Mumford and Sons - Hopeless Wanderer (Genre: Indie/Folk)

This is the opening shot of the music video. It tells you the band’s name and title of the song. The colours used are black and a dark cream/grey. This presentation looks quite old as if this is from a western area which gives the audience an insight as to what the music genre will be. The writing is bold so it stands out and is easy to read and the title of the song is bigger than the rest of the typing so it is easily remembered and is the most important thing in this shot. The band’s name also stands out as it is curved above the other writing. It reminds me of a halo and is connoting the song and band to be holy. This could suggest that this song means a lot to the band and so it seems a privilege for the audience to be able to listen to it. It also conveys that because the band is ‘holy’ they are extremely good and highly thought of.

This is a medium shot, slightly low angled. The lighting is high key and the sun is blocking the band member’s face so this adds a sense of mystery. The trees in the background show that he is outside and close to nature. This conveys that their music is very natural and hasn’t been auto tuned or edited majorly. This makes their music genuine and realistic. His hands are on the guitar indicating that he is the one playing in the song; the synchronisation is strong and matches the tempo of the song. He is wearing a light blue shirt and tweed waistcoat. These are country clothes and enhance the mise-en-scene of them being surrounded by forestry. At this point in the song this man with the guitar is singing ‘you heard my voice’ which in the middle of a forest suggests that he is isolated and so this lyric could be quite contradictory.

 

The following shot is another band member playing the piano which is also outside. This is a long shot which allows the audience to see the scenery and the full length of the artist. The grass looks green and healthy which can relate to their music being alive and good for you. Maybe it can put you in a good mood. The sun is beaming down and there is a theory that good weather can put people in a joyful mood. This again enhances their music being happy and alive. The mise-en-scene is very random to place a piano in the middle of that scenery. By having this here it seems like their music can transport you to a faraway place of isolation so when you listen to the music you can’t be distracted and it’s just ‘you’ and the ‘music’ which is authentic and real. It also makes it more special for the audience to listen to and it seems a privilege. This is also an older piano which matches the opening title being old and western like. This gives the audience an insight into the genre of the music.

The camera is tracking very slowly to the left in order for the audience to see the band walking along the dirty track. This shot has also been edited to a slow motion to make everything more dramatic. The band is seen carrying a cello, banjo, guitar, tambourine, shakers, a drum and a piano. We still haven’t seen the artist’s face yet which elongates the mystery of why their faces aren’t being shown. In a conventional music video you would see the band members face in the video. It is also very abnormal to carry these instruments around by hand, it shows the length’s they will go to make their music and this makes their music so much more special to the audience. The entire band is wearing country clothing which suits their surroundings.

 

Before this shot there are some close ups of the band members faces and now it becomes clear why we weren’t shown their faces earlier as it would have ruined the surprise. The four men are famous actors who have been in many films and are easily recognisable. This is humorous for the audience as they are almost mocking the band as they are being so over dramatic. This is the same scene as an above shot; except this time the pianist has been joined by the rest of the band. This is a wide angled long shot so the whole band and the scenery can be visible. The camera tilts to this shot at a strong, up-beat instrumental moment. The band members start playing quicker and the two on a guitar and banjo start spinning in the stir of everything changing.

 

This is a medium shot of the hanging light bulbs in the next location. The bulbs are taking turns in their lines to flash. Due to them being out of sync with each other it enhances the craziness of this music video. Also, it looks as if the lights are dancing and creates a happy vibe for the audience.

This is a medium shot of two string members of the band. The actor with the banjo is leaning on the other’s back which connotes a supportive band who cares about each other as well as their music. The man leaning on the other also looks very soulful and doesn’t care about the conventions of a band to have routines and be very ‘showy’, he is more focused on his music and making it sound as good as possible. Both are wearing grey shirts which are considered dull colours so this contrasts to their lively music. The lighting is high key and you can see the sun blaring through the cracks of the barn. This is almost a representation of them breaking into the music industry once again with another hit song. Both men have facial hair which is quite a country look and so links to the genre of their music and also reiterates the fact they are impersonating the real ‘Mumford and Sons’ so they must look realistic. Due to them mimicking the band it shows that they have a sense of humour and that they music is light hearted which also enhances the soulful approach.

 

This is a wide angled long shot so we can see the whole band and the setting. They are in an old barn which conveys their music genre again being fairly older compared to music nowadays. This also links this shot back to the opening title being quite western and so we are constantly able to create a cycle for the video. The genre of Mumford and Sons is Folk/Rock and Indie. As previously seen the men have been carrying all of their instruments and appear to have taken over this old, probably unused barn. This connotes that they are not on a high production budget and are more concerned about their music then materialistic items and expensive venues. The lead guitarist is also kicking a drum; this multi-tasking is once again amusing for the audience and shows they are making the best of what they have.

