I wanted to try to explain in more detail the representations of the artists in my music video, the song and genre, as well as how I am promoting the artist and song through mis en scene, camera shots and movements and editing. I have chosen two other music videos in a similar style to mine, to compare the techniques and representations
The artist in my music video is represented as a storyteller, telling the story of Rhiannon, the welsh goddess. In my music video, Beth plays both the artist as well as the character, Rhiannon. This makes her storytelling more alive, as she pretends to be her, like she’s acting out a play to the viewers of the video. The song has a rock style; however the style of my music video will be more of an indie, folk genre. The general conventions of indie music videos are that they are more relaxed than pop or rock videos, set in natural locations, rather than in studios or stages. The lighting is very natural and no major special effects are added besides perhaps black and white or sepia tones, often giving them an old fashioned feel. Close-up cutaways are used, often at unusual angles. I find the narratives to be very unfamiliar in comparison with pop videos, they are almost metaphorical. For example the video ‘Featherstone’ by The Paper Kites, the storyline is very strange. I like that, generally, indie folk music videos are very mysterious, and I think this makes them so interesting. I find pop/rock music videos are all about the artists, whereas indie videos are more narrative focused and when the artists are seen, they are not over sensationalised, and seem more relaxed and down to earth, often selling the song or the songs meaning than themselves. For my music video, I’d like to draw inspiration from indie videos; however, I think it is important to include more of the artists than is normal in indie videos. The first music video I will be looking at is an indie folk song ‘Bloom’ by The Paper Kites. The second video is ‘Guns and Horses’ by Ellie Goulding, which is an indie pop song, which is a bit more upbeat than ‘Bloom’, yet it still has an indie folk style of video. This is good for my music video, as it is quite upbeat as well.
The artist in my music video is represented as a storyteller, telling the story of Rhiannon, the welsh goddess. In my music video, Beth plays both the artist as well as the character, Rhiannon. This makes her storytelling more alive, as she pretends to be her, like she’s acting out a play to the viewers of the video. The song has a rock style; however the style of my music video will be more of an indie, folk genre. The general conventions of indie music videos are that they are more relaxed than pop or rock videos, set in natural locations, rather than in studios or stages. The lighting is very natural and no major special effects are added besides perhaps black and white or sepia tones, often giving them an old fashioned feel. Close-up cutaways are used, often at unusual angles. I find the narratives to be very unfamiliar in comparison with pop videos, they are almost metaphorical. For example the video ‘Featherstone’ by The Paper Kites, the storyline is very strange. I like that, generally, indie folk music videos are very mysterious, and I think this makes them so interesting. I find pop/rock music videos are all about the artists, whereas indie videos are more narrative focused and when the artists are seen, they are not over sensationalised, and seem more relaxed and down to earth, often selling the song or the songs meaning than themselves. For my music video, I’d like to draw inspiration from indie videos; however, I think it is important to include more of the artists than is normal in indie videos. The first music video I will be looking at is an indie folk song ‘Bloom’ by The Paper Kites. The second video is ‘Guns and Horses’ by Ellie Goulding, which is an indie pop song, which is a bit more upbeat than ‘Bloom’, yet it still has an indie folk style of video. This is good for my music video, as it is quite upbeat as well.
Mis en scene
Costumes and Props
In my music video, my actress, Beth, will be dressing in many costumes, representing her as someone who loves drama and dressing up. The styles of outfits vary, often she is wearing very gypsy inspired clothing, displaying her as a wild, earthy character. Other times she wears dark clothing and make up, representing the dark side of the mythical character she plays, and shows the singer can play many personalities and roles. The interesting thing about Rhiannon is, because she is a complex character, has many sides or aspects of her, whether dark, peaceful or feminine, which makes it easy for the singer to present these aspects with her make up, costume and acting. I have also decided to use white feathers, firstly, as a way of connecting the character Rhiannon with the singer, as Beth will find a trail of feathers that Rhiannon has left. I chose to do this, because the mythical character has two white birds with healing powers, so wanted to include this somewhere. The instruments I am using are an electric guitar, and a tambourine. I chose to use a tambourine, because, for me it makes me think of gypsy culture, which adds to the earthy style of many of the costumes. I would have liked to use an acoustic guitar for this reason; however, the electric guitar is heard quite strongly in the song, so I felt it was necessary.
