Conventions of music video in relation to indie-pop:
Mis En Scene
The location for my video is important, in order to keep an audience interested it is a good idea to have more than one location within the video. In order to meet the convention of an indie video I am going to have one of my setting in the outdoors. I am them going to have one setting indoors that will mainly be for the close-ups of the artist. This is important as often within indie-pop video there is a storyline and the protagonist is usually the artist. Close-ups the artist will also be good to get a clear view of the lip-syncing.
The costumes I will have will be in-fitting with young and alternative youth, this will further attract my target audience. For the storyline there may be other characters who will where the clothes that fit their role. For example there may be a mother/daughter/son, they will where the conventional clothes of a nuclear family.
Cinematography
The shot types, camera movements and angles all have to attract my target audience and conform to the indie-pop genre. My target audience, the leading edge are all about exploring and experimenting with new things. I want to reflect this within my filming techniques. I want to use filters and interesting angles to entice my audience and keep them interested. By using multiple shots and consistently cutting on the beat my video will run smoothly and so will be enjoyable to watch.
Lighting
The lighting used within my video will be very important at making sure my video looks presentable. For the outdoor scenes I want to be able to use natural light and will have to experiment to see what the best way is to get the correct clarity. When inside I also want to experiment with lighting through the use of a projector and the multiple lighting rigs that are on offer. I believe that this will further interest my audience and create an alternative and hopefully experimental way of presenting my video.
Sound
The sound for my video will clearly be the soundtrack of 'Dog Days Are Over'. At the moment I don't want to include a introductory scene or ending scene with actual speech. The most important part of sound is that my lip-syncing look credible and that my music matches the video that I am creating.
Editing
In order to attract the leading edge I a must be experimental and creative in the editing process. I once heard that editing is 70% of the importance when creating a good video and I agree with this. If the editing is not smooth and in-sync with the beat and rhythm of the song the video will not be enjoyable. Editing can transform and help to improve a video as long as it is done in an interesting and professional way.
Florence + The Machine at the beginning of her career when she released the first music video for 'Dog Days Are Over'. This meant that she didn't have an actual producer and it involved her dad using his camera to film and using her friends and family as the actors. Florence then posted the video to YouTube. YouTube would be seen as the first distributor of this music video and later it was followed up by both Vimeo and MTV. This proves just how independent the making of this music video was and how many indie artists produce their music videos by themselves.
Most of the production companies I have researched don't seem as though a video for 'Dpg Days Are `over' would fit in. Both London Alley and Video Ink are very good and popular production companies that have the likes of Ariana Grande and The 1975 producing several of their music videos through them.
The accessibility to the internet now and the ability for artists to produce their own videos is amazing. This is the way I believe my music video would be produced. The independence and ability to be in control of the production of the video is something I believe I could use to my advantage.
The distribution of my music video would obviously be aimed at free upload series such as YouTube and Vimeo.
These two outlets would allow me to distribute my music video for free and share it with my target audience. The power of online sharing means that it is readily averrable to a much wider audience than in the past would have been possible. Depending on how well revived on these platforms my music video became it may then later be distributed to the likes of MTV.
Since my music video is indie pop and rather alternative I believe that it has a rather niche market. This means that my music video may not be aimed at the masses, not all the videos are meant to be viewed by all but rather enjoyed by those who appreciate it. I believe this is what my music video will be like.
Florence + The Machine is singed to Island Records, which is owned by Universal. They produced her later video that she created after she had gained some following and had the financial ability to create a higher quality video. They also produce videos for the likes of Catfish and The Bottlemen, Calvin Harris and The Weeknd. This is avery varied mix of artists with multiple genres and levels of following. If I had to choose a production company for my video it would probably be Island Records.
They are very good at producing a variation of videos and their access to multiple different directors and teams of collaborators allows for a lot of different opportunities. If I had the financial backing and ability to work with Island Records I would. When making my own video I can keep in mind the multiple techniques and collaborates they use to create their music videos. The good thing about being an indie pop artist is that it usually gives you the ability to experiment when making your video.
People choose to listen to
music that parallels the emotions they are feeling at a given moment. Other
times people choose to listen to music that matches their aesthetic and social
groups. However when we are in the moment and not trying to fit in with a
certain group it usually depends on the way we are feeling. Music can be seen as
a timeline that depending on the genre you are listening to represents a
certain point of time in your life. Most people have a specific favourite genre
that they listen to in order to make them happy.
