purity Ring. I think it has enough
narrative to keep it interesting,
matches the song perfectly and the
mise-en-scene and
cinematography are beautiful. One
thing I particulaly like are the
extreme close-ups demonstrated
by two examples here. I think they
are visually stunning and are
definitely something I want to
attempt to include in my video.

6. These are some more
extreme close-ups that I
like. The focus on mise-en-
scene is really important to
me in my own work, so this
video is great for
inspiration. It also uses
slow motion combined with
the close-ups which is
again something I want to
do myself. I’ve already
done some test shots and
the dripping tap to the left
here is something I’ve
experimented with. I like
how in this video the drips
match the beat of the
song, showing rhythmic
editing in use.

7. This is a video for one of my favourite
songs – She Changes the Weather by
Swim Deep. The video is very long, and
I like the first intro section the best. I’m
not sure if I actually will include
underwater filming in my video, because
of the limitations of the equipment and
locations I have access to, but I love the
movement and lighting in this scene so
much. I also like the use of a variety of
shots from long-shots to close-ups, and
the fact the camera moves with her. The
simple costume keeps the focus on her
and I love that it almost emphasises her
beauty without being overly voyeuristic.
The fact that the mise-en-scene, editing
and cinematography perfectly reflect the
tone of the music at this point in the
song is another aspect that has inspired
me to do the same.

8. Keaton Henson’s video for Sweetheart, What Have You Done to
Us is very simple. It consists of him performing to the camera,
mostly in a close-up or mid-shot. I am inspired by his location, as I
like the idea of a beach scene, especially at early evening
because I think the lighting here is really effective. It’s quite soft
and sad, which reflects his song well. I like the element of
performance directly to the camera as I think it connects with the
viewer.

9. The images below are from Lorde’s 400 Lux video. I
really like Lorde’s music and her accompanying videos
as well. They tend to tell a story without being too
obvious about it, create interesting visual images and
also reflect the sense of youth that I want in my own
video. I like that the video takes lots of separate
individual images that don’t necessarily relate and
brings them all together into one cohesive piece of
work. I think it would be interesting to try this with my
own video.

10. This is Sky Ferreira in her video for
Everything is Embarrassing. Although the
video is in black and white, I am inspired
by the costume, hair and make-up she
uses. Again, it’s quite simple with the plain
black dress and messy hair, but also feels
quite 60s with the make-up and the
stripes. I really like the shot to the top left
and I want to try something similar with my
video, having the actor or actress stand
against a visually interesting background
like that.

11. This is another song I
really like, Mute by
Youth Lagoon. I like the
blue overtones and the
use of lighting and
colour, especially in the
bottom screenshot with
the contrast of blue and
the pink/red colour. I
also like the location
when he’s walking
down the street in the
first screenshot. Youth
Lagoon always
combines narrative and
visual images really
well in his videos.

12. MGMT’s Time to Pretend
video combines animation and
real life, which I’m not going to
do but it has still influenced me
in terms of mise-en-scene. I
love this beach location at the
beginning, the colour of the
sky and their costumes which
seem a bit out of place.

13. San Cisco’s Awkward video is one that has had a huge impact
on me. I love the way they have done it, the performance, the
costumes, props, make-up etc. The images above are to
demonstrate the costume that I like best in the video, and the
female singer’s hair and make-up. I think it fits the genre, as
well as suiting the retro/vintage style I want for my own video.

14. These are some of the props in the
video. I think it combines modern
with retro very effectively. The props
are interesting to look at but also
relate to the themes within the song,
which seems to tell the story of a
guy who won’t stop contacting and
stalking this girl.

15. The
cinematography in
this video is
another thing I
really like,
particularly the
framing. I love the
symmetry in this
shot and want to
include something
similar in my own
work.

16. The Royal Concept’s video for On My Way is another
one that has inspired me. I like the series of one or
two second shots at the beginning that show the
group of friends spending time together in the city, in
the pool, as the sun sets etc. I think it captures that
youthfulness I want in my own video so I find it quite
inspiring.