Low Budget Ideas 1.

The first low budget music video that I looked at was Swedish House Mafia- One. This video included the typical conventions of a music video in the pop genre. This video fit into the genre of pop well as contained typical elements of a pop music video such as, close ups of the faces of members in the band and effects being put on the shots. (look at images 1 and 8 on the contact sheet).
Typically they also included shots of a crowd of people dancing, and this is very common in a pop music video. It is usually either a group of people dancing or an individual member of the band.
They made the video simple by keeping it in one location which looked to be someone's house. However the females that are seen dancing in this video do not change their costume which could be seen bad element about this video. The lip synching of the male character in this music video is very good as the editing is done perfectly, making it more realistic and effective for the audience. The camera angles that are used are changed throughout making it a successful music video.

Conventions of a music video.

Each genre of music has it's own conventions of a music video, however some genres use conventions that may not necessarily be the stereotypical ones that first spring to mind. It is not essential that all music videos contains every convention, the most effective ones only use a few, but use these well. However they must use the basic conventions to make the music video look professional.
An effective way to prevent viewer fatigue is to change the location and costumes regularly, but this should not just be random. The best music videos change it when the time is right, for example when it fits in with the lyrics that are being sung. These simple things make the music video very exciting to watch and will become memorable to the audience.
Also the camera work is very important in a music video. In making a music video, you need to give the viewers something new to look at in every shot, otherwise they will become bored and lose interest in the video. This does not mean that the camera must stay still, camera movement is crucial. Some music videos will use a tracking shot, to either track the main performer or a character in the video that is important in the storyline.
When editing the music video, the main element that is focused on is the lip synching. If this is done incorrectly, the video will look unprofessional and it will not be watched. This will also disappoint the viewers are they are led to believe that the artist is singing throughout the video, and if the lip synching is done badly then it will reveal that they are not. Also in the editing process, the cuts on the clips need to be a match of the song. For example, a slow paced emotional song would not contain short fast paced with quick cut clips put together. Instead it might have slow paced, long shots with a long duration to reinforce the melancholy theme being portrayed.

ROCK:

1. The Script- Breakeven.
2. Muse- Uprising.
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Snow.
4. Blur- Song 2.

Rock music videos are known to have limited lighting with dark colours, either on their costumes or in the location. As rock music tends (not always) to be of a fast paced, the editing has to match with quick cuts and short clips. As you can see in Blur- Song 2 rock videos commonly use close ups of the band members that are performing the song. Another common feature of the rock music video, is to include shots of the fans that are there listening to them play live which can be seen in Red Hot Chili Peppers- Snow. 


POP:

1. Enrique Iglesias- I Like It.
2. Jennifer Lopez- I'm Into You ft. Lil Wayne.
3. Jason Derulo- Don't Wanna Go Home.
4. Jessie J- Nobodys Perfect.

Pop music videos tend to be a complete contrast to rock music videos. The lighting is normally a lot brighter. In Jason Derulo- Don't Wanna Go Home artificial light is used, which you can see behind him in the smoke, whereas in Jennifer Lopez- I'm Into You, natural light is used to light up the stone building and herself. In pop videos the main artist is shown, however these are normally close ups but either with a female character or some background dancers. In Enrique Iglesias- I Like It, it cuts from Enrique (main artist) to dancers in the club, and then cuts again to his female love interest.

Analysis of Rock Video 3.

Kaiser Chiefs- I Predict A Riot.

Unlike the music video for Sum 41's In Too Deep, this music video feeds into the stereotypical view of a rock music video. It uses dark colours and the location looks to be a dark warehouse (minus 2 shots that we taken outside on a patch of grass). In this music video, artificial light is used, as can be seen from the fans situated behind the band. This works effectively as the band are lit up, but not too much for the darkness of the room to be altered. To add in some comical factors in this music video, the riot that is being sung about is in fact a giant pillow fight. This makes it interesting to watch and could also make some viewers laugh, preventing viewer fatigue. It is successful as many people may watch this video for that scene and then the audience are definitely being entertained.
It also follows the conventions of other rock music videos with the band (in this case Kaiser Chiefs) playing live in front of a live audience. As mentioned in previous music video analysis, each member of the band gets their own time in the frame, however the main vocalist gets the most screen time, with him having the centre of the frame through the most part of the music video.
At the beginning of the music video we see different people on the screen collecting pillows/cushions. This could make the viewer ponder about what these will be used for and whether we ever discover the answer. It is revealed towards the end of the video that they are used for a pillow fight, and this is the 'riot' that they were referring to.

