Good And Bad Music Videos Techniques

Large number of cuts

Good

An example of a large number of cuts is ''Ice Box'' by Omarion. The music video is fast paced and contains 168 cuts. Initially the viewers hear Omarion heartbeat pacing as it is transforming into an ice box to illustrate his unhappiness with the relationship he is in. No music is played until 0.38 to create a dramatic effect where the audience can relate more personally to Omarion's emotions. Throughout the music video the background is set in black and white to further create a dramatic effect. It also focussed more on Omarion as the two contrasting set of colours outline his expressions. At 3.42 we see Omarion persuing his partner through the woods as if he is chasing to gain the perfect version of his partner which attracted him before she changed. This is all to enhance Omarion feelings in order for the audience to understand the pain and suffering he is experiencing.

Bad

A bad example of number of cuts is ''Get You Down'' by Warren G featuring Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. This music video only contains 67 shots a normal music video contains 120 shots or more. This song wasn't deemed successful because this music video only had 730 thousand views on YouTube. The are many reasons why artists have low shot count in their music video, In this case Warren G had a low budget as it was not released  in the music charts. Even though there were big artists performing in the video it was not succesful, even having big artists in any video you do cannot guarantee a sucessful video. The three artists keep repeating about racism and how it affects them , it seems like we have seen many videos that are very similiar to this one , so the viewers feel like they have heard it all before nothing is fresh and new.This represents the artist by showing how the artist feel about rascim for example Ice Cube was talking about rascim between black and brown people it shows him in a police cell at 1:17.

Special effects


Good


Special effects videos include a variety of images and also animation. A good example is "Beware" by Big Sean featuring Lil Wayne and Jhene Aiko this music video has a different locations and the music video has a different mood and it also has different colors. This music video also contains different artist in video that shows Lil Wayne and Jhene Aiko in a different style in this video and their clothiers started to changes at different scenes. The music video first starts off with Big Sean on a mountains at 0.00 to 0.16. it represents the artist by showing the end of his relationship, he has cheated so his girlfriend has dumped him.The graphics and colour changes reflect his mood swings and how he is feeling like ''beware of a woman with a broken heart'' at 1:22. The artist uses different graphics for the chorus to the main singing to keep the viewers interesed in the music video. This represents the artist by him making a slow paced  video where as before he always make fast paced videos.

Bad

A bad special effect is ''Rock Your Body'' by Justin Timberlake this music video. This music video only stuck to one effect this makes it look like the artist had no money to spend on the music video. The graphics look like the artist is in one room like a cube with flashbulbs flashing different colours it looks cheap and tacky, also the video shows the artist in the same place they are no where else,  it is repeating the same thing over again nothing is there to excite the viewer there is nothing new in the graphics at all. The intended effect was to dance with the artist at 2:44 but it did not suceed due to the graphics being very poor and being the same throughout the video.

Cutting to the beat

Good


A good example is ''Miss  Independent'' by Ne-yo as this music video show a good pace. The intended effect is that the beat is after each scene to keep you entertained and it keeps you knowing what the artist feels and the viewers can connect with the artist and the emotions they are experiencing he respects women who are strong and praises women who are independent at 1:15. The music video has been successful because it has had 70 million hits most probably it has been viewed by women. The artist has always sung about strong independent women and he shows them immense respect with his lyrics at 3:34.

 



Bad

A bad example for cutting to the beat is ''get her back'' by Robin Thicke the  video shows him trying to get back with his wife, it shows that he is sorry and shows his face covered in blood and bruised at 2:17 and would try anything to get back with his wife who has left him. there is a lot of repetition ''i have to get her back 1:25 in the video how the artist has to get his wife back it is very dull and i think the viewer will find this boring.The artist before this song had a worldwide hit and became famous overnight which he could not handle so due to excess partying girls and drugs his wife left him with their son.








