Interview with Amy Wright relating to what music videos she prefers.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Monday 8 October 2012
Codes and Conventions
The codes and conventions of a music video can be narrowed down to four main forms: performance, narrative, abstract and animated. The two most popular that I have found within the indie/alternative rock genre are performance and narrative.
Cinematography
Throughout the indie rock genre, I have noticed that the videos contain various different distances. Extreme long shots and long shots are used to show a dancing performance. Zooms, pans and tracking shots are included in speed to the music. Through my research I haven’t noticed many angles (high, low, Dutch) so I will ensure my music video doesn’t use varying angles. In upbeat songs such as Florence and the Machine's Spectrum, there are dance routines which would require some long shots which would ensure the full dance routine is seen. Though in slow songs such as No Doubt's It's My Life, it contains a lot of medium close ups as the song contains narrative so emotion needs to be seen.
Edit
I have found that editing wise, cross cutting between a performance (lip syncing) and a narrative (lyric related) are used. I believe this is used to show the artist performing which identifies them as well as adding visual meaning to the lyrics by containing a narrative structure. Rhythmic editing, meaning that the music video is edited to the beat of the music. A good example of rhythmic editing in within the indie/alternative rock genre is Coldplay's Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, because there are various cuts and movements that reflect the beat and rhythm of the music exactly.
Mise En Scene
The existing music video for my chosen song uses a white background which highlights the range of bright colours used. Also the choreography involves various artistic arm movements which reflect the harp music being played. It have found that within the indie/alternative rock genre, the mise en scene (mainly the colour or intensity of the colour) can vary. For example, you can get very bright colours in music videos such as my chosen song by Florence and the Machine, Dog Days Are Over. As well as Coldplay's Paradise,Natalie Imbruglia's Torn, No Doubt's Just a Girl and All American Rejects' Gives You Hell.
Some artists have known to break the conventions of having a music video in colour such as Lana Del Rey has the whole of her music video Blue Jeans in black and white. Similarly, Christina Perri breaks the colour convention as she uses a lot of darkness in her music video for Jar of Hearts (although the music video is not fully in black and white). Another example of a band/artist breaking the colour conventions is the Evanescence music video for My Immortal.
Sound
It is conventional to have the music non-diegetic so you can’t see where the music is coming from although the person is seen to be singing along to it (performance). Although in The Script's video For the First Time, begins with dialogue of a voice over details what is being written down in a letter, this reinforces the narrative that is being shown within the music video.
Finished Reconstruction of a Media Text
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