Monday 19 October 2015

Technical Aspects of a music video

1. Speed is visualised by camera movements, fast editing (montage) and digital effects

  • Camera Movement is often motivated by running, dancing and walking performers.
  • Fast-cutting and montage editing creates a visually decentred experience necessary for music video consumption, with the images occasionally moving so fast that hey are impossible to understand on first-viewing and this need to be viewed several times (repeatability).
  • Post-production digital effects - a staple of music video where images can be colourized, multiple split screens appear, and so on , all to complicate and intrigue, providing pleasure again and again. 
Not all camera movement is about speed though and some use slow pace through dissolves or static shots. This kind of editing - like in Sinead O'Conner's 'Nothing Compares To You' - is striking and effective in setting the song apart from the hustle and bustle of most pop activity. 

2. The meat of most music video is the cut to the close-up of the singers face. This is because the voice is seen as the most important part of pop music. 

3. Often, the video will try and represent the music through the use of the cut to go with the beat or key rhythm. 

4. Lighting and colour may also be used to emphasise key moments in the song, using methods from lighting live performances for dramatic effect. Colour may be used to show a development in the song, going form colour to black and white or visa versa when he chorus comes in. Equally, any change in the mise-en-scene or camera work can signal the same type of thing. 

5. Mise-en-scene - obviously the setting for music videos is important, often to guarantee the authenticity of the clip rather than anything else. So mise-en-scne for many music videos is the concert hall or rehearsal room to emphasise the realness of the performance or the grit and practice that goes into attaining star quality. Increasingly, CGI is used, especially for dance songs, which don't rely so much on being 'real' like rock, soul and rap acts.

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