music video analysis

 Music video analysis 

Hey there Delilah – Plain white Ts 

A music video is a short film or video that integrates song or album with imagery that is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Hey there Delilah is a song that explores a long distance relationship between a girl and the singer. In the second verse he expresses how the distance between the is just a number, and if she ever feels lonely she can listen to this song. However, we can infer from the music video that the relationship may not have worked out.    

Initial thought – The video seems more complex and more difficult to follow due to the split screen, it is trying to create a home video effect due to the coloring and the steadiness of filming. 

Setting – The video includes two different narratives/locations as the screen is split (this may help me show the two different settings in my music video by having a split screen or separate frames). The man is in a room alone leaning in to playing guitar, this indicates to the audience that he is lonely and is leaning into his guitar for help and support. This is contrasted with a female who is wondering around busy New York streets, surrounded by people but still alone just like the man, within the video there are subtle hints of thing like drug abuse with ordinary clothes suggesting she is trying to fit in whilst separate from him.  

Camera shots and angles - the music video includes many camera angles and close ups, including extreme close up shots of her lips, which are pink, connoting lust and love, which she is seeking for. There is also lots of close up shots of the womans face, this helps emphasis her emotions to the audience watching and make them sympathize with them. The long/wide shots of the man on his own in a bare room emphasizes the loneliness he is feeling 

Editing and lighting – The video has been edited as a collage, so many different scenes are shown at once, this allows the audience to see it from multiple angles and be shown more depth. The camera shakes throughout her shots possibly hinting at drug abuse or that her emotions are all over the place and that she doesn’t feel stable. This contrasts with the still and static filming of the male suggesting he feels more stable but is still missing her. Finally the dark filters used set a certain tone throughout the video connotes feelings of emptiness and loneliness.                    

                                                 

Just give me a reason – P!nk 

A music video is a short film or video that integrates song or album with imagery that is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Just give me a reason focuses on the an attempt by two individuals to patch up their relationship. The individuals learn to realize that their relationship is just crooked and can be mended, though they’ve been through a lot of pain and hurt they can learn to love each other again.  

Initial thought - The video comes across as simplistic due to its limited settings and characters, however this allows the video to be more emotional and meaningful. 

Settings and props – One of the settings within the music video is a bed in the middle of nowhere with no visible floor, this helps show the isolation that P!nk is feeling and that she cant escape this feeling, this will help me to explore the isolation that the characters will be experiencing within my music video. Within this setting P!nk is seen with a teddy bear, this is perceived as childlike helping convey her vulnerability within the relationship. Another setting within the video is a white room with both P!nk and Nate, this helps indicates that they both have equal responsibilities within the relationship, as its such a plain setting it help present the rawness of their relationship without all the excess baggage. They stand far apart from each other this represents that although they’re in a relationship there is a gap and distance as they have grown apart. During this scene they are both holding retro microphones, helping to signify the pop culture of the song.  

Camera shots – A range of camera shots and angles are used within the video, for example close-up to the singers faces to show their emotions, also close-ups of different parts their bodies together, showing their intimacy with one an other. Most of the shots when Nate and P!nk are singing together are head on and not low or high to symbolize the equality in the relationship with no bias, and helps show all of their emotions clearly. 

Editing and lighting – the editing is fast paced, helping portray the urgency and emotion in the relationship, also it includes straight cuts helping the audience focus on the narrative of the video. The lighting is used effectively to help portray the mood of the video at that moment in time, for example when she is alone the lighting is dim to show her sadness and loneliness, in contrast when P!nk and Nate are together the lighting is brighter shining down on them as they lay in the bed, making it seem dreamlike. In the white room sometimes the light is shining onto them and sometimes the light is behind them creating silhouettes, showing the contrast of feelings. 

You belong with me - Taylor swift 

A music video is a short film or video that integrates song or album with imagery that is created for artistic or promotional purpose. You belong with me is a light-hearted narrative based love story. The narrative explores a young girl (Taylor swift) who is presented as unpopular falling in love with her next door neighbour, who is dating a popular cheerleader. Taylor Swift sets out to prove that the dorky, nice girl will always win in the game of love against the pretty, sexy cheerleader.

 

initial thought- The video has simplistic editing but tries to tell a detailed story, presenting a clear genre and narrative throughout the video.

Props - The main prop of the video is the messages on paper, this is how the two communicate which. The notes are used multiple times throughout the video, this helps present there love and creates a ‘cute’ narrative, meaning people will connect with the characters and route for them. At the football match she is playing trombone, whilst he’s holding a football, this presents the difference in personalities of Taylor being dorky and her next door neighbour being cool and popular. 

Editing/cuts/lighting - There are many close ups of Taylor swift writing her notes, with bright lighting and clear visibility of what she is writing. There are many cuts within a scene from a wide shot, cutting into a close up of their face, these cuts are relatively fast pace to keep up with the song and offer multiple angles. Lighting at the end of the video - Taylor is the only one lit up and everyone else is dimmed, this make Taylor the centre of attention, showing her beauty and that she is the one. Finally at the end there is a close up of Taylor and the boy kissing.