Analysis of a music video.

Music videos are vital to the popularity of artist; first and foremost a music video raises awareness for the artist allowing the audience to identify the artist. This then allows a music video the ability to create an image for the artist- the image is usually distinctive and unique making the artist stand out. With this identification of the artist and their image relationships can then be created with the target audience- potentially boosting sales of records and concert tickets. However, these all benefit the artist but a music video in a literal explanation is an illustration of the connotations and themes hidden within the song, this can be an insight into the artist’s life or hegemony. To analyse a music video there are three vital micro elements to consider; Cinematography, Editing and the Mise en scene. Cinematography is broken down into three factors; camera positions, camera angles and camera movements. Analysis of editing should hone in on transitions, cuts and computer generated images (CGI). Like the other two Micro elements the mise en scene also breaks down into contributors (S.C.A.L.P); Setting and iconography, Costumes, Actors (facial expressions, body language and positioning), Lighting and colour and finally Props.

The target audience has a large significance in the direction and design that the music video follows. The music video is used to provide the audience more interaction with the artist and in some case can provide the audience more than the song can, for instance in Green day's song "Basket case" the music video is set in a mental institution which clearly outlines one of the themes of the song to the audience, insanity, it also establishes who the artist is to the audience, improving the audience's awareness of the artist. If an artist is targeting a younger audience they may use CGI or animation, like Fall Out Boy did in their song "Carpal Tunnel of Love" although the target audience was early 20's, the principle still worked.

The song ‘Over’ by Drake is an interesting song to analyse with its release early in his career, and therefore limited connection and relationship. Drake is a rap artist that appeals to a target audience of ages of 13-28, predominantly males, however drake does not isolate the female audience. Common codes and conventions of this genre are money, wealth, sex, drugs and hardship growing up. Drake breaks the expectations of the genre as none of these appear in the video.

The overuse of cinematography in this video amends this issue of a low relationship between himself and the audience. The two most pivotal shots for creating a relationship are the close up and the dual shot. The Close up in this case was also used as the establishing shot for the video, Drake is sitting on a bed looking into the camera lens, this shot portrays Drake’s emotion and shows that he is ready to share his story with the audience, the use of this shot allows a relationship to be formed between Drake’s target audience and himself as it links Drake to his music, it also allows Drake’s audience to form a relationship with his audience as it allows his audience to feel connected to Drake’s personal life as he appears to be open in sharing it to his audience giving a feel of exclusivity to the audience. This niche gives Drake, the product and business, the ability to compete with industry leaders such as Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Jay-Z as the relationship forming will be more intimate and friendly. The dual shot was seen in a sequence of the video were two different images of Drake appearing in the frame and once, one larger than the other. This shot reinforces who the artist is and also adds to the narrative of the music video by illustrating that Drake is thinking on has something on his mind to share with the audience. The dual shot builds a relationship with the audience as it shows how Drake is creative, which from the audiences point of view will been seen as he has the ability to produce fresh and exciting material and therefore worthy to be supported. Another supporting shot is the low angle shot. Drake is dancing whilst the lyrics of the song are projected on the wall behind him. The camera shot connotes Drake as a new artist with raising popularity and the shadow connotes the formation of Drake’s image. This shot ties into the Paradox 1 from Richard Dyer’s theory (being ordinary and extraordinary), as it allows the audience into his life and emotions he is perceived as ordinary, but through the shadow effect he is perceived to be extraordinary.

For editing there were two interesting techniques used the time lapse and the fade. The time lapse shows Drake in a stationary position on the left of the frame with a crowd of people walking at a sped up rate on the right. This shot can be interpreted to be a connotation of the industry with the crowd resembling the artists already in the industry changing their appearance to stay relevant or how the artists come and go, by Drake remaining still it connotes that he can remain with the same image and maintain a position in the industry. This informs the audience that his products will be able to sell as he can meet the needs of his target audience, which is 13-28 year olds, unlike his competitors, this links into the star image theory suggested by Dyer also. The fade is used when Drake changes location, it helps the audience follow the song and identifies the song has moved onto Drake explaining another aspect of his life. This attracts the audience because it has a level intimacy again like the close up shots, forming a close relationship with the audience, giving them the sense that they know Drake on a personal level rather than supporting him as an artist.