In ‘Bloom’, the clothing is very casual and the band members all wear comfortable everyday clothes. This gives a feeling that they only care about the music and not the way they look. In the narrative shots, the woman is wearing a white dress, which is not dressy, but is still feminine and makes her look youthful and innocent. The other character in the narrative is wearing a checked shirt and jeans, like the other male band members in the video. This is the general clothing style in narrative indie folk music videos. My video is similar to this, in that by band members will be wearing casual, comfortable clothing, however, I want to include more costumes, making it more interesting and like a fairy-tale. In the narrative, rusty tin cans and string are used, which I think adds an originality to the video and I think was used to symbolise the two people in the narrative, being called to each other. It also gives the video a playful, childish feel, as is a game played by children. I want to achieve this by the trail of feathers. The instruments the artists use are typical for indie folk music. Acoustic guitars, a banjo and a single drum are used and all are quite raw in their sound, hence the folk style of music. Although the song I am using isn’t folk, I want to use this style of music video with a pop/rock song, to give it a new, unexpected vibe.
In ‘Guns and Horses’ the singer is also wearing casual clothing, consisting of a checked shirt and leggings. However, in the video, actors are seen throughout, wearing white and red costumes that have a very military style. Props such as swords and coloured flags are used, which all link with the idea of the song. Similarly to my music video, dramatic costume and makeup is a large part of the narrative. Also in this video, there isn’t really a storyline, as the actors are there more for creating a mood, which is what I am trying to achieve in my video. A horse is also used in the video, to give a wild feeling, and used as a metaphor for her ability to escape from danger when she is with the person she has written the song about. I will be using horse in my video, but instead it is used to show the Rhiannon’s magical powers and the influence she has over nature.
Location
In my music video I have chosen to film in location including fields, forests, including some shots at night. I have chosen to film in natural settings, as I feel the character; Rhiannon is a kind of misunderstood figure, hiding from man in forests, where she has power of nature. I feel these locations add to the idea of the song and well as representing the artist as someone who like nature and is quite down-to-earth in her personality, similar to the artists in the video ‘Bloom’.
In ‘Bloom’ the locations are also natural, in wild forests and a field with a large tree which the band members sit around. I like the relaxed vibe this has, as if they are travellers, stopping to sing and play music together. I noticed the ground in this shot id quite muddy, showing that they are from the countryside and like to live simply. In the narrative, shots in a forest are seen as well as other shots in a field, where there is an old, rough looking truck, again showing their layed back, perhaps lower class background. A sunset in seen during the video, which is gives a typical romantic feeling and is used because it is a love song.
‘Guns and Horses’, all of the video is filmed in a misty, dark forest. I think this was done because the message of the song is that she can feel safe when she is with the person she is singing to, even in danger, as if he is like her ‘guns and horses’, her defence from threats around her. The misty forest gives a feeling of danger. I am trying to achieve a similar feeling in my night shots, where Rhiannon is wearing black clothing and is in a pitch black forest, which represents her dark, dangerous side. Later on in the song, there is a scene in the forest with lots of colourful flowers and throughout there are shots of her in bright sun rays shining through the trees. This could represent the feelings she gets being with him and how he almost shines through the difficulties in her life.
