GENRE RESEARCH

25/09/13

My teamate and I decided we would get in contact with Francis Pennington and find out which genre he would class himself as along with his biggest influences, this is the conversation we had;

From the conversation we found that Francis fell into the acoustic folk genre therefore I will be doing some in depth research into this genre. To do this I have analysed a range of different music videos and other print media texts enabling me and my teamate to identify the generic conventions of the acoustic folk genre. This will help me to understand this genre in much more detail than before and also enable Emily and I to work along with Francis to create our own music video in this genre, not only this but we will also be creating other print media texts such as digi packs, posters and album covers.

'Small Bump' is the fifth single from Ed Sheeran's debut album '+'. It was released 25th May 2012 and reached number 25 in the UK singles chart with the labelled genre acoustic and folk which fits with my chosen unsigned artist Francis Pennington. (Source: Wikipedia)

The video I would say is slightly narrative, there is no concept of performance other than the lip syncing and no use of symbolism to brand it conceptual. The video shows Ed Sheeran himself singing in the waiting area of a hospital sitting on a chair leaning forward and looking rather tense, this connotes that he is very nervous about the outcome of something or is waiting nervously for some results. Ed stays sat in the chair for the whole video changing his body posture occaisionally while lip syncing the lyrics to the song, his facial expressions connotes his sadness while being in a hospital. Extras are brought into the shot and in the background which portrays the length of time he is spending in the waiting room as more people are coming and

going. We can tell this video is narrative based as the location and facial guestures are elements of a storyline to match the lyrics of the song and no shots of him performing. The video starts of showing a clock in the hospital with cameras and then going onto another shot through the window into an x-ray room, then to some chemicals and to an empty bedroom. These shots all last about 2 seconds each as they are only setting the scene, they are motionless long shots which adds interest for the audience. The music starts at the same time as these short cuts as there is a starting gentle drum beat which also helps to set the mood of the song, when the guitar starts playing the shot of Ed Sheeran comes on which shows good editing and connotes that the video is starting. The lighting is very high key and artificial when it cuts to Ed Sheeran in the waiting room, there are no signs of windows letting natural light in which could be because of the darkenss out side or because the editors wanted to highlight Ed and not give any of the attention away from him to objects in the background shown here. (Source: YouTube screenshot)

Normal music videos as found in my research use many different cuts and shots to help their narrative video become a story and make sense however this one is unique. Other than the few short cuts at the very start with the beat the rest of the video is one extremely long continuous shot tracking forward towards Ed Sheeran, the camera moves very slowly while the song is playing and building up the chorus and then it starts to zoom in towards Ed's face for a close up to show his expression and a clearer view of him lip syncing with the song. In the background of this close up we can see extras in the background to help create a more lifelike atmostphere making it seem more real. The camera pans round his face and continues on its path along the corridor however it is still pointing on Ed, this could connote someone walking past at eye level with Ed looking at him and carrying on walking past. As the camera carries on moving down the corridor the extras start to come in to the frame and with the editing they are faded out which connotes the amount of time he has been sat there for. The camera reaches the end of the corridor and holds there for about 10 seconds before slowing moving forwards again and back to a close up of Ed Sheeran's face. This music video may come across as boring compared to other acoustic folk videos but it contains a lot of the general codes and conventions of a music video. The editing pace matches the beat of the music and the genre, the lip syncing is perfectly on time when the camera is close enough to see and the artist himself is in the video. (Source: YouTube screenshot)

Ed Sheeran is shown in casual clothes, a hoodie, baggy jeans and trainers. This costume connotes that he isn't a smart kind of guy he likes to be comfortable rather than look good, not only this but it reinforces the generic codes and conventions of acoustic folk music videos. The artists don't like to be all dressed up in unusual clothes they like to wear their own casual clothes and this is shown through their music and the relaxed tone they bring out. This stands out in acoustic videos because in other genres such as pop the artists are shown in highly fashionable clothes whereas in acoustic videos the artist has more choice in what they wear because they aren't always the most popular genre and always being watched in magazines and other print media texts therefore have more leway in what they want to wear and how they want to present themselves. For example, Ed Sheeran's hair is very messy and it is styled to be like that, he chooses to wear hoodies and jeans which is also shown in his live performances whereas other artists in the pop genre are told how to present themselves as they have a certain image to uphold in their genre.

I like the slow pace editing and the tracking and panning camerawork as well as the fade outs of the extras which connotes the length of time and facial expressions of Ed Sheeran to benefit the storyline. Even though the music video isn't the generic narrative video it still shows the feelings and the storyline along with the lyrics which enables it to be narrative. Overall, I have analysed the camerawork, mise en scene and editing in the video 'Small Bump' to see if they challenge or reinforce the generic codes and conventions of an acoustic folk music video. I have decided that it reinforces these codes as it follows a narrative storyline video, the artist is shown to be lip syncing and in casual clothes not done up too much. Also the editing is very slow which is found in most slower acoustic music videos whereas some challenge this with more upbeat videos. You can find the video at the start of the analysis on the right.

'The Wolves' by Ben Howard is a single from the debut album 'Every Kingdom'. It was released 3rd June 2011and reached number 70 in the UK singles chart with the labelled genre folk. This video and artist fits with my chosen unsigned artist Francis Pennington. (Source: Wikipedia)

This video is different to the previous one by Ed Sheeran as it is more performance based with some narrative elements. This is challenging the generic codes and conventions of an acoustic folk video as they tend to be very narrative, there is never sign of conceptual videos in this genre but I decided to choose one performance based to show the difference between them and how they like to show themselves in their videos along with their songs. There are no elements of a conceptual music video shown here. It is clearly peformance based as you see Ben Howard performing live with the parallel shots going to and from the performance to narrative elements.

Ed Sheeran

Small Bump

Ben Howard

The Wolves

The opening shot it of silhouettes of men walking down a dirt track

carrying their instruments, this connotes that the genre of being acoustic folk is much more casual than most more popular genres and that the band or artist are more into their music and more into the natural and raw talent they can produce. They prefer to walk to their concert or just walk anywhere they wish with no paporazi, they carry their own instruments rather than making someone else do it which could mean they are more down to earth and don't let the fame go to their heads as found in some other genres. We also can't see anyone faces which builds curiosity within the audience leading them to watch more and find out what is going on and even if the characters shown in the video is even the artist singing the song. The camera isn't moving and is placed pretty much on the floor which connotes that they are oblivious to the fame of being filmed and the characters shown in this shot are just walking past, the image is in a sepia/black and white edit which gives and older kind of feel to the shot. Not only this but using this effect allows the characters to stand out more against the plain white sky as they wouldn't have gotten this effect with a normal natural shot. They are wearing baggy unfashionable clothes which reinforces the difference between this genre and others and the casuality of the acoustic folk codes and conventions.

The next shot goes on to show the performance elements of the video as we see the guitar player from a distance through a window. We can't see their face which continually leads the audience to watch more and find out who it is, it sort of hides the identity of the band until further on in the video. The editing technique remains the same sepia/black and white effect to it to keep with the continuity of the editing throughout the video. The camera itself doesn't move and where its positioned behind a video gives the impression that someone is looking in on the musicians playing not to disturb them until the next shot where it is positioned at a point of view shot with Ben Howard with a sort of establishing long shot so you can see the original surrounding in the video, where they are performing and who is there. In this next shot we see Ben Howard standing infront of the microphone with his acoustic guitar reinforcing the genre he is in, Ben is standing under the main light so that he is the only character we see however it is still too dark to see any detail on his face which connotes the mystery in the video and of the characters so far. The low key lighting reinforces the relaxed attitude portrayed in the acoustic folk genre which stands out to me in this video. The other characters in this shot aren't in the light and we can't see who they are or what exactly they're playing which connotes that they aren't taking any attention away from Ben as he is the star in this video and would become confusing.

