Music Video Inspiration

For this task we had to choose three music videos that inspire us, and bring something that we can take away to use in our own pieces of work. The three music videos i have chosen are similar in style and genre as they all include some kind of pop.

In this video, Paramore use a lot of bright, warm colours contrasted with a monotone black and white. The video is also very fast paced and includes lots of cuts to fit the fast pace of the song. These montages make the video extremely dynamic which fits with the genre of the song, punk/rock. The fast editing also keeps the viewers engaged and having to rewind to take in every detail of the narrative. The story is also very manic and enjoyable to watch. I love the fact that Hayley Williams is part of the narrative itself whilst also cutting to performance scenes of the band. It makes it seems as though this is something that may have happened to Hayley in the past so we are kind of getting an insight into her personal life, creating intimacy and trust with the performer. Cutting to the band performing also brings pleasure to the audience as we get to the see the band performing up close. We could see the artists live but that doesn't allow us to see the emotion on their face.

During the beginning of Break Free with see some intertextuality as the exposition flying from top to bottom is reminiscent of star wars which is also a sci-fi, adventure text. I also love the costume design and the fun narrative as its outer space. Its isn't what we would usually see so it brings an element of wacky, 'avant garde' media to the music video. This out of the norm music video concept perfectly represents the fantasies that some people have, of wanting to be in outer space, partying and fighting evil aliens. The music video keeps viewers entertained as there are no overly long shots that have nothing interesting happen. Its artistic in an abstract way which is always enjoyable to watch. She also includes the male viewer gaze as there are several camera angles and pans that show of parts of her body. There is also a scene where she removes items of clothing in a zero gravity space. It brings pleasure to the viewers due to its 'out of this world' imagery. The colour choices and special effects also contrast but go well with the theme as we would expect space to be dark and scary, but Ariana shows it as colourful and bright.

In Tori Kelly’s video I really enjoy the narrative that she has behind the song. It only emphasises the meaning to her words and sets the tone for the song. Her clear shots and range of cutting from different angles make it interesting to watch. The locations chosen also reflect upon the lyrics and the emotions being drawn upon. She switches from a large crowd of people in public to an empty and cold room. This could symbolise how shes feels alienated in a large group and tries not to stand out, to make herself a ghost among the public. Her being secluded in a room also illustrates her love for keeping to herself but her pain of wanting to have someone there with her. The colour choices used in the music video is a simple pallet that mimics real life and the dull colours of the city. There aren't that many shots with bright, vibrant colours as that wouldn't be representational of the lyrics to the song. The lack of colour emphasises the lack of love and passion in her life, something that she believes will come to her when she's ready.