Lighting
In my music video, the majority of the shots have very natural lighting, as both the singer and Rhiannon have a natural, earthy vibe to them. However, in some shots I will be using a strong light from a torch used in my night shots which will move across Rhiannon, as if she is hiding at night and someone has found her. These shots go when with the lyric ‘She’s like a cat in the dark, and then she is the darkness’
In ‘Bloom’, all the lighting is natural, and as the video progresses, the light gets dimmer as the sun sets. The lighting from the orange sunset sky creates a romantic atmosphere and also a feel good vibe to go with the song and the lyrics. It’s almost like a classic happy ending, with the couple walking into the sunset. I don’t particularly like this idea, but I love the natural look of the shots, due the lighting.
In ‘Guns and Horses’, the lighting starts of quite dull and gloomy, with subtle light rays shining through the mist. This creates a mysterious, magical atmosphere. As the video goes on, the lighting seems to get brighter, as if symbolising her feelings for ‘him’ which overpower the danger around her. Near the end there is a shot of her below a strong light coming through the trees and looks as special effect have been used to emphasise it. I like how the video builds up to this moment.
Camera Angles/Movement
In my video, I will be using low angles, firstly, because it gives the feeling that Rhiannon is powerful and in control, but also because, in some shots, it will enable me to use the sky as a backdrop, with I think adds to the lyric, ‘Takes to the sky like a bird in flight’ and will also enable me to superimpose a shot of a bird flying, creating an interesting and magical effect. This will represent her as a free spirited character and also perhaps represent the singer’s free spirited nature. Close-ups will be used a lot, as this is common shot used in indie folk music videos, giving a more intimate feeling. Shots of her face, hands, instruments and aspects of nature will be used, often at unusual angles. I have noticed the use of close-up tend to be quite unexpected and strange in indie folk videos. I will be using a range of different tracking shots, including shots of Beth walking towards the camera as she sings. I will be moving backwards as I film, which will make the singer have a sense of control or power from the viewer’s position. Also, sideways tracking movements will be used in shots where Rhiannon or the singer is standing still, giving a sweeping sensation, which can also be achieved by using camera rotations. The rotations I will be using to create confusion and give a dreamlike quality. This will give the idea that Rhiannon is creating the confusion. I also will be using tilts, and the camera will move slowly from a straight long shot upwards to the sky. This will replicate flying, which is mentioned a lot in the song’s lyrics.
In ‘Bloom’ as lot of close-ups are used, often of the characters in the narrative faces, which that they are calm, due to the nature of the song and location and also curiosity as they follow the string. Close-ups of the instruments are used and the artist’s hands, which show they are more interested in the music and the sound of the instruments than their image. Tracking shots are used to follow each character as they follow the string, which makes it feel like the viewer is walking with them. I also like the use of long angle, mid/long shots of the characters, as it makes it look like you are sitting in the forest or field and are watching them. The shots positioned low down, near the ground are seen when the characters are lying/ sitting on the ground, near the beginning, which makes you feel like you are sitting as well, creating a relaxed and carefree feeling for the viewer. Point of view shots are used as when the characters are following the string, allowing the viewer to see from their eyes. This is used at the end when the string leads to the tree and there is a beautiful sunset. I like that the point of view shot is only used here, as if throughput the video the viewer is just an onlooker, but in the end, they become part of the story, almost symbolising the wait for a ‘happy ending’. Rotations are used in the video; however it is different to the technique I will be using, as the camera moved around the tree, showing all the band members, whereas I will be filming rotations from a fixed point. I could, however try this technique used in ‘Bloom’ when filming the band members in the forest, as it gives a clear shot of each of them, so they can be recognised at The Paper Kites, hence promoting them. I also like the sort of unity and friendship they all have symbolised by the circle of people around the tree. This is seen a lot of folk music, as it comes from people coming together to play music. A lot of side shots of the band members are used, which is unusual as often in music videos, musicians sing directly to the camera to show control and power, however, in this video, I think this was done to show they laid back attitude and to show that they do not really care about having a major influence over the viewer, but instead being in their own world, with their music. I really like the effect of this and would love to use a mixture of this, as well as more direct shots, to show that the singer is both in control, as well as lost in the music.