The next shot goes on to show the more narrative elements. He sings 'now that we're lonely, now that there's no where to go' the shots show two people hugging for reassurance and this mathces the storyline of the lyrics. The lighting is still dark in these shots to carry on the continuity from before and you can't see any detailed facial features of either of the men shown in the shot. The camera is positioned from a point of view shot as before which connotes someone is watching them and following them around and again they don't mind and ignore it as they do with any paporazi. One man shown in this shot is holding his guitar which reinforces the acoustic folk genre here, they want to continue giving the impression of the raw talent Ben Howard can give without any help from autotuning etc. The shot following this matches the lyrics 'now that there's no where to go' as it shows two men walking aimlessly into the distance, they have their heads down which connotes the sadness from something that has happened in the previous shot. The editing technique continues here with a soft blur to show no detail of the characters maintaining the mystery they hold from the audience, you can also see the suns glaze on the tarmac which shows they are walking into the distance away from something which we will find out later in the song.

After this we see more shots of men dressed in dark clothes with a soft blur edit which connotes the mystery and disguise shown from these characters. The camera angles range from low angle to point of view as the characters are on different levles of ground, the different angles of these shots shows how high up some are as though they're singled out from everyone else and are on their own whereas some show them more close to the ground this could be as they are making their way down from on top of the building but it shows good use of camerawork which is found in nearly all acoustic folk music videos. The next 12 shots continue this with only one man shown, we don't know if this is Ben Howard himself or someone else acting as the soft blur becomes more extreme in some shots where we can't see any detail at all. The man is holding a guitar in all of these 12 shots to reinforce the typical codes and conventions of an acoustic folk music video, it connotes the raw talent and connention between the artist and their love and passion for music as they always carry their instrument around looking for inspiration. A grave yard appears in the shot so we know where this character is but we don't know why. It could be because he wants to get away from something or he likes to be alone like a wolf which will tie in with the title of the song, also grave yards tend to be pretty abandoned and empty so a perfect place to show lonlieness and seperationg from something. The blur editing technique has become more soft in this shot so we can see the surroundings as well as the sharpness of some of the stones and the danger of walking along the walls as the character makes his way down. 2 shots here jump from on to another as the character makes his way down onto a lower wall as this speeds up the process, this similar editing technique was used at the start of the video when the group of dark figured men were walking towards the camera on the floor.

At 0:44 the darker shots start to come in again carrying on the continuity from before where we see the performance related shots. I can make out that the character we see here is in fact Ben Howard which is one of the generic codes and conventions of generic music videos to see the artist along side their video and performing. The shots are black with a single light showing on him performing and reinforcing the raw talent of Ben and watching him perform. The element of watching him play his guitar along with the music shows the performance aspect of this video and enhancing the acoustic folk genre. Following this is the shot of Ben Howard along with his backing musicians in a small room playing together, this is another element of a performance based music video. The lighting here is much lighter than any other part in the music video so far and we can see the detail of Ben and the others playing along side him, again we see him with his acoustic guitar reinforcing the generic codes and conventions of an acoustic folk music video. You can see from this shot the raw talent being produced by them and how well they play together and the enjoyment they get from doing so. The camerawork here is similar to an establishing shot as the whole room is captured in one however it could also be a long shot from a point of view angle as it isn't looking up or down towards them, this gives the effect of an audience watching them relax and have fun with their music so we can get an idea of how they work together. You can see them all in casual clothes here, hoodies jeans and trainers and as I found in the previous music video I analysed that a generic code and convention of an acoustic folk music video is that they wear casual clothes to show the more relaxed and fun view they have with their music compared to other music genres such as pop where they are all done up. This genre gives them freedom to look the way they want and give a more warming and down to earth feel with their music and to their audience.

30/09/13

28/09/13

After a few shots of Ben Howard playing with some other musicians including close ups of him singing from a low angle. These are the shots where we see a detailed shot of Ben Howard's face and the editing techniques of the soft blur disappear however the purple look on the shot remains to enforce the continuity. We can see the happiness on their faces as well as their standing audience clapping and smiling to their music, this shows the bond between the artist and their audience in the acoustic folk genre. Further on we see more quicker shots of close ups at a low angle of Ben Howard again singing into a microphone and you can see the passion in his face when he sings, there are shots of backing singers as well as playing instruments with the same editing and camerawork technique. At this point there is also very sufficient lip syncing in the video, doing this will ensure the passion in the singer is reinforced as this is partly performance based typology. This connotes that they are enjoying their music and aren't interested in the special effects and show put on in a live performance given by an artist in another genre such as pop, they enjoy the raw talent they can produce in a small room with no autotuning or extras to help improve their performance. At 1:08 the camerawork changes from just a sitting point of view shot to panning the room and changing the surroundings to another room using this effect. After this is goes back to the dark room in a low key lighting area with Ben Howard standing under a light playing his guitar which continues with the continuity of the editing techniques used in this acoustic folk video, as I have previously mentioned the soft low key editing is a general code and convention within the acoustic folk music genre. A common code and convention within other Ben Howard music videos is the nature and surroundings around him, I know this from my own research when choosing an appropriate video and this was the first thing I noticed about his videos. This starts at 1:16 where the blur editing technique is used while tracking trees along side the road the camera is travelling on. This is used in many of his videos and in a fair amount of acoustic folk videos as they are interested in the natural backgrounds around them rather than creating their own as this matches the tone and vibe given off in their music.

We then go on to see furter shots of the musicians along side Ben Howard enforing another code and convention given by Goodwin. These are close ups of them playing and singing along to the lyrics again in a natural background reinforcing the rawness of the acoustic genre. We get repeats after this point of Ben Howard playing his guitar in a low key lighting room with him standing under a single light following this by more performance shots reinforcing this type of music video and then using a parallel cut editing technique to switch to the narrative elements of the music video. The narrative shots will continue to change what is going on in them however they will match the lyrics of the song and continue along with the same editing technique of a couple of quick shots with a point of view or low angle shot containing a soft blur to keep with the continuity and the general codes and conventions of an acoustic folk music video.

This video in particular this much more performance based than narrative which is diffdrent to the first acoustic folk music video I analysed. The editing technique is still calm however and matches the calm and realxed atmostphere given in their song. Each performance shot focuses on Ben Howard which reinforces the generic codes and conventions given by Goodwin and showing the artist along side their song in a video, it also reinforces a link between performance and narrative based elements. It challenges Richard Dyer's theory as the women briefly shown in this video aren't wearing anything revealing and are actually very covered up. Towards the end of the video the performance elements become stronger and more of a focus than the narrative elements of the video which connotes the raw talent of Ben Howard and how well he performs for an audience and how little he needs to create a great atmosphere, he can also play along side other back up musicians and singers. The build up of small sections of performance shots leads to a final performance at the end in a small pub/club. He is on a small stage with his audience clapping along which shows the raw talent and relaxed atmosphere given in acoustic folk music.

Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran

Everything Has Changed

05/10/13

'Everything Has Changed' by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran is a folk/pop song from Taylor's fourth studio album 'Red'. I have chosen this song although it is partly pop, I thought it would be a good idea to look at a range of pop compliations with different genres to see how their videos are created and whether the generic codes and conventions fit in as well as those from Goodwin. It was released July 13th 2013 reaching number 7 in the official UK singles chart. (Source: Wikipedia)

This video shows no performance based elements similar to Small Bump by Ed Sheeran so there is the first link between generic codes and conventions of an acoustic/folk music video. This means that the video is all narrative based as it is very unusual for this type of genre to use a conceptual based music video. I will go on to back up this point further in my analysis while comparing to previous videos.