 

This is a medium close up of one of the band members. Throughout this scene they take turns in saying one of the choral lyrics ‘hold me fast’. The camera is swerving in and out and he just jumps in using direct mode of address which connects the audience to him. This movement is very funny and so lightens the mood even more whilst watching this video.  The transitions between each shot have always been a cut and will most likely remain this way as it is faster and this is important because of the tempo of the song.

This is a wide angled long shot of the four in a small boat. What makes this music video humorous is how random and unexpected everything is. The four still have their heavy instruments (except the man with the piano, he has downgraded to an accordion) and so you would think that the boat may sink or tip over at least. Before this shot there is a shaky pan which stops and starts to the beat of the song. The pan doesn’t initially tell you they are in a boat; it is only until this long shot which is slowly zooming outwards. The audience can see that they are very isolated and appear to be shut off from the outside world highlighting they just want to be with their music. This makes it more special for the audience to listen.

This is a two shot and medium close up. Before this shot the four men are huddling together and seem to be supporting each other. One member wipes the tears away from another’s face and then licks his fingers. Even though this is disturbing and yet somewhat funny it shows that the band will look out for each other and treat each other as equals. This enhances their music being wholesome and true. As they are all singing the two at the back (above) turn to each other whilst singing the last, long note and in doing so get caught in the moment and kiss. Now the audience is so lost to why this is happening but still remains incredibly funny and unexpected. As the two are looking into each others eyes the music is quiet and as soon as they touch the music speeds up, enhancing the impact of what has happened.

 

Immediately after the kiss the video cuts to the four in an outfit change, on stage, bobbing up and down in cannon. All are smiling and so the audience smile. The red velvet curtains, glossy stage and bright spot lights are conventional to a performance area. This time, juxtaposing to above shots where there hasn’t been a routine they are now dancing together. This video has been a journey for the band. They start off with little, making music for themselves and each other. They don’t have transport and they support each other through tough times (crying) and now they have been rewarded and are on a stage performing. They are in matching clothes with matching instruments and have a full dance routine. This could represent what the music industry can do to you and how some artists, not necessarily Mumford and Sons, change dramatically for the industry and in hope of becoming a big star. It is an honour to be able to have an insight into their lives and for an audience member this makes their music so much more than what it seems.

 

Now the band is in a pub, maybe rewarding themselves for their good performance. This is a medium shot and the camera is positioned to be in their conversation which makes the audience feel involved. The four all have beers in traditional glasses which match the traditional setting. The four are singing together and have their arms around each other, creating a unit which conveys their friendship.

Before this shot the men go to ‘clink’ their drinks together and they smash and then everything goes crazy and out of control. The man with the banjo starts playing his instrument as if it was an electric guitar which is extremely funny and the pianist no longer plays properly and is banging the keys with his fists. Then the man with his banjo swings it against the piano. He looks angry and the man in the background is completely shocked of what’s happened and then turns angry himself. Everything is still so dramatic which continues the hilariousness of this video.  This is a medium two shot. They could be smashing their instruments up to represent how they don’t want the music industry to change them – relating back to my earlier theory of showing their journey. All four members join in to destroy their instruments.

 

This is the last shot the video and is an extreme, wide angled long shot. The four are in the same order as before when walking along the dirty track except now they are heading in the opposite direction. All instruments are in tact and so maybe the destruction earlier was all pretend and represented their mental state. The music fades out and then the screen cuts to a blackout and the record label name fades in and out. As apposed to earlier the sun was rising and now they are walking into the sunset so this whole video seems like a days work to them showing they put a lot of effort into their music.

The target audience for their songs are 18-40 years old, female and male.

Questionnaires

I asked members of the public to fill out a quick questionnaire as part of my audience research. Below are two random examples of my responses. There were ten questionnaires overall; five male and five female. I shall use charts to determine my results. 

 Looking at these results, 'pop' music is not loved by males which is fine as my target audience is females. Thankfully, 'pop' music is very visible in the females pie chart. As my genre is pop it is important that I have an audience. The majority of people said the music video SHOULD relate to the lyrics and so I will upload a copy of the lyrics to annotate and begin ideas. According to the public, it is not important for my music video to have a narrative. I was going to use my artist in the music video anyway, so I am glad the audience agrees.

