What is a music video?
A
music video is a short sequence that goes together a song along with some type
of imagery. The main purpose of a music video is to sell the song and
develop and reaction to the public so it leaves you remembering the song also
casually a music video could give the listener a better understanding of the
song and could then provide entertainment for the viewers.
Tyler the Creator - 'Yonkers'
The first music video I decided to analyse was Tyler the Creators 'Yonkers'. I consider this video to be a performance video, the video incorporates lip syncing with only two shots, both of very long length. On-beat editing is used as the artist tells a story through his actions.
The whole of this music video is in a black and white theme which isn’t as unusual in modern day music videos. In my opinion I find that by having a black and white theme throughout this music video gives the audience a sense of mystery especially because of the fact that as the music video goes on more of Tyler’s facial feature are revealed. The music video begins with Tyler who is in fact not only the director of this music video but the artist himself. He begins the music video being the central image focusing the attention on him as the composition of the shot is dominant which automatically draws the audience’s attention towards him, this then begins to zoom into a silhouette of himself which is where the weird illusions of the music video starts.
Throughout the whole of the music video a lot of significant features appear emphasising the delusional aspect of the video itself, one of these moments is the fact that Tyler has ‘KILL’ written on his left hand. This is pointed out by the fact a cockroach is crawled over it giving the audience an insight in which the music video is leading to something noteworthy. This shot furthermore leads into numerous of zooms whilst he slowly passes the cockroach between his hands. The tension is slowly built at his point as he continuously looks deeply down the camera lens creating a bond with the audience which could be seen to be threatening to the audience.
Shortly after around 00.56 seconds within the video it changes back to the silhouette version of Tyler. This creates a divide between verses emphasising the change of depth of field which is occurring in the time being. This significant silhouette of him vomiting after eating the cockroach is very effective although extremely weird for the audience to focus on is one of many memberable moments throughout this video. Similarly at this point in the video no emotion is used demonstrating that he wants the audience to feel disturbed and irritated by the action. Tyler continuously carries through with the fact he has just ate a cockroach by endlessly spitting reminding the audience what he had done giving breaking in between lip synching.
Another visual feature throughout this music video which is memberable although still disturbing is when Tyler begins to unbutton is shirt around 01.44 in the video. This then leads to the first transition and the only transition of this video whilst he throws his shirt at the camera it then flashes black which moves onto the second camera shot. This is a very significant point during this specific music video as there are simply only two shots throughout the whole of the 03.06 video. After this happens he still doesn’t have a change of clothing which most music videos do but he does in fact have contact lenses in which make his eyes fully black giving off a different dynamic to the feel of the video.
The next significant moment during this video is when he uses a nosebleed as a signifier at 02.23. This event demonstrates another way in fact he engages with his audiences which later leaves him to hanging himself which is a huge development during the text. The audience could find this part of the narrative quite disturbing as whilst he engages with them they sincerely watch his legs change the depth of field whilst he openly kills himself.
Throughout the whole of the music video a tripod is hinted to be used simply because of the fact the camera doesn’t move or even need to move as Tyler controls the movement within the frame carefully keeping the aspect of the attention drawn to himself. Although I find that the last couple of shots with the text are hand held emphasising the tension which is built throughout the whole of the video. The atmosphere which is built during the video is driven purely from the significant moments within the frame focussed on by the audience. Without a doubt the black and white them automatically provides the audience with a dynamic feel to what Tyler wants to portray as the camera varies the focus and blurs the action throughout.
Mikill Pane – 'The Return of Mister Pane'
The second
music video which I have chosen to analyse is Mikill Panes ‘The Return of
Mister Pane’. At the start of the music video a montage of shots are collected together
which starts with a close up shot of blue suede puma shoes which later moves
onto a pan shot of tattoos. I find that this is done to introduce the artist to
the audience portraying his image and his style to the viewer emphasising the
fact in which he could be seen to be a style icon to his fans. At the beginning
of the music video shots of vandalised walls showing graffiti which could be a
way to represent his background and introducing his upbringing, this then moves
onto numerous of extreme close ups and close up shots of different props which
includes a payphone which shortly after the artists speaks into whilst lip synching
to his lyrics.
