11. 9 key screen shots from the music video Fascination by Alphabeat

 

 

Image 1: We get introduced to the two singers, there is a very simple black and white background. This is a good way to start the clip, as as we instantaly know who the video revolves around.

Image 2: We see an instrument used; this shows that it is not just lip syncing that can be joined in with the music video, but instruments can also be effective. Although in the clip you cannot hear the keyboard, it still adds to the effect. Like the first image, this is also a very simple black and white shot.

Image 3: In this top right hand clip we see a close up of the singer's face. Just by seeing this, we can tell straight away that the lip syncing has been done well which makes the clip so much more effective than if it was not. It shows that if well done it is fine, but if not, it can end up looking shabby.

Image 4: After that, a few seconds later we see one of our first coloured background images. This immediately helps lighten up the whole mood, and once again we see another instrument. This is diagetic sound, just after that shot we actually see the whole band.

Image 5: This image consists of men doing syncronised dancing to the music. This shows that the clip has an element of control and precision when it came to making it. As a viewer, I find it interesting to watch something other than just the singing.

Image 6: Though as a viewer, we are meant to think they are still in the same place singing the same song at the same time. I noticed that the main singer had changed his clothes to contrast with the background, this is asthetically pleasing to watch.

Image 7: Like a couple of clips before, we see dancing. This time it is girls; this evens out the male:female ratio in the video. It means that it provides something for all viewers, for example, young female dancers idolising the women in the video. This tells me that it could be good to make the target audience quite general, and therefore we are more likely to get more views of our video.

Image 8: There we see the keyboardist playing alone, this is non diagetic sound, as I cannot hear the keyboard in the video. However, this does not matter as it adds to the atmosphere in the video, and looks effective.

Image 9: The final image is the ending of the video. This is of the cast of the video dancing around the studio, it is effective as it interests the audience, and is a new idea..

10. Biology by Girls Aloud textual analysis

This video has a similarity to the theme that we are going to try and create with our music video.

It has a set background that suits the style of music and dance, and the girls' personalities in the video.

Cinematography: Everything that the camera does; camera angles, positions, views and transitions. 

The cinematography in this video is well done, there is quite a lot of very small jump cut sections, for example when the girls change into different cloths. There are not to many different types of camera shot in this video, most of it is shot in a medium shot, with some close ups of the dancers, and a little bit of zooming in and out.

Editing: The process in which clips are cut and reorganised to form a narrative. 

Because the narrative in the lyrics is not connected to the video, partly because there is no narrative in the video, it means that the video could have scenes muddled up and intertwined. A very good example of this is between the timescale  3.10- 3.25 in the video.

To change the dancers' costumes there is a fade at 1.40-1.43. This is effective, as it is only the clothes that change, and not the background or anything else.

Mise en scene: Everything that is seen in the video, this includes, costume, props, makeup and set. 

In this video, all the colours match well together, there is a lot of black on black, pink on black, and pink on white. This counts for the costumes, backgrounds, and props as well. It is very effective, and has a princess like feel to it when watched. The set is cleverly done, as far as i can work out it is looks a bit like the picture i have drawn to the right. It has a rotating center that the girls walk onto that spins to the new coloured background that is needed. To make the video quite glamorous the girls are wearing expensive dresses, along with the props being shiny and expensive. For example the chandeliers in the black scene. 

Sound: Everything that is heard by the viewer of the music video.

Some of the singing in the clip is diegetic, it is mainly the chorus sections that are not, otherwise the girls' lips would be constantly moving to the same words.

There is no parallel sound in this clip, for example we can see the footsteps, but can not hear them.

10. Acceptable in the 80's textual analysis.

This clip engages the audience in the same way that we want our video to. It has the right amount of movement, and is not overly active, yet still a pleasure to watch.

 

Cinematography: Everything that the camera does; camera angles, positions, views and transitions.

 

The first thing I noticed when watching the clip was that the camera hardly ever follows the person, it is often just stationary, for example on a bi-pod when people are dancing and acting. This makes the viewer feel that they are watching a situation back in time, like looking at the circumstances through a window.

There is some zooming out and in onto objects, this is to show what the object is, and how it relates to the story line of the video. At 1.24s in the video there is a focus pull used. This is effective because it is on a disgusting paste, and when it focuses we see it more clearly.

 

Editing: The process in which clips are cut and reorganised to form a narrative.

 

The clip shows well known imagery that the audience can relate to as being acceptable in the 80's. The clip completely reflects the song lyrics for example, scientists experimenting with animal fats which would not be acceptable in the present day. We also see one shot of the scientist extracting the gunge, then a match cut of the scientist putting it in a pot, and the next shot of the consumer eating it. This is then repeated with intermittent shots of the artist inbetween.

I also found that just for effectiveness, they have used a tile technique. This is when the director duplicates a shot a number of times, and has the same shot tiled over the screen.

Mise en scene: Everything that is seen in the video; this includes, costume, props, make up, set etc.

 

The Mise en scene in this video is quite limited compared to some. The have used a lot of coloured backgrounds, this keeps the 80's stereotype of happiness and quirkiness. The actors have also dressed in contrasting colours to the background to make them stand out more.

The props that they have used are just enough to get the point across to the viewer. For example when the baby is being fed the gunge, there is not a whole kitchen in the background, but somehow we imagine their to be one near by. The costumes are simple yet wacky, with many bright colours like the background, and a few accessories just to add the the feel, such as sunglasses and headphones.

Sound: Everything that is heard by the audience in the music video.

 

In the video there is diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound. Calvin Harris does all the diegetic sound as he is the singer, and everyone else in the video has a non-diegetic part, for example, for example there is no visible source from the singer during the acting scenes.

9. Jordan Stephens, Rizzle Kicks, the music video director.

8. Copyright email

Below is an email I sent to Cantora Records which is the company that recorded the song Kids by MGMT. The email is asking permission to use song for my A2 media project.

The email says:
Dear Who ever it may concern,

I am doing my A2 media project and the task is to make a music video. would it be possible to use Kids by MGMT?
There would be no profit made.

Many thanks,

Rupert Atkins
Gordonstoun School

7. Things to consider

In class we have been looking at a variety of different types of music videos, and seeing which genre follows which stereotype. The thing I have found most interesting is seeing how lighting is used in so many different ways to create imaginative effects.

 I have also found that drawings can be very effective. For example the music video Little talks of monster and men:

Time-laps photography I have also found very effective. Specially because it means you can cram all the good bits of photographs in to one quick decent clip. An example of it is below:

Typography is when an artist uses words on the screen in their video, as shown below:

Lip syncing, this is when the singer is mouthing the words to the song, but not actually singing it. An example is shown below: