Abby Pritchard
Media - MS3 Blog
Task 5
Theoretical response:
There are a number of theorists who write about music videos
Find out what the following media theorists say and make a record showing your understanding.
Carol Vernallis’ theory is based on music editing. It is based around 4 key concepts that all relate to the way a music video is manufactured. The key concepts are narrative, editing, camera movement and framing, and diegesis.
Narrative
Carol Vernallis suggests that the video is a visual response to the narrative. Therefore, whatever is happening onscreen reflects the choice of lyrics that the artist is singing. Vernallis goes on to say how the narrative may not always be completed and can be partial witht eh video appearing disjointed, disconnected and appear in fragments. The video has something driving it forward but this may not necessarily by the narrative, it could be the music itself or other elements in the video. However if the video is left uncompleted it can lead to many questions about the narrative that won’t always be answered throughout the video. Finally, although the video may have a theme or narrative, it is probably displayed in a montage style, rather than in one clear focus.
Editing
Vernallis states that a clear convention of music editing is that the video may disrupt or break the conventions of continuity editing. The editing may also be bought to the foreground, become visible and not hidden opposed to the invisible style of continuity editing. Meaning the video will have a style of editing running throughout that is distinctive to that video. For example you may see: Jump cuts, cutting with the lyrics and juxtaposed frames.
Camera Movements and Framing
Vernallis states that establishing shots are one of the key camera features of a music video and are used frequently throughout a music video as well as close up shots. The style of framing of the video again is quite distinctive to the video and also the camera may move in time with the lyrics. Master shots are also very common.
Diegesis
In terms of media, the diegesis is the world of the music video. Carol Vernallis explains how the diegesis will be revealed slowly. The actions in the music video won’t always be completed and may be disrupted in some way. There will be many repetitions throughout the video and some frames will appear more important than others due to the way they have been shot or framed.
Andrew Goodwin
Andrew Goodwin said that music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics. Goodwin identifies 5 key aspects of music videos that we the audience should look out for:
Thought through beat
The audience starts by analysing the music structure, understanding the chorus and versus in order to be entertained. They would then listen to the voice of the artist, seeing if it is unique compared to others in the industry. This will give the artist a form of identification. The audience then develops an understanding of the artist and the story.
Narrative and performance
Goodwin believed that it was important for an artist to be involved in the music video by acting out a role as the main character. An example of this is Katy Perry in her video for 'Roar'. She was the main actor in the video, making the video and the song look more realistic. Therefore, the audience can relate to it.
The star image
Andrew Goodwin referred to the star image as a vital aspect of the music video, as they make the video look more appealing to the audience, while bringing a unique style to the video in the way they're portryed to the audience. The star images is always very unique in the way the artist is represented, i.e. their costume. This helps to promote the artists image in public and also helps to promote the video. Lady Gaga is a good example of a unique star in the music industry, mostly from her costume and bizarre narrative structures in her music video. An example of her unique dress code is when she wore the 'meat dress' to an awards ceremony.
Relation of visuals to the song
Firstly, the relationship between the lyrics and the visuals uses certain images and shots to illustrate the true meaning of the song. Then is disjuncture, when the situation of the video hides the meaning of the song. Then the images and camera shots are manipulated and shown again and again thorughout the video, to amplify the meaning.
Technical aspects of the music video
Goodwin stated that the technical aspect helps to hold the music video together through the use of mise-en-scene, special effects, sounds and editing. Lighting and colour helps to set the mood for the music video and create emphasis on significant parts of the song to create a dramatic effect and thrill the audience. Mise-en-scene is also very vital to the production of a music video, as it can help the artist gain authentication and also make their work appear more professional. The beats of the song are also very useful as they can help to create effective cuts that go with the rhythm of the song to make the music video look more entertaining.