Hello and welcome to yet another of these blog posts! It's quite sad that I haven't been able to post up anything non-school related thus far, however, don't fret; something will eventually come! For now, my most recent assignment was to analyse three different videos. The videos that I chose were Meet Me Halfway by the Black Eyed Peas, and Next Year and Changing of the Seasons, both by one of my personal favourite bands - Two Door Cinema Club. I hope you will enjoy reading what I've picked out of these videos!
Meet Me Halfway by
Black Eyed Peas
“The video features the members in different parts of the Solar System. The video opens on a road in the middle of a desert panning up to the cosmic sky which shifts to scenes of each of the members singing in different locations of space: Fergie lies in the middle of a lush, green jungle, apl.de.ap levitates on a desert planet in nomadic clothing, will.i.am rides an elephant on a moon of Jupiter and Taboo glides around the Sun in a spacesuit. Apl takes out a map and will.i.am uses a compass to search for a path to the other members. After a while, will.i.am finds a dial which reveals gateways for each of the members to go through. All the members use a stargate and turn into shooting stars, and land on the planet (presumably Earth), with the road in the middle of the desert. This is the first video of the album that does not end with the phrase "The E.N.D.”
The song itself can be interpreted in many ways, however the
majority of people perceive it to relate to a couple who are going through a
difficult time in their relationship. They are both trying to do the best they
can for each other but it is not quite working out – so the song is about how
to recover their relationship and how they are planning to solve the problems
that they are experiencing. The video in a way does reflect this, as all of the
members ‘meet halfway’ in the its narrative – they all travel some distance,
however small, to get back together again and be a successful and understanding
couple. This therefore means that while the video is quite different, it still
conveys the same key messages – making it conform to the convention that music
videos are an extension or an expansion of the lyrics and the song playing over
the top of it.
This video is one which also employs a lot of the
traditional techniques for music videos. For one thing, it is partially
animated – the use of CGI and special effects is present throughout to create
specific elements of the video such as the ‘stargates’ which all of the band
members travel through to be reunited. Even the surroundings are also animated
to an extent; the starry skies, the scenery, and the backgrounds – no doubt
either created with a greenscreen effect or else a purely digital medium. As
well, there is a focus on all of the artists as they are singing – no doubt
miming – along to the lyrics of the song, which is also a convention where the
artists appear to be singing when actually they are not; they are just acting
and performing under direction by the production team. Finally, there is quite
a significant focus on the different camera angles. The shots used greatly vary
from close-ups to long-shots, even sometimes involving sweeping shots that move
across the screen, and these very clearly present the video in a very smooth
and enjoyable fashion that make people want to watch the video the whole
through. Combined with great video quality in terms of definition and also
cinematography, this is a video which ties together effective elements and
conventions to present, very well, the song Meet Me Halfway.
From this video, a strong impression of the artist (Black
Eyed Peas) is given. This is again a new style of video for them to produce, meaning
that it shows them to be very innovative and creative, and the animation and
technical elements of the video also show them to be very adaptable and unique.
Although they are commonly described as a ‘hip-hop’ group, they are clearly
capable of a lot more, and they are capable of producing different sounds and
kinds of videos which suit those sounds. As a group as well, they are shown to
be proud of their work and keen to show it off in videos of varying styles that
embody their creative spirit. They look like they love and enjoy what they do
and are keen to continue doing it.
The reason why I chose to analyse this particular video was
because I liked the style of it – not necessarily directly relating to the
lyrics, yet retaining meaning. I would like to emulate this in my own music
video as the ideas that I have are not necessarily directly relating to the
song, but do have enough relevance that people will recognise the message that
I am trying to convey through it. I will not aim to re-create the extravagant
effects etc. as I do not have the technology available to me to do so – but I
will incorporate some of the more basic elements to make the video that I
create as successful as I can be.