Usually the music video that
is produced for the song reflects the emotions you are meant to be feeling when
listening to the song through the mis en scene and cinematography. Some videos
make a huge difference as to whom watches them and thus listens to the song. If
a video becomes viral the amount of people that the song reaches increases. If
a video is seen as relatable to a lot of people, more people than currently
listen to the genre it will be accessed by a larger community. A music video
can either help to filter and further specify the genre or it can be used to
generalise the song to s wider song. Music videos are very important and
influential when it comes to the people that are attracted to the video.
In general people that listen
to the music to start with are the people that also first want to see the music
video. However to back up this statement and do further research as to what
attracts people to videos and what puts them off.
I created a survey that I sent out to people I knew from all around the world between the age of 16 and 25. This reflects the opinions of target audience and allows me to see what they would most want to see from my music video.
By asking what there favourite genre of music is it reassures me that doing an alternative, indie pop music video was the best choice. This is reflect in my findings that show it is the majority with over 60% of the votes.
I then asked what attracts them to a music video and most people said that digital effects was their main attraction to the video. Second to this was making the video abstract and this was closely followed by having a storyline. This lets me know that the way I edit the video is important in the final effect for my target audience.
It is clear that people don't want to see a slow-paced video from this feedback and so I will make sure to keep it moving and to use multiple shots and settings to keep it moving. Although I don't think my video will have a strong story I will make sure it has some sort of consistency. This will help it to be less abstract and to have a little bit of a storyline.
It is clear from this video that it is important to my target audience that I use multiple shots. This also reflects their request for it not to be slow-paced. The more shots I use the faster the pace and hopefully more interesting the video will be. It also helps to emphasise my editing skills and hopefully allow me to show off more techniques and a range of shots in the video.
Almost 80% of those who took the survey like the singer to be the main character, this is something I am going to do. My singer will be prominent in my video and this research reassures me that this is a good decision.
Different people are attracted to different music videos, this is dependent on the content that is presented within them. Some music videos have a major sex appeal and focus very much on the promiscuity of one sex, usually females. This can be seen within videos such as Anaconda by Nicki Minaj and Work by Fifth Harmony. These videos are meant to attract straight males to the video and thus encourages that to be their target audience. Other videos focus on dance and this usually intrigues and targets a creative and aspiring target audience. An example of this would be Don't by Ed Sheeran and Sia's Chandelier. All music videos have an underlying theme that may be obvious or more subtle in order to entice a certain audience.
The genre of my music video is indie pop and the mood board I have created reflects this. I want to and think it is important for my video to mainly be based in the outdoors. Having a central colour that runs throughout is a good way of keeping up the films consistency. The colour red is one I would like to focus on with hues of it running through the lighting, costumes and set. Usually in indie pop videos the singer is the main actor within the video and the narrative follows them. I want to use a variety of locations to show a journey and it is common for indie pop videos to explore multiple settings. I want to keep my video quite light and airy and by using open spaces and outdoor areas this will hopefully be possible.
The indie pop music genre, is often about being original and telling either a story or using symbols within your video. This is something I hope to achieve through the flow of my video and by making it reflect the lyrics to a certain extent. Indie pop is quite an experimental genre that allows you to push boundaries so I will use this to my advantage. This genre will allow me to explore different filming and shot techniques. I hope to make my piece individual and original and for it to be seen as a new piece of art rather than a copied piece.
The reason I have chosen the images I have for my music video is to represent where and which artists I want to take inspiration from. Othello images such as the one in the top right and the one below represent the types of light I want to use within the video. The shots of the girl represent some of the shots I want to use and the way I want to tie the colour red into not just the lighting but the costumes. Over all the mood board represents the thoughts and inspirations I want to carry forward when creating my own video.
Dan Croll's video for 'Home' use a lot of different shots that change following the rhythm of the song. His video is a journey of him travelling from London back to his family home, he uses both scenic and uncles shots throughout the video.
This is a shot of Dan Croll walking away from the camera in the shape of a circular lens. It is a cleaver shot and shows another way to mix up the variety of shots by blacking ou the edges and making it seem as though you are looking through a hole at Dan Croll.
