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C A M E R A S H O T S

MUSIC VIDEOS NORMALLY INCLUDE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SHOTS SUCH AS LONG SHOTS, PANNING AND MANY CLOSE UPS TO PUT FOCUS ON THE ARTIST PERFORMING. DEPENDING ON THE GENRE OR MOOD, THE AMOUNT OF SHOTS DIFFERS. FOR EXAMPLE HIP-HOP VIDEOS WILL HAVE THE ARTIST RAPPING AT THE CAMERA AT A LOW WIDE ANGLE AND INDIE BANDS WILL HAVE A LOT OF MID AND CLOSE UP SHOTS AROUND THE BAND WHO DON’T NORMALLY LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

IN WU-TANG’S ‘METHOD MAN’ THE SHOTS ARE MAINLY CLOSEUPS OF MR METH RAPPING AT THE LENS COMPAREDTO PSY’S GANGNAM STYLE WHERE THE SHOTSARE MAINLY MID-LONG.

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C A M E R A M O V E M E N T

TILTS, PANS, TRACKING, CRABBING, CRANES, STABILIZER SHOTS ARE ALL FORMS OF MOVEMENT THE CAMERA USES TO FOLLOW THE ARTIST OR SHOW A DYNAMIC SHOT INTSEAD OF A STATIC SHOT.

IN NERO’S ‘MUST BE THE FEELING’ (VIDEO BELOW), THE PRODUCTION CREW USED A LOT OF CRANE AND CAMERA CAR SHOTS TO FOLLOW THE ACTION IN THE VIDEO. THIS CREATES VERY SMOOTH AND FLUID FOOTAGE THAT VIEWERS ARE USED TO IN HOLYWOOD ACTION FILMS.

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M I S E E N S C E N E

THIS IS THE SCENE SETTING; ARRANGMENT OF WHAT IS GOING TO BE IN SHOT IN REFERENCE TO THE MEANING OF THE SONG. FOR EXAMPLE A LOVE SONG MIGHT SHOW A PERSON SINGING ABOUT THE OTHER HALF ON THEIR OWN OR WITH THAT PERSON. OR IF OL’ DIRTY BASTARD WAS RAPPING ABOUT BLUNTS AND HOOKERS, HE’D PROBABLY BE PUFFING A DOOBIE WITH TWO HUNNIES ON HIS ARMS.

STICKY FINGER’S ‘CARESS YOUR SOUL’ IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF MISE EN SCENE, PURPOSEFULLY MEANINGFUL VISUALS ARE CUT INTO THE VIDEO THAT REFERENCE THE LYRICS AND MEANINGS OF THE SONG.

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E D I T I N G

THE PROCESS OF COMPILING THE FOOTAGE INTO ONE PRODUCTION. THE MAIN STYLE OF EDITING MUSIC VIDEOS IS TO KEEP IT INTERESTING; JUMP CUTS ARE USED A LOT BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO CHANGE SCENE QUICKLY. FADES ARE ALSO A COMMON TRANSITION TO USE. A LOT OF VIDEOS WILL BE COLOUR GRADED TO SET THE MOOD OF THE SONG, ALTHOUGH QUITE SUBTLE IT CAN MAKE THE VISUALS EITHER REALLY POWERFUL OR REALLY FLAT.

DOG IS DEAD’S ‘YOUNG’ USES FADES AND QUICK JUMP CUTS TO KEEP THE STORY FLOWING FAST AND INTERESTING. IT ALSO INCORPERATES HIGH CONTRAST COLOUR GRADING TO ENHANCE COLOURS AND SHADOWS IN THE FOOTAGE.

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L I G H T I N G

- LIGHTING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT’S EFFECTIVELY FRAMING THE SUBJECT, MAKING THE EYE ATTRACT TO THE LIT AREA/PERSON. LIGHTING CAN ALSO BE USED TO CREATE ARTISTIC SHOTS USING SHADOW AND SILHOUETTE TO CREATE A DIFFERENT MOOD ALL TOGETHER. IF THE VIDEO WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE, THE LIGHTING WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT BECOMES MORE PROMINENT.