Varied camera language

Good 


A good example of varied camera language is ''Happy'' by Pharrell Williams the music video has different camera angels for example mid shot and also long shot the music video also contains a feel good factor to it, the title happy and the line i feel happy make you want to dance and clap like in the video at 1:48.The technique the artist uses in the video is random people from the street and celebrities for example Kelly Osborne dancing at 2:52, the video is extremely popular and has had 502 million views the lyrics want you to go along for the ride,  with the artist '' i feel happy with a room without a roof'' meaning you can achieve anything if that is what you want to do. Seeing people dancing and clapping makes the video more effective.

Bad

A bad example of  varied camera language is '' Tennis Court'' by Lorde this music video only contains one camera angle shot. The angel is a mid shot. there are no cuts at all the video has a dark background and looks very boring the camera sticks to the artist face even though she does not sing only a few words. All the artist does is look at the camera and moves her head left to right at 1:24 - 1:28, the artist says only two words throughout the music video she looks very pale and wears dark clothing to match the black background. The artist has been successful with this video because she has had 52 million hits on YouTube , i think maybe she had so many hits because she is a new artist and different to the normal pop songs around at the minute

Green Screen

Good 

A good green screen is '' I Made It'' by Kevin Ruldolf featuring Birdman , Lil Wayne also Jay Sean. This music video shows all of the artists how and when they started and how they became sucessful they sing about it all three of them so everyone listens to them now they are living the dream.  The music video also has different locations in the greenscreen for example when jay Sean is singing outside Big Ben at 2.20, because the viewer can see that he is british where as the other artists show american buildings and street life.The video shows photos and archive footage from the artists lives throughout the video also money falling at 1:41 .The video has had twelve million views it has so many different  graphics and a catchy tune and beat to it that keeps you interested the title is catchy and simple 'i made it'

Bad

An example of a bad greenscreen music video is ''Drop It Like Its Hot'' by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams. This music video has got one location this makes the music video boring and this music video only sticks with one plan white green screen and it never changes and the video only shows a Bentley car at 0.56 and also shows person playing the drums at 3.11 and dancing at 0.27
 The audience wouldn't like this video because its too simple and i think they could have made it with more graphics to make it look better. The music video is in black and white it looks very simple and not made interesting and old all the video shows is expensive things the artists have got. ''I'm a gangsta, but y'all knew that'' this means that the artist is showing off because he has money and used to be a gangster.



Lip-synching

Good 



An good example for lip is ''Dedication To My Ex'' by Lloyd featuring Andre 3000 this music video contains good lip syncing from 0.00 to 3.55. this music video portarys  Lloyd feelings about a girl, there are many different camera techniques that are used in this music video as when Lloyd is pointing to his head at 0.19 the artist expresses the emotions that he feels when he sees this girl who happens to be his ex girlfriend. The artist waves his arms about a lot .and in some scenes sings slowly to try to keep the pace of the song.Their is a cat who sings with the pace of the video at 2:29-3:14.The music has been successful because of the beat and pace of the song that has been consistent throughout the video it has 11 million views on YouTube. This music video has been the only hit i know of for this artist before this video was released not many people knew of him.






Bad

A bad example of lip synching is ''cups'' by Anna Kendrick she seems to just use the same amount of mouth movement all the way through even when she hits a few high notes here and there at 3:23. The intended effect of each technique is to show here being thoughtful and be misses when she is gone by being a waitress in a diner serving customers. The video shows the artist only singing the same thing over and over again and the music and singing is repeated too many times it seems boring for the viewers. The song is from a movie the artist is in and seems very boring and mundane it represents the artist character in the movie.

Styles And Conventions Of Music Videos

Genre

I will be looking at various types of style, convention and technique of music videos and how they impact on the audience. There are many variety of style such as rock, rap, R n B, hip-hop and classical. Each style is designed to target a particular set of audience.  For example, Eminem’s music video “Berzerk” is targeted at an audience aged between 13-25 and ethnicity of white, lower to middle class.

Convention is the association between the musician’s lyrics and the music video such as in the music video “Berzerk” is a fast paced music video to complement the equally fast paced lyrics.  The genre of the song is old school rap/ hip-hop which consist of archive footages to make the music video appear as if it was set in the 1980s. Also the song is a sample of Billy Squier “The Stroke” who is displayed in the music video at 2.24 and 3.47 in dedication to the input he had to producing the song. The song is about going crazy and having a good time such as in his lyrics “Life’s too short to not go for broke” portrays that you should enjoy the benefits of the money you make while you are alive since life is precious and short lived.