The video starts off using establishing shots of a school bus

moving closer to the camera and then leaving after a change in camera angle. This already sets the scene so that we know the video will be based at a school location with small children. The camera then switches to a shot of a young blonde girl starting at her knees and then panning upwards so the audience get an understanding of her age and what kind of girl she is. By this time the audience has a bit of an understanding about what the video will contain by using a variety of camera anlges and techniques in the first 7 seconds. In this 7 seconds we can only hear the acoustic guitar playing as the song starts to build up and at this point Taylor Swift starts to sing. The school bus we originally saw comes into the another long shot to pick up the girl carrying on the continuity of props and setting. As this young girl gets on the bus we are introduced to the second character, a young ginger boy. If the audience knows Taylor Swift and Ed Sheerans appearance they will instantly see the link in this video as these two young characters are used to represent both Taylor and Ed and forms the link between the lyrics of the song and the video using this narrative based style.

After this we see some shots of these two characters together at school working together in class and creating a bond between eachother. These shots use a range of camerawork techniquest like tracking the teacher, over the shoulder shots to see what they're doing and in the editing process we see a long shot of the class room with the girl and boy highlighted together to show the relationship between them compared to the other children in the class. Again there is a long panning shot moving from the ground where all the other children are shown playing together then moving up slowly to the boy and the girl sitting on top of the climbing frame togther. This further connotes the relationship between the blonde girl and the ginger boy compared to their relationship with the other children. I haven't mentioned in the previous video by Ben Howard but there was a technique used where the sunlight shines through, this is also used in this video which connotes a common code and convention of folk music videos and could be something I can take forward in to my music video in the acoustic/folk genre. Another generic code and convention I have picked up in this video as well as the previous two I have already analysed is the casual and relaxed clothes which reinforces the relaxed genre. Although we are yet to see Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran in this video they are being represented by these two children which are portraying the casual and relaxed atmostphere of the acoustic/folk genre. As the video carries on we see more shots of the two children spending more time together with a relaxed and calm lighting tone. As I have previously analysed an Ed Sheeran music video, the lighting used was rather high key as well as soft which is continued here and a further generic code and convention in acoustic/folk music videos.

This video however goes against one of the generic codes and conventions of music videos by Goodwin as the artists are generally shown in the video however in this video they aren't shown at all but use a different form of narrative by using younger versions of Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to portray themselves in a narrative based video to match the lyrics. Matching the lyrics will also then reinforce one of the other generic codes and conventions of a music video by forming a link between the lyrics of the song to a narrative story. The natural key lighting tones are continued throughout the video for continuity as well as the casual and relaxed clothing which connotes the natural and calm sound and atmostphere given in acoustic/folk music videos, also reinforcing the general codes and conventions of acoustic/folk music videos with the casual clothing. Not only this but I have noticed the slow pace editing in all of the videos I have analysed so far as this reinforces the relaxed atmostphere given in acoustic/folk music videos. The lyrics are repeated in the song 'I just want to know you better know, you better know, you better now' which links with the narrative story shown in the video as these two children are getting to know eachother more and more as the time goes on, they are spending all their time together getting to know eachother better.

Further shots of the sun shining through the image in the shot are used again at 3:00 to 3:04 as this connotes the natural aspect of acoustic/folk music videos as well as the use of low key lighting after this. This again reinforces the generic code and conventions of low and natuarl key lighting which is common in acoustic/folk videos as I have found in my previous analysis'. This also shows the natural surrounding they are using as well as the natural props, this connotes that they don't have to add in any special effects and special settings to set a good scene, they are easily able to rely on natural props that are already there to give this relaxed atmostphere to fit the lyrics of the song.

Throughout the music video we see the blonde girl in a floaty white dress with a simple hair style looking very natural, at 3:44 we see the first sign of Taylor Swift which finally reinforces the generic code and convention by Goodwin to see the artist along side their video. Taylor is also shown in a white floaty dress with a simple hair style which is where the audience will realise the representative shown through the younger characters. Throughout the music video the ginger boy is wearing casual clothes also in just a t shirt and jeans which is also what Ed Sheeran is wearing which again shows the representative between the young boy and Ed Sheeran. Finally, at the end of the video we see these two young children running out of school side by side after the bond they are building throught the day linking with the song, they are running out to their parents which in the video are shown to be Taylor and Ed. There are a few shots just at the end of the music video where Taylor and Ed look over to eachother using shot reverse shot editing to show that they are looking at eachother and smiling then looking bad at their kids and walking home. This connotes a relationship between Taylor and Ed which is then portrayed through into the relationship of their children thoughout the day.

Overall, it is very obvious to see that this video is purely narrative based as there are no shots at all of anyone singing or performing as well as no shots of conceptual elements. This video in particular sort of briefly reinforces the generic code and convention by Goodwin of having the artist perform in their own video along with their song, both artists here are briefly shown at the very end of the video for about 5 seconds to conclude the twist of the representations of the younger children. Further generic codes and conventions of acoustic/folk music videos that I have picked up from pevious analysis' include the natural key lighting or low key lighting to connote the natural sound of the acoustic guitar music agaisnt the natural feel of the video. This is also reinforced by the natural elements in their clothing which connotes the casual aspects of the acoustic/folk genre in the basic jeans and t shirt and a floaty dress whereas other more highlighted genres such as pop are under much more pressure by the press and their fans to look good and smart all the time compared to this genre where the artist has much more control over what they wear and how they want to present themselves and their music, this is a code and convention I have picked up from just looking at two other music videos. In terms of Dyer's theory this video challenges it because it isn't focused at all on Taylor and Ed as they have used the representation of younger children to replicate them so that they aren't the focus and the audience will focus more on the music. Also, this challenges Laura Mulvey's male gaze as there is as much attention on the boy as there is on the girl and she isn't shown in short revealing clothes she is covered up nicely and showing more respect for herself. Furthermore, there is not lip syncing at all in this video which connotes all of the attention going on the sound and the emotion in the lyrics rather than how well the star can lip sync or in this case how well the children can lip sync. If the children were lip syncing it wouldn't fit as well in the narrative story as it is all about them getting to know eachother and having every day conversation rather than singing to eachother which connotes a stronger relationship between them.

14/10/13

Mumford and Sons

Babel

'Babel' by Mumford and Sons is a single from their second studio album Babel. It was released 21st September 2012 and reached number 1 in the UK album charts. I have chosen this song because it is indie folk and I think by looking at a range of folk aspects I can get the most out of my video in acoustic folk by having a wider knowledge of how others interpret the generic codes and conventions in their videos.