Ariana Grande Almost is Never Enough featuring Nathan Sykes (Genre: Pop)

The first shot shows Ariana Grande entering the recording box. The camera is still and presented in a long shot, after the door closes the box is only lit so it is displayed to the left. As everything apart from the box is black it draws attention to her. This shot is simple and the only prop is the microphone and headphones which again enhance the focus on her and reinforces the authenticity of her voice. Grande being closed in shows she just wants to be with her music which adds a personal touch. The glass window conveys a sense of reflection and so this highlights her being on her own when recording. Plus, it’s like we are being given a window into her world. It is indicated so far that this song means a lot to her. She is wearing a white dress; white is commonly associated with purity and innocence which matches the tempo of the song. The curtains and wallpaper appear to be majorly yellow which is a warm colour associated with happiness which reflects the music.

Following the above shot it cuts to Grande walking into the studio and hugging the two men. This implies that she knows them well and has probably worked with them before. This shot also brings the audience into her environment and we feel privileged to be part of it. This shot is a medium shot; Grande is facing the camera as she is the most important in this situation. One man’s back is to us and the other is blurred in the background which tells the audience that we do not need to know any more than their occupation. I can see that they are in a studio and so they will be helping edit Grande’s song together. The hugging suggests that Grande is very grateful for their help and so enhances her purity as discussed in the above shot. Both men appear to be wearing grey t-shirts which are a background colours highlighting how they are not significant in this video. Grande is wearing the same outfit as before so this implies that she is just finished recording her song and is now going to listen to it. The mise-en-scene and lighting is not made to look like a performance with bright lights and rehearsed acting, instead it looks authentic and real.

This next shot is similar to the beginning except to the right of what was the black half of the shot has now been filled by a television screen recording her singing. The background colours in the booth have changed from yellow and green to a few different shades of red. Red is associated with love and passion which connotes the lyrics of the song; ‘I like to say we gave it a try’. Below the screen are five green dots which show the television is on and the colours stand out against the black ground. In the earlier shot these were not on. This shot is also a long shot; the screen is in focus which tells the audience which ‘Grande’ we should be watching. Also by viewing Grande singing from the booth we know that this hasn’t had auto tune or been played around with in the editing suite so we can see that her voice is naturally beautiful and real.

This is a medium shot presenting the large control board which is used in editing music. The amount of buttons and devices shows the vast amount of effort and time which goes into one song and so her doing this again portrays that her music means a lot to her and she wants to make it the best it can be. As there is more than one hand on the board it implies that a lot of people are working on this song which makes it even more special and important to the audience and artist. This also makes the audience feel part of the process.

This is a close up shot of Ariana and the microphone. Both are at equal heights portraying an equal status and how she values her music. The close up is personal and possibly intrusive but allows the audience to see her putting emotion into the song. It also suggests that this song is personal and close to her. Grande’s make-up is natural looking and her hair is off her face, almost as if because she is emotionally revealing her story she is physically revealing herself.

This again a repetitive shot which now displayed on the television screen shows a scene from a film. This was a new film called ‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ and by placing scenes in a music video this works as a promotion for the new film and acts similarly to product placement. This music video also has the black bands above and below the picture which acts as a cinematic effect linking to the film being advertised. This song is obviously on the film’s soundtrack and so by having the famous artists singing on the track it gives a good boost to the fame of the film. The scene appearing next to Grande singing links the two and indicates that this story she is singing follows their story. Before this shot there was a cut to the film scene in a medium close up; this connects the story and film and doesn’t confuse the audience by suddenly showing a screen of them next to Ariana. Then Ariana is seen drawing pencilled tattoo’s onto a piece of paper which after researching into the film, City of Bones I can confirm that her sketches match the tattoo on the boy’s arm. This again works as an advertisement for the film.

Nathan Sykes who features in the song swiftly tracks along with the camera and then parks, gets out of the car and enters the studio building. Initially before this shot there is a close up of the rear window in the car which captures the driver/featuring artist wearing sunglasses so we cannot fully see his face and so this adds a mystery to the character. Sykes is driving an expensive convertible car and is wearing smart but comfortable clothing; jeans, white shirt and blazer. It becomes clear to the audience that he is the featuring artist arriving just in time to participate in the song. As he is introduced to the video the tempo of the song does speed up which could link to her heart speeding up, enhancing the theme of ‘love’ in the song. The lyrics at this point are ‘cos sooner or late we’ll wonder why we gave up’. The film and music video have the same target audience of female and male teenagers. The film shows thrilling, action scenes and love scenes and Grande’s music is girly and with Sykes featuring it also brings his fans along.

Grande then goes to meet Sykes. The camera tracks behind Grande as if we are involved in her meeting too. This involves the audience. Grande is walking in the centre of the shot, again highlighting her importance in the video. The mise-en-scene is relaxed and a sofa is visible along with table and lamp which creates a comfortable vibe. There is also a fake horse at the back of the room which could connote that Ariana is a fan of animals and this once more conveys her kind nature. The lighting is low key where Grande is and she is walking into a high key set up. This indicates that Sykes is bright and bubbly and could also show that when Grande walks into a room it lights up.

