Low Budget Ideas

This video is a great example of a low budget film idea. It has been incredibly choreographed and every shot is unique and has its own significance. The lighting has been incredibly used as it suits the songs completely. The fact that they have used a dark lighting technique releases a dark and upsetting feeling which can come across quite disturbing. The actress is suitable and excellent for this role as she stays in role and performs with energy and precision. This video has kept the stereotypical convention of a music video of its genre and because of this it has become a strong and disturbing yet influential video for others of this kind.

This video is a prime example of what an average music video of a low budget can do. The camera shots do not vary and neither does the movement of the camera. Also the people involved had trouble staying in role when they were performing this song in front of the camera. Added to this there was no energy that they produced throughout the video. They also was not always playing the instruments correctly. The editing was amateur as the lip synchronisation was out of time in many places and I think in some places there were blank gaps in the transitions of the camera clips. On the other hand' there were moments in this music video were everything was on the beat and they all gave off a bit of energy to emphasise the meaning of the song and to help with the visual material for the viewers as well as the audio and song it self.

Conventions Of A Music Video

Camera Shots
Music videos consist of a variety of shots including Long shot, Close shot and Mid shot. Close ups are used a lot to reflect emotion, location, and they are also used to help the viewer see the movement of the lips on the artist/vocalist and so they can see what they are singing.

Camera Movement
This is used to trace and follow the artist or band. Camera movements include tilts, panning, tracking, crane shots and pedestral shots.


Mise En-Scene
This is the arrangement of people and props on stage or in a scene in a music video. The mise en-scene reflects and represents the mood of the song and situation and also helps portray maybe the hidden message that the artist/band wants to put across by physically showing the viewer the situation.

Editing
Editing consists of many things but the dominant editing technique in music videos are jump cuts. This helps the video jump from one scene to another like the song jumps from a verse to a chorus for example. Other effects such as fade may also be used in more common pop videos.

Lighting
Lighting is very important in music videos as it can help portray the mood of the song. If the lighting is bright the song is most probably more upbeat and happy whereas if the lighting is dim or dark then the song could possible be slower and have more of a darker mood. Also colour schemes vary depending on the mood intended to be made by the song and video.

Sound
The sound is important in terms of the song itself and the dialogue or added sound effects in the video itself. If a song is not properly recorded and the sound definition is not good then it will not be as enjoyable to listen to. On the other hand; if the sound is good quality then people will listen to it more. Also the added sound effects and dialogue need to be appropriate and not too loud that it drains out the music too much.

Props
These are important as they can hold a significant status or they can add detail and attention to the main character or artist. They can help tell the viewer what may be happening and also help to describe the lyrics of a song to the viewer by showing a physical representation of the song itself.

Analysis Of Rock Videos Four - 'Warning' - Skindred

Cinematography
This music video has a lot of close ups used on the band members throughout the whole video. A lot of this music video is also animation which is not a typical convention of a rock music video. For the entire duration of this video it is dark and the dominating colour is a vivid blood red with the mixture of black figures and objects. The camera movements consists mainly of close ups but also has a slight track as guest singer (Jacoby Shaddix) is singing into the microphone in the recording studio on a screen behind the Skindred band members.

Sound
This harsh sounding song is also a modern recorded song in a studio that would have the state of the art recording equipment including high range microphones and mixing desks. The fact that there is no spill from the microphones means that again all the instruments were recorded individually on their own tracks. This band also have and individual and independent sound because they have mixed the two genres of Heavy Metal and Reggae.

Mise En-Scene
This music video is partially realistic and partially animated. When the camera is focused on the band it is in realistic view and when the camera is racking and panning over what looks like the top of building it is animated with what is the shape of an octopus. The usual convention of a rock video has been kept in this video as a lot of the time the main focus is the band or on the guest vocalist (Jacoby Shaddix). The band are placed on what looks like a platform where they spend the whole time playing their song. Behind the band there is a massive screen in which we see the guest vocalist sing his part, because he is not part of the actual band we see him singing from the recording studio with headphones on and the recording microphone in front of him.

Editing
The editing in this music video is spot on with no mistakes and no gaps or delays. The lip synch is perfect with every lyric on time with the song. Every drum stroke is on the beat and correctly played and every strum on either guitars is in synch and also played correctly. On the other hand; the transitions between the clips are perfect but only some of the shots may be to dark because it is hard to see what is being framed.