Next Year by Two Door Cinema Club
Due to the fact that the video is based around concert
footage, there are no links to the lyrics or the song whatsoever – barring the
fact, of course, that the performers who feature in the video are also the
people who sing the song, and that this is a concert where that song was
played. The music video is carefully put together to ensure that the lines
being sung match up with the lyrics of the song – almost creating a ‘lip sync’,
as if the song playing is a live recording. The various parts of the concert
are spliced together into one full video, with several recurring shots and
concepts appearing throughout. The video returns to, for example, the lead
singer Alex Trimble in close-ups and extreme close-ups regularly to show him
singing some lines of the song into the microphone, and shots from the back of
the stage and opposite the stage showing the crowd and the cluster of balloons
floating above them are common. These recurring ideas throughout show, easily,
that this was a video filmed all in one night and that this performance has
been recorded live from the stage in Dublin. These recurring ideas also help to
convey that the band is both passionate about what they do and fun-loving; they
are seen to be enjoying themselves up on the stage, and their focus, too, on
the fans in the crowd and as they are entering show that they are an extremely
fan-oriented band who love to involve their crowd as much as themselves in the
creation of a work such as this music video.
The shots mentioned above with regard to Alex Trimble are
just the beginning of the shot variations used throughout this video; there are
extreme close-ups right up to long-shots and everything in-between. All of
these different shots allow viewers to get a fully-comprehensive look at the
stage and the performance and enjoy the spectacle that is unfolding before
them. These shots are also key in conveying, as said above, the emotions of
both the performers and the crowd members; it becomes very easy to see how much
they are enjoying themselves, and how much of an experience a live performance
is for those who attend one.
A number of visual techniques are employed in this video in
order to make it appealing to watch – the first is a constant blue and black ‘hue’
over the video which gives it a consistent visual colour spectrum. Though it
would ordinarily appear to ‘dull’ the bright colours of a video of this nature,
it is actually effective at accentuating the sheer size of the crowds watching the band perform and also gives it a
tolerable appearance which can be watched in any lighting. It is also effective
at cutting the bright flashing effects of the strobe lights at the concert – potentially
enabling more people to watch the video in itself as those with epilepsy or
other conditions triggered by such visuals will not be affected.
Other than that obvious video effect, there are also specific
effects and features which appear throughout. The first of these are jump-cuts
and minor blur transitions to effectively link the clips together. In some
places these are very appropriate to use as they match the beats of the music
and the visuals change accordingly when the tune takes a turn, making the video
dynamic and fun. As well as these, slight filters (including blurs and
focusers) are used which make shots, though similar, individual and unique in
their own way. These filters also help to draw attention to specific points of
the video, for example where the balloons are floating on the crowd – those are
automatically what you focus on as they are the only distinguishable objects
under the filter. Similarly, variations in clip speed are used to this same
effect – to draw attention to certain aspects of the video, particularly clips
which involve members of the crowd. Having these clips slowed down allows
viewers to see every small detail of their actions; whether they’re dancing,
laughing, cheering, and so on. It really helps to emphasise how the attendees
of the concert are feeling and how much of a good time they are having watching
one of their favourite bands (no doubt) playing live right in front of them.
I chose to analyse this music video as it is a song by the
same band as I am planning to make a video for – Two Door Cinema Club. In
addition, the style of song is very similar to the song I have chosen to make a
video for (Changing of the Seasons) and I wanted to see what styles of video
have been made for such examples of their music before. The concert, or ‘as
live’, music video style was not
actually what I was expecting from the band given some of their other videos – however,
it has been greatly useful to watch and analyse as it has shown me that they
are a very creative and diverse band who dabble in a lot of different genres
and styles. Even their music is diverse, even where it seems similar, so this
will definitely be something that I bear in mind when I make my video. I will
aim to emulate and re-create the vision of Two Door Cinema Club that has been
portrayed here; that they are enthusiastic, keen to perform, have a good
relationship and influence on their fans, and that they have a creative spirit
which will keep on evolving and developing in order to bring their fans quality
music and quality music videos that they will enjoy.
Changing of the Seasons
by Two Door Cinema Club
This video would probably be considered a hybrid of two
styles: narrative and concert/as live. This is due to the fact that there is a
story being told throughout the video, but also throughout there are
interspersed clips of the band performing up on a stage in front of a crowd.