As far as mise en scene are concerned there are three key points; Location, Lighting and colour. The key location of the video is Drake’s bedroom, by being in a bedroom the song is made personal to Drake’s life which allows the target audience to relate to the song in a situational way, as everyone in his target audience at some point in their day will have access to a bed/bedroom. Also the location isolates Drake from society as he is on his, which portrays Drake to be Angry which is a common stereotype of the rap genre. The lighting that is used in this video is Low key with a top light to highlight the artist, the purpose for this is to show the audience who the artist is with the hope that they can form a bond to him. This draws attention to Drake and allows the audience to notice him more, it can also connote how Drake is now about to be introduced to the spotlight of fame and this is a promise to the audience that he is worth their support. The music video is successful as it allows the audience to form a relationship to Drake which is vital as he is a new artist; it is also successful as he keeps his attraction to his target audience rather than trying to appeal to audiences of other genres. Drake does not use obvious genre characteristics within this video, which gives an insight to Drake as an artist being revolutionary and challenging expectations of audience.

The second song that had an intriguing music video was ‘Duality’ by Slipknot. Slipknot is a band that caters to the rock genre and specialise in the metal sub-genre of rock. The target audience for Slipknot are males aged 14-40, because the style they play is niche they are able to appeal to a wide age range. Codes and conventions expected to appear in the video are violence, darkness, loud instruments and dirtiness of artists and of the locations used.

For cinematography camera shots and camera movement were the two main points to forming a relationship between the audience and the artist. The camera movement is seen early in the video where the shot frame is unsteady, as the shot is unsteady it suggests that they way the shot is filmed was through a hand held camera held by one of the band members. This camera shot/movement enables a connection between the band and the audience as the audience are placed in the position of the band and see what the band see as if they are experiencing the same thing the band is. A low to high shot is also used within the video frequently. An example of this is when the guitarist is in the middle of a crowd of fans. The use of a low to high shot connotes Slipknot’s domination and popularity within their genre. This attracts their target audience through more relation of Dyer’s star image theory in the explanation of Paradox 1- Slipknot are shown to have an extraordinary control of the rock genre which encourages their fans to support them.

The Editing of this video is straight cuts throughout. The cuts match the beat of the song and therefore are fast in nature. The fast cuts parallel to the fast beats of the music excite and entertain the target audience as it is what the target audience have come to expect from Slipknot- this demonstrates that Slipknot understands their audience -with a greater understanding of their audience comes a stronger relationship built and maintained placing the band in a more stable position. Another aspect of editing that helps Slipknot’s relationship with the audience is the use of a slow motion effect. The use of slow motion brings attention to a band member  this allows the a relationship to be formed as a member of the band is seen as the music plays and also the audience sees the member for a longer period as time is slowed and therefore have more exposure to the band.

The Mise en scene of this video includes a stereotypical location and the costumes the band wear. The location of the video is a decaying house, this is a common code from the genre with the audience expect to see. The target audience are more likely to respond positively to this method and maintain their support of the Slipknot movement. The costume is a pivotal aspect of Slipknot as a brand. Slipknot is memorable because they use Halloweenesq masks in their performance which is unique even in their genre. The use of masks creates an image that the fans become familiar with and expect to see it in most aspects of Slipknot’s product which is tribute to the strength of the relationship between band and audience.

Like Drake ‘Over’ this video is an example of a good music video in terms of the relationship between audience and artist. Slipknot seems to provide their fans with what they want to see and demonstrate a sound understanding of their target audience. This video is especially good because it has familiarities of the conventions of the genre, which is unlike Drake. This is an example of how using conventions can be just as effective as it is to challenge them.

