Analysis Grid, Codes and Conventions

 Name: Yasmin Simmonds

Video Analysis

Fill in this Grid to help you build the information for your voice over.

You can fill one in for each of the music videos you are going to use in your voiceover.

Choice 1 - Linkin Park: Burn It Down

Choice 2 - Drake: Started From The Bottom

Choice 3 - Pentatonix: Daft Punk  

Music Video: Linkin Park - Burn it Down	Times (so you know which part of the music video to use in your edit)	Why have these conventions been used (use this column to explain other column)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxytyRy-O1k
What style is the video? [narrative, as live, concept performance, other] and why has this been used?	This music video is “as Live” because the video is filmed in a studio then edited to give the supernatural effects.
What genre specific conventions are present in the music video? clothing performance mise en scene (props, setting) attitude theme of video colouring / grading	Clothing is black. Performance is a live effect, the band members stick to the shadows and dark parts. Props and setting looks like a dark room filled with black music equipment. The room has the odd spotlight to give a dark effect. Nearer the end a fire effect is introduced which again gives a dark effect. The theme is (as they song title suggests) burning down a building. There is a lot of fire and dark colours. The tone of their voices is also quite deep/ dark.	The dark clothing and props gives you a dark atmosphere. In this genre of music it is typical for the band/ artist to wear dark colours, have piercing and tattoos. It’s a stereotype given to this genre. The dark atmosphere, the dark clothing, the loud music, low bass and the constant changing camera angles give you the typical alternative music video. The atmosphere is supposed to be dark, the music loud and the colours deep as this gives you the “Bad Boy” image they have.
How does the video relate to the lyrics, is it illustration, amplification, disjuncture and why do you think this?	It illustrates the band gradually burning a building down but it is mainly	The song is about burning a building down. As the song goes on, the building they are supposedly in gradually burns down.
Are there any intertexual references?	nope
Are there any uses of voyeurism?	nope
What editing conventions are present? [jump cuts, cut to the beat, frequent cuts] and why have they been used?	Frequent cuts are used to show all the band members.	The added effect of the frequent cuts and the constant changing of shooting conventions all add to the dark effect they want to give cross.
What shooting conventions are present? [close-ups, low angle shots, different styles of camera angle] and why have they been used?	They use a lot of shooting conventions so you can see the whole picture.  Talk about what they are and where they have been used.	The cameras try to capture a 3D effect by panning around the band and quickly change camera angles from close up to a wide pan. This shows you the band, the background and shows you the whole pictures as opposed to one stationary camera showing you the band.
How has star iconography been achieved?	How are band / main singer made out to be stars? They are the main attention in almost every camera angle.	Every music video aim is to show off the band and the song. The main attention should be the band members or artist as well as the background as both will give the audience a feel for the personality of the band and the meaning of the lyrics.

Music Video: Drake – Started from the bottom	Times (so you know which part of the music video to use in your edit)	Why have these conventions been used (use this column to explain other column)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RubBzkZzpUA
What style is the video? [narrative, as live, concept performance, other] and why has this been used?	This music video is “as Live” because the video is in typical public areas however it has been staged so none of the public is in it.
What genre specific conventions are present in the music video? clothing performance mise en scene (props, setting) attitude theme of video colouring / grading	The clothing is light colours, typical everyday clothes that are comfortable. The club area turn to dark branded clothes. The club area gives a different atmosphere to the other scenes. The performance is a live performance as it is a typical public area such as a supermarket, the street, a house party etc. The props used are daily used props such as a car, supermarket products, alcohol, etc The attitude is quite relaxed, it sort of takes you through a persons life, day and night. There is a big variation of the colours as the video progresses. For example the colours start out bright then turn to deeper colours nearer the end.	There are two different atmospheres in this music video. One is brightly lit, in the day time, at well known places such as a supermarket. The other is a dark nightclub/ underground hangout with dark clothes, alcohol, smoking and younger people. You can see the difference in atmosphere due to the bass, tune and colour schemes.
How does the video relate to the lyrics, is it illustration, amplification, disjuncture and why do you think this?	Its all about starting out as a child then moving up in the world. Hence the title “Started From The Bottom”
Are there any  intertextual references?	No
Are there any uses of voyeurism? (Sexual scenes)	Yes – R&B is typically known for having uses of voyeurism.
What editing conventions are present? [jump cuts, cut to the beat, frequent cuts] and why have they been used?	Its mainly cameras panning and close ups of the main artist. This is typical of a R&B/ Rap music video.	This shows off/ brings attention to the artist whilst allowing you, as the audience, get to see what’s happening. In this case you follow the main character through what I assume to be his weekend/ his life.
What shooting conventions are present? [close-ups, low angle shots, different styles of camera angle] and why have they been used?	Most were close-ups or wide pans however there were a few high shots above everyone to give the impression they are of a lower class.
How has star iconography been achieved?	The main character is wearing brighter colours to everyone else so they stand out more.