Analysis of Rock Video 2.

Sum 41- In Too Deep.

In rock videos, the camera is usually used for close ups of the band members, and this is evident in this music video. The vocalist of Sum 41 gets the most screen time as he is always in the centre of the frame or just off centre with the band adjacent. The lighting of the shots challenges the stereotypical images used in a rock video, in this video they use bright colours and a light blue swimming pool with clear water. As the sky can be seen from the camera shots, we can assume that the lighting that is used is coming from the Sun (natural source). Like in most music videos there is a female included, wearing specific clothing to make her the sex appeal for the male viewers, this video is no exception. A blonde character winks at one of the band members before he leaps of the board. She is wearing a light blue dress, which also goes against colours of the norm in rock music videos.
As common in most music videos, the story is being told while the band is performing their song. This gives the audience a chance to follow the storyline while still seeing shots of the band. When this type of music video is created it sometimes makes it easier for the viewers to follow the storyline. The storyline in this music video, is the musicians (Sum 41) are having a diving competition against the 'jocks' and each of their efforts are to be scored by judges. This is effective as there are no other music videos with a similar storyline making it easy and enjoyable to watch and viewer fatigue is not present.

Analysis of Rock Video 1.

Oasis- Don't Look Back In Anger.

The bright lighting and the bright colour of the costumes challenge the stereotypical view of a rock music video, as these videos are usually seen to have dark lighting with the costumes that the actors/actresses are wearing to be of dull colours too. The video is mainly of the band performing this song, however there are some shots of the female dancers (convention of a pop music video) acting and singing along with Noel Gallagher. The female dancers are primarily there in the shots for sex appeal, making the video more enjoyable to watch, preventing viewer fatigue. 

The scene which feature Oasis performing are mainly close ups, but at times are mid shots to get the instrument in the same frame as the instrumentalist. In this video Noel Gallagher gets the most screen time, with him being the vocalist and the lead guitarist. All the performers are wearing everyday clothes which emphasises how laid back the music video is, which contrasts with the location which is a mansion house. 

This video could be seen as easy or simple, but the simplicity of this video is effective. If this particular video would have had more dancers on the screen at one time, or shots of the band performing this single  live, the simplicity of the video would be lost and perhaps would not be as effective, as this video is easy to watch and enjoyable at the same time. 

Analysis of Pop Video 3.

Pixie Lott- All About Tonight. 

This is a song by Pixie Lott that has recently been released but still follows all the conventions of a Pop video. In this video, the majority of shots used in this video are close ups, however there are others too to prevent viewer fatigue. The close ups introduce Pixie Lott (the artist) and show her throughout in either a different costume or with different makeup or hair design.
The colour scheme that is used is fairly dark, with plenty of black clothing and shoes. This makes the blonde hair of Pixie Lott seem emphasised, maybe reinforcing the statement that 'blondes have more fun'. Another convention of music videos is a costume change and Lott changes her costume several times which makes it more exciting to watch. Young girls that may watch this video may also see the clothes that Pixie Lott is wearing and want to purchase clothing the same or very similar.
The lip synching in this video is excellent as Pixie Lott is singing for the majority of this song (apart from  when there are still images portrayed of her for the viewers to see). This gives the music video a professional look and is very effective.

Analysis of Pop Video 2.

Olly Murs- Heart Skips A Beat ft. Rizzle Kicks. 

This is a newly released song and went straight to No.1. This music video is very successful because it uses a range of camera angles and shot types which prevents viewer fatigue. Olly Murs is also well known for his X Factor Audition in which he performed very technical and complicated dance moves which wowed his audience, and in this video he does that. It's his dance moves along with his movements around the set that prevent viewer fatigue in this video.
There are some common features of a Pop video portrayed in this video such as including close ups of Olly Murs (the artist) and making sure that he will be looked at by situating him in the centre of the frame. Although the location that is used remains the same throughout, towards the end of the video it does become darker (rein-acting the fact that it is later that day).
The lip synching is perfect in this video and has to be to make it a successful video. The timing is spot on, so it looks like Olly Murs is singing as he is dancing and moving around the set, otherwise this would look very unprofessional.