Eminem’s record label Shady records would use this style and convention of music video since it is unique in the term that it looks at the past rather than many other music videos that focus on the present and the future.

genre subverting

Genre subverting music videos are music videos that go against the artist’s genre. For example , “the next episode” by Dr dre featuring Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Nate Dogg. This music video contains explicit adult content as it is set in a strip club. There is a lot of nudity and this video downgrades women as sexual objects such as at 2.13 shows men paying women to perform on stage and later throwing champagne at them. Also there is a scene of the artists smoking maljuihna at 2.04 which is viewed negatively since these artists are suppose to be role models and set an example to the younger viewers. This music video was designed to target older audience members who are more open-minded to western society.

Another example of genre subverting videos is 50 cent featuring Justin Timberlake who use technology to seduce women. It contains some adult scene such as at 2.32 where a woman is dancing erotically whilst 50 cent is blindfolded. The artist use night vision cameras to stalk the women in the video.

Performance in a music video

The purpose of an artist performing in a music video is to get the audience involved and feel that they belong in the music video as well. Also it gives the audience the impression the song is being performed live in the music video. An example of this is Outkast “Hey ya” where the main singer Andre 3000 is Performing in front of a large female crowd. The crowd is displayed in the music video when the artist enters the stage at 1.14.  It should be noted that the crowd is constantly cheering, dancing and getting involved in the music which helps to promote the musician and the song itself. The camera takes many mid-shoots and close ups of the artist ‘s face for the audience to feel an intimate connection with the artist. There are also clips of a woman jumping onto the stage at 2.59 and a woman fainting at 3.19, this is all to create a positive light on the artist. There is a scene where the artist is dancing hence making the audience feel the need to dance as well. The genre of the music video is a feel good hip-hop music and generally makes the audience feel upbeat and cheerful.

Parody

Parody is a copy of the original music video for the purpose of adding humor and comedy into the music video. A person takes the original song and changes the lyrics and music video to make it funny for the viewers.  An example of this is Bart Baker “Blurred Lines” which is a parody of the original song by Robin Thicke. The parody is very similar to the original in terms that both videos have the same background and camera angles. Also they both contain hastags and the artists are wearing the same outfits. The parody attempts to make Robin Thicke look like a rapist whereas in the original video he looks more professional. From 0.00 to 0.12 the parody video has the same camera format as the music video except the reaction of the female dancers who appear to be threatened by Robin Thicke rather than attracted to him. The Parody is insulting Robin Thicke for example at 1.00 we see Robin Thicke sing “I’m a douchebag”. The parody has been a successful hit as it has gained 29.5 million views on Youtube.

Narrative

Narrative is a way of displaying an artist’s lyrics through a music video. This is extremely useful at helping the audience to understand the meaning behind the lyrics and further help the audience to be interested and to engage in the music video.  For example Justin Timberlake “Cry me a river” portrays him showing his unhappiness at realizing that his partner was unfaithful to him. In the music video we see the metaphor of the title “Cry me a river’ associated with the rain at 0.00- 0.04 or the switching the shower on at 4.15. He uses this music video to as a way to express what his hurt and anger to his former girlfriend. Initially we see how much affection he holds for his partner through the lyric “You were my sun, you were my earth” and when he smells her hair at 3.51. Later we see his disappointment at realizing his girlfriend was unfaithful “You don’t have to say what you did I already know.

Surreal/Abstract

Surrealism is when music videos contain unexpected juxtaposition as well as videos that are considered to be outside the norm for audience members. An example of this is David Guetta “Turn me on” featuring Nicki Minaj. The video appears to be set in a factory where a worker is constructing a doll model at 0.51. There are elements of abstract such as the way the dolls are produced is similar to that of a clock at 0.43 and the way the dolls transform the worker into a silver metallic doll at 2:33. At 1.55 there is a doll dragging an axe from the ground, which can be compared to many horror films cliché. The music video will surprise the audience in the sense that the artist has used dolls instead of human actors. It is difficult to understand the plot of the music video and it doesn’t follow the lyrics hence making the audience think outside the box.

