ANALYSIS OF THREE MUSIC

VIDEOS

YOUNG AND BEAUTIFULFor the three music video analysis, I’ve decided to use different music genres, to learn and understand how artists want their music videos to be portrayed according to their style. Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey is a indie/rock song. It’s music video was released in May 2013, which makes it contemporary and easy to decide if the conventions used could be applied to my own video. However, by the use of mise-en-scene, the music video will rather fit in the 1920’s era. I connoted this by Lana’s makeup look and jewelleries. She wears a red lipstick, with big silver hoops and two tears drawn on her cheek which gives the impression of a tattoo, rather than makeup. The editing used during the creation of the video, helped giving a vintage effect. It is a performance based video, where a variety of close ups of Lana’s face are used while she is singing.

The music video is performance based as she has an orchestra. This helps her create a strong bond with her fans and she is fully entitle to make them perceive her in the way that she wants them to.The color scheme is red, blue and purple, which makes the video to look rather dull which sets a morbid atmosphere.What I like the most about this music videos is that the lyrics match perfectly with the shots used; especially since it is performance based. However, it also has a narrative side. Numerous close up shots are shown of Lana while she is singing the chorus ' Will you still love ....'. What I found out from the research is that the lyrics are addressed to her, and not to the audience nor to a different person (such as a lover). She is questioning herself.Another technique used to create a bond between the lyrics and the visuals was the use of shots of Lana standing in a light which comes from above. This connote the heaven for the lyric ‘Dear God, when I go to heaven..’As it was mentioned before, the use of dark colors also create a mysterious atmosphere, which make the audience to feel as they are surrounded by darkness and loneliness. This feeling is given by both, shots and lyrics due to the strong bond created.

In the music video, Lana looks serious and sad, when the camera is on her. However, the makeup and the lights used, make the viewer focus on her face and lips while she is singing as they are the most elements highlighted.  The close up shots used give the feeling of a dialogue happening the viewer and the singer, almost like she is sings directly to the audience.Another technique used throughout the music video is the use of a screen within a screen. The screen has a black frame and inside of it there another screen, just like in the example shown. This makes the music video unique and gives a vintage look. Since it is an old fashion video, the representation of Lana is not sexualised. However, the use of camera angles emphasise on her beautiful body, without making her look provocative or indecent. Her silhouette is put in evidence by the use of low key lighting which drives the audience's attention towards her body.

Mise en scene  Throughout the music video, Lana Del Rey is seen wearing a black long dress with big silver hoops earrings which are very sparkly. Since the music video has a vintage vibe, the costumes were chosen accordingly. This makes the audience think that Lana does not make part of this era and that she rather belongs in 1920’s.Intertextuality was used in this music video, as it refers to The Great Gatsby book/movie. The use of mise on scene refer back to the movie and how the characters involved have similar costumes. It can also be connoted from the lyrics as the characters in the novel face the same problems as Lana ( referring back to the lyric ' Will you still love ….’).In conclusion, it is a performance based music video, with a 1920's vibe which challenges the conventions of both alternative rock and her own music videos which match more with the indie genre.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_1aF54DO60

Unlike the ‘Young and beautiful’ music video, A team is strictly based on narration. However, it does have a twist which makes it unique, the video starts at the end. It is also shown from another perspective in order for the audience to follow the main character’s story.The song is about drugs and how this particular character straggles with this issue.The music video starts with a shot of the girl lying dead on a bench. This connotes that she might have taken an overdose which killed her. However, the song starts playing, a long shot is used of the girl with a sleeping bag on a bench. This can also connote that she is homeless. The order of the shots used at the beginning of the music video trigger the audience to feel empathy for the girl and asking themselves how did she put herself in that situation and how is she going to end up dead.The use of close up shots, gives the audience the impression that the girl is being trapped. This refers to how she might feel about her drug addiction as she does not have control over her life and she always feels like she is inside a cage. There is a mid- shot used of her opening her arms while she is walking up a hill. This signifies that by taking the overdose she will feel free and no longer mentally manipulated by her addiction.