This video is purely performance based as there are no aspects of narrative or conceptual elements shown here. The video is very simple and simply includes the band playing their music in a derelict, old fashioned building. The video starts off showing an elevator door which connotes the price and the history of the house to have such a fancy steel door with a rustic look to it back in the times of the 1900's. The editing used here is a monochrome style of black and white but looks more of a lighter monochrome as some colours are still noticeable of what they could be. This lighting technique was found in 'The Wolves' by Ben Howard

which I have previously analysed which further connotes

the age of the house being portrayed in the editing process. Although we can't see much detail of the surroundings the monochrome technique gives an ancient feel to it. There is no sound at this point in the video as the camera starts to pan round to the right and then the lead singer comes into the shot at 0:05 playing his acoustic guitar and then the music comes in. Having the acoustic guitar reinforces the rawness of the acoustic/folk or indie folk music genre as you can see them playing but also seeing the bands playing connotes the raw talent they produce, they don't need the asisstance of auto tuning or other people playing instruments for them they can create and make their own music exactly how they want it. This is something I want to be able to show through in my artist Francis Pennington as the song we have chosen is one he was written himself and performs himself. As the camera continues to pan round to the right we see the rest of the band playing different instruments, we see a banjo, chello and a piano which shows the range of instruments this band can play and are able to make such an individual sound in their genre to stand out from the rest, their unique selling point. Continuing round to the right the lead singer comes back into the frame playing his acoustic guitar so as an audience we are starting to see a flow of the four band members which such simple camerawork techniques. This time we see the other band members playing a different type of guitar and piano to again show the range of talent they have as a band. Each time we see the band come into the frame playing their instruments the audience can see how well they work together and how much they throw themselves into playing. They are getting into the sound and beat of the music similar to what I analysed in 'The Wolves' by Ben Howard which again connotes the raw talen they can produce as a small band and how much they care about producing good quality natural sounding music for their target audience.

At 3:19 the same character that we first saw at the beginning of this music video is also the last one to be seen in the panning camera work. the music finishes at this point and the artist gets up with his guitar and walks off still moving to the right as as the camera now tracks this charater it stays in one point following him as he leaves but behind him enter the other 3 band members with their instruments. Overall, this video is very much a performance based video. There is very little variation in camerawork and editing techniques but along with the setting and the monochrome addition it all sets well overall. The contrast between the characters in the foreground and background stands out well so that they don't blend in too much. We also then get to see how big the room they are in actually is and looks to be an old theatre with the fancy old fashioned doors, windows and staircases so the blend of monochrome editing and the old surrounding fits very well together. Not only this but it reinforces the generic code and convention by Goodwin to include the artists in the video along side their song so that the video is more pleasing for their audience to see how the band work together and how they produce their videos to fit their songs. As it is purely performance based they haven't needed to worry about thinking of a narrative story to fit the lyrics of the song and I think that the style they have chosen here works very well. The lip syncing of this video is very good as they wont have been able to have one continuous shot as they appear multiple times in one shot on occasion so they have been very skilly to put up exactly where they are after each shot to carry on the lip syncing continuity. In relation to Dyer's star theory this video is challenging it because he says that the stars are all about selling themselves rather than their music whereas in this genre they are blatantly more focused on their music and their multi instrumental talent rather than themselves and the editing of monochrome effects blends them in with the background.

While the camera is panning round we can see how large the building is they are in as they don't move room, this means they are in an old hall and letting the sound of them playing echo through the large area. This video holds very good continuity as they stay in the same room continuing the same camera work techniques and editing techniques with the soft monochrome look. While the camera continues to pan round to the right all of the band members get a share in being in the foreground of the shot as well as the background to show the equality between them and that although there is one lead singer, they are all equally as important in producing their music and don't want just one person to be the star which is often found in some other genres. This could be another code and convention of acoustic/folk music videos as the bands work more closely together and don't let the fame get to them, they are all always equally shown. You can also see that the band are also wearing very casual clothes and jeans seem to be a trend in acoustic/folk music videos along with a t shirt however this band in particular have a more indie look about them as this is their genre - indie/folk - but I feel as though this is a good video to look at to get a good understanding of how other bands interpret the genre and video style in to one.

16/10/13

The Lumineers

Ho Hey

'Ho Hey' by 'The Lumineers' is an indie folk song from the debut album The Lumineers. I have chosen this song to again get a different idea of how mixed genres with folk create and produce their songs in music videos. This song was released 11th March 2012 and reached number 8 in the UK singles chart. (Source: Wikipedia).

I have also chosen this video because although it is again another purely performance based typology music video it isn't the typical performance you would expect to see. The band are mixing with other people and having fun with their music and enjoying their company rather than standing in front of an audience. This connotes the challenge of Richard Dyer's theory as he says that the stars are always focused purely on their image rather than their music and the relationship between them and their audience. The start of the video shows wall hangings in a low key lighting edit as the camera tracks along the wall showing photos and mirrors. We start to see fairy lights which will explain the low key

lighting and also shows that the artists don't want big bright lights

they want more natural lights to give a better experience for their audience. As the camera tracks along the wall down the corridor with the music playing to give a build up to the song it then spins round to the right to look directly down the corridor where the lead singer walks out of a room holding his acoustic guitar. This then connotes to the audience that they are instantly and acoustic band that can play their own music showing their raw talent as a band.

At 1:14 we see the three members of the band actually in the crowd and enjoying the atmostphere and music with them rather than staying up on the stage which connotes the strong relationship between the the band and their audience. They want to create a more closer bond with their audience which is doable in this genre because they aren't as contained and under so much pressure, they have more freedom to do what they want hense the much more casual clothes compared to another genre such as pop. The low key lighting remains throughout the video which reinforces the relaxed atmosphere commonly found in music videos in this genre. The lip syncing throughout this video is very strong in every camera angle where we can actually see their mouths syncing in time with the lyrics. The rest of the video continues to show performance elements of typology where everything I have previously mentioned is repeated. Overall, this video has many generic codes and conventions such as that of Goodwin and seeing the artists along side their music video to gain more audience appreciation. It also challenges both theories I have mentioned which is typical in this style of video for its genre.

There is light coming through the doors which is similar to a code and convention I have picked up through previous music videos of streaming light coming from the background with the artist being in the foreground. The camera then closes up on this artist as he turns around to face the camera and then walks down the corridor the audience were just shown. We see more fairy lights which reinforces the low key lighting aspect in acoustic folk music videos. At 0:38 we see a second member of the band come into the continuing shot holding another instrument which reinforces the multi instrumental talent found in a lot of acoustic folk music videos. The editing in this long continuing shot is quite faint and smooth rather than harsh and bright which again portrays the relaxed atmosphere given in the acoustic folk music genre. The two members of the band we see are both wearing very casual clothes which is a generic code and convention of this genre, a third character enters the shot but this time a female with no instrument, she is also in very casual clothes and she herself is challenging the male gaze theory of Laura Mulvey as she is totally covered and not using herself to sell the song but using the actual music and lyrics. All of the characters shown here are challenging Richard Dyer's star theory as they are using other elements such as their multi instrumental talent and other assets in their video to sell the song rather than using themselves and focusing on how they look to their audience. I have found in the previous music videos I have analysed that they all wear very casual clothes and so far all challenge the theories of Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze and Richard Dyer's Star theory which could be down to the freedom they have in the acoustic folk music genre and they aren't under so much pressure letting the fame getting to them, to them they are more interested in their music and the relationship between them and their fans rather than their overall image to the public.

20/10/13

Gabrielle Aplin

Panic Cord

'Panic Cord' by Gabrielle Aplin is a folk song released on 5th May 2013 from her debut studio ablum 'English Rain'. It reached number 19 in the official UK singles chart. I have chosen to use this song because it is again both narrative and performance based typology which will enable me to compare to my previous analysis'.