Many
props are used during this specific music video which help to not only could
portray his background but to show off his wealth and success being an artist
emphasising a change in which he has made. One of these examples is the
trainers which are help in a frame around 00.30 during the video. This could
help demonstrate not only the artist’s style becoming more of an icon with the
industry. Relatively short after within another frame alcohol is held which is
in fact a convention to a hip hop music video. Although generally expensive spirits
or champagne is used to establish an understanding of
wealth and character although in this video Pane hold a bottle of ‘Corona’
which is beer emphasising the matter that he is a down to earth individual although
on the other side this could hint rebellion because he is challenging
traditional conventions to his genre. A motorbike is used within the video in
which Pane is riding it although learner plates are attaches expanding on the
matter that Pane doesn’t mind not being represented as a rich and wealthy
individual driving expensive vehicles. Other
props within this music video include a bagel, dog and a cigarette.
With
this particular music video a vast amount of camera shots and angles are used.
At 01.20 during the video a tilt shot is used to highlight the interesting
aspect that a skeleton is wearing sunglasses. A tilt shot is a brilliant way to
emphasise and to show clothes in full allowing the viewer to get a better
understanding of characters within the video. Pete Fraser is a music video
theorists who suggests that ‘visual associations in order to connect with the
audience and provide additional pleasure’ suggesting that women with hip hops
music videos is another convention as women are used within this video which
could hint that they are used within the video to provide additional pleasure. There are several mid shots used within the
video which allows the viewer to see the scenery and the location in which it
is filmed one example of this is during 01.29. Editing within the music video
isn’t as diverse or technical as most videos to date as clear cuts between
shots of Pane are mostly uses whilst he’s located on a street linking back to
the fact he doesn’t need loads of technical features to sell his music.
Arctic Monkeys - 'Leave before the lights come on'
The third music video in which I have chosen to analyse is Arctic Monkeys ‘Leave before the lights come on’. This music video is a very good example of a narrative revolving video as a story is being told the whole duration of the song. The narrative is a story surrounding a woman who lives of affection and attention of men who of which is told that without these two particular aspects she would commit suicide.
From a fan of the Artic Monkeys I often realise that the Monkeys video’s tend to not always have anything to do with the song emphasising the fact which genre they fall into which is of course ‘Indie Rock’ highlighting the point in which Indie is short for individual. Although this music video in particular surrounds around the lyrics within the track. In this music video none of the actual band members appear in the video which is quite unconventional.
Within the first 10 seconds of the music video, both main characters are introduced one walking down a high street under dark lighting which is great way of introducing the location and the girl dressed in bright colours almost as an oppositional character shown through costume in emotions as he is dressed in almost all black although the girl looks as if she is about to jump. After numerous of cut shots between both characters and viewpoints from the woman looking down to the grown the next shot we see is a mid-shots of a shoe falling from the sky coincidently in from of the man he furthermore picks up the shoe and looked up.
The male within the video at the beginning is seen as her hero after preventing her from jumping and formerly taking her to a café to settle her nerves within a less depressive scene which helps to represent a different atmosphere as bright colours are used. Within this location she starts to flirt and look much happier as if she is falling for the male without knowing his background or little about him which hints desperation from first impressions. Around 01:57 within the video many close up shots of the females face are used to help demonstrate the strong eye contact and emotion which is portrayed upon her face.
The atmosphere quickly changes after demonstrating that the man realises that she’s unstable and her feelings towards him are becoming greater creating an obsession. Numerous of shots are shown to help demonstrate that he attempts to let her know that he’s not interested which later leads to him forcefully telling her to away around 03.03 within the video. At this point he forcefully pushes her against a fence as the editing speeds livens up building atmosphere. This is the point in which the hero who is shown at the beginning of the video turns into the victim.
Long shots are then used to portray the speed in which the women starts to run to her destination building tension which is finally revealed as the roof of the building in which we first see her. We then begin to think that she is going to jump which she then stops looks down and the story then starts from the beginning which is quite an efficient way of ending a video.