A TEAM

Mise en scene The girl’s costume (ripped and large clothes) emphasises on the fact that she does not have money which relates to the reason of why she is homeless.The use of heavy makeup makes the audience realise that she is using different illegal methods in order to get money to buy drugs. In this case, she became a prostitute. The example below shows the girl getting ready for a ‘night out’ and why the audience might connote that she is a prostitute- since she stopped a random car. One thing that I can say about this music video is that it is very realistic, as it is dealing with nowadays issues. The target audience is ranged between 16-25 years old, and this is the age where teenagers start experiencing drugs and this video shows the true side of the story, that eventually they will turn up like the protagonist.The music video itself looks normal and natural, as there are no special effects used. Throughout the music video, a high key lighting is used over the girl’s face to show her facial expressions. This is the only way that the audience can understand how she is feeling as the story is from shown from someone’s else perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAWcs5H-qgQ

RATHER BEThe third music video which I am going to analyse is ‘Rather be’. As soon as I stared working for this project, I knew that this was the song which I am going to base my music video on. Eventually, I ended up not using it as I had a better option. However, the original music video is very unique and fascinated and I believe that by analysing it, I can extract some ideas which might be helpful during the production of my final piece. The music video looks professional as it is meeting the expectations of how a music video should look like. What amazed me is that Clean Bandit ( the band) filmed and edit the music video themselves, which means that they were in the same position as me as they did not benefit from working with an establish music video production. Also, the song is very similar to the one which I am going to use, unlike Young and beautiful or A team where the songs do not portray the theme of travelling. The music video starts with an establishing shot of a Koi Fish Pond which instantly establishes the location where it is set, Japan. The protagonist is also introduced, once again it’s a girl just like in the previous two music videos. The camera follows her around her house while she is doing her daily routine. The band’s logo is seen on her desk when she is putting the headphones on and starts singing the song. After, the audience sees her getting on a scooter and going to a fish market. On the way there she sees one of the members on a van, but when she looks again the picture is gone. Slowly, the audience is aware that the protagonist is a Clean Bandit’s fan. Once she is done shopping and wants to pay, she observes that the cashier looks very similar to another member of the group. She finds it very confusing as it was not the first time that it happened to her that day. 

She gets on the scooter again singing the chorus of the song, only this time she is going to work. When she gets there, she serves some customers where all of the sudden she sees two other Clean Bandit members. Everyone is singing and dancing which makes the protagonist even more confused. In the next shot, we see her lying in her bed, again, having visions of the cashier which looked like the singer from the band. Even though, everything looked like a dream, the protagonist is dealing with the same issue as she keeps seeing the members wherever she goes e.g. one of them plays the violin as he stands on a vehicle and crossing her path. 

She is on her scooter once again, only this time she is followed by the band. Once she gets home and sits on her bed she realises that she is not in her room anymore, and she is rather in a concert where Clear Bandit is performing the song with Jess Glynne. She does not comprehend what is happening and instead of staying and enjoying the concert she leaves the place. In the streets, she finds a man playing the song on a keyboard. However, when she smiles at him the band’s logo is seen in his eyes, which makes her run away. 

As the protagonist keeps running, the location and the day time change. She stops at a train station to catch her breath and eventually she gets on a train. Inside she sees Clean Bandit’s adverts. When she thought that this weird experience is over, she finds the people on the train dancing and singing along with two members. Once again , she wakes up in a bed but this time she is in a hospital where her dad tries to calm her down and make her realise that she is not imagining being there. As she keeps singing the lyrics, her dad peals his face skin off revealing that he is another member of the band.

Important elements used• repetition/ the members keep reappearing throughout the music video, and

their logo is present in every new location shown.  • transport/scooters and trains/ I liked how the members were portrayed as

being regular people who can take public transports and interact with their fans such as the protagonist in this case.

• cinematography/ used for the three wide shots where the protagonist was running and the location and time was changing/ it shows the time line and how she has been running for a long period of time/ the audience can also connote how hard she is trying to escape from this weird hallucinations that she is having.

Miss en scene• the band’s logo is displayed on the desk  at the

beginning of the video to inform the audience that she is a clean bandit fan. 

• the bed sheet has the logos on it as well. This once again reinforces that she is a huge fan of the band. It’s role is also to make transitions between the scenes as whenever the protagonist lies in bed she wakes up in different locations e.g.. the concert. It makes the transactions smooth. 

Editing techniques • implementing the logo into a piece of meat, the

reappearance of the logo create an effective message which makes the audience realise that the band is becoming a part of her life.

• The mask which the protagonist dad takes off looked very realistic and adds more meaning to how she can not escape from this bad dream that she is having. This emphasises on how the band has such a huge impact on their fan’s life. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-M1AtrxztU In conclusion, I’ve decided to approach the style used in the Rather be music video which has a narrative line. On YouTube, the video has over 400 million views, which is amazing since the band did all the work themselves, meaning that they did not have a high budget. This encourages me to try out all the ideas which I want to implement without fearing that they wont work out simply because I do not have the equipment necessary.