Analysis of Music Videos

I am now going to be analysing several music videos according to genre, i am going to be highlighting and evaluating what i like and what i dislike.

Hip-Hop Music Video
Nicki Minaj- Super Bass


As soon as the video started i instantly took an interest to Nicki Minaj's outfit, hair and make-up- i think it is very important to have the artist looking great at all times and looking into the camera as it draws the audience in and gets them interested straight away. In my opinion if the video isn't interesting and eye-catching for the first 20 seconds then the person is going to turn it straight over and not watch it. I also like how the lyrics matched up to the insert images on the video, when it said "stacks on deck like he savin' up" it cut to piles of dollars tied up. And also when she says "Kiss him on the lip lip" it cut to an extreme close-up of the males lip which i thought was an effective touch.

Nicki Minaj Disco Lights scene with dancing. 

I also liked the insert images of the hot pink super car and a jet, it gave the video a pink "barbie" theme.I also noticed that when Nicki and the rest of the girls with the pink wigs were dancing, there was disco lights in the background- it added more of a party scene adding alot more energy and fun to the music video. I thought the overall look and feel of the video was very a fantasy inspired- over the top feel. Like a different world which i thought was very different and unconventional for a Hip-Hop genre. Also when it cuts to scene 2 when Nicki's dressed as a mermaid next to a swimming pool filled with pink water inside, i thought it was very effective how they slowed it down when she started throwing the pink water at the man at the beginning of the video, i thought the pink water looked great slowed down, very very effective. I also liked how when the song slowed down and changed to accapella the lights turned off and all of the outfits changed to glow in the dark along with the hair and lips. Overall i think this music video is very girly, quirky and fun. I think it is a very un-conventional HIP-HOP music video however, as usually hip-hop videos consist of angry people rapping about violence and guns wearing their blinged up jewelry and rapping about sleeping with girls and smoking drugs.

RnB Music Video
Rihanna- What My Name (Ft Drake)


At the beginning of the video i really like the establishing shots of New York (at a guess), i really like the urban feel of American city life as soon as the video begins- letting the audience know where its set straight away.  I also like how its cuts to the equilibrium; introducing the characters (Rihanna & Drake) in the video and i really love Rihanna's outfit and hair- it really makes her stand out in the video which draws the audience to her- its a big contrast compared to the urban feel of the corner shop and streets which is a great method of defining the artist. I also like how the 2 artists bump into each other whilst Rihanna is picking milk out of the fridge in the shop- its really original yet very effective, and also when they both hold hands and she drops the milk-, its so simple but looks really great. It could symbolise the start of a romance her and Drake in the video?

I also love how it cuts to the city shots, of people minding there business crossing roads, taxis driving down the road- it just gives a really nice urban feel to the RnB music video. I also think when Rihanna is strutting down the streets by herself singing to the words and occasionally stopping to do a little bit of Ragga dancing- i think this is a great simple video, very simplistic.
When the video cuts to the white guy with dreadlocks, i think it adds a great little touch- when he moves his drumsticks in his hand the music synchronizes with it with drums playing. I think i might incorporate something similar to this in my video as i think it is a very clever addition.

Blazing fire with dancing and drums scene.

My all time favourite scene in this video is when it cuts to the dancing section in front of the blazing fire and surrounded by people dancing and playing instruments. I absolutely LOVE this scene because i just think the overall look of it is amazing with a really happy chilled out feel. If i had the budget i would really incorporate this kind of scene in my own music video but i just think it would be impossible to get the permission and people to take part. Overall i think this video is a very laid back, chilled video with some really good ideas and scenes in. I do think it's a little un-interesting at times but the song is a slow RnB one so i think if it was really crazy it wouldn't match the feel of the song.

Pop Music Video
Ke$ha - Tik Tok



theres quiet a contrast between Ke$ha and her family which looks really good on camera. i also like the appearance of Ke$ha, she definitely looks like she had a mad night the night before with all her hair mattered and crazy with her ripped up clothes, i think this look is very modern and quirky- compared to other artists looks perfect without a hair out of place. This is what makes her an unconventional artist which makes her unique and different. I want this to be the case with my video; i want it to be unique and something different.

Convertible car shot with Random guy.

I also think the scene in the old school convertible car where Ke$ha is singing out the top of it is very ruthless and wild- its asif she doesn't care and her personality comes through in the video as well as the song. i also think the driver is very random and quirky which makes this video in particular very random and a breath of fresh air almost. However, I'm not very keen on the shots in front of the painted bright yellow wall, i just think it doesn't look as well on camera as the thought it would- i would have probably used a brick wall; its more original and would give more of a quirky-random feel in my opinion. I don't really understand the push-bike thing either, its all a bit too much in some aspects. I think the scene where Ke$ha is on the floor with glitter falling from the ceiling looks amazing on camera yet not that realistic, it does on the other hand represent the slow section of the song with the flowing glittery paper which i like. I am definitely going to bring that method when producing my own music video.
At the end of the song it cuts to a wild party which i think looks great with all the people, the shots of turntables and people's ripped up clothes and dancing. I like how they've manipulated the speed too, to slow it down a bit, love this editing effect and i am going to definitely do hat in my video.

