Analysis of Music Videos - (Katy Perry - This is How We Do)

Analysis of MusicVvideos


Katy Perry – This is how we do

Costume:
For most of the video the costumes fro both the main artist and the background characters are very bright and vibrant, this is very similar to the rest of the video that is all very happy and bright, it also is similar to the lyrics as the lyrics are about having a good time and enjoying yourself, so the bright costumes go with the lyrics well.
Katy always has a more vibrant outfit that any of the other characters, in one scene she has a red and black dress compared to the other characters who have black and white dresses on. This makes you want to look at Katy more than any of the other characters.
All of her outfits seem to be very over the top, for example in one scene she is wearing a very bright and short tennis outfit, with extremely high heels on, this makes her as an artist seem more outgoing almost seeming like she is trying to compete with other eccentric artists such as Lady Gaga.
Most of her outfits fit the lyrics that are playing at that time such as when she is wearing a Japanese robe, this matches the lyrics as it is saying ‘getting our nails did all Japanesey’, this makes the video link better to the song more than if the whole video was random like it seems at first glance.


Makeup/hair:
Much like the video the hair and makeup is very bright; Katy throughout the video has bright red lipstick on with lots of bright hair colours. Like with the costumes this goes well with the bright and vibrant video, and the fun and happy song.
However through bits of the video Katy and the background characters have natural looking hair and makeup, in one shot all the characters have 1950’s style hair and hardly any makeup on. This contrasts to the rest of the video, but is also a nice change for the audience watching as it isn’t too overwhelming for them to watch 3 minutes of eccentric makeup and hair.


Positioning:
Throughout the whole video Katy is always center and front of everything else in the shot, any other characters are either behind her or under her, this puts all focus on her while she is lip-syncing. At one point all characters are on podiums, the highest one has Katy on it and the other two are lower down so they are literally underneath her.


Props:
All of the props are very random out of context but do relate to the shot. In one scene there are lots of ping pong balls hanging around, which seems very random but in the scene they are playing ping pong, props like these mainly are used to make the scene more over the top, it also makes the video more fun to watch if it is over the top, compared to if they were only playing ping pong in that scene.

Analysis of Music Videos - (Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me)

A2 Analysis of music video- You belong with me by Taylor Swift

I have decided to analyses a pop genre music video which ‘you belong with me by Taylor Swift. Her music video is narrative type that goes through whole video. There are many different types of shots of her singing that is a key convention in a pop music video. And the genre does goes with the song. The key theme of this music video is about love. And the representation of both men and women is seems equal as there are equal amount of men and women shown.

Narrative/ Camera shots: In the first scene there is an establishing shot where they shot the both houses to give an idea to the audience of the first setting. In some of the starting scenes it changes to the performance based from narrative e.g. when she’s starting however it keeps the story same. There is a narrative as from the start they are both is friendship relationship and the girl is totally involved with the boy so at night they are chatting from their house windows through the writing down their feeling on the pad. And those signs suggest that they must have sort of friendship to start with and it makes audience feels the situation as this happens to lots of teenagers in their ages. Then there is a long shot of a boy as he coming closer to the girl. This shot suggest his feeling towards to her. Then she’s sitting on the bench and the boy comes over to her and sits very closely that shows they are trying to closer. However there comes another girl which attracts the boy and sit on her car but she doesn’t seem very confident about her relationship with him that might shows the audience that very soon it can come to an end. And then the boy and his girlfriend gets into a fight at the sports match and there’s an over shoulder shot to show the boys feeling from the side view. Then the boy goes to party where the main girl meets him and she’s been dressed up like a princess and she’s wearing white that connotes her innocence and when she walks through the crowd, her body language suggest she’s being shy. The boy gets attracted towards the girl and they both comes together closely and at the end they kiss and both seems very happy and audience can see that through an extreme shot of both of them.

Lighting: The lighting they have used throughout the music video is very simple and decent to show the innocence of both artists however whenever they meet each other lighting gets brighter and reflect their faces so they can stand out to the audience. In of the scene where they are siting outside is a natural light that isn’t too bright or too dull to keep the balance between all the shots. If the lighting is dark then probably it wouldn’t go with the genre of pop and the audience would feel down.

