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.