The video starts off showing the Gabrielle Aplin in a bedroom in light coloured floaty clothes which reinforces the generic code and convention of wearing more casual clothes rather than being perfectly made up as is some other genres. The artist is much more focused on their music rather than their overall image. Anther code and convention already picked up in the first second of this video is by Goodwin as Gabrielle is actually in the video holding her acoustic guitar therefore connoting the dedication from the artist to their audience and them being shown in the video alng side their song rather than using an actor to replace them, the artist uses themselves in the video to help build a connection between them and their audience by letting

them have an insight into their lives and a situation they went through. The lighting in this shot is very natural key, it isn't overly low or high like in other music videos I have analysed however this reinforces the setting also shown in the extreme long shot of her being in a bedroom. The first few shots switch between performance and narrative as we see her standing by a window letting in the natural key lighting while playing her acoustic guitar enforcing the acoustic element in the folk genre. It then switches to a high key lighting shot of Gabrielle and a male character being her boyfriend in this video, they are looking happliy into eachothers eyes which brings in the start of the story to the narrative elements of typology. As the lyrics are being sung the shot shows Gabrielle lip syncing in time with the lyrics which shows a good connection and knowledge of the song. The lyrics say 'you kept all the things I threw away' and while this is being sung we go to a narrative shot of Gabrielle opening a box of all the things her and the male character collected holding a memory for each item while they were together therefore linking the narrative elements to the lyrics of the song also reinforcing the generic code and convention of Goodwin and having the lyrics actually match the narrative of the song. We then see more performance shots using different camerawork styles for example at 0:23 they have used a birds eye view shot of Gabrielle laying on the bed paying her guitar so the audience can see she is actually playing it and how talented she is. So far in the video we have seen a range of shots from long shots to help set the scene and get a full image of Gabrielle in her casual clothes playing her guitar and then to close ups to show the emotion on her face while she finds the box of all the things her boyfriend made. Some of the editing techniques used to far include quick shots from one to the other lasting about a second and then using a range of editing techniques to longer shots lasting a couple of seconds. There is no blur added into this video so far as seen in previous music videos I have analysed, this may be because this is more of a folk genre video rather than acoustic like the others.

At 0:43 editing techniques are introduced using a fade around the edge of the shot showing Gabrielle holding more objects out of the box, after this we see more fade techniques showing the couple. The object she picked up is a dough cutter and after this shot there is a flashback to where this memory was from of the couple building their bond together this then connotes to the audience how the artist felt and the bond they used to have which is now being used as a flashback to how she feels now. The editing stays the same throughout the video so far with the range between short and long shots as well as camerawork techniques ranging from close ups showing the expression on her face as well as long shots and mid shots showing the character or both characters together portraying the bond between them from how they used to be to how they are now. Both characters remain in casual clothes reinforcing the generic code and convention. Not only this but because Gabrielle is wearing less revealing clothes than those expected by Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze theory, Gabrielle isn't the main focus in this video it is more on the narrative and performance she can create in her video and how well she presents herself but not through her image, through her music. She starts to sing about the memories they have while showing this in the narrative elements of typology and then sings about how he was happy and she was bored where we see a shot of them doing a jigsaw together and him really enjoying himself while she looks bored, this then continues to down the route of her looking sad to be with him while the lyrics of the song go on to say how she is the one to blame as they are falling apart.

The cuts used throughout this video are all straight cuts from one to another and 2:17 she sings short one worders and the shots cut as she changes words which shows good editing skills as well as a range of length in shot as these only last a second. The setting throughout the video is mainly set in their home together connoting to the audience the more personal aspect of the artists life and however it straight cuts through to a bar at 1:23 and then to them wrapped up warm outside in the cold by the side of a lake at 2:19 therefore showing a range of settings and locations they can use as well as holding the natural key lighting used throughout the video. The natural settings and natural key lightings connotes the raw and natural sound of the acoustic guitar she plays in the perfromance elements as these are all natural based objects. Every performance based shot we see Gabrielle lip syncing along with the lyrics of the song in perfect timing helping to tie in the lyrics to the video making it a stronger link. In the shots of Gabrielle by the window playing her guitar we see natural plants hanging inside which connotes to the audience the raw and natural elements in folk music and how in all of their videos there are always elements of outdoors and other natural settings, they haven't added in any extra props such as sound booths and recording equipment as in other genres, instead they use their natural raw talent with music and performing to sell themselves while not focusing on their image but more so their music. The video then ends the same way it started by having Gabrielle in the shot in natural casual clothes under a natural key lighting from the outside holding her acoutic guitar. Overall, this music video holds all of the generic codes and conventions found in the acoustic folk music genre with similar editing techniques, camerawork and mise en scene.

After looking at a range of acoustic folk music videos and finding the generic codes and conventions in them while comparing them to each other and realising whether they challenge or reinforce the theorists I have looked at in my general research to get an idea of what I want to include in my video matching Francis Pennington's genre. I will now go on to look at a range of acoustic pop videos again finding the generic codes and conventions and realiing whether they challenge or reinforce the theorists to fit the research on Kirsten Powell, another artist Emily Smith, Reecia Cullen and I wanted to look into to see how they interpret the generic codes and conventions of this genre in their music videos.

23/10/13

Britney Spears

Everytime

'Everytime' by Britney Spears is a pop song released on May 10th 2004 from her fourth studio album 'In The Zone'. It reached number 1 in the UK chart singles. I have chosen to do this song because it is a different type of genre and also one that matches Kirsten Powell's genre.

This video is both narrative and performance typology therefore links with the other videos I have previously analysed. The video starts off with an establishing shot connoting the location of the video, it is set in Las Vega using shots of the city and the massive hotels therefore showing us that Britney will be in expensive clothes and there will be expensive cars and props used in the video to link with the style of the location. The non digetic sound of the helicopter at the start of the video explains why the camerawork is shakey as well as the high angle shot looking down on the city. At 0:10 a limozine comes into the shot with paporazi running up to it with there cameras, before this in the same long shot we saw a large sign with Britney's name on it therefore telling us it will be her in the car havng the paporazi after her

portraying the fame and attention for her from the press.

We see further shots of Britney in a limo with a male character, she is dressed up to look glamorous showing her legs reinforcing the Male Gaze theory by Laura Mulvey using this as an assett to sell her song. We then see multiple long shots of Britney getting out of the car and being pestered by the amount of paporazi and flashing cameras, these shots are all high key lighting due to the camera flashes untilt she reaches a shop under the protection of her body guards where the lighting is then extremely high key and very unatural. The editing is slow paced with shots lasting longer than 2 seconds so the audience get a good idea of what's going on and how hectic it is being a pop star under this pressure. The editing is also slow motion which connotes to the audience what's going on and how crazy her life is but also a link between the pace of the song and what's going on in the narrative of the shot. The male character she is with when they get into the shop is angry at the paporazi following them and not letting them live a calmer life as in other genres of music and he throws magazines at them and shouting at them, this however doesn't match with the lyrics of the song in this section of the narrative. Due to the slow motion editing and long pace shots it has taken over a minute to get to this point in the video.

We start to see more arguing between Britney Spears and the male character revealing more anger as they walk through the corridor and he is kicking bins over in very high key lighting which again connotes the fame and light they are under being a star in this genre of music. Close ups are used in this video to show the emotion and the anger on the male characters face from arguing with Britney it seems, the narrative doens't seem to match the lyrics very much as it is in slow motion and not much is happening to make the story develop. The couple continue arguing in the following shot as the camera tracks backwards to keep the characters in the same position in the shot as they walk down the corridor. This effect gives an idea of where they are and the location they are in, they appear to have come in through a back entrance to a hotel as the next shot shows them walking into a hotel room where they continue arguing. Britney starts to get undressed and this reinforces the Male Gaze theory by Laura Mulvey as she is using her body and looks to help sell the video rather than her music itself. The editing continues in slow motion allowing little of the story to develop as well as continuous high key lighting. This video doesn't only reinforce Laura Mulvey's theory but also that of Goodwin as Britney Spears is shown in her video along side her song which is what the audience want to see, they also want to see a link between the lyrics of the song and the narrative typology which in this video is hard to pick out as the slow motion editing is stopping it from developing. 1:45 minutes into the video the characters are still arguing except in a different setting. At 1:47 the lighting changes from high key since the start of the video to low key to match the time of day outside, this also gives a better light onto Britney Spears and helps set the mood of the star now that they aren't arguing anymore. All the shots since the start of the video have either been long shot, close up or the establishing shot at the start at different side angles to get another video of whats happening in the shot.