The third and final music video is from Flo Rida, ‘Club can’t handle me’. The song appeals to an audience of ages 12-36 of both genders and is placed in the dance music genre. The age gap of Flo Rida can be so large because it appeals to an older audience through the theme of being in a club and can appeal to a younger audience because it is not explicit therefore does not need to be censored allowing children to have access to it, it also plays part in the popular film ‘Step Up 3D’.

The Cinematography in this video is effective in its attempts to position the audience with the artist. A long shot inside of a club is used which shows a crowd of people with Flo Rida in the middle. This shot can attract the audience as it shows an interaction between the artist and their audience, fans enjoying seeing that their support to the artist is valued. Close ups are also used in this video. The close ups of Flo Rida show his emotions and it is an insight into his thoughts for the audience. This method allows the audience to form an attachment to the artist as they can share the same emotions as the artist is expressing.

The style of editing does not challenge the expectations of the genre but it is still as effective, the main edits used are fades and cuts. The fades allow the audience to be moved from location to location and follow the narrative easier. The change in locations connotes the journey of the artist to fame and success the audience appreciate this as they feel included in his ascendency. The straight cuts are also used as a method to change location, however by using a cut instead of a fade the locations can change a lot quicker. The quick changes can allow for as many examples of Flo Rida’s music being enjoyed by members of his audience i.e. people in the club dancing. By the use of many examples the audience are more likely to share the opinion that his music is enjoyable and he is a good artist.

The mise en scene can allow for Flo Rida to create an image for the audience to perceive him as. Flo Rida uses two Lamborghini cars in his establishing shots as props to connote wealth and give the perception of luxury. This suggest to the audience that Flo Rida is successful and has expensive taste which can be further applied to Dyer’s theory as it shows Flo Rida to be extraordinary. Another aspect of the mise en scene that makes the video more effective is the location. The main location of the video is in a night club, a generic convention of the dance genre. Night clubs are also the place in which the audience can have access to this style of music. By the location being in a nightclub, a place that the audience can relate to, Flo Rida can draw another similarity to the audience in which could encourage the attraction of more fans. This is a better tact than to use a location in which the audience can not relate, for instance a millionaire suit in a Pitbull music video. Like the other two video this video accesses its target market efficiently and effectively. It includes the audience in the narrative through dance and through the sharing emotions especially with the artist. This video adheres to the conventions of the genre and shows how by not challenging expectations can be still good as long as it has a personal and relatable feel to it.

Each of the videos above target their audience in different ways to best suite the needs of the target audience which demonstrates a good understanding of the product they need to provide. for example Slipknot use a range of handheld shots which includes their audience into the narrative, in which is a need for the audience of the rock genre. Drake's isolation through being the only character within his video makes a potential relationship between the audience and himself intimate. This is further reinforced with Drake being represented as angry, which is clever as audiences seem to react more positively to artists who display their emotion as the audience can relate to the felling. Also by Drake being angry the audience feel a sense of exclusivity as they are  receiving an insight into drakes feelings, in which other audiences for other artists do not achieve, this can potentially increase the perceived value of the relationship between artist and audience from the audiences prospective.         Flo-Rida relates to his audience in a different way to the other two artists. Flo Rida's approach to the audience is by having a location that the target audience are familiar, in this case it is a nightclub. Because the location is familiar the audience feel at ease when watching the video allowing them to feel included in the narrative, the performance etc, this allows for the audience to fully understand the connotations and the expressions used within the video.

From this research into music videos I think I can now understand the way an audience reacts to some codes and conventions, for instance the locations we use are going to be more important to our artist rather than being general locations, as I have learnt that the audience are more receptive when they believe they are sharing something with the artist. Being a british artist using a location such as Covent Garden will capture the essence of city life in Britain and will allow of such relationships to be formed. I have also identified that the audience enjoy consuming a product in which emotion is shown within, wether it be happy, sad, angry or complacent and therefore I would want to include some shots which are inclusive of the artist's emotion, perhaps through the multiple use of close up shot throughout.