The brief that I have chosen for my coursework is:
This is just a consolidation of everything I have researched
that will be useful for me when I film my own music video.
Narrative
As I found from my research into types of music videos, I
decided to go with a narrative based music video where the visuals support the
lyrics in the music video. I decided this as I didn't find the 'This Is What
You Came For' music video by Rihanna very interesting as it didn't follow a
particular narrative.
For my narrative I am thinking of flipping Todrov's 3 part
narrative theory by starting with the equilibrium and ending wih the
disequilibrium. This is inspired the 'We Don't Talk Anymore' Music video by
Charlie Puth where most of the music video is a happy atmosphere as part of the
equilibrium but it ends with them not together anymore which is a
disequilibrium. But unlike this music video I don't want to start with an
indication of a disequilibrium but play it off as an equilibrium throughout and
have some sort of shock or enigma at the end. This is just like the 'Somebody
Else' music video by The 1975 where at the end we find out he was imagining it
all which creates an unsettling shock feeling.
I also want to include some of Barthes Narrative code and somehow
integrate some of the few codes such as Action, Symbolism or Enigma. I want to
include these to make my music video unique and create covert meanings through
the visuals to keep it exciting. I may also include some of Levi-Strauss'
binary opposites to create more symbolism and contrast to represent the tone or
atmosphere.
In terms of the storyline, I liked the idea of 'Wild' by
Troye Sivan where we see a narrative of friends having fun and then we see a
relationship progressing. Out of all the music videos I analysed this was my
favoutite narrative. I also liked the 'We Don't Talk Anymore' narrative but I
felt it was very generic and common. So in conclusion I want to have a
narrative between people that is relaxed and candid where we see them enjoying
eachother's company and having fun. I also liked the idea of them joking around
which was very candid and I would like to include this somewhat in my music
video. I may decide to create this atmosphere between friends or a couple.
I couldn't decide if I wanted just one narrative throughout
like the 'Charlie Puth music video or intertwine a narrative of a artist
singing the actual song like the Troye Sivan Video or interlace snippits of the
same narrative before it happens like the 1975 video but by rewatching those
music videos I
decided I would prefer having a single narrative throughout and not intertwine
any other narrative.
Camera Angles/Shots
Doing my research I learnt a lot about the types of camera
shots used in music videos and the effect of them. In my music video I also
want to include closeup shots to draw attention to a certain aspect in the
frame like the 'Wild' video where we see a closeup to reveal Troye wearing nail
varnish which is significant as it a way of him showing rebellion of gender
stereotypes . I also want to include closeups to signify importance of intimacy
like we see in The 1975’s video and the Roses video. I also found of that I
would like to include long/midshots in my music video to reveal body language
just like we see in the ‘Somebody Else’ music video where we see him in many
long shots that show his body language as being exhausted. This is also shown
in the Troye video where we see a midshot of him with a guy that reveals their
body language as casual and comfortable in the presence of each other. I also
want to include handheld shots like almost all the music videos used but use it
in almost candid, natural way where we
see handhelds shots as a result of people having fun and not being serious. I
also liked the idea of using a handheld camcorder throughout the music video
that is filmed by the people in the music video in a ‘vlog’ fashion like the ‘Wild’
video. I would like to include the camcorder zoom effect too which also
presents a carefree environment. I also liked the contrasting differences in
camera quality in the ‘Wild’ music video where we have the shots that were good
quality but then the shots filmed by the people I the video were bad quality
which signified how comfortable the atmosphere was. I also liked the idea of
out of focus shots such as the Roses video but instead of using it to show
confusion I want to use it to show how carefree the environment is. I also want
to show that relaxed environment through canted angles. Shot-Reverse-Shots also
appealed to me in the 1975 music video to show a link between people, which I
want to include in my music video.
Editing
In terms of editing I would like to (just like every music
video I researched) to edit shots in time with the music, which is a common
convention of the genre anyway. However I also liked the split-screen narrative
in the Charlie Puth music video however instead of using it throughout I would like
to include it as an editing effect somehow in my music video. Also just like
the Charlie Puth video and The 1975’s video I would like to edit in a montage,
but instead of it being a photo montage like the Charlie Puth video, I want to
create a montage of continuous shots like it was shown in The 1975’s music
video where he drinks. In terms of transitions I liked the fading image-in-a-image
transition as seen in the ‘Roses’ and The 1975’s video.
Sound
I haven’t yet decided on what song I would like to use but I
have a few ideas. I will do more research into this as part of my next task.
In terms of sound I want to match the tone of the song with
the mood shown in the visuals just like we see in the ‘Wild’ music video. Here
the music is upbeat where he is with his friends but soft and mellow when he is
getting intimate with the guy. I also want to follow this style as it creates
even more of a connection between the song and visuals.
