Analysing Music Videos

We had to research into different music videos and analyse how they were made.

Girl/Boy Bands

The Wanted - All Time Low

Narrative:
They all sing in an abandoned warehouse, and they are all singing to the audience/ viewers.

Performace Style:
Each member takes it in turns to sing different parts of the song, stereotypically they lean up against a wall which it typical of any boy band.

Casting/Characters:
There are 5 members of the band and they all take part in singing. They are all typically dressed like boy band members would.

Mise-en-scene:
They are casually dressed as they are wearing jeans and everyday t-shirts. They light flares in the video to create different coloured lighting. The lighting that is used is artifical lighting as they are in an abandoned warehouse and there is hardly any natural lighting.

Animation/Technology:
The lights turn in the background of the video to focus on different parts of the warehouse. Smoke machines are used to create a mysterious feel.  There are also exploding colours that consist of red and blue colours.

Editing in images & sound:
There is colourful exposure in the video and red lighting in the background from the flares that the band members light.

Camera Work
Slow motion is used to make the band members look 'cool'. Close ups are used of the band members faces when they are solo singing, and to see their facial expressions.The camera changes to focus on each of the members. Long and medium shots are used to show the band all together.

Saturdays - Up

Narrative:
Each of the members are standing on a platform each. They dance to the song and their dance moves match the beats in the song.

Performance Style:
They take it in turns to sing, and they also all sing together. They are all matching in their styles. They also have syncronised dancing so they are together as a band.

Casting/Characters:
There are five band members. They aren't any particular characters but they sing as themselves. They are all dressed as members of girl band would.

Mise-en-scene:
Their clothing is all matching and they all have microphones. They are all dressed the same but in different colours, as they all wear different coloured tights. Artifical lighting is used because they aren't outside.

Animation/Technology:
The platforms they are on move up and down and they also spin. A green screen is used on the background so that the audience can see stars and different images.

Editing in images & sounds:
The background changes colour to match the member who is singing at that time. There is lighting at the top of the screen so it shines down on the band members.

Camera Work
Slow and fast motion is used when the members are on the platforms and when they fall off them. The pace of the video speeds up when the members are dancing. Close ups are used when they are taking it in turns to sing. Long shots are used to show all of the members at one time.

Take That - The Flood

Narrative:
They are all rowing on a river which shows their competitive side as they want to win the race. They challenge normal conventions of younger boy bands because the members of take that are older.

Performance Style:
They all sing together in most of the video, but a few of the members sing solo parts of the song. They are older than normal boy bands.

Casting/Characters:
There are 5 band members and are part of a rowing team aiming to win a race, which shows that they are playing characters in their videos. They sing at the audience/viewers.

Mise-en-scene:
There is natural lighting as the video is recorded outside. The band members wear old fashioned posh clothing.

Animation/Technology:
In part of the video it goes into a black futuristic scene, which is spacelike. For this a green screen is used so that they could get that futuristic feel that is 'out of this world'.

Editing in images & Sound:
There is slow motion when the band members are rowing in the boat and are winning the race. There are different lighting effects used when it turns to futuristic.

Camera Work:
There are close ups of who ever is singing at the time, mainly Robbie Williams. There is a long shot to show all of the band members together at one time. There is a crane shot used to show the members rowing. It zooms out on the singers.

From this research, I have found out that most boy/girl bands have 5 members and they all take it in turns to sing different parts of the song. There is slow motion used in all of the videos to give more effect to the audience. The camera work on all of the videos is similar as it focuses on one of the solo singers and uses a long shot to show all of the band members at one time.

Folk Music

Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man

Narrative:
They all sing as a group and dont have their own solo parts and they are not singing to an audience even though they perform on a stage.

Performance Style:
They perform on a stage and the rest of the room is empty as no one is watching them. They all play instruments and take part in contributing to the group

Casting/Characters:
There are 4 people in this group and they are all playing different instruments which are unique in their own way.

Mise-en-scene:
They are all wearing formal clothing as they are all in waistcoats and trousers. They are very old fashioned in how they look.

Animation/Technology:
The lighting goes off when the music does, to give the effect that the lighting is working with the sound. The type of lighting that is used varies at different parts of the video.

Editing in images & Sound:
There are flashing lights in the video and the music is very up tempo and fast. There are music cycles which shows the song is repetitive.

Camera Work:
Close ups are used of the instruments and the members of the groups faces. When the camera is up close to one of the members faces it goes quite dark.

Levellers - One Way

Narrative:
There is one person singing in this video and the other members are playing instruments and they are only occasionally seen.

Performance Style:
They are on a stage and their is a main singer and he sings at the audience. Orginal body language is used for a typical fork music video.

Casting/Characters:
There are different members of the band, but the main focus is on the main singer of the group.

Mise-en-scene:
They are all wearing old fashioned clothing. There are sign posts in the video that are all different but show the same thing. They all play typical folk music instruments too.

Animation/Technology:
There is a cartoon throughout the video which matching in what the group are singing about. There is cartoon footage of the band that is put into real life footage.

Editing in images & sound:
Archive footage is used in part of the video. There is graffiti in the background behind where the men are singing and playing their instruments. Fire is used in the video to give  more effect on the audience.

Camera Work:
The camera focuses on the main singer and there are a lot of close ups of him. Vertical and horizonal tracking is used on the group. And there are tilts used and there are close ups of each of the instruments.

Seth Lakeman - Lady of the Night

Narrative:
There is one person singing alone and he is playing the violin.

Performance Style:
He is singing in the rain by himself playing a violin which is stereotypically a folk music instrument. He is in and abadoned room and the room is empty.

Casting/Characters:
There is one member in this video and he is singing as himself aiming himself at the audience/viewers.

Mise-en-scene:
He is wearing casual clothing and playing his violin. There is water to be seen everywhere and natural lighting is used as it comes through the gap in the roof of the building he is in.

Animation/Technology:
There is a spot light that focuses on Seth. In the video, there is also a point where the lighting flashes from light to dark when he stops playing the violin.

Editing in images & sound:
There is smoke seen to be coming off him when he finishing the song. There is seamless editing as the shots change quickly and a lot of the time.

Camera Work:
There is a close up of Seth's face and then his feet. There is also close ups on his instruments. The camera aldo jolts at times.

From this research, I have found out that in folk music videos they usually wear old fashioned clothing and all play instruments. They play old fashioned instruments such as violins and banjo's. There is always a close up of the instruments that are being played and they are sometimes singing on a stage to no audience.