This is a mid shot of Dan Croll at the beginning of his journey home and is also an over the shoulder shot. It makes it seem as though the audience is following him on his journey home. I also like the use of natural light within all of the shots and the fact that most of them are taken in public areas.
A low angle, tip up is used for this shot and shows the singer walking up the stairs. This is another effective shot and makes it look like we are following him on his journey. Dan Croll's use of unique shots keeps the audience interested in his video.
A mid shot showing Dan Croll's face is another shot used to vary the music video. This allows the audience to clearly see the lip-syncing of the song and makes Dan Croll seem as though he is signing directly to you.
This is an aesthetically pleasing, wide, establishing shot. The colour scheme of red represents love and this is reflected in the singers love for his home and origins. This is a good planning of the mis en scene within the video as the setting was planned to match the context of the lyrics.
A low birds-eye view of the mat at the front door of the house helps to put the emphasis on the idea of home. The use of this shot helps to further put focus on the mat, instead of it being a wide shot where there is less focus on the mat.
This is an establishing shot of the cityscape to represent the lyrics in the song that talk about the contrast of the home and the big city, London. It appears slightly pixelated as part of the videos theme is that some of the footage appears old and vintage. This gives it an effect that makes it look like these are the singers personal home videos, which makes the video come across as his personal views.
This is a low shot that appears to have been filmed on a steadicam and is like the previous image shot to look vintage. It is a shot that shows part of the singers journey to his home and so is another establishing shot.
This final wide shot shows not only the main singer but the whole band playing the song. This is an establishing shot as it wraps the whole video together by having him land up with the band. This shot adds another aspect to the video and creates another section.
The mis en scene used within Lana Del Rey's music video 'Summertime Sadness' is very apparent and effective. There are only two actors within this video, this is effective as it is showing the story between the two characters. Having the singer as one of the main characters allows her to be the storyteller through the lip-syncing of the song.
The lighting throughout the music video has a consistent red tone to it and the rest is dark and natural lighting. The main focus is on the colour red. This ties in well with the costume choices, as Lana's love interest is wearing a red dress and she is wearing a white dress that is simplistic and natural. The use of the colour red in both the lighting and costumes represents the theme of love in the video. It could also represent the danger that surrounds the love with the love interest jumping off a bridge by the end of the video.
Lighting is very effectively used throughout this video, a projector is used to project 'telephone wires' onto and around the character of Lana Del Rey. This is an alternative use of lighting that effectively both lights the character and allows for images to be placed creatively. Lighting is also used to create a silhouette of the actor whilst she is singing. The use of multiple types of lighting that all connect by the colour red helps to keep consistency throughout the video.
Almsot all of the scenes are filmed outside with exception to the projector and silhouette scene. This helps to keep the video natural and is also a great way of using natural lighting. The open spaces they use are effective and great backdrops that are also free to use.
The cinematography within 'Summertime Sadness' is fantastic and varied throughout the entirety of the video. The use of different shots ranging from close-ups, long shots, wide shots, low angles shots and many more. The camera movement is varied as well with some of it looking like a hand held home movie, some shots appearing to use a steadicam and others pan shots. The variation of shots and moments help to add dimension and fluidity to the final version of the video.
The cinematography used throughout helps to paint the picture of the story in the video as well as highlighting the lip-syncing of Lana Del Rey. The way it is filmed makes it appear as though the audience is getting an insight into the characters life. I really like the use of both close-up shots of the characters and wider shots of the beautiful surroundings.
Due to this being a music video the sound is completely music from start to end. Unlike other music videos that have an introduction this video goes straight into the lyrics. The song doesn't need an introduction as it is a story in itself. There is very little lip-syncing throughout this video. It is mainly the song being played over actions that represent the lyrics. This is effective as it connects the song and video together.
