Mise en scene

Conventions of music videos

Mise-en-scene

This is the arrangements of the performers as well as the clothes they wear. It is also the setting and the different props. Mise-en-scene can be used to show meaning and depth. For instance in Eminems music video "Stan".



From this image you can see how the character is in a small dark room , which shows how he is lonely and un happy. The scene is full of images of one person which shows how this person obviously has an obsession with somebody. The lighting is very dim, but has a flashing light just over the main character, this represents his short bursts of anger and confusion.

Editing

Music videos are tend to only be around 3-4 minuets long on average, therefore a lot of editing is requires for the audience to understand the story or the meaning that may be in the video in that short amount of time. For instance many music videos slow down time with slow motion to prolong certain scenes, which they want to be noticed. For instance "It's time" by Imagine Dragons has many scenes which are slowed down especially when the artists are in frame.

Editing can also involve adding in special effects after filming for instance the use of green screen allows editors to choose the background and control the setting and lighting of the whole scene. Special effects have allowed the image below to be in Imagine Dragons video, as it appears as if the artists is floating. 

Camera Shots

Close ups are used in many music videos as they help to show the emotion of the videos characters. For instance in James Arthur's Say You Won't Let Go, close ups are featured continuously throughout the video to show how he feels.

 Establishing shots are usually used during the start of music videos to set the scene for the story. For example in Twenty One Pilot's Heathens there is an establishing shot of the prison which is where the they are held prisons.

 Long shots are heavily used as they allow the audience to see everything that is going on around the artist, allowing the artist to show off their creativity. For instance in The Chainsmokers, Closer there is a long shot of the artist as he travels through a vast landscape. This long shot allows the audience to clearly see his surroundings. 

Focus Group and Analysis of Results

I collected a group of people who fitted the profile of my target audience (young people, into pop music) to have a group discussion on my current plan for my music video. I wanted to see what they though about it.

Analysis of questionnaire results

Analysis of questionnaire results

The song I have chosen

I have chosen to do The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars because I wanted to do a song I really enjoy listening to and that I feel gives off a happy vibe. This song has a simply story about a typical young adult who doesn't want to get out of bed. This song is also really easily to learn for actors and a simple beat for actors to stay in tune to. The Lazy Song is of reasonable length for me to fit an exciting story into, so i can't wait to start creating it.

Here is the link to the official song and music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0

Laura Mulvey's Theory

If the above does not work please use this link:http://prezi.com/iz60ewqrnnz0/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Copyright permission letter

To be able to use The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars I had to send an email to Warner Music who are the copyright holder of my song. By doing this, I have prevented any copyright issues that i could have encountered in the future. This is proof That I tried to communicate with them, however they failed to get back to me. 

Below is an image of the email I sent to Warner Music. 

Three main categories of music videos

Performance-based

This category of music videos are generally more centered around the artist than the others. Performance videos normally consist of the artist performing their song. This type of music video is very popular among the rock genre, as a lot of the time you can see them on stage playing there instruments. 

e.g. Green Day - American Idiot

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee_uujKuJMI


Narrative

The narrative genre consists of 3 different types

• Illustration - This is where the narrative of the music video corresponds with the lyrical content of the song
• Amplification - This is where the narrative maybe slightly influenced by the lyrical content, however it may use different themes to represent the songs feelings.
• Disjuncture - This is where the narrative has a limited relationship with the lyrics.  

e.g Imagine Dragons - Roots   

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PscXGpsF3dY



Concept

Concept based videos rarely have a story line and have little relation to the lyrics of the song. Concept music videos often stand out as they are unique and memorable. This is because it doesn't have to make sense to the viewer, its purpose may be to make the audience think.

Two types of concept music videos;

• Thematic - Based on a theme depending on the genre
• Symbolic - Contains lots of symbols to create meaning. For instance lighting is often used to suggest a mood or emotions.

e.g. Pharrell Williams - Happy

Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM

Conventions of music video genres