I also am considering using non-diegetic music in the
beginning before the actual song just like the ‘This Is What You Came For’
music video.
Mis-En-Scene
In terms of lighting, I want to include a range of different
lighting techniques. Firstly I would like to include bright lighting where
there is a lighthearted atmosphere like the ‘Wild’ video and use darker
lighting to create intimacy like The 1975’s video. I am also considering using
the use of filters in my music video which is a common convention of the indie
genre. For costume I am also planning on following the genre conventions too,
such demin jackets, badges, sunglasses, stripes, dungarees, leather jackets, dark
clothing and faded florals as seen in the ‘Roses’, ‘Wild’ and ‘Somebody Else’
music video. For props I want to include the use of poloroids/ a poloroid
camera to bring back a retro feel that many indie music videos have like the ‘Wild’
video. I also want to use the prop of a camcorder also seen in the same video.
For proxemics I want to have my actors closer to eachother to represent their
friendships/relationship as seen in all of the videos I’ve researched. I also
want to include this in frame composition by having actors either take up a lot
of space on the frame or little
to show significance
like almost all the music videos I’ve researched. For actors I am thinking either
having a selection of people to play the role of friends or two actors to play
the role of a couple. I haven’t yet decided if I am going to do both or just
one of those ideas. But I will do more research into this when I decide my
actors.
My second genre specific analysis is Wild by Troye Sivan:
Camera Shots/Movement
A lot of this music video is filmed through the use of handheld shots.
We see these handheld shots throughout the entire time Troye is hanging out with his friends:
Here when his friend is sneaking up on someone:
Here when he is posing with Alessia:
Here when he is showing off his drawing to the camera:
Here when everyone is laughing and having a good time:
The whole of this part of the narrative is done using a handheld camera, which includes shots of them hanging out, messing about and being silly. By having a whole section of a narrative done on a handheld camera creates an atmosphere that is quite intimate between friends and emphasises a comfortable and relaxed enviroment.
We also see this effect just twice outside of the narrative which is here:
at 0:41
By having this effect of a handheld camera outside the narrative setting of friends highlights him getting intimate with someone else/implies the presence of someone else being there.
All of the handheld shots are also bad quality too, for example this one of him on the sofa:
By having all of the intimate handheld shots a bad quality, once again highlights the candid environment he is in which signifies how comfortable he is within his friendship group.
By having them almost side-by-side with shots that are good quality puts emphasis on the candid shots and highlights how significant they are.
The use of good quality filming alongside the bad quality of the handheld is also shown in another part of the music video where they are at a bowling alley.
Here they are shown dancing to the bad quality camera:
And here we see the camera they are dancing at in a clearer, more crisp shot:
This again juxtaposes the more candid, comfortable environment with an almost set-up studio atmosphere.
When Troye is singing, majority of these shots are clear, and steady unlike the fuzzy unstable handheld shots:
These shots don't show the same candid and relaxed atmosphere and this is because this is where he is singing. Therefore it presents him as being serious about the words he's singing and brings some significance to them.
We also see zooms here when we have handheld camera shots
By using a zoom effect when it's a handheld camera emphasises the casual nature of friends taking videos of eachother.
It is also used when we see two friends holding hands
This reveals it to be two girls which can highlight a close bond or even a same sex relationship. If this is the case it can be seen as foreshadowing Troye's later realtionship.
We also have a lot of closeups in this video, one being a closeup of Troye's hands:
This closeup reveals Troye to have painted nails which can emphasise him breaking gender stereotypes.
We also have a closeup of the drawing Troye shows us:
This closeup reveals the drawing to be of a homosexual couple, with stripes almost representing LGBT Pride. This again emphasises Troye's main agenda in the video which is to give the LGBT a better representation. It also can be seen as once again foreshadowing his charecter's own same sex relationship further on in the music video.
These closeup shots are also shown to represent realtionships in the video, for example when we see a girl and a guy:
This closeup reveals them flirting and laughing which can be used to predict they are very close.
This closeup technique is also shown when Troye is getting intimate with a guy:
This closeup again highlights them being close emotionally and phsycially at that moment.
This is also shown through a long shot too of them talking:
This longshot reveals their body posture as being comfortable around each other and how they are acting in a almost flirtatious manner.
We also have a out of focus shot here too when Troye is singing:
Here he moves out of the way and comes back out of focus. This again signifies the casual atmosphere around him as the video isn't seen to be perfect, but also can also present feelings of confusion he may have towards this guy.
Editing
The editing shows pretty much shows a linear narrative with three main narratives alongside eachother. The first is the one in the bedroom with Alessia:
The other is outside with his friends/Alessia:
and the last is the narrative with the guy:
One main editing technique is interviewing handheld camcorder shots alongside the better quality shots:
This adds to the variety of shots, not just in the way they are taken but also the quality of them so we see this contrast of a candid, comfortable enviroment and a more serious enviroment when he is singing to the camera.
