In this task I have produced an initial plan for a song idea which could potentially be used within my group when we finialise our music video narrative. Within the slideshow below I have comiled a variety of different aspects toegther in order to have the best plan possible for when it comes to starting my idea. The slideshow features both a clear narrative and perfromance idea for my chosen song, ‘There Isn’t Much’ by Emeli Sande, in order for any audience to decode the story behind my potential music video.

Throughout my music video I decided that it would involve linear narrative content as well as it being amplified throughout to take the audeince into major points within the narrative and perfromance. A common theme shown throughout my pitch idea is lonliness making the chosen idea to be thematic due to it following a common theme continuosly. I have included my MES, loaction, star image and costuming ideas to give further deatil of how my idea will be displayed throughout the video.

By doing this initial song idea for a music video has enabled me to bring all my different ideas together to form a foundation of and idea for my future work. This is an extremely important part when starting a mjor project in order to have efficient time management and make the process run smoother when it comes to starting the project.

To understand what makes a music video different and how we can interperate narratives we need to explore music videos with different meanings. Below I have analysed three different music videos that range from amplified, disjunctive and illustritive narrative content as well as involving different stuctures such as episodic, linear, thematic and anachronic. By doing this has allowed me to decode a variety of different narratives enablising me to further understand how structures and content can make a good nrrative for a music video.

Take On Me- A-Ha

Take On me by a-ha is an alternative/indie/pop song released in 1984 feturing a narrative sequence using a pencil sketched animation as well as real life footage, switching betwen the two. The video follows a comic book narrative where a young women is reading the comic in a cafe. Whilst reading the comic the charcater within it winks at her and invites her inside the comic into ‘his world’ where she then appears to be a pencil sketch herself and the action unfolds throughout the video.

Take On Me features a very illustrive story throughout the video allowing the audience to see the womans connection to the comic and how it comes to life including a linear structure where events fold in a chronoligical order. The ending of the video reveals the man within the comic to fully come to life with no animated sketch drawings. It allows the audience to see the characters journey through the comic and then towards the end for them to be together in the ‘real world’.

The One That Got away- Katy Perry

The One That Got Away by Katy perry is a pop song released in 2010 which features a nrrative peformance of Katy Perry’s past relationship with her ex boyfriend. The video reveals to the audience a clear love connection between the two but clear arguemtents throughout the relationship. The video then transitions to her as an older lady with grey hair and wrinkles showing how she is reflecting on her relationship when she was younger, a lost love.

The music video follows the story of their relationship and how her past boyfriend was ‘the one that got away’ with the ending revealing how he died in a car crash at a young age. It shows a anachronic event where we see Katy Perry as her older self revisiting the spot where he died and the two reuniting at the end although he is still trapped as his younger self.  It includes an amplified narrative content where througout the song the pace and volume picks up to increase the pace to the final moments.

Dusk Till Dawn- ZAYN

Dusk Till Dawn by ZAYN is a pop song which was released in 2017 where it reveals a ‘love story’ between zayn and a lady who cannot be together. It gives a sense of risk between their relationship with ‘ill be with you from dusk till dawn’ signifying that no matter what they go through they will be there together. The couple are seen with the same suitacse throughout the music video to fool the cops that Zayn is the real criminal when in actual fact it is the lady.

Dusk Till Dawn follows a linear narrative sequence with it being in chronological order as well as it involving a perfromance aspect throughout. The narrative content is amplified throughout the video as the action proceeds; the pace and speed quickens to build tension within the scene. The ending of the video shows their getaway and them driving away from the scene as they reunite with one another showing how they ‘stick together’.

Three Of My Own Narrtaives:

Now I understand the content ivolved with creating inresting narrative sequences I have been able to form my own in order to help work my creative aspect to form potential ideas for my future music videos:

1.  Can I Stop The Clock– A man reaches the point in his life where he regrets the time hes wasted, he wishes for his time back and the clock to stop ticking so he can live in the moement to live a life hes always wanted.
2. Mystery Man– A young man struggles to find out who he really is; everyday life feels the same and he can’t quite fit himself into society making him a ‘nobody’.
3. 18 Candles– A young girl turns 18 and shows her living her dream life, partying, friends and just having fun but when she gets home she is lonely and only wishes for company. The 18 candles are blown out by herslef at home.

In order to understand what makes a good music video it is important to watch a variety of other people’s work in order to gage an idea of how and what makes a music video good in order to be successful. I have viewed many different previous students work in order to do so and found that the music video below showed excellent use of technical production skills making it a good example of what I should focus on when it comes to make my own.

Fire Meet Gasoline:

Now understanding what makes a good music video I have assessed this previous students work, Fire Meets Gasoline by Sia, I have given their work high marks on the technical production skills. Throughout the music video there has been an excellent use of camera movment using different camera angles and shots to keep excitment throughout. The music video uses amazing effects which are well chosen to suit the genre and song contributing to the dramatic feel of the song. The Mise En Scene within the music video varies using different scenes enabling the video to keep the audience engaged which also corresponds to it having both performance and narrative aspects within it. The narrative is simple yet effective helping to keep intrest of the audience as well as the performance aspect helping to link the artist to the lyrics of the song representing them as a artist. Aswell as this the video ends on a cliff hanger which in the music world is a efficient idea to ensure consumers return to the video and then as an artist you gain money and views.

I believe this students work is a very good example of what makes a good music video with it including excellent use of technical production skills to bring the video together and keep the audience hooked.

 

In order to understand what a music video is and all the different elements that they consist of in order to be successful you need to decode top artists work. Music videos need to have different technical conventions in order to fit their genre and sell the star to consumers. These commonly feature MES, a narrative or/and perfromance to keep the audience hooked as well as selling the artist as a brand. These are important to understand so that when it comes to make my own music video I am able to use this knowledge and knowingly use/challenge the conventional features.

 

Now understanding different elements commonly featured within a music video I able to reflect this in my future work knowing what I need to focus on. Music videos feature performance and narrative aspects in order to keep the audience hooked into the video increasing views and wanting them to watch the video again. MES is extremely important in order to set the scene representing the star/artists in a professional way with a carefully thought about video with every minor detail being carefully placed within the video. I will use this knowledge when it comes to making my own music video in order for it to be successful.