Costumes: Till now all of them are wearing very casual outfit to relate themselves to normal teenagers and that what usually teens like to wear.

Editing: This song has lots of cuts in between and each shot is never longer than 3 seconds so to keep the balance of the music. Mostly there are fast cuts to show the sudden excitement to the audience. This song does have fast pace to show the audience of the scene reflecting the pace of song.

Prop/hair and makeup: The main artist not being too much over the top as she has light makeup on and she’s being nerd and wearing baggy clothes as her audience is young girls so her image is very conversed. However she’s still looking attractive whilst not caring about her dress up senses to others. However the boys girlfriend has black hair to connotes a bad girl and dressed in red that connotes of anger and darkness however the blonde girl dressed in white to show the purity.

For pop videos it’s very important that the lyrics go with the video as they both has to relate for a successful product and if doesn’t go than the audience wouldn’t fancy watching it and the artist might not able to make enough money as their videos wouldn’t sell through different music companies such as iTunes.

In start of the scenes from her body language throughout the video audience can see that the way she has dressed in mostly all of the scenes and how she has her makeover, it shows that she is been child-like and shows her innocence. However the boys girlfriend in the scene of where they are wearing school uniform when she comes up to him there is a mid shot of her being flirty to him while the boy speaking to her.

Analysis of Music Videos - (Sam Smith - I'm Not The Only One)

Analysing a music video – Sam Smith – I’m Not The Only One

 The video opens with a handheld establishing shot of a house to show where the story starts, the shot is also very shaky which could mean that the relationship we’re about to see is shaky as well. The colours in the shot are very dull which is odd given that the house looks nice, the desaturation symbolises that the house may be not as lively as it once was which, given the rest of the story, is the case. We do hear the wife say the line “I made you breakfast” but the husband replies that he’s “in a bit of a rush”, this shows that the wife has gone to the effort of making breakfast but the husband doesn’t even thank her for it. During the opening scenes there is nothing but silence and sounds of birds to show that the couple have love for each other and there is a feeling of peace between them.

The first scene between the characters is a kiss and then a smile between the couple which shows that they’re in love, however as soon as the wife leaves the man looks at the mirror and breathes out symbolising he’s about to do something bad such as cheat, this is backed up by the expensive suit that he’s wearing which could be seen as over the top if you’re just going for a drink. The wife see’s off her husband with a wave whilst smiling but as her husband leaves the shot, her smile becomes a more of a face of disgust and hate as she knows what he does when he goes out. Also the music starts with a loud kick drum at this point to show that once the husband has left, the peace between them has gone which emphasises her disgusted look. The first line states “You and me, we made a vow; for better or for worse” to show that when they married they said that they will take care of one another and love each other no matter what happens between them.

The wife then goes into the garden with a glass of drink in her hand, whilst this is happening the husband is entering the bar showing that they both are going for drinks but not together as you’d expect a couple to do, this shows that their love for one another has gone south and they’d rather be alone than together. The colour contrasts between these two scenes as the man is in a very low-key place whereas the woman is wearing white and is in a high-key lighting set, the director does this to show that the woman has done nothing wrong since white is a sign of purity but on the other side the man has done plenty wrong by the low-key lighting which is a sign of bad, this is further backed up by the woman removing her wedding ring since she knows what he does and doesn’t want to be with him anymore. This is further backed up by the lines “I can't believe you let me down; But the proof's in a way it hurts” which shows that she is emotionally hurt by him going out constantly and cheating.

Next the man is shown in a bar with a woman whom he seems to know well as he goes up to her and greets her with a hug and a smile, this is clear that the man is in an affair. Meanwhile the wife is now in a car driving whilst crying because she wants to get away from the thoughts inside the house and just leave, however one quick shot of a ring on her finger symbolises that she is trapped in this loveless relationship, this is backed up by the line earlier which said “I wish this would by over now; But I know that I still need you here” which is to make the viewer feel sad for the wife as she wants to escape but has no one to go to if she did. Both subjects are then shown drinking large quantities of alcohol as they attempt to forget one another which the man is doing easily as he might often be doing this, I think this because the camera hasn’t cut to his ring at all or anything to do with his marriage.