Another editing technique used is shots in time with the music such as when we see clips of him with his friends when it is the chorus. This is effective as it means it keeps the music video upbeat for the audience and holds their attention.
Sound:
Sound is mainly just the soundtrack of the artist however there is one thing that stands out from the song. This is where the beginning of the song is upbeat and lively showing him having a fun time with his friends however when the music gets softer and more relaxed, this is where we see the shots of him getting more intimate with the guy.
For example this shot here is very vibrant and shows energetic friends as this part of the song is very upbeat and lively:
This technique highlights the change in tone and mood in the music video and emphasises the intimacy in their relationship.So the shots are not just reflecting the narrative of the lyrics but also the tempo of the actual song. By using this technique is draws emphasis to the main agenda of the video which is to present his same sex relationship.
Mis-en-scene
Lighting in this music video varries depending on the mood.
For example, the scene when he is with his friends is well lit and bright:
This whole narrative with his friends is pretty much the same, and having bright lighting connotes to happiness and a lively atmosphere which is furthered by the fact we see them all messing around and having fun with each other and enjoying each other's company.
This is contrasted by when he is getting more serious with the guy:
The lighting here changes to darker and slightly red toned, here the darkness connotes to intimacy and privacy and the slight red tint highlights lust and sexuality. This then emphasises how significant this guy is to Troye.
The costume in this music video plays a big part in portraying the genre. Troye, the main actor here is wearing a denim jacket with badges on it.
Denim jackets are a common convention of the indie genre and the badges on it make it unique which again is something commonly seen in this genre.
The same sort of sense of style is seen throughout the music video with the other actors.
Stripes are a common fashion characteristic of indie fashion:
Alessia here is wearing quirky sunglasses too which again is a common fashion trend in the genre.
Tie dye fashion is very popular in the hippy/indie genre:
All of the outfits of the actors are very common of the genre indie and present grunge and almost retro fashion which again foregrounds the genre further.
Props were used in the music video too. One example of this was the drawing:
This prop is very significant to the music video as it emphasises the LGBT message behind the video as the picture is of a gay couple with LGBT Pride colours.
Another prop used are polaroids:
Polaroids are used here to emphasise the genre indie and bring an almost retro vibe to the video.
Composition is very significant in this video as it highlights relationships between the people.
Here the shot of all of the friends:
Here the shot reveals that the friends fill up the frame which can highlight their significance to him even if it is a long shot.
This is also shown when he is getting intimate with the guy:
Here they are both dominant in the frame in a closeup as they take up most the room so it highlights how significant this relationship is to him.
Actors
The actors in this music video are Troye and his friends which are a group of guys and girls in their late teens/early 20s. This appeals to the target audience which are around the same age.
The couples in this music video are significant too as we see both a heterosexual couple:
This is quite significant as it plays on a common convention of a music video which is a heterosexual couple however we are also introduced to a more LGBT representative couple which is the homosexual couple. This again is important in the genre as it presents a more indie and individual music video that is unlike modern day pop videos.
My second genre specific analysis is Wild by Troye Sivan:
Camera Shots/Movement
A lot of this music video is filmed through the use of handheld shots.
We see these handheld shots throughout the entire time Troye is hanging out with his friends:
Here when his friend is sneaking up on someone:
Here when he is posing with Alessia:
Here when he is showing off his drawing to the camera:
Here when everyone is laughing and having a good time:
The whole of this part of the narrative is done using a handheld camera, which includes shots of them hanging out, messing about and being silly. By having a whole section of a narrative done on a handheld camera creates an atmosphere that is quite intimate between friends and emphasises a comfortable and relaxed enviroment.
We also see this effect just twice outside of the narrative which is here:
at 0:41
By having this effect of a handheld camera outside the narrative setting of friends highlights him getting intimate with someone else/implies the presence of someone else being there.
All of the handheld shots are also bad quality too, for example this one of him on the sofa:
By having all of the intimate handheld shots a bad quality, once again highlights the candid environment he is in which signifies how comfortable he is within his friendship group.
By having them almost side-by-side with shots that are good quality puts emphasis on the candid shots and highlights how significant they are.
The use of good quality filming alongside the bad quality of the handheld is also shown in another part of the music video where they are at a bowling alley.
Here they are shown dancing to the bad quality camera:
And here we see the camera they are dancing at in a clearer, more crisp shot:
This again juxtaposes the more candid, comfortable environment with an almost set-up studio atmosphere.
When Troye is singing, majority of these shots are clear, and steady unlike the fuzzy unstable handheld shots:
These shots don't show the same candid and relaxed atmosphere and this is because this is where he is singing. Therefore it presents him as being serious about the words he's singing and brings some significance to them.
We also see zooms here when we have handheld camera shots
By using a zoom effect when it's a handheld camera emphasises the casual nature of friends taking videos of eachother.
