Research: Counting Cuts in Editing Muse Comparison

I looked at Muse's song Uprising as it sounds similar to Enigma's song in the same genre and style. I listened to the first 40 seconds without looking at the video and counted where I thought cuts would be. I counted 25, but when watching the video back there was only 16 cuts. The shots were longer than I had previously thought, these shots had action within them or were a pan/track. The first 5 seconds has a repetitive beat, like it was on a loop. It looped three times, so I assumed there were three cuts. However, in the video it was one long shot and once the regular pattern had changed it had cut. For the next 8 seconds it focused on a piece of action, but from different angles. The cuts followed smoothly with the lead guitar and it built up to the first verse. All the shots are fairly long and follow more of the video's narrative/concept. The timings of cut is more or less determined by the lead guitar. 

Powder Paint: "Up in the Air" Comparison

The powder paint arrived on Sunday. 2.5kg in each tub. This is ready for the scene of our music video where there is going to be a fight with powder paint. This should be enough powder paint for our video. 

"Up in the Air" Powder Paint Scene Analysis 

The shots displayed are from Thirty Seconds to Mars "Up In The Air". The video has allowed me to look at shot types, regarding our own powder paint sequence in our music video with Enigma. The most effective shots have been close ups, focusing on detail of the subjects facial expression and the impact of the power paint hitting them, because it creates this soft dust effect, which looks really cool in bright colours. The colours are really vivid, standing out against the black background drawing more attention to the colours. The slow motion is also very important, because we can then follow the paint as it travel and it gives it a more artistic edge. Establishing and wide shots are very useful when showing a sea of colour and showing the action. When filming our powder paint scene for my music video, the wide shots are going to be hard to create, but with two cameras one will be hand held and focus on close ups and the other camera will focus on wide shots. That way we can get a variety of shots and angles to play with in editing. Because of our equipment we won't be able to do any difficult angles like the almost aerial shot.   

In the video the music has slowed down in pace and the slow motion works with the music. The transitions flow with the music and footage. The smoothness of the transitions and overall editing is something I hope to achieve in my music video.  

Experiment
 

 

Took a sample from Miss Lee in Art and tested it on my sister. The slo-mo was very effective, but I threw it directly at her and not on the side, so the effect isn't good as good as wanted, but it was still very useful and fun to do. 

Engima: Exploring Similar Videos - Nickelback

Nickelback - This Means War While Becky was absent I researched videos which had similar locations. This Means War by Nickelback has similar ideas to what we have about having a primarily performance based music video. Nickelbacks video was filmed all in one take, where they just rocked out and went mental while the camera caught it on film.

The key elements is the lighting and the camera angles. This proved to me cruicial, because for our video not to get boring we need as many camera angles as possible and fast cuts to make it entertaining. Lighting also helped with a dramatic atmosphere to the song, along with the video. The effects they added in also was interesting, the use of shaking and bright orange flashes. Also the zoom in and out of the camera to emphasis of the drum beat, was very effective. It emphasised the aggression in the song, as if you were being attacked. The lights were two major lights in the video, giving a lot of shadow and darkness, which was useful as it contrasted with the light.

Continued...



Analyse

The opening of the music video are mainly extreme close ups, with a aged effect layered. The shots only last a couple of seconds before switching. This follows the fast pace beat of the music.

The extreme shot of the foot was particularly inspired for my music video, I really like how, despite it being short, gives it variety and the other shots which focuses above the torso.     

The wide shots show the band in a diamond formation. Were they are situated is balanced out and the one spotlight brings attention to the centre of the diamond, putting light on each band member. The lighting, clothing and colours are all very dark and relates to the song which is essentially a hate song, emphasising on anger. The lack of colour sets the atmosphere of the rest of the video.  

The pans and tracking shots are fast paced and do blur. The focus of the shots go in and out a lot, but it works with the video. It could be symbolic suggesting that the band are out of control and angry. The concept of being 'blinded with rage'  


The pace of the edit is in 3's which follows the drumbeat, allowing it to flow successfully on to the next track. The shots focus on all the band, not anyone in particular. 