This is therefore a video which combines the two types to create something
bigger – for the effect of showing both their creativity and innovation for the
story, and their dedication and level of success in the form of their live
performances. The clips of them performing do almost look concert-like;
however, it equally looks like these clips were staged (literally) for the
purpose of the video. Either way, they are still present, making the video a
hybrid of two different styles.
This is quite an interesting video with regard to its
narrative, as it is unique with respect to the other two. The narrative of the
video itself does not appear to have any direct relevance, again, to the lyrics
as from hearing the song and then from watching the video, it is possible to
come up with completely different interpretations. The song itself, for
example, is held to be with regard to a failed relationship that has come to an
end, with neither party really knowing what to do as a result other than be
absolutely certain what they had is now over. An alternative interpretation is
that the song does not focus on a romantic relationship at all, instead perhaps
a platonic one or a friendship – and this is the interpretation that I will be
playing upon in my own music video for this song. I feel that the romance
element is a little obvious, and whilst it may be the true meaning of the song
(which has not ever really be confirmed) it is also one that I can play on –
and hopefully create an effective music video about for the band. This is also
something which I can empathise with, meaning that on an emotional level I will
no doubt be able to influence that particular effect on viewers who may have
also gone through the same or a similar situation.
Although the lyrics may not appear to directly link to the video, however, the combination of the two is
able to influence people to develop their own interpretations of what the song
is about. The video therefore works as an extension of the lyrics, to symbolise
some lines in a vague way which can then be interpreted by viewers. This is, of
course, a convention of music videos – that they do actually work to enhance
and expand upon the listening experience. This video is just one take on what the song means; anyone
is able to develop their alternative ones, including me, as I will do in coming
assignments.
Where the other two videos I have looked at cut straight ‘to
the chase’ and start immediately with the song, the existing music video for
Changing of the Seasons has an introduction in excess of a minute. This
introduction sets the scene for the remainder of the video by introducing the
idea of a press conference with the band; the rest of the video then largely
focuses on the chaotic events which unfold in this single space between the
band members and the reporters and journalists.
One interesting part of this introduction is the reporter asking
“are you surprised at the band’s level of success considering...” – with him,
on ‘considering’, gesturing at the band as if to say ‘considering how you are
and what you’ve been producing’. This almost appears relevant to the band
themselves in reality; and as such this is the line which ultimately creates
yet another interpretation of the video – that it is about the band’s decline
in popularity following their change in lyrical and auditory style. They have
adapted their music and updated it slightly, which is held to have lost them
some credibility and fans; could this video therefore be about how their fans
are feeling like they are losing a band they truly love, and that this band
does not seem to care about their interests – or even vice versa? This is a
very intricate and interesting idea but no doubt one that is thought of only by
a minority of people, hence making it unlikely that the video and song is about
this anyway. Another interpretation, which in a way links to the previous one, is
that from watching the video alone but with the lyrics in mind, the song could
potentially be discussing the end of
the band (which is unlikely since they are still reportedly making their third
album as I write this) and the video dictating their actual slow demise. Again,
this equally unlikely, however.
When the song kicks in roughly a minute in, the
sub-narrative of the video is revealed – the concert side to it. The majority
of the video focuses on the events and chaos unfolding in the conference room
and following it their escape into a taxi, but the other half shows them
performing to fans – perhaps in a concert, perhaps in a theatre, it is never
made completely clear. This dual narrative is quite an interesting feature as
it is not usual for music videos to ever go beyond one clear story, if any; it
makes the video unique and with a much more intricate premise, as expected of Two
Door Cinema Club who generally put in huge quantities of effort in both their
music and its presentation.
With regard to the visual presentation of the video, there
are a number of points to raise. First of all, the entire video is in black and
white. This is relatively unheard of nowadays considering the technology we
have; therefore it was done with meaning, and done with purpose. Perhaps the
two colours could symbolise the two-sided nature of fame – the glamour and then
the constant attention – or any number of things, such as the two parties in
the relationship/friendship, or the two aspects of a fanbase (the idol and the
fan). Potentially it could also be symbolic of how obvious things are, and have
been – this is again up for interpretation, though, as any aspect of music
videos are.