At this point the lighting still remains high key lighting however a common code and convention picked up from the acoustic folk music videos is the soft blur edidint technique which is used in this video a 2:21 and also the use of slow pace editing which was also found in previous videos is used in the genre and works well with the slow pace of the song. We see the very first evidence of performance typology at 2:25 where Britney is in a baggy white shirt against a bright white background, again here the lighting is very high key. The setting then changes to a hospital corridor with again high key lighting and then with Britney in a hospital bed with an overlay editing technique of her singing alond clearly to the lyrics of the song. Using parallel editing the shots switch from Britney in the hospital on a bed to her being found drowned in the bath tub by male character linking in while she's there. The camerawork changes from panning in the hospital shots to tracking the characters in the hotel which reinforces the parallel editing and the difference between the two settings. Towards the end of the video we see her body being carried into the back of an ambulance following on from the hotel shots and like at the start of the video we see the paporazi and the flashing lights connoting the attention stars get in this genre of the music and telling us what it would be like if this were to happen to her. The attention is always on her as a female star in the pop genre which is why she is always followed by cameras and flashing lights. The music then ends going into a bright white blank screen and then to Britney coming out of the water as if it was all a dream or a flash of her life which adds a twist to the narrative.

Overall, this video has been hard to analyse as the story doesn't really develop into a range of shots or costumes and uses the same camerawork and editing techniques throughout. It picks up the generic codes and conventions of music videos by Goodwin to have the artist in the video along side the song as well as a link between the lyrics and the narrative which this video has but I think is very weak. This video massively reinforces the Male Gaze theory as Britney Spears is actally naked in the bath shots however the water covers her up but this leads to the male interest of her videos to see her revealed like this to sell her music. The camerawork found in a lot of videos tends to be long shots and close ups as these both show the emotion of the character and shows what's happening in the shot which is why they are very common. The editing is also slow paced as I will take these codes and conventions into consideration for my own video.

26/10/13

Katy Perry

Thinking of You

'Thining Of You' is a pop song by Katy Perry from her second studio album 'One of the Boys' in 2008. It is the third single on the album and one of three songs on the album that Katy wrote soley herself. The song only reached number 27 in the UK singles chart when released.

It is a narrative and performance typology based music video with a strong link between the narrative and the lyrics. This reinforces Goodwins 5 codes and conventions of music videos. Katy Perry is also in the video which is another code and convention and also what the audience want to see. The video starts off showing an old fashioned pair of shoes from the 1940's time era which connotes to the audience a time setting for this video adding to the story and giving it a unique selling point from other love song music videos. There is non diegetic sounds of a ticking clock while the shot straight cuts to a cross on the wall from a low camera angle connoting the strong belief in religion which relates to the time era the video is set in making it stroner.

0:05 seconds in to the video we see a female character which could be Katy Perry however we can't yet see her face so

we aren't sure if it's her that will be acting in the video. This shot lasts 7 seconds and edited in slow motion which could tell us this song will be slow paced, this shows that the editing techniques used in this video are appropriate to the song. After this we see an extremely blurred shot of the females face and as the lyrics start the character starts to lip sync in time well and the shot becomes more visible to see this, this is also when we see this character is Katy Perry. There are a few shots following this lasting about 2-3 seconds to see where she is, in a bedroom sitting at a dressing table and then we see her take a photo out of a book introducing a second character into the video which could be who this song is about. This shot is over her shoulder as if the audience is there and is also looking at the photo or it could be so that we are getting a point of view shot to build a connection between Katy and the audience. The photo of the man is a profile shot with him dressed in army uniform again reinforcing the time era of the video. After this we see a further shot of a necklace with a cross and Jesus on it reinforcing the strong belief of religion back in that time.

The lighting so far has been relatively low key however it is natural due to it being early morning and the souce of light is coming from the window giving a more natural look on the scene. Although Katy Perry is in very little clothes and what looks like underwear from that time and a thin dressing gown. This may seem revealing but we are yet to see anything of her body, what she is wearing is covering her up so just about challenging Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze. The camerawork moving on from this shot to a male character in bed is shaking which could connote the relaxed atmosphere she wants to create with this song rather than something that is exactly precise. Soft blur and slow pace editing adds to this effect. From here the narrative typology develops with parallel shots from Katy Perry with the man in the photo previously shown (continuity) to her with the man shown in the bed alone. With the shots of the man in bed is where we see the perfomance aspects of the video as this story links in with the lyrics of the song for example 'When I'm with him I am, thinking of you' and then it is a straight cut back to Katy Perry being happy with the man in the photo. These shots are all low key natural lighting as they are in the same room in the early morning however when it cuts to the man from the photo the lighting becomes more high key which connotes the emotion she was feeling with each male. The lighter the lighting the happier she felt with that person and this is also clear to see by the emotion on her face from the close up shots.

While this story develops and the narrative parallel shots straight cut from one to another we see performance shots of Katy Perry in the present shots as the shots with the man in the character appear to be flashbacks to fit with the lyrics of the song. The lighting is the same, rather low key and she is wearing the thin dressing gown and underwear, the camerawork in the performance elements however are more controlled and stable which could connote a different time period or a more focused view as she is sitting still and to get a clear view of her lip syncing it is more clear to see. Further on in the video we see more shots of Katy Perry in her underwear becoming more revealed as it goes on which then reiforces the Male Gaze theory and using her body to help sell the song and her music. This isn't found in acoustic folk music videos but from the two pop music videos I have analysed this is becomming a generic code and convention for female stars. The editing of the shots are straight cuts and last a few seconds each so it's clear to see the difference going from about 5 shots of similar scenes with the male from the photo back to performance and then to a few shots of her with the man in the bed in the lower key lighting. From this parallel editing technique it makes it easier for the audience to see what she was feeling when she wrote this and creates a connection between her and her audience. It also matches the lyrics as she sings in the chorus about being with one man, the man in bed, but thinking about another, the man in the photo. This is a clever technique and used appropriatley.

Further into the video we see developing narrative shots explaining how Katy felt when she wrote this song about the one man and how happy her made her therefore showing happy memories in the flashbacks and then going to how sad she is now without that man and with someone else. This again links with the lyrics. At 2:11 the flashbacks go to a party with men dressed in the army uniform and the ladies dressed and given the 40's style look to enhance the time era and why the photo of the man at the start was in an army uniform. This time develops back to Katy standing in the window of the house used thoughout the video looking out from the present and seeing him from the past leaving for the army leading into more of a story. As we see shots of him in the army setting out with the other soldiers the editing is black and white to reinforce the time era and they are set in a forest which is easy to hide behind trees however this male character dies. When we see this the music picks up and is more dramatic as the story has become more serious. This is followed by an extreme close up of Katy Perry's face as she's crying from the man dying, we see no more shots of the other male character after this as the story is coming to an end. There are a range of shots from close ups to long shots to mid shots to an establishing shot which sets the scene giving a full view of the house.

