Music Video Analysis - Strawberry Swing By Coldplay

The music video contains a non-diegetic soundtrack, which begins at we see people marking out lines and measurements on the floor. This is to set the tone and atmosphere of the video and to make the audience continue watching. Also during the video some of the lyrics match the images, especially the lyrics "Everybody was for fighting" while a squirrel is shooting arrows at the hero, and the lyrics "Now my feet won't touch the ground" while the hero is falling out of the sky, this is an important idea of Goodwin's thoughts about music videos.

 

The camera angle doesn't change much in this music video at all, although having the background change and the man moving, it makes us think that it is constantly moving. The changes in the cinematography are simple and effect, when it does change. A tracking shot is when the man wakes up and comes downstairs for breakfast, and also when the superhero is flying through the sky to save the girl. Also there is a pan downwards when a large catfish swallows the hero and dives underwater, then there is a zoom into the catfish's stomach. These camera shots are used to continue the story. Also the video has aspects of voyeurism with the screens within the screen, which is also one of Andrew Goodwin's ideas about music videos. Although, the video doesn't contains any close ups of the artist, which was a key idea of Goodwin's, the video didn't have any close ups of the artist because Goodwin had identified that particular music genres have their own music video style and iconography. This is very clearly shown with this music video, which is of the indie genre.

The music video has been edited at the beginning to speed up. This is to grab the audience and make them continue watching. And the video is made to match the beat of the song, this is one of Goodwin's forms and conventions about music videos. Also the video has elements of continuity editing, because in the few cuts in the video the next shot continues the story, such as when the hero is flying through the sky and then it cuts to him flying around the world. At the end of the video we see everyone hugging each other in real time this is to signal that they have finished the video.

Performance is a key aspect of this music video, as although it doesn't contain an actual performance of the song, is the performance of the story. Chris Martin (lead singer of Coldplay) is playing the main character in the story, he is the superhero. Also Steve Jones has identified three narrative forms of music videos and this video would come under the digital narrative form, because it has no performance of the actual song in the video. Another view is of Joe Gow, who would again, class this video as part of the anti-performance piece, as it doesn't contain a performance of the song. And Diane Railton and Paul Watson say that this video as a hybrid, between the art music and narrative music video genre.

Almost all of the mise-en-scene is drawn in chalk, apart from a few the clothes which the superhero switches between during the video. He switches from pyjamas to a superhero outfit, from the superhero to a white suit then back the the superhero again. Also the lighting and mise-en-scene changes from morning sun to midday, then to evening and the end of the video, this is used to help develop the story and establish the time frame, that it all happened within a day.

In this music video there is a reference to the Viva La Vida album cover. The album cover is a painting by Eugène Delacroix. The painting is called Liberty Leading the People. The band said in an interview in 2010 that a big inspiration for the record was the book Les Misérables, and this can be noted by the French revolution themes in the album.

Music Video Analysis - That Man By Caro Emerald

The music video contains a non-diegetic soundtrack, which when put over the video becomes diegetic when the artist starts singing along. Also at the beginning of the video there is a shot of a emerald falling and smashing, which then turns into a few white blocks. The blocks move and become piano keys and starting playing in time with the music. They then turn into stairs, which the artist then walks down to the beat of the song. This brings the audience into the video and makes them want to continue watching it.

The cinematography in this video switches continuously to the beat of the song from close ups to long shots and zooms to pans. The many close ups of the artist throughout the video are because record companies request them as to promote the artist. This is one of Andrew Goodwin's key ideas about music videos. Also this helps the audience to identify with and grow to like the artist. The final shot we see at he end of the video is of a emerald falling and eventually disappearing, this connects to the first shot of the video of a emerald falling and breaking. This is to tie up the narrative, that she finally has the man she wanted.

The way that the video has been edited is to make it cut to the beat of the song. This is one of Goodwin's ideas about music videos. Performance is a key part of this music video. The video has a upbeat dance routine, which fits with the genre of music. Although it is not a conventional routine, as they are using blacked out animation figures instead of real people dancing, this is to make the audience focus on the artist more. Also the artist is singing along to the song, which is part of the overall performance for the video. This entices the audience as the images match the beat.

Also the video has aspects of voyeurism with the screens within the screen, which is also one of Andrew Goodwin's ideas about music videos. This video has intertextual references to the Mad Men opening credits or to the film Vertigo with an animation character falling from a great height and spiralling downwards. This is a representation of the 1950's era, when Vertigo and Mad Men were made in or based on, which the artist is trying to resemble that with her music. Also this image matches the lyrics which is another of Goodwin's ideas.

Another intertextual reference in the video is to James Bond films. The coloured lights moving around the screen is very similar to the opening of the James Bond film Dr. No. And the tracking scope is similar to the James Bond gunbarrel sequences that are at the beginning of most James Bond films.

The mise-en-scene in very in keeping with the style and era that the artist is representing in the video. Everyone from the band to the animation dancers are all styled to represent the 1950's era. And this creates a degree of verisimilitude within the video, as it shows the video to be clearly defining the era that it is representing.

Joe Gow identified that there were six central genres for music videos. This video would fall into the enhanced performance genre as, the video blends elements of performance and other visual elements. The video relates to Goodwin's ideas about music videos by matching the music and lyrics with the images. And the music video is of the jazz genre; this is portrayed with the colours used, animation and instruments used in the video. The artist uses the video to develop her own iconography as a 1950's style jazz singer, this is an important part of Goodwin's theory of music videos. Diane Railton and Paul Watson offer that there are four main music video genres. The music video genre for this video is a hybrid between narrative and art music videos. The colours and animation shows us that it is partly a art video, and the animation characters and subtitles tell us a story.

Music Video Presentation - Evaluation Continued

I like the way that this video has been edited, and that she changes outfits to the beat of the song. The concept of it is simple, because it is just her, and the video doesn't rely on flashy cars or loads of dancers to make it an interesting video. And I like that it is very visually based.

Music Video Presentation - Evaluation Continued

I like that this video is shot look like a home video, and that the video represents the indie/folk music genre. Also I like the way that the video has been edited to the beat of the song. And I like that the visuals and the music match and I like the way that the genre is portrayed with the mise-en-scene used in the video.

Music Video Presentation - Evaluation

I like the way that the video represents the artists style and the music genre clearly. Also I like the way that the video has been edited to the beat of the song. And the video doesn't  have any gimmicks such as special effects, and is very simplistic in the way it has been shot. And I like that the music video is of the indie genre; this is portrayed with the mise-en-scene used in the video. The video also has a dark, spooky atmosphere to it which fits in with the genre of music.

Animation Project - Under The Sea

This is my animation video for the induction into A2 Media. I learnt that even short animation taks, such as this, can be time consuming. It was an enjoyable task, but I don't think that I will be using this technique for my music video project.

A2 Induction - ABC Song

This is the ABC song that I produced for the induction into A2 Media Studies. I learnt how to edit visuals to match the beat of the music.