A good student music video should have the highest standards of each area involved in making a music video such as contents and construction. a good student music video should include a variety of elements from the different areas such as narrative and editing. A good student music video includes a strong narrative that relates to or tells a story from the lyrics, the narrative has to give the song meaning and therefore make it appeal to target audiences. Student music videos need to ensure that the video matches the genre of the song and that they appeal to the correct target audience for the songs genre. As well as narrative, sections of live performance and thematic and symbolic concepts should be involved to make sure a student music video is good.
In terms of construction, a controlled use of the camera with a detailed attention to framing and a mixture of shot sizes and types should also be included to make a good top mark student music video. Editing of the music video should use a selection of effects and shot transitions appropriate to the music video, the song and their genres. Editing should be used to help the narrative flow smoothly and create a meaning that is apparent to the audience. All construction techniques and elements should be high quality and professional such as the stability of the camera and the clarity of the sound and recording.
An example of a good student music video is as below:
Student Music Video Analysis
The student music video I have chosen to analysis is of
Labrinth’s Express Yourself. There are quite a few elements of this music video
that I think are good including the narrative and the editing. The narrative
for this music video is clear and simple and is portrayed well throughout the
music video as well as linking to the lyrics. The editing in this music video
is also very good and I especially like the use of the silhouette with the
coloured background as it fits with the genre of the song and music video and
is also a good way to highlight the lip syncing which for most of the video
matched perfectly with the song. Lots of cuts used within the video also helped
to make the lip-syncing good as they were only short sections of lip syncing
and therefore there was not much time to spot if it was out of sync before it
changed to another shot. The editing in this student music video was also very
good at the times when the boy and the man disappeared mid shot as although it
was cheesy, it did look professional and worked with genre of the song. The music
video matches with both the lyrics of the song as well as the music, with the
cuts and transitions being made to the beat. The dancing towards the end of the
music video was also good as it was to the beat and was an appropriate style
for the song although some dancers didn’t look very professional or excited.
At the start of the music video, the camera was a bit shaky
and the quality of the video throughout was not very clear and therefore did
not bring it up to the standards of a real music video. Towards the end of the music
video the camera again lost quality and began to look more like a student video.
Even though the quality was not very good, the angles used and the different
shots used in the dance sequence made it look upbeat and fun therefore making
it fit with the genre.
Genre The genres for this music video are pop and dance whilst the
genre or the artist is pop.There is a
typical narrative for this video as it tells the story of a man who isn't very
confident and doesn't get noticed by people being helped to gain more confidence
by another man who plays the character of his guardian/genie. A clear and
obvious narrative is something that is expected within most pop music videos as
they help to tell the story within the song and lyrics.Something unexpected within this music video
is the two men disappearing throughout the video whilst in shot as it’s not
something that relates to the lyrics specifically and is not very realistic. There
are not any intertextual references that I can see in the music video.
Narrative The
narrative in this music video is a cheesy storyline of a man who isn't very confident and doesn't get noticed by people being helped to gain more confidence by another man who plays the character of his guardian/genie. There
is a recognisable structure in the music video as it shows 4 out of the 5
stages of Todorov theory of equilibrium. The
music video starts on the second stage of todorov’s theory meaning there is a
disruption that is causing a lack of equilibrium this is shown when we see the boy screwing up his diary entry and throwing it out of the window this show his struggle. The
next stage in this theory is the recognition of the disruption the part of the
music video that could relate to this stage is when the man in the park finds the boys diary entry scrunched up on the floor and turns up at his door. The
fourth stage of todorovs theory is an attempt to repair the disruption this
stage occurs in the music video this can be seen when the two men go shopping in order to make the boy feel more confident and more like himself. The
final stage is the reinstatement of equilibrium this happens in the middle of the music video and onwards when we see the boy dancing and having fun suggesting he is more confident and can now "express" himself. some recognisable characters could be seen in this music video as the man in the white suit could be viewed as the hero whilst the other boy is viewed more as the victim/ damsel in distress type character. The music video for this song can be seen as reflecting some of the lyrics within the song because in the video the artist sings the line " I don't make the papers" as he is handed a paper. Also, when the chorus of the song occurs, people are seen dancing, which is sometimes viewed as a way of expressing yourself which links with the song title as well as the lyrics in the chorus. Representation There
aren’t really any specific issues of representation that I can see within this music video. The
artists for this music video have not been presented as celebrities and are
instead playing characters. Although towards the end of the video the artist seems to come away from the narrative and is the main focus in the narrative as well as on the screen suggesting that he is important but not quite of celebrity status. Visual/ Technical Codes There
are a couple of different settings in this music video including a bedroom, a park, a street, a shop and a tunnel. All of the settings for this music video are very modern and therefore suggest that the video is set in the present. There are a lot of bright colours used within this music video such as yellow and bright blue which have connotations of happiness that match the generic conventions found in a pop music video. There is no iconography or typography within this video
Audience
I would say the
target audience for this video is both male and female teens with the demographic of
D/E. The video has the similar aged characters which
then attracts the same type of audience because audiences can relate more to
people of the same of similar age. Also along with the pop genre which is aimed more at mainstream audiences,
the young characters seen having fun at the end of the video are used in order
to attract the same type of audience. Institution There is only one reference to the institution within this music video, this is at the start before the music video has started. A black screen at the start of the music video appears, detailing the song title, artist and record company for the single. Apart from this, the record label is not mentioned or included throughout the music video.