Effects -
There is evidence of a type of earthquake effect, which makes the shots shake. This emphasises how loud they are playing, because when music is loud enough the amps move etc. Commonly seen in cartoons.
Colours - A bright orange/yellow light is inserted for a spilt second, which contrasts with the large amount of black and grey. It add colour, but the colour is reminiscent of fire - fire has connotations  of the emotion anger. The yellow contrasts with the black and gives the illusion of a heat sensor camera or a negative effect.  

Video Analysis: Je Suis Seul by Eskemo

I picked this video in particular for its unusual choice of animation. It is as it is was drawn and certain features reminded me of the song "Take on me" by Aha. The opening shot, establishes where the video is taking place. The colours are very simplistic with a soft focus, which implies the story will be steadily played out over the music. 

A tracking shot is pulled to the main character of the narrative in the music video. The shot heavily focuses on the picture frame of the two people as it slowly pulls over to the male character. 'We' as an audience can identify he is the man in the photo and he has a girlfriend.

The main character is identified when he is given an extreme close up. The light is behind him, suggesting he is facing the darkness (metaphorically). His features look sketched.   

The main character looks at his partner. Something is clearly wrong, but it isn't made obvious at first. Although we can guess from the lyrics

"Sorti d'un rêve éphémère
elle m'est apparu irréelle
comme un ange tomber du ciel" Which translates as..
"Out of a fleeting dream
it appeared to me unreal
like an angel falling from the sky"

The imaginary become relative to the lyrics when he is sucked through the bed. Suggesting it is a dream. The animation becomes lined and blurred as he falls. Emphasising the vertical drop. 

The video is very dependent on the lyrics, despite it having a clear narrative. Her memory is shown as her being half drawn in, suggesting she is not real unlike him, or the idea that his memory of her is fragmented and being lost.  

"Come haunted my thoughts
I feel her every caress
and dream of it by my side"

The character then follows her to the door. The open door reveals the sky, suggesting he is dreaming. Sky and clouds in dream usually mean peace and freedom of that person, however, because it is windy and dark inside it signifies unrest, or frustration.  

The bands album cover is put on the wall as if it is a poster, this is clever, because it allows the band to self-publicise and still continue with the stories narrative.   

 

I picked out these to shots, because it reminded me a lot of the "Take on Me" video. As the character panics and tries to reject the bad memories he becomes sketchy and turns black and white. This memory of the girl fades and his outline becomes steps she is running repeatedly. Her features are no gone and only her silhouette remains. This implies the sad idea that he is losing her in some form. This is the favourite part of the video, because it is very creative, by showing emotion and trouble through the use of colours. The repetition emphasises panic of the character and a struggle, causing him to replay it in his mind. 



 

The music starts to fade and the camera spirals out to an aerial shot of the girl in the ambulance who then later dies. The spiral out highlights her leaving him, by getting further away. The colours are darker which allows the emergency lights to be more effective to create a bigger impact on the ending of the story, which relates to the song title "Je Suis Seul" = "I am alone" 

Official Video



Andrew Goodwin Conventions

1) Music Videos demostrate genre characteristics (e.g. Stage Performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl bands)

2) There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals, either illstruative, amplifying or contradicting.

3) There us a relationship between music and visuals,  either illstruative, amplifying or contradicting.

4) 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, (visual style).

5) Frequently references to the nation of looking, (Screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particulary voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6) There is often intertextual reference (to films, TV programs, other music videos etc)

*Whether the video is primarily performance-based, narrative based or concept based and how elements of each are used in it*

Video Analysis: Here's to Never Growing Up by Avril Lavigne

Here's to Never Growing Up

This is the first shot of the Artist shown in the video. The main focus of the shot is Avril's silhouette, which makes the shot very effective and memorable. The simplistic background of the red lockers contrast with the darkness of Avril's profile. The editing is also genius when the bass beat starts to kick in the video moves with the beat and cuts to the shot using that effect. 