Performance

Everyone in this music video is a musician and they all performed with high skill, energy and professionalism. The band Skindred all performed their song as if every beat is their last beat ever played. Guest vocalist Jacoby Shaddix performed well in the studio adding his perfect vocals in the the end of the chorus. Also the performance from the animation is suitable and helped with the effect given off in the video of a dark and mysterious mood.

Analysis Of Rock Videos Three - 'The Diary Of Jane' - Breaking Benjamin

Cinematography
This music video is a very dark and dull video with not many bright shots. Because of this there is a lot of negative energy and dark feeling being released when you watch it. A lot of these shots are fairly slow to medium paced with a handful of some faster paced shots. A lot of tracking shots were used in this music video, especially in the first few beginning shots of the sequence. There are no special or camera effects used in this video but the fact that the surroundings are very dark and the shots are placed in a dark area gives the effect that a black and white filter may have been used. Also when the camera focuses on the band there is a deep depth of field and a lot of focus on the band members.

Sound
This is newly recorded song which would have been recorded in an expensive recording studio using state of the art equipment with all instruments recorded at separate times. This can be told by the fact there is no microphone spill and the fact that you can't hear any tape reel noise so this wasn't recording on a 4/8 track and the clarity of the instruments is also very very clear and they all cut through the mix. There is no added audio effects in this video as the main focus is the song and no other dialogue is needed.

Mise En-Scene
This video has been filmed in what seems to be an old house surrounded by forestry and is in a dark place with no other surrounding buildings. The inside of this house is very bare and dim as there is not artificial light to help brighten up the rooms with only the help of natural light through the windows. This helps with the negative energy effect. Also the band members have their instruments which we clearly see them using when the camera is focusing on them. The female actress in this video has a big role and uses many props such as a bath tub and various home furniture around the house.

Editing
The editing in this music video has been done perfectly with no mistakes or glitches anywhere. All the camera shots and transitions have been fluent and spotless and the lip synchronisation has been edited superbly. Every drum stroke has been on the beat, every lip movement has been on time, every strum of the guitars has been in synch and every footstep and camera transition was to the beat of the song.

Performance

All the people in this music video were professional as everyone stayed in role and kept the performance energy high and sustained suitability for the roles they have. The majority of the people in the video are the band members as we see them performing the song in one of the rooms in the dark house. They play with such energy and they use all their skill and in depth knowledge of performance to give the best musical performance any band can give in a music video. The only non band member is the female we see throughout the video, she has an important role and keeps herself in this role during the entire video and also uses extreme amounts of energy in the duration of this video.

Analysis Of Rock Videos Two - 'Don't Cry' - Guns n' Roses

Cinematography
This is a dark music video as the song is about a dark subject. The majority of the colours used are black or very dark and dull. Because of these dark colours used the mood is quite dark and gives off a negative energy. There are a lot of fast paced camera shots and fast movement from the people involved in the music video. There is also a fair share of slower paced shots for deep dark emotion that is represented in the music video at these times. In some of the shots in the video there seems to be a slight tint of colour that gives the sly effect of anger and depression. The cameras are mainly focused on the couple including the lead vocalist (Axl Rose) until the guitar solo comes in and the focus changes to the couple with the guitarist (Slash) in the car.

Sound
This song is recorded in a modern and high tech recording studio because the clarity of the instruments are clear and crisp. There is no microphone spill so this means that each instrument was recorded on separate tracks one at a time. There is sound clips added into the music video such as in the choruses where you can see the full band on top of the building you also see a helicopter so a helicopter sound clip has been added in for effect. Apart from the helicopter no other sound effect or sound clip has been added.

Mise En-Scene
In this music video there is a lot of places at where bits of this has been filmed. For example, there is a bar, a dirt road, the top of a building and a house, these are just a handful of places. The opening sequence is the image of a baby laying down leading to us seeing Axle Rose walking through the snow holding only a gun. The fact that he is on his own could represent the fact that he is lonely or that he has committed a crime and is in his own world of abandonment and lack of company. The same feeling can be felt during the solo where Slash has just driven his car off the edge of a cliff with his partner inside and as the car explodes he finishes his solo at the top of the cliff on his own. This shows his loneliness and anger as he tosses his guitar off the cliff down towards the car his partner was in.

Editing
The editing in this music video is spotless and runs fluently throughout. The sudden change between fast paced and slow paced clips has been compressed together perfectly for the effect of the changing feelings in the people involved in the music video. Everything is in synch, from the lip synching to the guitar solo and drum strokes. No drum beats were missed, all the fills were correctly played, all the lyrics were sung correctly and all the strumming patterns and chord shapes and progressions were correct throughout the music video.