Secondly, the shot types are again greatly varied – as they are in any of Two Door Cinema Club’s
videos. Much like in the video for Next Year, there is a range between extreme
close-ups (arguably) and long-shots, with every kind of shot in-between. This
variety helps to give a complete picture of the narrative and also ensure that
viewers can see what is happening clearly and easily. The shots are sharp and
focused to directly affect how viewers watch the video. Close-ups on the band
members and also the ‘reporters’ shows their contrasting appearances and mannerisms,
too; the band members hide when the chaos erupts, whereas all of the media
representatives fight between each other and cause mayhem. Equally, though, the
band is shown in the sub-narrative to be quite mischievous, with some of their
previous antics shown to us. This helps to create a wholesome image of the band
as well, who look to both have a professional and a troublemaking side to them –
which can be both frustrating and endearing for fans it seems, as also
presented within the video. In addition, some of the shots are again slowed
down to accentuate key information and the key elements within them. This is
exceptionally evident due to the monochrome colour scheme of the video – and works
well to make key parts of the video stand out and be cinematographically
brilliant.
The final element is the fact that, as with the majority of
videos (especially by Two Door Cinema Club), the three band members are shown
to be miming or at least lip-syncing with the audio. During the editing process
the filmed clips and the audio have been very clearly carefully aligned so that
it appears as if they are actually singing the song – though it is obvious to
tell that they are not due to the pristine audio quality (a giveaway if ever
there was one). This is of course a common feature of music videos as it
directly creates a link between the artist and the song, showing who it is who
is behind it. Often where an artist is not featured in their own video, it is
easy for viewers to become confused and assume that an actor or similar is
actually the artist of the song. This is therefore not a problem here as it is
clear who the band members are and that it is their song. This video therefore
is used by the band to promote their own image – their individual image – and to
demonstrate their creativity and innovative ideas yet again in the form of yet
another style of video. They prove themselves to be an all-rounded band with
skills and talents in many different areas, including acting.
The obvious reason why I chose this music video to analyse
is that this (Changing of the Seasons) is the song that I will be attempting to
make a music video for. I personally
do love the existing video for the song; however, it has never embodied my
personal interpretation of the song whatsoever, nor my friends’, so I would
like to re-create this video in the hope of making it more applicable to my own
thoughts. This video is certainly going to influence the style I go for,
perhaps going for a mixture myself of narrative and another element if I am
capable of incorporating it. The dress style of the band members is also very
important and I may use this to influence how the cast members dress in the
video.
Both of the videos by Two Door Cinema Club which I have
analysed, Next Year and Changing of the Seasons, both have a visual quirk that
I will probably not be able to re-create. In contrast to most videos, which
appear at a maximum definition of 1080p, these videos appear much slimmer – I do
not have a camera which is capable of filming at this size or orientation, so
this element will most likely not be exactly
replicated. It is, however, something interesting to note as perhaps during
the rendering stage something may be done involving a black screen and a PIP
(picture-in-picture) effect on it at an alternative resolution to their real
videos, to at least re-create this idea in some form.
Well, this concludes my analyses of the three music videos! I know they were long (what post of mine on this blog isn't?) but I hope that they were enjoyably long, and perhaps usefully long if you, the reader, are a media student yourself looking for some inspiration. There's no bibliography this time due to the fact that it's just purely me interpreting the videos - but the links to each individual video are below.
Well, this concludes my analyses of the three music videos! I know they were long (what post of mine on this blog isn't?) but I hope that they were enjoyably long, and perhaps usefully long if you, the reader, are a media student yourself looking for some inspiration. There's no bibliography this time due to the fact that it's just purely me interpreting the videos - but the links to each individual video are below.
Can you please help me figure out what the other song is that they sampled besides Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeah’s? The sample music comes on at 2:28 and it is a song from early 2000’s. Kind of a dance song that was popular. I cannot find it anywhere!
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