In between the artist there are establishing shots, setting the scene of the theme of the music video and vague narrative. Linking to the meaning of the song about not growing up is very effective as the narrative is at the point of change young people undergo. End of American high school and are now going to get on with their young adult lives. 

We then clearly see Avril singing the song and is fitted in with the theme, by being their entertainment. We get several close up of Avril singing. Her eye makeup is dark which is one of her signature looks. It shows that she is still punky/alternative despite being dolled up. The colours are very bright and follow the party feel theme of the video. Following the theme, they film students having their prom pictures taken. The picture then becomes smaller emphasising its to go in a year book, which is traditionally done. 

Events happen during the video which signify rebellion. One in particular is the spray paint of "Here's to Never Growing Up" which is the songs title. Spray paint and graffiti are a common instrument which is linked to vandalism and rebellion. The title is also a statement, being very direct.

The artist is then in a school classroom, this is identified through the traditional classroom items such as the black board, globe and desks. She is centered putting the focus on her, when she throws the paper in her hand away it is another example of rebellion. 





The following shots show some teens mucking around. When they jump into the swimming pool it is put into slow motion. Slow motion in this shot demonstrates skill and style of their athletic actions. Slow motion is primarily used to put emphasis on athletic movements and playback. The underwater camera mixes up the shot types and the movement of the camera represents the movement of the teens it the water. It also shows an aspect of excitement with the sudden change in shot types, creating a bigger variation.   

The slow motion continues throughout the rest of the video and is very significant in the tracking shot of Avril on the skateboard and the teenagers behind her running. Mise en scene is constant throughout. Avril has continued with the punk-skaterboy theme making her representation her own.









As the song reaches the climatic end and the beat drops, confetti is released as the music fades out and ends. This creates a powerful ending which then slowly transitions to Avril in the shot I first saw her in. The end scene matches the beginning scene as a symbol of change from all the action in between. It is very effective as a ending.

Video Analysis: Miss Jackson by Panic! At The Disco

Miss Jackson

The opening shot sets us straight away with the location and time the music video is setting place. The image is brought by silence until the ambiance begin to start. 

A tyre on fire rolls across the wet car park. The tire is the brightness object in the establishing shot as the rest of the area is dimly lit. There is a close up on the tyre stressing it's importance and relevance to the videos narrative. The fire in this context symbolises destruction as the tyre must have come from a car. Car crash?

The following shots all consist of the reference to the notion of looking. The camera peeps through the peep hole showing Brendan Urie and then within the same 20 seconds there are other references used which are obvious. The TV and mirror are two of the biggest references in the whole music video. The static TV set also implies Urie's character state. Any normal person would turn it off as there is no picture and we don't particularly like the noise. This ties in well with the style the song, because the lyrics repeat in a mono voice "...Miss Jackson, ...Miss Jackson", giving the impression of obsession and craziness. The way Urie is dressed is very smart but his shiny jacket fits in with the golden-brown colour theme.




The light from behind is very bright, blocking us from seeing his face in detail. He is facing his back from the window suggesting he has turned his back on the light and wants to face the darkness. This could relate to his mental state as he keeps confined and wants to stay a lone. The light being normality and the darkness being the opposite. The colour consist mainly of blue, black and white, showing a coldness to the surroundings and to the character. 



The close up pan of the women in provocative clothing suggests activity of a sexual nature, but it is never clear in the video. There is a high angle close up of Urie washing the blood off his hands. The red symbolises danger and usually death, which we could assume from the lifeless body. These couple of shots also work well with the lyrics, "found another victim, bu no ones ever gonna find Miss Jackson". The lyrics and visual play well together giving the audience the impression the women is dead and Urie killed her. 

A painting is brought to our attention with a distinctive explanation mark and a chopped off head with smoke coming out of it. There is a quick cut to Urie studying the picture, the source of light is on one side. The blue effect of the light mimics the idea moonlight shining through the window. This creates the eerie atmosphere and builds up tension and suspense as it reaches the chorus. 