Performance

Everyone who was involved in the music video all stayed in role and they were all professional about everything. The main characters were played by the band members themselves and they all stayed in role and knew what they were doing in each shot in the entire video. They all acted well and everyone, including background actors/actresses, all participated with high energy and professional faces. Not only did they act well they all played their instruments with high energy and skill as if they were playing to an audience of thousands of people.

Analysis Of Rock Videos One - 'Blind Man' - Black Stone Cherry

Cinematography
This is a very bright and strong video as it is covering an upbeat tempo song. There is no added effect in the music video as all of the shots are just from the lens so we see it as it is. Personally I think this emphasises the simpleness of Rock as there are no added computer effects added to the song and only the pure emotion and skill put in by the band. A lot of the camera shots are fast paced given to the speed of the song and there are a lot of low angle shots and tracking camerawork. This might have been used to give the effect that the band has done all the work and no other actor or actress is needed because the lead vocalist is telling the story through his vocals and stage presence and performance. There is also a deep depth of field and large amounts of focus on the foreground performers/artists.

Sound
The sound of the recording is very very clear and is also an obvious high technological recording. The clear clarity of each instrument can be used to emphasise this. You can hear no spill from any microphones so that means that this has all been recorded professionally and in a room with suitable acoustics. Also the quality of the instruments have contributed to the sound of this strong and crisp recording.

Mise En-Scene
This video contains all instruments that you would typically find in a five piece band. This includes drum kit, guitars (Lead/Rhythm) and bass guitar. Like most rock videos the band are the main focus of this video. An abandoned or worn down building has been the choice of use in this music video. This concrete building could represent the fact that rock has been abandoned by many of the world today since the media has taken over but the rock still goes on and will never ever die.. There are no additional props in this music video as the main focus of this music video is the band.

Editing
The editing in this music video is spot on as there are no mistakes in synching or delay or camera faults. For example, there are no blank gaps between any of the camera clips. The movement of all the cameras are fluent and there is no mistake with the transitions of cameras, glitches or clips. The synchronisation with the song and the visual footage that had been filmed.

Performance

Everyone in this music video has a great stage presence, good attitude to performing and the ability and skill of playing their instruments. The only mistake i have noticed is that at 1'55" the drummer was meant to 'Flam' (which is a drumming technique) but he did not do it. On the other hand, everything else in the music video is spot on and all the beats and notes have been hit and performed with energy. The classic rock movements give the song a lot more classic feel and has shown influences from rock history with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC and all the old fans who would see such artists and bands play.

Analysis Of Pop Videos Three - 'Party Rock Anthem' - LMFAO

Cinematography
This music video is generally a very bright video with the exception of the break where the music video is filmed down an alley way at night time making it a very dark scene for the video. There are no extra added visual effects for this video as is it all lens work. The camerawork is not a fest pace on the other hand the movement from the people involved is more upbeat and fast. This feel good upbeat song has a happy and joyful feeling towards it and the bright lights and the upbeat movement emphasises this. A variety angle of shots have been used to give different views of the dance routines and the two vocalists in the video.

Sound
The sound quality of the recording is very clear and is obvious that it has been recorded in a high tech recording studio using modern recording techniques and equipment. This is evident as all the sounds and instruments are individually tracked and the clarity of them all is perfect. There is diegetic sound in the video when the two vocalists are talking to the guy in the white shirt before the song starts. This is used to give the element of a story and this opens the song for the rest of the story. Apart from the talking there is no other sound effects or diegetic/non-diegetic sound involved.

Mise En-Scene
This music video has been shot on a deserted road with abandoned cars to emphasise the story of the film. Everyone in the music video is dressed in all different styles yet all with independent clothing. Everyone is wearing bright luminous colours that stand out and are effective when added to the dance moves. The start of the video shows the two vocalists waking up in a hospital from what seems to be a coma, this is when the story in the video starts and builds up the dynamics for the song itself. This video is set in a city urban centre where there are a lot of high rise buildings and small narrow streets.

Editing
Everything from the dance moves to the lip synch is in time with the music and the 4/4 beat. All the dance moves have been choreographed to fit in with the 4/4 dance beat and so that every move lands on a bass drum beat which is in 4 on the floor beat. The footsteps are also to this same beat. The lip synch is spot on and there is no delay or slight time issues. There are no blank gaps between clips and the whole video is fluent. All the camera movements are smooth and the shots are all steady so that the clips run in to each other.

