Case study #1 - Tove Lo - Stay high (Habits remix)
Synopsis: Protagonist repeatedly goes out every night, getting high and drunk in order to create an illusion of happiness to deal with the repercussions of the breakup she has gone through.
Themes and motifs: Alcohol, parties and travelling
The video is narrative based as it is telling the artists breakup story and there is no lip syncing. My music video is also going to have this narrative structure.
Editing (special effects): The mixture of a fast cutting rate, skipping/buffering and slow motion within one scene replicates the drunk/high feelings/view of the character for the viewer watching the video.
Camera: The handheld camera combined with panning adds to the characters POV also allowing the viewer to experience the characters view. There are lots of close ups and mid shots to focus on artist.
The slow motion effect is definitely a feature I would like to include in my music video as well as how the camera focuses on the artist so the background is out of focus.
The panoramic lens/view used in this scene also looks cool so is something that will be incorporated into our music video.
Mise en scene: Costume – character wears different clothes to show that she is going out and doing the same thing every night. This is also shown through her being shown with and without make up. Lighting – Artificial lights (colorful party lights flashing in the background) to create a realistic party atmosphere. Location – A variety of backgrounds used (one the street, tube, house) to emphasize the fact that she’s always travelling alone.
Case study #2 - Duke Dumont - I got U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHCYHldJi_g
This video is both conceptual and post modern due to the idea of putting on a helmet and being transporting to another island.
Synopsis: Protagonist receives a parcel containing a helmet and gloves which transports him to a fantasy-like parallel world where he’s on a tropical adventure with pools, beaches, parties etc. At the end he takes the helmet off and is shown back where he was in the beginning.
Themes and motifs: Paradise-like settings, parties, adventure, POV.
Camera: A combination of long shots, establishing shots to show the scenery, POV and hand held camera are used to allow viewer to experience visually what the character is seeing.
Editing: The fast cutting used between the real vs fake locations is good feature as it emphasizes on the fact that the protagonist isn't actually on the island.The POV filming is something I want incorporated in my music video as I think it is more effective in reaching the audience.
This is a good way to keep the video interesting so we will include a variety of different locations
Costume - The clothes that the characters are wearing are appropriate for the theme e.g bikinis, shorts etc. Lighting - Natural sunlight and fire is used throughout video as it takes places mostly on the beach so there is no need for artificial spotlights.
Sound: The sound becomes muffled when protagonist is show with helmet on in comparison to when he' on the island suggesting that the sound is diegetic as he can hear it at the parties.
Case study #3 - The Neighbourhood - Female robbery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwK7-u_0VWkSynopsis: Female robbery is about a girl living in an abusive home leading to her wanting to be taken away. She is writing in her diary the exact opposite of her feelings and is taken by the kidnapper to bury it, throw away her childhood, representing a fresh start with a new family
Themes and motifs:Black and white, diaries, sadness, opposite
This video has a narrative structure.
In the opening scene a French voice over can be heard whilst the subtitles translate into the complete opposite. This was a good idea as it goes with the whole juxtaposed theme of the video.
Camera: Mostly long shots are used to show the characters and close ups are used to focus on props like the family portrait and the diary to show there significance.
Editing: A black and white filter is used which heightens the sadness and seriousness of the video as there are no bright colors used to distract the audience. The cutting rate between each clip is also very fast and in time with the music which somehow helps to build up the tension as the girl is being taken away..
In this specific clip there are between 10-16 cuts within the space of 10 seconds.
Panning, fading and zooming in/out are used to transition between each scene. These techniques are also used to explore the contrast of how the protagonist' life should be and how it actually is e.g..
Mise en scene: Lighting - The artificial lighting used in the house is very dark and dim which reinforces the gloomy atmosphere and mood of the video. Location - Simple locations (suburb neighbourhood, typical house etc.) are used as it is more realistic and relates to the story being told. There aren't a variety of fancy locations as that would take away from the value and meaning of the song. Costume - Like the location, simple clothes are worn by the characters because the video is painting an image of topics like this that happen in real life.
These are some more examples of many scenes which feature the opposite motif, another element I would like to include in my music video.
This is a good start Kellyan, but all three case studies are really too brief. For all of them, you need to state which ideas you will use. You do this in 1 and 2, but not in 3.You need much more detailed analysis of how the star / artist is represented- messages and values associated with them. You also need much more detailed analysis of the shots and editing techniques used. Think about cutting rate and rhythm in synch with music, angles, and the way that performance and lip synch sequences are executed. Vanessa
ReplyDeleteKellyan, where are your improvements to these case studies? VC
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