Pop Music Videos

Here are a few more music videos which I find inspiring. These music videos are also in the genre of Pop and House which is the genre that my group are going to be focusing on for our music video project. 

Disclosure's music video for You and Me is a very inspiring video as it has an extremely strong narrative throughout the 3 minutes. It tells a short story of a couple and their journey in a new town. Although the music video has no lip sync, the fast paced editing and mass amounts of locations make up for it. This is because of the video's dynamic nature, the element of movement makes the audience feel as if we are actually there with them in the music video. This could also link into voyeurism as we feel like an observer on this couples life together. This gives off a sense of intimacy and a certain amount of privacy which is shared with us. I would like to take away that editing style as it fits with that style of music which would be pop/house. I also like the idea of subversion of voyeurism as the female is not attempting to be sexual or seductive, but innocent and fun. The subversion of the female is a bold move as it eliminates the male viewer gaze but builds up a star image of someone who is not afraid to be themselves. Typically when a female artist is not playing with their sexuality, we find them more of a role model because there are shown to be strong and independent.

In Far East Movement's, The Illest. I really enjoyed watching the video as it has quite a funny narrative from start to finish. The music video isn't taken seriously which fits the sound of the song as it's an upbeat; fun, party song. The artists 'Far East Movement' have chosen to incorporate themselves within the narrative of the music video, showing them to be light hearted and fun. This also allows us to see a side of them which we would not be able to see at a live performance. The editing is also very manic to match the beat of the song which is something I would hope to incorporate in my work. Finally the costumes and mise-en-scene is also fun and interesting as it is set in an office and the 'characters' played by the group are people that would be typically found in an office, causing anarchy.

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.