Image/Lyric Link Storyboard

These links between lyrics and images help in my planing for my music videos in terms of mise-en-scene. They give me certain examples of what props and locations I can use. The word grave suggests I could base a certain amount of my video in a grave yard. 'Paper cup' and 'Armour' suggest props I could use. This lyric and image link also allows me to establish different narratives within the video. For example 'fall' which suggests I could use someone falling.

Textual Analysis 3

Song: The A Team

Artist: Ed Sheeran

Genre: Alternative Rock
Structure: Narrative

This song is even more important than the previous textual analysis as it was the debut single of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. His aim was clearly to make an impression with the music video. This aim appears to have been accomplished as the video has over 68 million views on YouTube! The single was an absolute hit after it's release on 1 May 2011 debuting at third in the UK Singles Chart with almost 58,000 sales. The song was so popular that it went on to act as lead single for Sheeran's debut album '+' which was released in the September of the same year.

The video begins with a short intro of a young woman crying. This sets the scene for the rest of the video and allows the video to establish the conventional 'serious story-line' which is so often shown within alternative rock narrative. The extreme close up at 0:12 is a particular good cinematography method used to help the audience connect emotionally with the character. We see exactly how she is feeling. The following edit of a blur could also be used to send a message to the audience. Maybe she is drunk or high. It could even be used to show she is confused, she isn't sure what's happening with her life and what she wants to happen. These are just some of the connotations we are able to make from such a small intro.

As the song begins we are shown the character in a long shot, waking up on a park bench. The shot is almost used to establish the surrounding of the character, the fact she is sleeping on a bench outside and not in a bed allows the audience to conclusively discover the reason behind her misery. She is clearly homeless and in being so she hold the conventional props and costume to stick with the conventional 'tramp'. For example a thin blanket and ripped tights. However, it soon becomes clear she is not as down as the intro may suggest looking very cheerful in a number of shots (0:34 and 0:48).

Following shots show the character trying to make a little money by selling magazines. Within this time only one person stop, Ed Sheeran. He not only stops but gives her money. This could be seen as a discrete use of artist promotion. Painting himself a good boy image by suggesting he's kind and helpful and would give money to the poor. A good use of editing is used at 1:53 as it almost fastforwards everything that's going on. This highlights that despite everyone being busy and active the character is homeless and his nothing. She could be sat there for hours and nobody would do anything.

As the video progresses we begin to see the negative side of the character reappear, such as in the mid-close up shot at 2.24 which reveals tears in her eyes. As well as this we are also introduced to a different side to the character starting at 2:35 as she starts getting ready in the mirror, sorting her hair and applying make-up. It becomes clear in the shot at  2:54 that she is a prostitute. This is done by, once again, enhancing certain stereotypes such as big high heels, explicit tops and the fact she is waiting on street corners.

Throughout the song there are constant direct links between lyrics and narrative an example of this comes as we discover another this about the character, she does drugs. This is highlighted by the close up of her hand paying for an receiving drugs as the song says 'go mad for a couple grams'. we are subsequently shown her taking those drugs at 4:25 and it is suddenly clear why the entire video is shot in black and white. It is done to represent the masses of negativity surrounding her life, she see's no light, only darkness.

Textual Analysis 2

 

 

Song: Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?