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S O U N D

THE SOUND IS NORMALLY THE TRACK BUT IN SOME NARRATIVE VIDEOS, THERE IS DIEGETIC SOUND BEFORE AND/OR AFTER THE SONG HAS COME IN. FOR INSTANCE THE SOUND OF A CROWD OR PEOPLE TALKING. FILMAKERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE A SHORT FILM AROUND THE SONG – SUCH AS IN MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER.

IN ACTION BRONSON’S ‘JUST 4 MY JEEPS’, THERE IS A BREAK IN THE SONG AND DIEGETIC SOUND IS INTRODUCED. THIS ADDS AN INTERESTING SCENE TO THE VIDEO AND EVOKES A PERSONAL RESPONSE FROM THE AUDIENCE

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P R O P S

CAN BE ANYTHING FROM INSTRUMENTS TO A SHAVED GOAT. PROPS ARE VITAL IN COMPLETING THE MISE EN SCENE AND CREATE SIGNIFICANCE ON PARTICULAR OBJECTS OR PEOPLE.

IN ROBIN THICKE’S ‘BLURRED LINES’ HE USES MANY PROPS AS WELL AS WOMEN TO CREATE HIS VIDEO MORE INTERESTING AND TO EMPHESISE HIS SONG.

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IMPORTANCEMUSIC VIDEOS CAN BE THE START OF AN ARTISTS CAREER OR BOOST THEIR PUBLICITY. THANKS TO THE START OF MTV AND OTHER MUSIC CHANNELS, ARTISTS HAVE BEEN BATTLING TO PRODUCE THE BEST MUSIC VIDEOS. ALSO WITH YOUTUBE BEING SUCH A HIT, NEW ARTISTS ARE GAINING POPULARITY FROM MUSIC VIDEOS UPLOADED ONLINE AND FINDING THEMSELVES ‘MAKING IT’ IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. OTHER IMPORTANCES IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LISTENER/VIEWER AND THE ARTIST. BEING ABLE TO SEE THE ARTIST, THE AUDIENCE CREATES A MORE PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE MUSICIAN(S). MUSIC VIDEOS AIM TO DELIVER THE SONG AND GIVE VISUAL REFERRENCE TO THE MEANING OF IT. ALTHOUGH THE AUDIENCE WATCHES FOR THE AUDIO OR FOR THE VISUALS, BUSINESS HEADS USE THE VIDEO AS A TOOL TO SELL THE MUSIC OF THE ARTIST.

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OPINION

PURPOSE THE BASICS OF A MUSIC VIDEO IS TO TELL A STORY WHILST INVOKING A REACTION. THROUGH THE DIFFERENT CAMERA ANGLES AND SHOTS, THE MAIN FOCUS IS THE ARTIST. THE STORY REFERENCES TO THE SONG SO IN A PRIMARY DESCRIPTION, THE MUSIC VIDEO AIDS THE AUDIENCES UNDERSTANDMENT OF THE SONG.

FILM MAKERS WANT TO INVOKING A REACTION AND LEAVE THE AUDIENCE REMEMBERING THAT SONG. A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS PSY’S ‘GANGNAM STYLE’ (VIDEO BELOW). THE MUSIC VIDEO WAS SO CRAZY IT INVOKED A WEIRD FEELING IN THE AUDIENCES BRAIN WHICH HOOKED THE SONG INTO THEIR BRAIN, MAKING THEM TALK ABOUT IT WITH PEERS.

THE MAIN PUROSE IS TO PROMOTE THEMSELVES AND INCREASE INCOME. TO DRAW NEW CROWDS IN AND TO KEEP ORIGINAL FANS PURCHASING THEIR MUSIC/MERCH.

SYNERGY

SYNERGY: THE PROCESS OF COMBINING A SONG WITH A MOVIE/TV/ADVERT INTO A MUSIC VIDEO.

FOR EXAMPLE, DJ FRESH’S ‘EARTHQUAKE’ (VIDEO BELOW) IS ADVERTISING THE FILM ‘KICK ASS 2’. IN THE VIDEO, THE EDITING, COLOUR GRADING, ANAMORPHIC CROPPING, COSTUMES AND MISE EN SCENE ARE DESIGNED TO REPLICATE THE STYLE OF THE FILM. THE SONGS POPULARITY GREW AND SO DID THE PUBLICITY FOR THE FILM, THIS MEANS BOTH ARTIST AND FILM CREATE MORE ATTENTION BY USING EACH OTHER.