Analysis of similar videos

1.     Saviour Complex – Phoebe Bridgers

This music video is very cinematic. It features many long shots and close ups, and less mid-range shots. The video starts with a close up of the dog in the video, and an establishing shot of the beach location. The music video also features a title card, all before the song begins. The video features fairly rapid editing, which keeps the narrative moving as there isn’t much going on in the video. The narrative follows the journey of a man trying to out run a dog who is following him, and the narrative and performative elements are very balanced, as the narrative requires the performance to work.  The location moves from the beach to a more grassy and hilly location. The video is entirely shot in black and white. The video is entirely narrative focused and doesn’t feature much lip-synching, only a few seconds about 3 mins in, in a shot featuring the artist. The shots generally last about 3 seconds each, with the long, establishing shots lasting longer – to about 5 or 6 seconds a shot.  The shots are also generally all mid-shots, which helps the video feel high quality

 

2.     John Wayne – Lady Gaga

This video is very colourful and saturated. The editing is very rapid, and this matches the pace of the song. The shots don’t last very long, mostly lasting only a few seconds before changing, and most shots are mid-shots that are focused upon people rather than having any long/establishing shots of locations. During moments of choreography, the camera stabilises in a long shot, and these shots last about 5 seconds, so that the audience can take in the dancing. The video also has some song lyrics that appear over the action of the video- which is something that I’d like to incorporate into my video. The mis-en-scene is very deliberate: to draw attention to the artist; and to reference John Wayne through the cowboy themed costumes. The video is mostly performance, with no real overarching narrative. The video features bright, neon lights that contrast against the night setting.  

Wallows - Quarterback 

This video features rapid editing that fits with the happy feel of the song. It has a colourful filter over the shots, as well as being shots through a fisheye lens - which helps the video match the indie feel of the band. This is an element that I would like to replicated within my video. The music video doesn't have much overarching narrative, and instead focuses on the artist's performances and the lip-synching. The video feels almost home-made in how its been shot, and this doesn't feel to of place with the band's popularity. There is always a lot going on in the shots, and all of the members are seen in most of the shots. The video takes place over a multitude of locations, and the transitions between these shots are always hard cuts. The shots are all short, generally being about 2 seconds each, and this makes the video feel very happy, and makes it match the song lyrically.