The image below is a brief analysis of 3 different music videos, carried out in order to give me an idea of what different genres of music videos include and therefore allow me to have an understanding of the way a music video looks for different genres to help when planning our own music video. A brief analysis of these different genres of music video also helps me to identify any generic conventions that we may incorporate when creating our own music video. To analyse these music videos , I watched them a couple of times each looking for the key elements titled in the graph below and picking out everything of relevance.
Below is the finished version of our group music video remake of Britney spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time. Completing this task has allowed use to gain an understanding of the time and effort needed for filming music videos in general as well as specific elements such as lip syncing. Carrying out this remake task helped us to get experience on what is involved in a music video and how different elements need to filmed and edited ready for when we create and film our own music video. The remake allowed us to see how elements like lip syncing and continuity when editing are important within a music video and how to bring our music video up to the highest standard.
In order to prepare for our Britney remake, we had to create a story board and shot list for our section of the video. This is a task we will have to carry out for the full length of our own music video when we make it. The storyboard and shot list are made to make filming easier as it is a guide as to where the camera should be and when as well as what should be seen in shot, what each shot involves and the lengths of each shot.
Music Video analysis according to
Andrew Goodwin 7 codes and convention theory
Carrying out this analysis will help with our own music video as it will allow me to see real life examples of these codes and convention which I can then use to show what each convention means and for inspiration. Analysing a music video that has these conventions will help me to understand how we can incorporate them into our music video.
Single ladies- Beyoncé
The first of Andrew Goodwin’s 7 codes and conventions is that the music video displays certain genre characteristics such as throwing signs in hip-hop videos or stage performances for heavy rock videos. Beyoncé’s single Ladies is described as an R&B dance pop genre and shows the characteristics expected from this genre as the video consists of a constant dance routine performed by the artist and her two back up dancers.
The second element of Goodwin’s theory is that there is always a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This convention is shown quite clearly in the music video for Single Ladies when lines such as “If you like put a ring on it” are accompanied by Beyoncé and the backing dancers pointing to their hand /finger. Over lines such as “now put your hands up” are matched to the visuals when the artist and dancers put both arms up in the air.
Similar to the previous element, the third convention of this theory says that there is always a relationship between the music and the visuals. Beyoncé’s music video meets this convention as the dance routine fits to the beat
The next convention in Goodwin’s theory is the demands of the record label such as needing lots of close ups of the artist. Although there are some close ups of Beyoncé throughout the music video there aren’t as many as would be expected. However, there may not be loads of close ups, but Beyoncé is in the video the whole time and is always in the centre in-between the backing dancers giving her a sense of importance. The music video also ends in a close up of the artist.
Motifs or iconography specific to the artist is the next element in this theory. Although this does not apply to every single released by Beyoncé there is a regular motif that appears in many of her music videos from the I am… Sasha Fierce album which is that the music videos for Single ladies, Diva, If I were a boy, Ego and Broken-Hearted Girl were all filmed in black and white. Also in both the Single ladies, Diva, Sweet Dreams and Ego music videos, Beyoncé is accompanied by two back up dancers. These can be seen as motifs specific to the artist and that particular album as a pose to every single released.
The final two codes in this theory can’t be found in this music video as there are no screens within screens or intertextual references to film or television. However not every code and convention has to be present in the one music video to back up Goodwin’s theory.
Music Videos: Andrew Goodwin- codes and conventions of music videos
In 1992 Andrew Goodwin published a book called “Dancing in the Distraction Factory” in which he came up with 7 codes and conventions that are common in music videos. These 7 codes and conventions are
1. Music videos demonstrate certain genre characteristics
For example - Dance routines for girl/ boy bands
- Stage performance for heavy rock music
- Throwing signs in Hip-hop videos
2. There is always a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals
- Visuals can illustrate the lyrics
- Visuals can contradict the lyrics
3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals
- Dance routines are cut to the beat
- Often illustrative but could amplify or contradict the lyrics
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist
5. Motifs of iconography is often used that is specific to the artist/s
6. The is frequent notion to the reference of looking, i.e. screens within screens
7. Lots of intertextual references
- Mostly to film, television and/ or pop culture
The use of Goodwin's theory will help with our own music video as it gives us a guide of what we should include in our music video in order to make it as close as industry standard music videos. Examples that I have used when detailing the elements in this theory will also help as they can be used to give inspiration when designing the concept of our music video.
A good student music video should have the highest standards of each area involved in making a music video such as contents and construction. a good student music video should include a variety of elements from the different areas such as narrative and editing. A good student music video includes a strong narrative that relates to or tells a story from the lyrics, the narrative has to give the song meaning and therefore make it appeal to target audiences. Student music videos need to ensure that the video matches the genre of the song and that they appeal to the correct target audience for the songs genre. As well as narrative, sections of live performance and thematic and symbolic concepts should be involved to make sure a student music video is good. 
In terms of construction, a controlled use of the camera with a detailed attention to framing and a mixture of shot sizes and types should also be included to make a good top mark student music video. Editing of the music video should use a selection of effects and shot transitions appropriate to the music video, the song and their genres. Editing should be used to help the narrative flow smoothly and create a meaning that is apparent to the audience. All construction techniques and elements should be high quality and professional such as the stability of the camera and the clarity of the sound and recording. 