Indie Music Video
Arctic Monkeys- Fluorescent Adolescent


This video is very different compared to any other videos i'm personally interested in- at the begining it starts off with a hand-held camera footage of inside a car looking through the windscreen which makes the audience feel asif they are in the cr themselves which is a good little method. Then all of a sudden when the song kicks in the handheld camera is taken out filming people dressed up as variations of clowns begin to run riot on what looks like abandonned waste land. This immiediately lets the audience know that this music video is quite grungey yet funny and random at the same time which i quite like. The running around then develops into aggressive fighting and hitting the guys dressed in black with pillows which also looks quite humorous. In my opinion its very confusing because the words of the song don't really go with this scene at all. The clowns then go on to attack more and more people who seem to look like older farmer people which aesthetically looks very contrasted compared to colourful crazy face-painted clowns.

Clowns attacking men with sticks and chairs.

One shot i really do like is when the old man who is being attacked by a clown gets a wooden chair at 0:54 and smashes it against the wall and the whole shot is slowed down drastically which also synchronizes with the smashing of a drum echoing at a guess. Overall this video definately relies on handheld filming with lots of sharp cuts of different angles and types of shots which looks O.K but it can come accross a bit amature in this video in my opinion. I don't really like it at all because it doesn't resemble the feel and the words to the song at all and it also doesn't look aesthetically pleasing on footage. Overall i like the parts where the song matches the slowness in filming but thats about it.

Grime Music Video
N-Dubz - Ouch

Editing effect at the start.

This Grime video by "N-Dubz" instantly jumps out at me, just a few seconds before the song kicks in there is a great editing effect on the screen where the shot is split up in three sections long-ways. Almost immediately showing a story line, one section is of 'Dappy' with a black girl, 'Tulissa' laid in bed alone thinking and 'Fazer is the bottom with another female. I think this is a very clever and effective way of delivering three different scenarios in one video rather than confusing the audience. I really like this video, it really shows a clear straight the the point narrative about being cheated on and deceived. I really like the scene in particular when all three of them are stood together with just a plain black background, i think it really makes them stand out and look like a group. You can definitely tell that they are a close group of friends as well as successful artists just by how they act around each other and feed off one another's energy and attitude. It also shows that the more simply the shot is the more effective it is on the audience which is certainly something i a going to take with me when producing my own music video.

Overall i think this music video is extremely well set out and constructed and i also think this is the one song and video that really made 'N Dubz' noticed which lead to the start of their highly successful careers as a Grime music group.

Rock Music Video
Green Day - American Idiot


At the start of this video, i love the shot of the camera filming with the small old fashioned TV showing up the same image we can all see it is filming, it looks like the band Greenday are filming themselves which is a good ideology. I also like the cut editing showing shots of the leader playing his guitar, the whole band stood together and then the drummer on a spinning podium which looks great. I also like the background of the grungy looking American Flag which relates to the meaning of the song.

One thing on this video that i haven't noticed on any other video i've analysed is that it displays the name of the band "Greenday", the song "American Idiot" and the Record Company "Reprise Records" which is unusual displayed to the left <--. I don't know why they decided to display that- i might do it with my music video.
The video also has been edited at times when the shot cuts there is a bright flash which looks very good, i like this feel and it looks as if its a camera flash at the same time; like someones taking a photo. I also like the scene where the band is playing, jumping around and singing and the camera pans slowly accross, it looks really effective, the setting looks like a abandoned warehouse which gives a grimey feel to it aswell. I also like the close up shot of the lead singers face but for the first second the camera looks out of focus then it goes into focus which looks really effective.

American Flag stripes running off the board in Green paint. 

The other clip that i think is great is when the painted american flag on the background board starts to run off, this symbolizes the message of the song which is basically "fxck America" to put it bluntly. Then all of a sudden the huge speakers behind the band explode with green water by the looks of it and covers the band who still carry on playing which looks really cool and also matches up with the band name "Greenday" with the green water which is an amazing effect.
Overall i think this video is absolutely amazing yet it is not the feel i want for my video, it is very commercial rock and the message behind the song is very powerful and unconventional considering the band is actually from America. I really love all the effects of the editing, camera work and mise-en-scene.