Interpretive Music Videos

This is where the artist’s lyrics match exactly that is occurring in the music video, for example, The Lonely Islands “like a boss”. Initially we see Andy Samberg having a meeting with Seth Rogen discussing what his job role requires of him. For instance, at 0.19-0.20 He uses thee lyric “talk to corporate” whilst on the phone to a client. This is also a way of making the music video more hilarious such as “Hit on Debra, like a boss, get rejected, like a boss” at 0.32-0.35. This is more likely to gain the attention of audience who enjoy humour in the music video. This makes the music video more unique in the sense that the lyrics have to match the music video which helps to attract more audience members. The benefit from the artist point of view is that this does not require a lot of creativity since they are just displaying what is in their lyrics. It also pleases the record labels since the music video is likely to be cheap. For example, this music video requires the use of a green screen to portray “Crash into the sun” at 1.20.

Referencing 

Referencing is similar to synergy as it displays clips of a movie into a music video. For example, Pitbull “Back In Time” which shows scenes from Men in Back 3.  We see Pitbull dressed in a black suit, the same suit as the agents in the movie. The music video also feature Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones who are the main characters the film. The music video also shows Pitbull entering the underground facilities of the agency organization at 1.38. It even shows him entering into the same black ford car as the agents at 0.30. This music video is likely to attract all the audience that enjoyed watching the Men In Black franchise as well as the people who wish to see it. The record labels benefit since this music video will be promoted by Men In Black franchise leading to more audience watching this video and increasing the sale of the music downloads/CDs.

Patiche

Patiche music videos are those that refer to another type of media. They use a reference from one media and imitate it into the music video. For example, Busta Rhymes “I love my chick” ft Will.i.am, kelis. This music video is imitating scenes from the movie Mr and Mrs Smith such as at 0.00-0.05 Busta Rhymes and Gabrielle Union are in couple therapy which is a copy from a scene in Mr and Mrs Smith.  Also the music video labels “Busta Rhymes as Mr Smith” at 0.07 and “Gabrielle Unions as Mrs Smith” at 0.19. This is likely to attract the audience that enjoyed watching the movie Mr and Mrs Smith. Mr and Mrs Smith was a box office hit starring international superstars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie therefore likely to gain attention from a large scale audience. The record labels understand that more audience members will be intrigued to see the similarities of this music video to that of the movie therefore increase the image of the artist which can lead to higher sales.

Impressionist

Impressionist music videos are designed to set the theme and imagery of a music video. This is to direct the audience feeling and for them to express it in a way that will promote this music video. This can be produced by setting a particular background or camera angle shot. For example, Gorillaz “Clint Eastwood” which set a dark theme when a character is laughing wickedly at 0.14- 0.17.. The background throughout this music video is dark which is portrayed by heavy rain and lightning at 2.56 and the pace of the song is slow. Since the artist is using an animated music video it is very easy to set the tone of this video. This entertains the audience as they feel spooked and this music video targets younger audience who enjoy watching animations. The record label understands the importance of producing a music video, which contains structure and a theme to appeal to mass audience members.

Animation

Animations are a creative way for artists to produce music videos. For example, Kayne West “Heartless” portrays Kanye into a cartoon format.  The music videos contain a range of blight colours as Kanye West is walking through different backgrounds. At 2.00- 2.14 we see the visual effects of the smoke from the cigarette rise. It shows the artist in a different light as a cartoon. The benefit of animation videos is that the artist can create an image that they are satisfied with. Also it is easier to show emotions through characters by animation rather than hiring actors to perform, for instance, at 1.42 a woman is crying and behaving emotionally. In the music video Kanye West is wearing different outfits in each scene and there are pictures of The Flintstones at 2.34. These animations are more appealing to younger viewers who are more likely to understand the meaning of the music rather then just observing the artist singing.