It is also used when we see two friends holding hands
This reveals it to be two girls which can highlight a close bond or even a same sex relationship. If this is the case it can be seen as foreshadowing Troye's later realtionship.
We also have a lot of closeups in this video, one being a closeup of Troye's hands:
This closeup reveals Troye to have painted nails which can emphasise him breaking gender stereotypes.
We also have a closeup of the drawing Troye shows us:
This closeup reveals the drawing to be of a homosexual couple, with stripes almost representing LGBT Pride. This again emphasises Troye's main agenda in the video which is to give the LGBT a better representation. It also can be seen as once again foreshadowing his charecter's own same sex relationship further on in the music video.
These closeup shots are also shown to represent realtionships in the video, for example when we see a girl and a guy:
This closeup reveals them flirting and laughing which can be used to predict they are very close.
This closeup technique is also shown when Troye is getting intimate with a guy:
This closeup again highlights them being close emotionally and phsycially at that moment.
This is also shown through a long shot too of them talking:
This longshot reveals their body posture as being comfortable around each other and how they are acting in a almost flirtatious manner.
We also have a out of focus shot here too when Troye is singing:
Here he moves out of the way and comes back out of focus. This again signifies the casual atmosphere around him as the video isn't seen to be perfect, but also can also present feelings of confusion he may have towards this guy.
Editing
The editing shows pretty much shows a linear narrative with three main narratives alongside eachother. The first is the one in the bedroom with Alessia:
The other is outside with his friends/Alessia:
and the last is the narrative with the guy:
One main editing technique is interviewing handheld camcorder shots alongside the better quality shots:
This adds to the variety of shots, not just in the way they are taken but also the quality of them so we see this contrast of a candid, comfortable enviroment and a more serious enviroment when he is singing to the camera.
Another editing technique used is shots in time with the music such as when we see clips of him with his friends when it is the chorus. This is effective as it means it keeps the music video upbeat for the audience and holds their attention.
Sound:
Sound is mainly just the soundtrack of the artist however there is one thing that stands out from the song. This is where the beginning of the song is upbeat and lively showing him having a fun time with his friends however when the music gets softer and more relaxed, this is where we see the shots of him getting more intimate with the guy.
For example this shot here is very vibrant and shows energetic friends as this part of the song is very upbeat and lively:
This technique highlights the change in tone and mood in the music video and emphasises the intimacy in their relationship.So the shots are not just reflecting the narrative of the lyrics but also the tempo of the actual song. By using this technique is draws emphasis to the main agenda of the video which is to present his same sex relationship.
Mis-en-scene
Lighting in this music video varries depending on the mood.
For example, the scene when he is with his friends is well lit and bright:
This whole narrative with his friends is pretty much the same, and having bright lighting connotes to happiness and a lively atmosphere which is furthered by the fact we see them all messing around and having fun with each other and enjoying each other's company.
This is contrasted by when he is getting more serious with the guy:
The lighting here changes to darker and slightly red toned, here the darkness connotes to intimacy and privacy and the slight red tint highlights lust and sexuality. This then emphasises how significant this guy is to Troye.
The costume in this music video plays a big part in portraying the genre. Troye, the main actor here is wearing a denim jacket with badges on it.
Denim jackets are a common convention of the indie genre and the badges on it make it unique which again is something commonly seen in this genre.
The same sort of sense of style is seen throughout the music video with the other actors.
Stripes are a common fashion characteristic of indie fashion:
Alessia here is wearing quirky sunglasses too which again is a common fashion trend in the genre.
Tie dye fashion is very popular in the hippy/indie genre:
All of the outfits of the actors are very common of the genre indie and present grunge and almost retro fashion which again foregrounds the genre further.
Props were used in the music video too. One example of this was the drawing:
This prop is very significant to the music video as it emphasises the LGBT message behind the video as the picture is of a gay couple with LGBT Pride colours.
Another prop used are polaroids:
Polaroids are used here to emphasise the genre indie and bring an almost retro vibe to the video.
Composition is very significant in this video as it highlights relationships between the people.
Here the shot of all of the friends:
Here the shot reveals that the friends fill up the frame which can highlight their significance to him even if it is a long shot.
This is also shown when he is getting intimate with the guy:
Here they are both dominant in the frame in a closeup as they take up most the room so it highlights how significant this relationship is to him.
Actors
The actors in this music video are Troye and his friends which are a group of guys and girls in their late teens/early 20s. This appeals to the target audience which are around the same age.
The couples in this music video are significant too as we see both a heterosexual couple:
This is quite significant as it plays on a common convention of a music video which is a heterosexual couple however we are also introduced to a more LGBT representative couple which is the homosexual couple. This again is important in the genre as it presents a more indie and individual music video that is unlike modern day pop videos.