At the chorus the music reaches it's climax and the characters mental state explodes. This is shown through Urie's character shouting at the television screen, dancing ecstatically in the car park and shouting at the camera "But I love her anyway". This attitude links back to Urie being obsessed and his mental state. The camera becomes handheld and is shaky and the transitions between shots is very fast paced. This fast pace is consistent with the speed of the bass beat and helps emphasis on the video narrative. The narrative possibly being Urie's persistent obsession of Miss Jackson. 

There is more emphasis on the bright light (neonish) theme throughout the video. The headlight are head on blinding us and hiding Urie behind the wheel. The headlights almost on purpose dazzle us, which portrays Urie to be out of control and reckless. There are mid shots of Urie driving while having similar manic spasms like before in the hotel room, putting emphasis on him and his well-being.   



Brendan Urie drives to a abandoned field with a distinctive explanation mark, which was seen in the painting in the hotel room. The narrative begins to fall together and we are able to link certain clues together, such as the painting and his obsessional madness. The woman is identified with a close up and as she stands in front of the explanation mark makes the audience assume she is the reason why people are gathered and she is the important figure out of them all. The smoke contrasts well against the dark background and gives a magical mystic aspect to the video.

The narrative of the video reaches its conclusion where we learn what is really happening and why there was blood on Urie's hands. Like in theatre, the music stops and there is a dramatic pause. Urie is handed the sword in silence and once he swings the music begins from the climax it was cut off at. This was very effective, because it built tension even more before the final climax occurred.







The spell is then broken from the others were and more smoke appears and we see the woman head on the floor. We can acknowledge that Urie did cut off her head and we now understand the previous scenes (well more than we originally did). After various two-shots and close ups we are taken to a environmental shot which puts all the action under one frame. This shot shows the circle of people around Urie and the woman, which is almost identical to the painting previously. 






We are then taken back to the hotel and the video ends with a steady slow zoom onto the head on the drawer, before cutting to black and the end of the song. 

Official Video

Video Analysis: Desire by Anna Calvi

Heavy shadowing, candle and the skull all have connotations of the supernatural and black magic. The light is natural and very dim, giving off a eerie glow. This shot is only brief, like many of the shots hinting at underlying themes of satanic ritual and/or the supernatural. 

There is a mid shot of the artist as the song reaches its climax, unlike before when you only saw extreme close ups of her mouth and eyes. You can now see her clearly and the lighting it gives for a clearer picture. The shot is framed with her facing away from the door. The lights also flickering giving it a sense of energy, fitting with the pace of the music.

The full moon tends to be associated with the supernatural, like werewolves for example. In literature a full moon symbolises madness. You have the dark clouds, which are black giving the impression a storm is brewing. The clouds are also moving across the moon, veiling it. This then relates to the crash of waves, which symbolise similar ideas of danger and wildness. 

The use of blood and barren land follow dark connotations also, keeping the theme consistent. The blood suggests pain and actions such as suicide. Blood in the bath usually hints at self harm. The barren land symbolises isolation and dead/dying things. Both of these images are emotional icons for being alone, feeling useless and despair.   





We get a close up on the singers face, to show more defining features. Particularly in this video her lips are very defined and the most distinguished feature of her face. Her red lipstick pulls the attention to her lips as well.

The break from the barren land as the music steadies gets faster and into a climax. Fireworks, bangs and smoke is set off in the dark. It emphasises excitement and danger.

There are quick cuts between more clips which have demonic connotations. Both the lightning and ghost girl are fluorescent and glowing. This perceives a supernatural essence, which was present at the beginning of the video. The sudden transition between the clips builds up the pace along with the song as it reaches another climax. The lightning also symbolises danger and power, as the strength of the lightning caught it very thick and bold. Where as the ghost girl focuses on the scary supernatural side of the video.  