In ‘Guns and Horses’, tracking shots are used a lot, firstly as the camera moves toward her at the beginning to mimic the enemy charging at her perhaps. Sideways tracking shots are used throughout as she wanders through the forest, as if the enemy can see her and if following her. Backwards tracking shots are used, as she walks toward the camera, like in my video, it creates a sense of control. High angle still shots of the actors lying on the ground create a sense that they have been defeated, whereas there are low angle shots of Ellie Goulding as she stands below a strong ray of sunlight. This contrast shows her control over danger. Close-ups are used a lot mainly of her face as she sings, to show her facial expressions as well as to make obvious to the viewers that it is Ellie Goulding, so they will recognise and remember her. Wide shots are used, of Ellie Goulding and the dancers, to show the relationship between the two and the location. The fact that she is in front and is singing while the actors are all dancing together, gives the sense that she is controlling what they do. Near the end, a similar wide shot is used, however in the shot, the dancers are all on the ground and Ellie Goulding lifts her arm and they all stand up at the same time and starts to dance. This strongly suggests her metaphorical power over danger, due to being with ‘him’. Lastly, a hand held rotation is used, again to show her control. I had a similar idea, however I would like to show a lack of control, because in the rotation, only a brief view of Rhiannon, the blurred forest and sky will be seen as the camera rotates around, giving a sense that Rhiannon has control over the viewer and they are spinning around and cannot control it.
Editing
In my music video I will be using a lot of cutaways, which are seen a lot in the example videos to show the type of locations, and props there are and to set the mood of the video. I will be cutting between the different costumes and locations, as this will give the feeling that Rhiannon has many sides to her. The speed of the cutaways will be mainly quite slow to give a laid back feel, however in some parts of the song, where there is a build up of volume, I will speed up the editing, using shots like the rotations and the shots at night, to give an overwhelming, dreamlike feeling, the type of influence Rhiannon has. I will be using slow motion, also as it is used in a lot of indie folk videos, to give a relaxed, gentle atmosphere. I could also try to use the technique of filming Beth singing to a speeded up version of the song, and then slowing it down, so that the video will be slow, but she will still be in lynch with the song. I would love to overlay a variety of shots, mainly of Rhiannon with shots of nature, flowers, birds, horses etc., to create a magical effect.
In ‘Bloom’ a lot of cutaways are used, often showing the same person/location or props, but from many different angles, creating a better picture for the viewer. Matching shots are also used for the narrative, firstly showing the woman finding the tin and putting it to her ear and then smiling. A similar shot is then shown, instead with the man finding the tin. The woman gets up and follows the string, and then the man gets up and follows the string. Similarly a shot of her hand is seen and then a shot of his hand in seen. A low angle shot of her feet is shown followed by a shot of his feet. These matching shots show the two characters similarities; hence that is why they are being bright together. An unusual aspect of the editing is that occasionally, there are pauses and the screen goes black for a second. This is used every time the shots go from one character to another, separating the two characters and locations. I like that they fade, which add to the slow, lazy feeling of the video. The editing is very slow, again to give the sense of being laidback and also due to the fact that the song is quite slow paced.
In ‘Guns and Horses’, cutaways of trees and a horse are used to give the viewers an idea of the wild, misty atmosphere before the shots move to Ellie Goulding singing. This is used in almost every music video and what is seen in the cutaways depends on the genre, narrative and feeling of the video. Similar to this and ‘Bloom’, I will be using cutaways of nature, extreme close-up sections of Rhiannon and shots of the trail of feathers. The speed of editing is quite a lot faster than ‘Bloom’ as it is more of an upbeat song. Close to the end of the song, there is an increase in volume and there is a long powerful not sung by Ellie Goulding that the song builds up to. The editing becomes fast and shots switch between her face singing and powerful image of her underneath the bright ray of light. This symbolises her emotion as well as the power she has attained. I would like this use this effect of cutting quickly between two shots, during a crescendo to give more emotion and impact to the music video.