Music Video: Pentatonix – Daft Punk	Times (so you know which part of the music video to use in your edit)	Why have these conventions been used (use this column to explain other column)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MteSlpxCpo
What style is the video? [narrative, as live, concept performance, other] and why has this been used?	It has aspects of a “Live Performance” in the sense that it was recorded live however it was edited to get the current outcome.
What genre specific conventions are present in the music video? clothing performance mise en scene (props, setting) attitude theme of video colouring / grading	The clothing is a supernatural theme. They filmed each group member singing their part of the song and edited it together so you had a five way split screen. The props were only the clothing and the editing software. The music video is upbeat and cheerful; this gives the audience a fun/ happy atmosphere. The colors’ was mainly blue.	The split screen effect works great with this group as it shows their unique and unusual personality. It gives the music video their own unique touch.
How does the video relate to the lyrics, is it illustration, amplification, disjuncture and why do you think this?	Disjuncture because the lyrics have no link with the music video.
Are there any  intertextual references?	No
Are there any uses of voyeurism? (Sexual scenes)	No
What editing conventions are present? [jump cuts, cut to the beat, frequent cuts] and why have they been used?	They use frequent cut and they use split screen up to five times. This shows the audience the whole group and gives a different approach to music videos. Split screening is very common.
What shooting conventions are present? [close-ups, low angle shots, different styles of camera angle] and why have they been used?	Split screen show the whole group, the attention is spread equally. Close ups (head and shoulder shot) shows the person singing so no attention is lost on background or the clothes they wear.
How has star iconography been achieved?	They are the main focus of the music video, there are plain background colours that bring attention to the group.

Style of Music Video

A Narrative Music Video is a music video that tells a story.
An example of this is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsxSxF3JKeU "Jessie J- Who's laughing Now."

      A narrative video was used in the clip above because it helps you understand the story behind the lyrics. It gives more meaning to the lyrics as you can see what the song is about. It makes you understand her life.
     The artist is the main person in the video and she is telling the audience a past event. She is telling the audience about her past experience through her lyrics and video. The audience will get a better idea of the emotions the artist had during the experience. For example, we understand that Jessie had a hard childhood but has grown to be better than all the bullies which is promoting her to be a good roll model to children.
     In the music video, Jessie has a younger version of herself so you can imagine what it was like for her. This is memorable because the story/ lyrics reach out to everyone and its got real emotion.

A performance video is a video that has been videoed at a live performance.
An example of this is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHFp_r02zzY "Katy Perry- Roar. Live"

    The song was at a concert so that's great publicity for the artist and the song. I think this was good because it shows that Katy Perry doesn't need fancy camera/ editing skills to show her message, she put on a great show and sung really well which is also why it makes a great performance video.
     I think the memorable part of the song is that Katy delivered her song in a fun way and sounded great which is always great. Her outfit, actions and props matched the song really well which is a bonus, I liked that she wasn't in a studio because it made it original and memorable.

A Concept video is a video that hasn't got a structured narrative. The lyrics don't match whats happening in the video.
An example of this is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOR6ib95kQ "Gorillaz- Dare" (Skip to 40 seconds on music video)

The lyrics and the acting in the video have no link. The music video doesn't connect with the lyrics, its random.

Music Video Purposes

I consider the main purpose of a music video is to advertise the artist/band.  For example when a song like "Burn it Down" by Linkin Park is watched, the main attention is on the band. They do this by using a range of camera angles on each band member.

I think that a music video shows the audience the message they want to portray through the lyrics, it helps the public understand the message clearer.  A great example is Beyonce "If I were a Boy" as this music video explains a deep relationship and how men and women are portrayed in relationships.

Star image is very important in the way an artist/band is portrayed to the public in their music videos as it will create a lasting impression on the viewer of the band/artist. A music video allows the artist/band to show the public their personality and widen their fan base to increase their profit.  for example when they go on tour and sell their clothing and tickets for their fans. An example of an artist who really shows her personality through her music videos is Lady Gaga. She does this by being her normal outrageous self, showing the public she isn't a quiet person but someone who is there to make a statement.

There are a number of other purposes of making a music video, for example; to deliver a social/ political message. A great example is "MIA Born Free" This controversial video is has a political message that is shared with the nation. There is a lot of different opinions about this film, many are negative as it is very shocking and outrageous. A music video shouldn't shock you like this film does, in the sense of shooting someone in the head however it should shock you n a good way that helps you to remember the music video. Below is a clip from the film.

To keep the artist in the public's eye without doing live shows constantly, pure entertainment, to evoke a reaction to leave an impression on the viewer(s), to give viewers  better understanding of the song ad many more. All these purposes are important as they keep the connection between the public and the artist, it allows the public to keep up-to-date with the artist(s).

Another purpose for a music video would be an extension of income through advertisement for CD's, perfume, upcoming tours etc because this will extend their income and promote them as a successful artist as they have products in their name(s). It is very important to advertise an artist/band as much as you can. Advertising products is a great way to earn more money as fans will see the tour tickets or product(s) and want to see them live. This also gives the artist a "bigger name" as that artist/band would be know for their product. 
 A controversial music video is a video that is shocking to the public, something that will create a stir. A great example of a controversial music video is Robin Thicke Blurred Lines. This is a great example because everyone was talking about how random the music video was because it had naked/ half naked women (Depending on what clip you watch) walking around the artists. A video like this helps make money for the artist and record company because everyone is talking about it, it's gone public very quickly and has spread like wild fire simply by word of mouth.

     Music videos have been used to fill in for bands on tour or when they are unavailable because the music videos are such good quality and still gives the artist promotion.It keeps them in the public eye so they're not constantly having to be on live shows and put on live gigs.

     Music videos have enabled an extension of outlets by using ITunes, music TV channels, Youtube etc. All throughout time, artists have been advertised on tv, radio and the internet because everyone can access at least one. An example of an extension of income/ net outlets are Rhianna's new clothing line that has come out (image below), many artists have their own perfume/ cologne or sell cheap tickets for their upcoming gigs in hope that it will sell their album or advertise a new album release.
     

Rhianna at her new clothing line