 We are joined by another extreme close up shot of the artist to establish her. The video is heavily concept and performance based. There is more light then previous, which could be linked with the danger catching up to her, not allowing her to hide in the shadows anymore.


The last clip was very interesting, showing Jesus on the crucifix. There is a dim glow focused on the cross. The cross is a important religious symbol and is globally known. The cross is also commonly used in the idea of black magic and covens which are influenced by religion.     

Video Analysis: Mr Right by A Rocket to The Moon

Band Name: A Rocket to the Moon
Song Name: Mr Right
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Pop Punk

Narrative:
Two girls have two different boyfriends and one is symbolised in red and the other in blue. The one in blue has less money, but they have more fun, suggesting he is "Mr Right", whereas the one in red has all the money, but she doesn't really love him. The boyfriend in red tries to buy her affection, but fails, because she is ungrateful. 

What is the relationship between lyric and visuals? 
The lyrics of the song follow the narrative of the video easily and they complement each other. The lyrics talk about a "Mr Right". The video shows a contrasting between two different boyfriends and is described almost straight away... 

"My girlfriend's got a boyfriend, funny

He doesn't make a dime all day

And all her girlfriends' boyfriends make money

What more can I say?"

These lyrics are represented in a split screen. Red on the left and Blue on the right. This emphasises the contrasts between them and also focus's on the girlfriends reaction. By the way the girlfriends are portrayed we can already assume, the one in red has more money and nicer things, then the girl on the right who, in comparison is seen as plain. The girl on the left is identified as red because of her red lipstick and red clothing, whereas the girl on the right has a distinctive blue streak in her hair.  

However, as the music video progresses the girlfriend in red is seen as ungrateful and isn't really bothered by what her boyfriend does. Whereas it is clearly obvious that the blue girlfriend, does care about her boyfriend and they are having fun. 

There are many examples in the music video, but the biggest contrast is the gifts given and the reaction on the girlfriends birthday. The one in Red gets expensive presents and a big cake, whereas the one in Blue gets a small cupcake with one candle and she appreciates it more, than the other girl.

There is one contradiction with the lyrics, is that the song tends to complain about the boyfriend, when they are shown innocent in the video. It's the one girlfriend in Red who is the horrible one and isn't 'Miss Right'.

Nearing the end of the video the two girls meet and it is noticed that they know each other. The individuals behaviour emphasises their situation. As they pass Red gives a sneer and also looks jealous of Blue's happiness in the relationship. The mise en scene of the boyfriends also follows the colour trend and a similar facial expression as their girlfriends. 

The ending shots showing them both enjoying the same band (A Rocket to the Moon). The Red couple sit together, he tries to cuddle her and touches her leg, but she smiles and goes on her phone. He looks away showing his disappointment. Where as the Blue couple are together in a two-shot and she is showing affection by putting her head on his shoulder. They both smile showing they are happy. Contrasting with the Red Couple, who are distance and are mostly shown in close ups, suggesting they aren't as close as the others are. 

What is the relationship between music and visuals?

The transitions between cuts follow the beat especially at the beginning of the video. The band are shown near the beginning as the main emphasis is on their instruments. The pace and the music follow each other. The cuts at the beginning are soft and suit the distinguished beat, once the vocals kicks in the transitions aren't as fast, but they are still frequent as their is constant switching from split screen to full screen.

Are there close-ups of the artist and star image motifs?

The band feature a lot in the music video and are shown in between the narrative and at the end as the band performing merges with the narrative. To my knowledge I can't think of any bands which have this similar narrative. However, mixing footage of the band performing and a narrative to go along with the music video is commonly done. This allows the band to be identified as well as the ability to make a impact with a story to follow.  

Are there any references?
The artist nor the actors are put on any sexual way as you would expect in typical rap videos. There are references to looking, but only windows. There isn't any intertextual references which relate it to a TV Progamme or film aspect.   

Overall, the music video complements the lyrics of the song, with only a small contradiction. The ratio of the narrative and band performance is similar to other music videos.