Artist: Artic Monkeys

Genre: Alternative Rock
Structure: Narrative

Artic Monkey's fifth studio album, AM, was released on 9 September 2013. This almost one month after the third single from the same album had been released; 'Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?' It was 11 August when both single and video was released, though there had been earlier leaking problems on various social networking sites. In just over 2 months the video had reached a massive 6 million views. I will now analyse various techniques used in order to create the popular video.
The video starts without the full track being dominantly played. Instead it teases the audience by playing it in the background of the opening set (a busy pub). Here you can hear clear diegetic sound, such as pool balls being hit and the sound of people talking. This is done to establish the narrative to the audience before the song starts. It's clear to see the song is being played as diegeting sound oppose to non diegetic because when he enters the toilet the sound becomes much more faded, as it would if you had actually left the main pub to go to the toilet. This effect of diegetic sound gives the audience a sudden connection to the character because they feel as though they are there with them, hearing what he hears. Before the song does start there has already been a number of different edits made. An example of this is when he's texting Stephanie and it actually pops above his phone (0:16) this is another great way of helping the audience understand the narrative and again allows them to feel a connection with the character. Almost like they're looking in on his life and he doesn't even know. Another edit is at when the character is looking in the mirror and see's two versions of himself, this helusination effect is something that is used a number of times in the music video and enables the text to link with the lyrics and the fact he's high. A number of edits are used between 1:23 and 1:36 to suggest the character is high including the use of a blurred/multi-vision screen. It is also established by the non-diegetic sounding.
Conventions are once again flirted with in terms of mise-en-scene and the character dark costume this also teams up with the low lighting and the dark street setting. As well as simply establishing the genre the mise-en-scene is also used to link the narrative the lyrics. For example, at 3:07 an eye-line match is used to show a sign (prop) reading 'Why No Reply?' this clearly link to the girl he's texting and the fact she isn't texting back. There is also a couple of times a number of props are used to create verisimilitude such as in the pubs are the beginning where they have been sure to include a bar and pool table etc. It can also be seen in one of the closing scene where the girl see's the text and the use of posters and other people in the background give it a sense of realism and wakes it feel more homely.
In terms of cinematography they're are a number of different technique used, mostly to portray to the audience that he is infact high. An example of this is the hand held character which follows him down the street this is obviously much more unstable than a tracked camera and so reflects the simulation of being drunk. This is again used to make the audience feel as though they are there with the character. Other shots commonly used are point of view shots which enable the audience to see exactly what he's seeing hallucinations and all. This is used a number of times within the video, a good example is at 3:40 when he see's a naked girl, who isn't there, on the back of the motorbike. Towards the end of the video an establishing shot is used to show he's arrived at a house. However, a tilt away followed by a cut suggests he's waiting outside the wrong house. This among other things within the video showcases the comedy value of some alternative rock video's. This can also be seen in Mumford & Sons 'Hopeless Wonderer'.

Textual Analysis 1

 

 

Artist: Mumford & Sons

Song: Lover of the Light

Genre: Alternative Rock

Structure: Narrative

 

'Lover of the light' was the second single release from Mumford & Son's second studio album. The single was released on 5 November 2012, the day after the video was uploaded to YouTube. With 8 million views on the video sharing website it is the bands 4th popular video. In short, the video centres fully on a blind man (Elba) who puts aside his cane and runs free, ending with him at the edge of a cliff shouting. This focus solely on the life of one individual is something I hope to carry on to my music video, this can be seen by my previously uploaded concepts.

After analysing the text I have drawn up a number of points which will help in the production of my own music video. Starting with cinematography, it was a somewhat recurring theme to show close ups of the characters face. This was done in an attempt to create a bond between the audience and Elba. It allowed his emotions to be clearly established and kept the audience watching. The fact the camera was physically close to Elba meant that the audience felt emotionally closer too. An example of a use of this camera shot is between 0:22-0:32. It quickly establishes the mood of the video especially when compared to the close up, in Elba's dream, at 0:16-0:19 which shows a much happier character as he dreams of being out in the open and problem free. These two are critical examples of how a close up shot can straight away create the mood of the video/scene. Other comparisons, in terms of camera framing, between Elba's reality and his dreams is the distance between camera and character. In his house the camera is always a mid shot or closer. It shows that his disability has him trapped. However, this completely changes when cutting back to his dream at 1:47 and shows Elba portrayed in a long shot. This is used to show that when asleep he is completely free. At one point, in Elba's house, we are shown a high angle shot which places the audience above Elba and looking down on him. This connotates that because of his disability we are higher in society than he is. We have our vision and he does not. Longer shots are also favoured in the seconds half of the video, when Elba build up the courage to leave the house unaided. Again showing his freedom and determination to not let his disability hold him back examples at 4:13 and 4:30. His freedom is also reflected at this point by the constant camera movement and the faster edits.

In terms of mise-en-scene it shows strong links to the previously established genre conventions, such as dark costumes and low lighting. However at 0:54 a lot of lighting is used to connotate Elba looking up to the heavens, wishing for a better life. It is the mise-en-scene which helps establish the narrative and it's link to the lyrics. At 2:30 the use of the dog in shot conjoins with 'Hold the one you love'. This is done to show Elba's love for his guide dog and show that it's all he has. In terms of helping to understand the narrative, this can be seen shortly after when Elba goes up to his guide dogs lead and his cane before rejecting both and leaving alone. This use of mise-en-scene in props allows us to understand the thought process of the main character as he basically goes with his heart over his head.

 



Lyrics Timings

Alternative Rock

The following are existing videos within this genre and conventions I have drawn from them.

 

Music Video Concepts