Music Video Analyses

1)Gotye - Somebody that I used to know

This video is inspiration for my music video because of the use of camera angles used, for example this medium close up is an example of a shot I will use in my video, I think it draws emphasis on the face and would work well if the actor was going to lip sync, especially if they are in front of a white background. 

This shot also has very natural light, it brings out the natural features of the artists face, nothing is too harsh and relates to the genre and vibe of the song which is quite mellow. 

Another aspect of this video that I like is the use of "costumes" - I like the idea of painting parts of the body to match the walls, it looks artistic and fits with lyrics and theme of changing. I wouldn't go as far to painting the entire body but I like how the colours are the main point in these scenes, as his body gets painted over and almost disappears, I am thinking of using brightly coloured make up on my model to add to the "electro pop" vibe.
The performance in this is not too out there and wild, it is slow and calm and although the genre of my song is very different to this one I have taken the idea from this video that my actress wont need to go too crazy and wild, and performing in front of a plain background can work, this also links with the use of editing and camera work, both are quite slow and no harsh cuts are used which I like, however I may have to do some quick cuts for my own video especially when the beat drops. But the main aspect I will take from this video is that you do not need to go over board with effects and editing and can still make an iconic video especially by the quality of filming. 

2) Jessie J-  Wild 
This video has inspired my own music video in many ways, firstly the fashion and style of the main artist, she wears statement jewelry and a simple outfit the make her self stand out in front of the simple background. 
The background has also inspired the back drop for my video, I want it to be shot in a studio with clips establishing this with examples of screens within screens, studio lights and professional camera equipment to set the scene. 

I was inspired to just use one model as I think it creates a sense of power and independence, it also fits with the style of my song which is electro pop and this is similar to the pop genre of "Wild" 
The target audience for this song is also similar to mine of 16-21 year olds especially women, I would also want my song to appear in the same places as this song, such as on Radio One, and the top 40 chart.
Another part of the video I like how the artists name and the title of the song are in a very simple sans serif font, It creates the image of simplicity and looks very modern and works well with the style of the music, I also think it would fit well with my genre and as my house style is going to be white and pink I would probably include the contrast of the font as pink on a white background. 

The editing style of this video has also inspired how I would edit my footage, when the tempo is fast and parts of the song are up beat the cuts are very quick, I have decided to use this as I think it would add to the "electro" theme. But when the artist is singing in depth and the beat is quite slow, the cuts aren't as quick and I like this as I think it gives a wide variety of editing styles and makes sure the footage relates to the tempo of the song.
A camera angle which I am going to use for my own video is a close up of the artists face. 
Another shot I may use from inspiration of this video is an establishing shot of the studio and the graffiti wall. This will help to set the scene and tell the audience where the video is being filmed. I think it will also create more of a range of angles as I planned to use a lot of close ups and a range of shots will help give my video a more professional look.

This is a mind map I made whilst watching the video, I then turned these notes into the above text.

McFly - Love Is On The Radio
The third music video I have chosen to analyse is of a similar genre to the song I have chosen for my own music video (pop) it also relates to the same target audience of young people - mainly girls - and will also be aiming to reach the weekly top 40 charts.
One of the aspects I like about this video is the colouring and filters, the studio backdrop is obviously very bright but it doesn't look overly edited and has only probably been brightened slightly, I like this effect as I think it keeps the with a natural style(similar to Gotye) but I can change how bright I would like my video depending on what colours I include in my video.
I also like the performances of these artists, they are showing their personalities and it seems like there is no set scrip and the artists could do whatever they wanted. Because of this I think this video is a lot more fun and not as serious as the others I have analysed and is something I would like to include in my video as I want to make it seem as lively and fun as possible to fit in with the cheery pop genre.
There are only two main camera shots used in this video, the first being close ups which I have already established I would like to use in my own video, I like how in this video they use the shot of a close up to interact with the camera and the audience which also helps present their personalities. The second main angles used are long shots which establishes the scene and distinguishes the separate members of the band and sometimes the band as a whole, I also think it creates an image of a lot of space, which continues the image that they have been given free run of a studio as they're only a few props they would've brought in themselves.