Overall, you can see that this video uses both performance and narrative typology which has been found to be a generic code and convention in music videos. Not only this but the slow paced editing and appropriate editing to match the pace of the song and the shots going on in the video overall. Pop videos I think are more revealing and use themselves especially female artists to sell themselves rather than their music. This seems to be their main focus in their video, although this video is very good and fits perfectly and is done really well she doesn't need to reveal herself to sell the song. This therefore reinforces the Male Gaze theory but also Richard Dyer's Star theory in that she is the main focus rather than her music which is what is different between the pop genre and the acoustic folk genre. The camerawork uses a range of angles and legths to give the audience a good idea of whats happening and to get a better feel of the emotion of the artist. Furthermore I can take these generic codes and conventions through to my own music video using slow paced editing techniques with a range of camera angles and lengths but also the parallel editing technique seems to be common in this genre which also may be brought through into our video in what we want to create.

Ellie Goulding

The Writer

30/10/13

'The Writer' by Ellie Goulding is a folk pop song from her debut album 'Lights'. It reached number 19 in the UK singles chart. This video is purley performance based typology but done in different surroundings and using a wide range of camera angles and editing techniques to keep it interesting for the audience to watch.

I have chosen to analyse this video because it is different from the previous pop songs I have looked at. Not only this but it is folk pop so links more with the acoustic folk music videos I have analysed. The video is all about Ellie lip syncing to this song in a range of surroundings using 360 degree pans around her to make it dramatic to fit the sound of the song. I think it is a good video and is accuratley made to fit the song. As the video is only about her this reinforces Dyer's Star theory and having the attention and focus on her rather than the song however in this video nothing extremely noticable happens to be more interesting that the song. She is simply lip syncing in time and showing the passion on her face when she wrote this.

The video starts with a very strong face and extreme close up of Ellie Gouldings lips which was also seen in the Thinking of You

video by Katy Perry. As the music starts to get louder the fade drops and we see a clear shot of her mouth moving up to her eye and from this we can see the emotion on her face. The camera stays on her high with half of her face visible in the shot and the rest in the shade which gives a good effect on the video. She starts to sing and we can just see her cheeks moving so far until the camera slowly zooms out and we get a good shot to recognise that this girl is in fact Elli Goulding and she is singing along to it. While the camera moves out the lighting changes from low key to high key lighting with the wind blowing her hair out of her face. This very long slow motion shot lasts for 0:39 sections until it straight cuts to her in a field, here the lighting is much more natural key. We can see that she is wearing a white top and not revealing herself therefore challenging the Male Gaze theory by not using her body to sell the video but more her singing and the song itself. The camerawork here is slighlty rough and messy and starts a 180 degree pan around her in the field so the audience can see Ellie from every angle. This shot also lasts a rather long time of 0:11 seconds with Ellie lip syncing clearly in time with the song.

So far the editing has been slow paced because the beat of the song hasn't picked up yet which shows appropriate editing techniques and knoweldge applied. As it picks up the shots become faster switching back from the original setting to her in a field. More camerawork techniques start to come in as we see her walking through a field from a birds eye view shot and then straight cut back down to a mid shot so we can see more of what she is wearing. The chorus comes in and we see a shot of Ellie standing in front of a bright light with material blowing in the wind to give a light effect connoting the emotion in her voice as she sings the song and how she felt when she wrote it. The camera keeps switching from shots of the performance based typology where all we can see is her singing back to her walking through a field which we now know is by a lighthouse again connoting the emotion she felt when she sang this, she was feeling passionate about someone in her life and felt a bit lonley which explains the lonliness and desrted setting she is in. There are then a range of shots using blurs of the background behind Ellie so the attention is on her emotion and the quality of her slip syncing. The shots are becoming faster and using a range of shots from long to extreme close up to birds eye and establishing connoting to the audience how she felt and therefore creating a link between her audience and herself. Some of these shots however we can't always see her lip syncing which could lead to them being narrative based but there is no story developing they just explain in more detail the location she's in and how alone she is in this setting. The shots create a sequence and straight cut from one to another as the line in the song changes so that we see a different camera angle for example she will sing a line or half a line and we will see a mid shot of her at the top of the lighthouse and then she sings the next half and it swaps to another angle and to a close up of her.

After this we see more shots of Ellie similar to those at the start of the video where there is the bright light behind her enforcing her in the shot and giving the soft look on the video rather the full harsh lighting. Further shots feautres are repeated such as in the light house apart from one where there is a low angle shot looking up at her which connotes the height and the setting she is in, also it shows the sun in the background which is similar to those shots with the bright light in the background. The lip syncing is very clear as we can see from the close up and extreme close up shots. Not only this but we can see the little make up she is wearing, this challenges Richard Dyer's theory of the typical female star to be heavily made up with hair and make up however in this video she has very little make up on and her hair is very natural. Overall you can see her the mise en scene stays the same with her in the same simple outfit, in a natural setting in the lighthouse and in the field by the see which shows continuity. Also the editing remains slow paced throughout the song using various camera work techniques from extreme close up to long high angle shots which connotes different elements and feelings to the audience to help them get a better understanding of the artist.

10.

Taylor Swift

Love Story

07/12/13

'Love Story' by Taylor Swift is a country pop song which shows the link between the country aspects of acoustic music as well as pop which are the genres I am looking into. It was released September 12th 2008 on her second studio album 'Fearless' and reacged number 2 in the UK singles charts.

This video includes both narrative and performace typologies which is a generic code and convention for music videos in the genres I am looking into. It starts off with an establishing shot of a school which connotes the location and age of the characters that will be in the video. In the second shot we see Taylor Swift which again is a generic code and convention in music videos by Goodwin to have the artist in the video, this also tells us she will be acting in the video. The third shot shows us the male character which will also be featuring in the video with a shot reverse shot technique so we know they have noticed each other. Flashbacks are then used in fast paced editing to connote a parallel shot sequence in the video.

As this continues we only hear the acoustic guitar playing to introduce the music, as the singing starts we see Taylor in a new location in old fashioned clothes which connotes a different time era in the two parallel shots. She starts to lip sync in time with the lyrics which isn't very clear to start with until the camera zooms in closer for it to become more clear and accurate. There is then a reference to the famous 'Romeo and Juliet' which connotes the reason for the throwback to old fashioned costumes, setting and dancing in the next few shots. There are then a range of camerawork techniques such as high angle shots looking down on the dancers so the audience can have an understanding of what is going on but then straight cuts to a close up of the male character we saw in the third shot. This shows a further link between the two characters in the parallel shots of the different time periods and how they are in love in each story therefore reinfocing the 'Love Story' with the title of the song. Another generic code and convention we can see if the bright sun beaming down between the characters in the foreground which is something I might take forward into my own video. The editing pace is average with shots lasting about 2 seconds each then straight cuts to a different angle shot.

An editing sequence starts to develop switching from the dancing with other characters around Taylor and the male to her singing. In this there is a range of shots from close up, low angle to mid shot showing the variation in camerawork, not only this but it makes it more interesting for the audience to watch. You can see that she has her hair quite done up and looking nice in these shots but with very little make up which challenges Richard Dyer's star theory like I have mentioned in previous music video analysis'. In addition to this she isn't just the star, the male is similarly important in this video to help the narrative typology develop more, Taylor is featured on her own but only to connote the performance typology in the video and show that it is her singing with good quality lip syncing rather than someone else. A part in the lyrics says 'so I'll sneak out in the garden to see you' then showing in the video Taylor in a natural surrounding of woods in between trees at night which relates to the lyrics, again another convention the audience wants to see. The lighting in all the shots in different natural settings has been very natural and soft to help connote the country elements of the genre in to the video. They have used a depth of field in the camerawork quite a lot to help bring the focus on to the character in the foreground which then softens out the background again reinforcing the lighting they have chosen here.