Country Music Video
Shania Twain - Any Man Of Mine


At the beginning of this music video i really like the shots of Shania in her Country & Western outfit riding the horse,  also love the shots of the cows on the field, the dust in the air and the AMAZING lighting- the sunset looks so beautiful. I also like the cross-fade transition, it looks really soft and flowing giving it a chilled out feel and i just think the overall lighting makes the shot. This video is a very stereotypical conventional country music video,with the setting in the mountains, the barn animals, the fashion, and the whole situation is very country western. The medium shots of Shania singing with the bright green grass in the background really compliments the colours; making the composition and appearance of the scene very colourful and fresh looking.

Amazing sun set lighting.

The shot of Shania watering down her horse is also very country - the lighting again is making the shots. This video also uses a lot of fade transitions between shots which i think suits the feel and genre of the video.  The scene of Shania getting ready to go on a night out looking very formal in a long black dress shows two sides of her personality- a fun loving country girl and an elegant women which lets the audience know that she isn't just a stereotype. I also like how she's singing to herself in the mirror.


Ragga Music Video
Vybz Kartel Feat Russian - Jeans & Fitted


This Ragga music video is highly influenced by Jamaican culture along with the people, I really like the structure of the video even though it is slightly repetitive when it comes to shot types and movements. When it cuts instantly to the scene with the pretty black female dancing next to the main artist 'Vybz Kartel', i think the composition of the shot is very nice having the main artist along with the female to the left of the shot and having male friends over to the right hand side 'messing around' on BMXs. I think it adds a very chilled out and urban edge to it just hangin' about in the streets of Jamaica. I also like the 'Hip-Hop' influenced fashion style with the big heavy chains, brightly coloured bandannas along with matching hats, also grills and sun-glasses. I think it is heavily influenced by artists like "Lil Wayne" & '50 Cent' but they have literally attempted to copy this with a low-budget by added a Jamaican twist with the settings. I also like the costume changes, one minute its a colour scheme of black and yellow (which looks amazing on camera) and then it cuts to a black and red theme which again looks great.

'Posh' estate on motorbikes.

I think this video is very different compared to the "usual" music videos with the ridiculously expensive scenes, great editing effects and mise-en-scene. This video in particular highly relies on the Artists "Vybz Kartel" & "Russian" and the other extras on set to add the attitude that this song produces rather than editing and props. Most of the scenes are set in what looks like abandoned waste land which looks very deprived and urban which in my opinion is perfect for the song. However i do also like when the next scene (Scene 2) appears, the setting looks to be on a very high end estate in Jamaica where all the rich people live. The group of friends are riding motorbikes & quads through the streets which instantly gives the impression to the consumer that they are very ruthless, as normally you would expect to see very expensive sports cars riding through them roads rather than rough & tumble styles quads. one is also seen to be doing a 'wheely' which also adds to the group's attitudes, basically they don't give a damn.


Overall i think class and status are highly emphasised in this Ragga video because some scenes are set in very deprived areas in contrast to other scenes shot of expensive cars, mansions and also very high end upper class estates in Jamaica. I think the overall message from this video is showing how close poverty and wealth are together in this country, very expensive houses can be just up the road from the slums.

Influencial Music Video


I really really like this music video, i am going to be using this video for inspiration to my own music video. I have already been thinking to base my video on Teen Culture (house parties/drinking etc). And i really think this video has the feel I'm looking to achieve. At the beginning of the video i love how the ghetto blaster is put down and the play button is pressed down to start the music- acting like the music is being played from the ghetto blaster.

Passed out guy with bear head in toilet.

I love how the limo pulls up with Lady GaGa's feet and fab heels hanging out- what a crazy entrance, absolutely love it! The guy passed out in the toilet with the Bear head on is also a funny-quirky shot which i really like the look of. The mise-en-scene in the video is incredible i really like the look of the house where the house party is taking place, it looks very vintage and quirky full of intoxicated crazy people.

When the song kicks in to the chorus i love the partying scene with the hand held camera it really creates a crazy partying scene which in my opinion looks great. I like the shots of the random people in random places. I also like the part at 2:01 where the girl in the mirror writes "dance" in her red lipstick the kisses it which synchronises with the music. I also like the golden dangly curtains effect where she dances with them, its a really simple idea but it looks really good.
Overall this music video is one of my favourite videos of all time- its not boring and its not too much and i really like the narrative to go with it. I am going to take into consideration the styling, narrative and feel of this music video to incorporate it when making my music video, i definitely want the feel that this one has because i love it.

Conclusion:
Analysing all of these music videos has definitely informed me how to make a successful, effective and simplistic video that is unique and different compared to other conventional music videos. I am decided that the music video 'Just Dance' by 'Lady Gaga' is going to be my inspiration for my music video, i have also decided my own music video is going to evolve around 'British Teen Culture' that has a message. I really want people who watch my video to learn something rather than it just be pointless.