Analysis of Pop Video 1.

Maroon 5- Moves Like Jagger ft. Christina Aguilera. 

This video by Maroon 5 prevents viewer fatigue throughout the video by using fast paced shots at a variety of distances, some close up and some long shots, making it more interesting to watch. Although there is only one location in this music video, the different costumes and props that are used prevent the viewer believing that the video is tedious. As the story is about Mick Jagger, there are a number of shots with just him in the frame, without any of the members of Maroon 5 giving him some crucial screen time.
The majority of Pop videos contain females and this video features Christina Aguilera. The dancers in the background are also female (with some males). The female dancers are wearing limited clothing, which is a common feature of Pop videos. Another way to reduce viewer fatigue is to convey to the viewers shots of dancing, whether that be individuals or all the actors dancing.

THE BRIEF

Our task for A2 Media Studies is to research into various music videos, select certain conventions that we found effective and perhaps use them when creating our own music videos in a group with 3 members.
The music video should be 3 minutes in length and should be of a British music artist and can not already have it's own music video.

Reflecting on the Finished Music Video.

My main role for the filming of our 'In The Sun' video was the Location Manager. This meant that I had to select different areas in the school to be set for the different scenes in the music video. It also included emailing members of staff and making sure that we could use that room or space for filming, and then clearing the space before we began to film. At the end of the shoot, I had to clean away any equipment that we had used and make sure that the room was back to it's original state, and then emailing the teaches again thanking them for letting us use their resources.

As I worked alongside Jamal, our main priority was to select locations that would look the same or at least very similar to the original music video. 

An email that I sent to the LRC Manager. 

On top of being the Location Manager, I also had to help out the Production Managers and film certain shots that had been previously assigned to other individuals in the class, this was because they were in the shot that they needed to film or were doing other tasks like setting up lighting. Filming the shots was very fun but also challenging. We had to match the shots with the ones in the original music video. This was done by checking to see that the people in the frame were in the right position, the tripod was at the correct height and distance and then also that the shots were for the correct duration.  By filming the shots that I was assigned, it gave me the chance to develop my filming skills and also gave me the practice for filming my own music video. 

What makes a good music video.

Will Young- Your Game.

To make a successful music video, the most important feature to focus on would be to avoid viewer fatigue. This is really easy to do, just by changing shot types regularly, adapting the camera angles and make sure the actors on the screen are using a wide range of movements so the eyes of the viewers are constantly following them, this will also change the background scenery too. Another good tip, is to change the mise-en-scene, so the actors on screen could change their costumes and the lighting can be adapted depending on where they are located.


My example for a successful music video would be Will Young- Your Game. This is successful as it avoids viewer fatigue by altering the background of the scenes and the costumes that Will and the background dancers wear so that the audience do not know what to expect next. The lip synching by Will Young is very good so that also makes the music video easier to watch and easier to enjoy.It would be very clear to the viewer if the editor of this music video had made mistakes with the lip synching and the audience may choose not to view this and would not be an effective music video. The different lighting on the stage is effective because it is adapted to fit the background image. For example the lighting is shining through the church window when the Gospel choir are singing. This sets the scene for the viewer, making it effective as a good music video.

Avril Lavigne- I'm With You.

Another music video that I think is an effective one is Avril Lavigne- I'm With You.  This song is seen as a melancholy song so the colours that are used in this video are quite dark with minimal light used on the set. This is effective as it reinforces the theme of sadness through the use of costumes and lighting. Avril Lavigne is seen as pop-rock so her music video mirrors this with the use of the long, black coat and the dark lighting surrounding her and her band. Another element of the lighting is the fact that the viewers only see selected items that the camera has chosen you to see which makes it easier for the viewer to understand the story that is linked to the music video.

After watching two very different music videos I have realised that it doesn't just take one feature to make it a success, you need a mixture of good cinematography, mise-en-scene, costumes and lighting. Of course it is also vital that the lip synching is also perfect otherwise the music video looks no longer professional and will not hook in the viewers.