Also, in this video Taylor Swift is challenging Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory. It helps that the majority of the video is set in older times whic connots she will be covering herself up in long dresses which aren't tight and revealing as this is generally found in pop element music videos. To reinforce the title of the song we see shots of the two characters holding hands and looking lovingly into each others eyes, they are away from the others to be together which is again a further link to the song connoting what is happening in the narrative typology. The camerawork and editing techniques are continuous throughout the video with a variety of fast and slow pace editing with a range of camera shots and angles to keep the audience interested but to also give them a further insight of the feelings between the two characters and how the artist felt when she wrote the song. An emotional story develops between the two characters throughout the range of shots while the song stats to pick up, she then sings 'I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around, my faith in you was, fading' in the setting the performance typology has been shot throughout. We then see the male character walking through the grass using a shot reverse shot of him and her spotting each other and the look of love and excitment on their faces as it concludes their 'Love Story'. The slow motion editing allows the audience to feel this as they run towards each other while the song picks up. As I mentioned the parallel shots in this video, after this is straight cuts back to the start where she is in the school setting looking at the male with the time era jumping forwards to now. They then walk to eachother like in the other setting with the same look on their faces concluding the music video.

Nina Nesbitt

Statues

11.

07/12/13

'Statues' by Nina Nesbitt is an acoustic pop song from her third EP 'Stay Out' released on April 8th 2013, this reached number 21 in the UK album charts.

This video is solely performance based typology and I chose this because it is different from the previous music videos I have analysed, also because it could give me new ideas on how other artists present themselves in this type of typology. The video starts with the title of the artist so the audience know who she is, this connotes that her audience fan base may not be as big as the previous artists I have looked at hence why she is telling everyone who she is before she starts which therefore gives her written recognition. We can already see the piano with fairy lights wrapped around it giving the lighting an artificial look, this isn't found often with acoustic related music videos however the use of the piano balances this out. We then see the title of the song and the artist entering the shot while the camera is still, it hasn't changed height level yet as it is staying in line with the keys on the piano.

Up until now we haven't heard any music in the background or singing which connotes to the audience the musical talent of the artist

and also reinforcing the performance based typology in this music video. As she starts to sing we see a close up of her face to understand it is her singing and to see how well she lip syncs to the song. Her hair is very natural but she has bright red lipstick on and an amount of eye liner on her eye lids which shows she doesn't focus too much on her look but isn't totally natural which will reinforce the pop aspects in this genre of music video. Then as we hear the piano we get a close up of her hands showing her musical talent and that it is her playing. This reinforces Goodwin in two ways, that the artist is featuring in the video but also that it is her playing and she isn't taking credit for other peoples musical talent which reinforces the acoustic genre which I have previously looked at in a range of music videos. The editing is quite slow here however this matches the pace of the song and the music being played, not only this but connotes how the artist was feeling allowing the audience to get a better understanding.

The emotion in the song, the tone of the piano and the lyrics connotes enough feeling in the video on it's own without the need of any narrative based typology. Depth of field which was found in previous music video analysis' has become a generic code and convention and is used here to soften the tone of the shot and bring out the artist from the background. She is wearing a white dress and she had blonde hair which are very soft colours and this helps the mood in the song. The fairy lights are artificial lighting used here which will reinforce the pop elements in this genre of music video however the white natural tone reinforces the acoustic genre. The lip syncing is very clear as all the attention is on Nina in this video, this is good because the audience can not only hear but see what she is saying. This could be seen as reinforcing Richard Dyer's star theory however as it is a fully performance based typology music video this cannot be avoided. The camerawork is done smartly in that the shots aren't just of her face, they use depth of field and various other shots of the piano and the lights and her hands to improve this situation however I feel this gives a good feel to the music video.

This video challenges Luara Mulvey's male gaze thoery as she is covering her self up in a nce dress, although it is a bit see through at the back you can't see anything revealing therefore challenging the use of the features of women to help sell their music though their image. Although she is wearing make up and red lip stick this isn't a method of grabbing the audiences attention, in stead she is using her musical talent by playing the piano. Although the shots are repetitive throughout the video they speed up changing editing pace and have different blurs and depth of field to keep it interesting, this can be used as their unique selling point as they aren't relying on a narrative or various performance shots to keep the video interesting. In stead they are using the various use of camerawork techniques and editing to help draw them in and sell the video, this als gives the audience a chance to listen to the song and the lyrics itself rather than being focused on the music video. Overall, from this video I can take forward the use of camerawork and tracking up and down the artist in the performance typology of my own video. I feel the lights make a good effect on the viedo and give it a nice atmostphere which matches the pace of the song.

09/12/13

12.

Nicole Scherzinger

Try With Me

'Try With Me' by Nicole Scherzinger is a pop song released on October 28th 2011 from her debut album Killer Love. It reached number 18 in the UK singles chart that year. I have chosen this song last becase it has more pop elements in it that acoustic as this gives me more of an understanding of the difference between this genre and acoustic.

To bring in the natural elements that are found in acuostic music videos, this is set in a natural built area. The first shot shows the waterfal and the greenery she is around. Along side these shots we hear digetic sounds of the water flowing and landing on the leaves to reinforce this natural raw setting. At 0:11 we see Nicole feature in the video which reinforces Goodwin by including the artist along side her music. When she appears the music starts to play and with the slow paced editing it matches the slow tone of the piano to introduce the song.

We see a few more shots of Nicole from close up to mid shot as this shows us what she looks like in this video, again to reinforce the natural theme of this video she has naturally styled hair, very subtle make up and a long flowing dress on for mise en scene. This dress challenges Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory as she isn't using her body to sell the video and the song, she is using the natural settings and the use of her musical talent as we see her playing a piano in the next few shots. We can see her clearly lip syncing with the lyrics of the song which connotes the professionalism she wants to portray in her music videos.

Further on the editing remains slow paced to match the tone and pace of the piano, the camerawork techniques range from close ups to long shots with Nicole Scherzinger in each shot as this is what the audience want to see. There is no narrative typology for this video but some elements are Nicole dancing and showing emotion without performing as this can some times work better than a narrative. Richard Dyer's star theory is partly reinforced here because the video is all about her however she is a solo artist so can't share the attentio, to avoid this they have put the focus of the setting and her musical talent rather than just her. The camerawork is still slow meeting the pace of the piano however it starts to pick up at about 1:18 and the speed it moves starts to speed up as well, this shows the professionalism and knowledge of the cameramen and editors so that everything fits together well. The lighting of the shots is very natural to reinforce the setting, this challenges the pop genre as they are generally quite artificial with the lighting however I have chosen this song because of this reason. As the pace slows down again at 2:20 the camera work and editing pace also slows down. Another editing technique I think works quite well is the colourful overlay with Nicole's face lip syncing in time with the lyrics, I want to use this kind of technique in my own video as I feel this adds to the soft tone of the genre and shows more of a range in my editing skills.

The emotion on Nicole's face from the close ups help to show the narrative typology of the video as this allows the audience to build a relationship with the artist as they can get an understanding of how she felt when she wrote the song and when she sings it. Again the pace picks up and the artificial lights which are a code and convention of this genre appear and this video becomes more artificial and unatural rather than raw like at the start of the video. Her dress is shorter here and she is wearing more jewellery which connotes she is using more unatural products to sell her music rather than the natural elements as before. Her dancing becomes more expressive and the general lighting is darker with the artificial lights flashing and becoming brighter to reinforce the pop genre. Overall I feel this is a good video and each section of the video matches the song which shows a good relation between the song and the video which then reinforces Goodwin's theory.

A2 Media Studies

Leanne Murray

Centre Number: 18503

Candidate Number: 7317

Genre Research

Ed Sheeran

Ben Howard