'Summetime Sadness' is edited to appear vintage and like it was made in the 1900's. I really like this technique and believe it is very effective. The shot duration used matches the pace and rhythm of the song. This is effective and creates smooth transitions between the different clips. Continuity is created through the video due to the colour effect film placed on top of the clips to create muted colours. The film is a montage of clips and once you see all of them you begin to understand the story that is being presented.
sex - EDEN
The mis en scene within 'sex' by EDEN can be seen as similar in some aspects to Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness'. There are also two main characters and actors within the music video and it represents a relationship that seems to be facing issues. One aspect of this video which I really like and wish to take inspiration from is the lighting. Lighting is used to represent the lyrics, 'No I don't know how to forget you'. This is done through the light starting on the male actor and then moving over to the female. It shows how the characters are unsure as to how to leave one another and the light represents the fight to forget one another. The lighting used within this video is very varied and changes from natural sunlight, to indoor lighting, to the use of bright white lights. The variation of light helps to add different dimensions to the video. The lighting used always matches the scene it is set in and helps to further tell the story of the two lovers.
The costumes used within this are easy and casual clothes and so allow the actors to appear like their audience. This creates the idea that what they are going through issues other people can relate to. The setting of the song moves around and has multiple locations spanning from a field to an arcade. This keeps people interested and help show the transition and breakdown of the relationship in different locations.
The cinematography within the video is very clever and uses multiple techniques that I hope to use in my own video. The video uses a variation of shots used throughout the video and have one thing in common and this is that one of the characters is always centred on screen. The transitions within this video are very clever and smooth and are something that I hope to achieve. By using match on action through both the colour blue and the different corridors it creates smooth transitions and this is down to the clever positioning and set up of the cameras. The different shots used including close-ups and mid shots present the relationship between the two characters. Everything is filmed within quite a small frame with next to none wide cuts or extreme long shots. The shots and angles are very intimate and this reflects the relationship being presented.
The sound throughout this video is the song 'sex' by Eden and the transitions are matched with the beat of the song. The video most definitely matches the song and is used to further explain the lyrics. There is no introductory speaking or concluding speech, the video only contains the lyrics of the song. Just like this video I want my music video to get straight to the point and for my images to reflect the emotions being expressed in the song.
The edit of this video is very fast-paced and reflects the transition and emotions of the relationship presented in the video. The use of match on action explored through similar shapes and colours was very cleverly edited together to transition from one location to another within the video. By making the individual clips short and constantly transitioning it helps to keep the audience interested.
Lsa Del Rey is one artist whose music videos I admire and wish to take inspiration from when making my own. Although she herself has directed some of the videos, she uses various directors. Some of the directors she has used are Johan Renck, Kinga Burza, Anthony Mandler and Yoann Lemon. These are all amazing artists and when they work with Lana the cinematography and story are truly amazingly presented. Another thing that inspires me about Lana is the fact that some of her videos such as 'Video Games' was infact recorded on a webcam and created solely by herself. This inspires me as I have minimal access to technology and it proves to me that in order to make an effective music video I don't need the latest technology.
One theme Lana Del Rey uses throughout most her music is that she makes her footage appear vintage and recorded on an old video camera. This is something that I believe works really well and can be very effective in a music video.
Another technique Lana and her directors have used is through a projector and a white wall. This allows images to be passed over her face and is a great way of using both lighting and physical effects to portray certain aspects of the cinematography.
Colour is also strongly used throughout the videos, whether this is through vivd colours, natural colours or by putting films to make it appear darker. Lana Del Rey's music video prove just how effective lighting can be when creating a video.
Not all but many of Lana's music videos have a strong story throughout that allows the audiences imagination to run wild. Her brilliant casting choices and plots make her music videos strong pieces of art that usually hold deeper meanings.
I have created a lyric video for the first minute oft he song 'Dog Days Are Over' by Florence + The Machine.
This has allowed me to further understand the beat and pace of my song, which will be helpful when making my actual music video.
I chose to do stop motion and to make it seem authentic and fun I used free-hand sketches and colour.
I may use this technique for part of my actual video, maybe not with sketches but with actual people. I have learnt from making this video that it is very time consuming and takes a lot of pre-planning. This is something that I will make sure I will do for my actual video in order to get the best results from stop motion.
Bo Johan Renck
One of the most respected and sought after directors of commercials and music videos.
Based in Stockholm and born in 1966.
Renck is an occasional recording artist under the name Stakka Bo.
Succesful advert director for the likes of 'H&M', 'Dom Perigean', 'Cartier', 'Calvin Klein', 'Valentino', 'Johnnie Walker' and 'Perrier'
Bo has also directed three episodes of 'Breaking Bad' and one episode of 'The Walking Dead'.