Grande greets Sykes with a hug and both are seen smiling which connotes a happy atmosphere. This shot is a medium shot and is only for about a second as it immediately cuts to another medium shot from the film where their positioning is almost exactly the same. It is as if Grande and Sykes are re-living the film or living in parallel to their lives. This connects the video and film together and is a part of a marketing campaign. Both pairs are hugging on the line ‘right here in each other’s arms’, this synchronisation highlights the importance of the lyrics and how they are telling a story. Also as well as the positioning of the people the setting is the same as both are in a living room set up with the blinds behind them. This yet again links the two.  After this shot Sykes is seen meeting the two men in the studio and sits to listen to Grande’s work and then is incorporated into the song.

Another shot where Sykes is mirroring the action of the film. This is a split staged, medium shot of both playing the piano. Sykes is blurred out and the focus in on the male character from the film. The shot is split by the television screen again; this isn’t as obvious as before but recognisable because of the green dots on the bottom of the screen. The camera slightly pans across showing Sykes at the piano and then moves over to the left to centre the character from the film.This is a close up of Grande centred in the camera shot. She is using direct mode of address which connects the audience to the artists allowing them to feel involved. The background is a toned down colour which doesn’t distract the audience from looking at other things. The light is hitting the back of Grande which looks holy and symbolises the goodness within her which ultimately links to the song lyrics and film scenes.

This is a close up of Grande centred in the camera shot. She is using direct mode of address which connects the audience to the artists allowing them to feel involved. The background is a toned down colour which doesn’t distract the audience from looking at other things. The light is hitting the back of Grande which looks holy and symbolises the goodness within her which ultimately links to the song lyrics and film scenes.

This is the final shot of the video, it is a two shot and Grande and Sykes are sat close together portraying the theme of the song ‘love’. Grande is wearing the same outfit throughout the video which is unconventional as most female artists have several outfit changes; this is a more natural approach and focuses your attention more on the song than the mise-en-scene. Both are wearing white which again enhances purity and innocence of themselves and the song.

Both artists are separately known for producing pop music however, this song seems to be an exception of the stereotypical up-beat, quick music. I would still put it into the genre of pop and R&B. The target audience for this song is 13-17 years and I would assume just females will be interested however, when incorporated with the film, males can be included.

Music Video

What is a music video and why are they made?

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. Although the origins of music videos date back much further, they came into prominence in the 1980s, when MTV based their format around the medium. 

Music videos use a wide range of styles of film making techniques, including animation, live action filming, documentaries, and non-narrative approaches such as abstract film. Some music videos blend different styles, such as animation and live action. Many music videos interpret images and scenes from the song's lyrics, while others take a more thematic approach. Other music videos may be without a set concept, being merely a filmed version of the song's live performance. 

What is pop music?

As a genre, pop music is very eclectic, often borrowing elements from other styles including urban, dance, rock, Latin and country; nonetheless, there are core elements which define pop. Such include generally short-to-medium length songs, written in a basic format (often the verse-chorus structure), as well as the common employment of repeated choruses, melodic tunes, and catchy hooks.

So-called "pure pop" music, such as power pop, features all these elements, using electric guitars, drums and bass for instrumentation; in the case of such music, the main goal is usually that of being pleasurable to listen to, rather than having much artistic depth. Pop music is generally thought of as a genre which is commercially recorded and desires to have a mass audience appeal. (Wikipedia)

Conventions of music videos...

• Tend to include a lot of long, mid and close up shots
• camera movements are used to follow and trace the artist, camera movements include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots
• Quick cuts between shots are most conventional technique used in music videos, it allows a sudden change between one scene to another. Fades and dissolves are also commonly used to create a different effect from cuts.
• In order to emphasize a specific mood or convey the era some music videos are presented in black and white
• Most use artificial lighting to enhance a look
• Vocals are the only sound heard however, in Michael Jackson's Thriller it is made into a short film 

Conventions in a pop genre-d music video...

• Clothing is fashionable
• Artist is happy and content with her life
• Lyrics are usually based around relationships and love
• Teenage target audience
• Pop music tends to follow the current trend, rather than producing unique sounding music
• Verse-Chorus-Verse structure with catchy hook lines which remain in the audiences mind
• Very up beat with choreography throughout
• A lot of imagery is based on sex or partying as this is stereotypically what the target audience enjoys
• Artists make up tends to portray the artists feeling and expresses a message within the music video
• Technology is a big part of pop music videos nowadays and chroma key is used to create exaggerated and animated backgrounds and sets

CHANGE!

I am finding it difficult to find suitable actors for my film trailer and so I have decided to do a music video instead.