This is a mind map I made whilst watching the video, I then turned these notes into the above text.

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin analysed the characteristics that you can find in the majority of music videos created to date. (6 points from a media blog, examples given by myself)

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics.
   - Depending on the genre of the artist/song the video can be staged in different ways such as dance routines for groups or live performances for bands/acoustic.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals. The lyrics are represented with images.
   -The lyrics of the song can contradict or relate to the images shown in the video.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals. The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects that of the music.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, mirrors, stages, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body- ( The illusion of the character or artist's feelings are being portrayed by the song) 
6. There are often intertextual reference (to other media aspects such as tv shows or films).

Examples of styles found in music videos.

-Images contradicting the song.
An animation which doesn't follow the story line, 
The artist in a different setting/costume to the one perhaps mentioned in the song.

-Images amplifying the song
Romantic editing for love songs
Flashing lights and heavy editing for rock music

- Close up shots
Usually of instruments or lips of female pop singers.

- identifiable images

Lady Gaga can be recognised by her unusual style and outfits in her videos.
When people they often think of the crazy things she has worn, for example a dress made out of raw meat.

- camera work and editing can sexualise the artists.

It is mainly women who are sexualised in videos, often RnB or Pop artists are presented this way as it may fit in with the lyrics of the song. Mariah Carey is a good example of this.
Male rappers such as 50 Cent often sexualise women in their videos, it makes the men look more masculine as they are the most important thing in the video with women with little clothes attracted to this.
Malvey - Male Gaze 

Inspirational Music Videos

Marina and the Diamonds - Radioactive

This song is about the relationship between the singer (Marina) and her boyfriend, I like the style of the video as it doesn't look really professional and has been made to show the ins and outs of her relationship, almost like she doesn't know the camera is there. This can be seen when she is looking in the mirror and also by the fact that she rarely looks directly into the camera as most artists do in their music videos.
I also like the colouring of this video, where the lighting is quite neutral and there aren't any harsh colours, I think this adds to the Marina's genre of music as although it is pop, she does sing more emotionally than other chart artists and the dullness of colour in this video shows this.
The audience for this music video seems like it has been aimed at teenagers or young adults because of the singer and her boyfriend both look like they're young adults. Also the style of the video gives away the audience as it involves lots of rebellious behavior that may attract or be linked stereotypically to teenagers. 
This video is a concept with a little bit of narrative involved. Some of the scenes of the video don't link in any way to the lyrics of the song. The video does give us a simple idea of a story between the two characters and we presume that the referal to the lyrics 'When I'm around you I'm radioactive' is linked to the relationship between Marina and the other character. However the video seems more like a concept as the lyrics and meanings of the song don't come at the same time as the events happening in the video.
Little Mix - Wings

This style of music isn't my favourite genre as I'm not a big fan of pop, but I do like this video as I think it reveals a lot about the artists.
Little Mix are a girl band ranging from the young ages of 19-21, their style is obviously pop and this video was one of their first pieces of work since coming from The X Factor. 
This video uses lots of fast pace editing to create an equal viewing of each member, the cuts also match the beat of the song which is very up beat and fast, I like this as they don't focus on one member for a long time which would make the video boring and would show them as more like solo artists.
I also like the colours and imagery used in this video as I think they represent the group well, each member seems to have a different style and colour background and fashion sense, this works with the context that they are a young girl band aiming their music at a young, girl audience. The importance of colours in this video is suitable as it creates the sense of fun and spirit and seems like a 'party song' which is the direction Little Mix are aiming for.


Jay Z ft Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail

This song and music video are very different to the two analysed above, Jay Z is a well known rapper and Justin Timberlake's major genre is RnB, this showing that the above song is a mixture of two genres.
This is shown by the way the clips are shot, when Jay Z is rapping he is in a dark environment, where there are lots of bright lights and screens within screens. Other Jay Z videos also have a similar dark lighting, this could represent Jay Z's style as he doens'nt sing or rap in an up beat tone and the dark lighting adds a sense of seriousness. However Justin Timberlake sings RnB and his parts of this music video are lighter which go with the pitch and style of his voice. I think these two styles work well together as when the music changes so does the background and environment to match the artist.