Research 4 - Hip-Hop/Rap

Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars - Lighters

This is 'Lighters' by Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars. This music video shows two different genre mixing as Bad Meets Evil is Rap/HipHop, so the conventions of this genre are that the rapper will be dresses in black, and wearing loose-fitted pants and big jewellery. Also, shots would be used to clearly show emotions, such as the use of closeups to show facial expressions. Whereas, Bruno Mars is Acoustic/R&B, so the conventions for this is different. For this genre, you would typically see more toned down effects, such as the singer by himself/herself or with just an instrument, natural imagery and run down location.

This opening shot is of Bruno Mars, who is an acoustic/R&B artist. His part only features a piano playing as he sings, which can be seen. This fits into the convention. The location seen is a run down apartment, seen from the blank walls. I like how the piano is very old looking as it makes it look very rustic.

This shot introduces the second singer/rapper - Eminem. It shows a messy flat, suggesting that his character is struggling in life. The colours are very dull, which could reflect the mood his is feeling.

The singer is then seen in a tunnel, where the only light is a red spotlight, which could represent anger.  This shot is a closeup shot, so focuses on his facial expressions. There are also a wide variety of shots (long/medium/closeup) which are quite fast paced to attract the attention of the audience.

This is the third singer/rapper, Bad Meets Evil. He also seems to be in a bad situation and finds a trap door to the tunnel, like Eminem. It is quite dark, but the light shines in the prison cell as if through a small window.

Similar shots in the tunnel are also used for this singer as well. I like how the colour red is very prominent and reflects on the camera lense. A typical rap convention is seen through the use of props in this shot, as sunglasses are usually seen on a rapper.

This shot shows Eminem once he comes out another trap door. There is a sense of freedom that he has been waiting for as he walks fast, matching the beat of the song. I like how the imagery is much more natural, as well as the sun reflections on the camera.

This is my favourite shot of the video. Firstly, I like how you can only see the silhouettes of the people, leaving your attention on the flying chinese lanterns. I also like how the sky goes from dark to light, giving it a cool effect showing clearly the people that are watching - the lanterns. In addition, I like how the lanterns are used as it links to the song title and narrative.

This shot shows Bruno Mars in a different location. I like how the lanterns are seen here, as it links the three singers together, even though they aren't ever seen in the same shot.

This shot is very picturesque. The lanterns really stand out against the dark night sky. A shallow depth of field is being used to focus the lanterns seen closest to us so they really stand out.

Research 3 - Country

Taylor Swift - Mine

This is 'Mine' by Taylor Swift, which is a country music video with an element of pop. The conventions of a country music video tends to have a strong narrative aspect. The use of locations are very sterotypical, like using a rural area or setting it in the countryside. Also, the artist normally features in the video to show their connection to the song.

This shot shows the artist walking in the countryside, the colour of the leaves are very vibrant. Also, I like the mise en scene used, especially the location and choice of clothes as it is very natural. In addition, I really like the hanging pictures as it shows what she is singing about, which reflect her memories.

This is a close-up shot of the singers face. Depth of field has been used to bring the focus to the lip-syncing, and blurred out the background. The sun/light is shining on her face, making it very glowing and happy.

This shot focuses on the hanging pictures, which are shown throughout the music video. It relates to the narrative being shown, as Taylor Swift shows a past relationship. I really like the concept of the hanging pictures, and I am thinking to use this concept in my music video.

This is a medium shot of Taylor Swift surrounded by the pictures, which relates to the narrative. I like how the sun is shining through the trees, adding to the natural imagery and making it very calming and joyful.

This shot shows a flashback, where sepia tones are used to emphasis this idea by making it the sense that this was in the past. I like how this shot freezes and zooms out, which shows the wider view of the location.

This is a closeup of a picture frame. I like how you can see the singer reflected in the glass, emphasising how she is part of the narrative. It also shows how she is reflecting on the past. The sepia tones are used again here, to show it is a flashback.

This is a shot showing the narrative. I like how you can only see the silhouettes and light shining through, giving it a different effect. It is very simple but effective, and adds to the romantic storyline as they are happily dancing around.

Research 2 - Contempory

Adele - Rolling in the Deep

This music video is 'Rolling in the Deep' by Adele. The conventions seen in this genre of music video is that the artist will be seen performing the video throughout the video. The location, props and costume also reflects the mood of the video. There are also a lot of differing shots of the singer, to show the emotion in their facial expressions.

This is the opening shot, where Adele is seen. The background is very simple, dull and run down. The light which shines on Adele face shows her facial expression, showing she is deep in thought and upset by something.

This is a closeup shot of Adele's face, which shows more clearly her facial expressions, therefore showing the audience how she is feeling. The blank background behind the artist allows the audience to fully focus on her facial expressions and the lyrics she is singing.

This is a long shot of the a room filled with glasses, which have water in them. This is very clever as the shot seen before is a man playing the drums. Therefore the reason there is movement of water in each glass, is due to the increase in the beat.

This is a very effective shot as adds variety to the video, but also captures the audiences attention as the fireworks go as there is a climax in the music.

This shows the scene seen before but in flames and burning. The use of an extreme closeup clearly focuses on this aspect. The orange flames have been one of few colours seen and video, which also really stands out compared to the white and black seen in this shot.

This shot shows lots of smashed plate and cups. They are seen to be thrown at a wall then they slowly fall onto the pile. This could represent anger as Adele is clearly singing about how her partner was playing with her emotions, "played me to the beat".

Research 1 - Alternative

Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You

The first music video I am going to analyse is 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' by Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran is a singer/songwriter, and this song is under the genre of alternative, with an element of rap. Typically, in this genre of song, the music video conveys emotions of the character seen, through their facial expressions and body language. However, differently in this video, emotions are represented through sign language. The simplicity of this video allows the audience to clearly listen to the lyrics of the song.

The opening shot introduces the character who is seen throughout the music video, who is signing the lyrics to the song. The plain background and use of black/white is a convention typically used in alternative video, but also allows the audience to connect to the lyrics of the song, due to the simplicity. 

This is a medium shot of the character who starts signing the lyrics as Ed Sheeran begins to sing. The lighting is kept really simple in order to focus on the lyrics, but lightens and darkens with the tempo of the song.

This is a closeup shot of the singer, Ed Sheeran, playing the guitar. The shot is focused on his guitar, which gives suspense to who this person is, when it is only revealed at the end of the video. Again, it is very simple, so the audience is able to focus on the lyrics.

As the music increases in tempo and beat, the shots vary from extreme closeups of his hands emphasising the signing, a medium shot of his face/hands and side on shots which emphasise the signing more. The lighting also changes as the songs changes tempo to the give the video more depth.

The background lightens as the tempo increases. This adds variety to the shots as the lighting is constantly changing, keeping the audience watching. The fast pace shots, which vary from long to medium to closeup shots, also captivating the audience.

Dancers and props are introduced to add variety to the video. The use of each prop links to the narrative and meaning of the lyrics. As a result of the strong black lighting, shadows are created on the floor, further creating an interesting ambiance to the video.

The final shot is of Ed Sheeran, the singer and songwriter. Leading up to this shot, the lighting changes dramatically as the song comes to an end.