Performance

Every single person in the video stayed in role and knew the dance routine. There was no one who was out of time or was lost during the routine, also every one put all thee effort in to the dance so the energy was high. The two vocalists exaggerated their lip movement to emphasise the lyrics and to make the lip synching easier. Every dancer was suitable as they were all independent and no one was under the same stereotype so there was a huge variety in who was involved in the music video.

Analysis Of Pop Videos Two - 'We No Speak Americano' - Yolanda Be Cool

Cinematography
This music video has been created to portray an old comical movie, most probably highly influenced by the likes of comical genius Charlie Chaplin. The video has been made to look like an old movie so an effect has been used to give off the impression that this clip has been played off of an old film reel. Because this clip has been designed to look like an old comical colour film, it has been perfectly suitable for this to be chosen for the type of song that will be used in the music video. The song is a stereotypical song that has a lot of mannerisms of a song that would be played in an old comical film. It is also a very bright video, on the other hand, there are lack of variety in colours and the colours used are quite washed and dull therefore contradicting the genre and feel of the song.

Sound
The sound in the song is very clear even though it has been recorded to make it sound like an old film soundtrack. You can tell that this was not recorded on a 4/8 track as you can hear multiple instruments clearly and that some of the instruments are very electronic, for example the main hook line is electronic. There is also no extra added sound in the video so this could also be a convention of a silent movie from an old film reel.

Mise En-Scene
This music video has been set in what looks like an old American village or town in which a lot of old comical movies may have been set. This is ideal as there is a lot of room for the fast paced movement in which can be made as this is one convention of an old film reel movie. All the actors and actresses in this music video are appropriately dressed as if they were living back in the early 1900's in a small American village or town. The use of old vehicles and transport also exaggerates the fact that this has been inspired by the early 1900's.

Editing
The editing in this music video is perfect as there are no blank gaps and it all runs smoothly like its inspirations. Every thing in the video is in synch, everything is on the beat and is all in time with one and other. There is no one singing the lyrics in the video but all the steps and actions are on beat and in synch. All the camera movements and transitions are in time and they are all smooth and fluent with their movements

Performance
Every actor and actress in this music video were professional as they all stayed in roles, they all knew the routine and all knew what they were doing. They were all also wearing the correct costume needed for the music video and all of them worked well together and put on a good performance. The camera crew also knew what they had to do as there was no mistakes or hiccups in the music video. Also all the editors of the film perfected the motion of the video and they made the video as fluent as they could.

Analysis Of Pop Videos One - 'I'm Into You' - Jennifer Lopez

Cinematography
A lot of black and white effect is used in this video. This is effective as it varies the video therefore making it more interesting to watch. Also for a pop video there are some slow moving camera shots. These are mainly used when the female vocalist is with the male on the beach. This could be showing the romance and affection that these two people have for each other. On the other hand; there are some faster moving shots, especially in the dance scene to emphasise the effect of the fast paced break in the song for a short dance routine. The lighting in this video is very light as the it represents the music in the video. The song is generally a happy song and is quite upbeat. Because of this mood that the song gives of the lights are used to emphasise the feeling, if the lights were dark it would darken the mood and take the bright mood away.

Sound
The sound in the clip is very clear and is clearly a modern recording due to the fact that it is not done on a 4/8 track but in a high tech recording studio using expensive equipment. You can tell this by the sound of the instrumentation and the quality of sound from the vocalist. There are also no extra sound effects added into the music video.

Mise En-Scene
The music Video is set mainly on the beach on a nice Caribbean island where it is sunny. Also the male and female are being affectionate on this beach watching the sunset, this is romantic as there are a lot of couple who dream of having that moment with the person they love. Also both the male and female in the video are not wearing a lot of clothing giving this song a bit of a sexy feel as a lot of skin is being show from both people.

Editing
The editing in the music video is smooth and there is not a beat dropped. Everything is in synch including the dance routine, the footsteps and most importantly the lip synch. In the dance routine you can see every move is synch to the beat, all the steps and every movement is to the beat. All the camera transitions are also smooth as they do not randomly jump cut to the next clip but they are put into sequence and there is no blank gaps between any clips.

Performance
Both male and female in the video were good performers as they kept straight faces and they did not come out of role in the video. They kept everything professional and serious because the song is a serious romantic song and not a song for a comical image. All the dancers were suitable performers as they knew the routine and they performed it with strength and precision. Also the performance from all the crew involved was excellent as they used the camera shots well and got the best they could out of the  performance and the opportunities they had.