The wife is then shown inside a shop buying lighter fluids and oil and then burning all of the mans belongings to symbolise she has had enough of him going out having an affair which shows she’s known for a while, this is seen in the line “You've been so unavailable; Now sadly I know why” since she knows that he goes out drinking and cheats on her with other women. Her rage is further shown through a scene of her smoking, which could mean she has bad habits that only come when he goes out. Also during this scene the embers from the fire colour her skin orange/red to further emphasise her anger towards him.

She is then seen breaking down even more in the bedroom where the line says, “you say I’m crazy” which shows that she has confronted him before but he has denied it by telling her that she’s “crazy”. The use of fast cuts between shots of her crying and breaking down emphasises that she’s had enough and she is finally going to do something about it. The husband is shown walking home in the dark of the night between shots of her crying which consistently has been showing him in low-key lighting to show he’s the “bad guy” in this story.

The final scene shows the wife and husband hugging in the doorway where the wife clearly knows about him cheating but can’t physically bring herself to leave him as she possibly has no one else or no support to leave him, which throughout the story we know is the case. Throughout this section Sam Smith repeats the words “I know” multiple times just to really emphasise the fact that she completely knows what he does when he goes out, however she can’t bring herself to leave him.

Analysis of Music Videos - (Maroon 5 - One More Night)

Analysing music video

Maroon 5 – One More Night

Camera Angles

Initial close up to show importance to this object – The fish to symbolise their importance of there being two of them.

Mostly medium shots to show how they get on with their daily lives

Close up on some body arts to show the life that he is – tattoos and bandages.

Low angle shot to show the characters importance – He cares a lot about the baby.

More close ups to show the pain he has to go through on a regular basis.

Medium shot to show how they don’t always get along and live separate lives with the baby.

Handheld shots to show that its real life and this is what some people genuinely go through.

Low angle after a fight to show that he is the dominant figure.

A medium shot of them together to show that they are united by the baby.

A medium shot of her which depicts that she feels that she is always left with the baby for him to go off and box.

Close up on fish to show they are very significant.

Wide shot to show all the action and that something big is about to happen.

Mid shots of her to show her side of the story and how she is leaving.

Over the shoulder shot to show the connection these people have over boxing and how it can affect other areas of their lives.

Close up to show his dominance in the scene over the other boxer.

Low angle to show he is victorious and that he has the power

Mid shot to show his character in a different role and how his life has now changed.

Wide shot to his character amongst his new life and how everything has gone.

Close up on bruised face to show that his pain and suffering wasn’t worth it.

Close up on singular fish to depict how its alone just like he now is.

Opening and closing blind phase to show it’s a story.

Lighting

The lighting used throughout the video is typically very bright to show how he has a good life although it becomes faded at times to depict how bad things might happen.

The lighting becomes very dark when he is boxing to first show that it is a scary and gruesome scene but also how it can be seen as a bad thing to do.

The lighting throughout in their home is shown to be a happy place but when he returns it is dark and miserable to show how his life has changed for the worse.

Setting

The setting throughout is only 3 different places which show his daily routine and the life that he lives. This shows that he is quite a closed person and doesn’t  interact with a lot of people. When he’s not at home he’s boxing which indicates that he lives a simple life and just does the same things over and over. The use of a home makes it a friendly atmosphere and an inviting place to be although his life is affected because he is not wanted at home and puts boxing first before her.

Key themes

The key theme of this music video is about love and how these two people have been torn apart by his love of something else. We can see that there is a close connection by the symbol of the baby to show that they have formed a bond because of the baby.  Also the symbol of the two fish shows their relationship in another form and how they are later separated like the fish are. We can also see the theme of loss due to her facial expressions seeming annoyed and frustrated whenever he goes to box. This could also be seen as a  form of jealousy as he doesn’t have enough time for her and only cares about boxing and their child.

Editing

At the beginning and end of the video the screen opens and closes with a blind transition to symbolise the idea that it’s a story and it is the life that some people actually live. Throughout the video the editing shows short clips of around 3 seconds to show parts of the their lives on a regular basis. There is also a faded shot of him behind punch bags which gives an indication that his life is lived behind boxing and not around his family. This then leads to quick editing oh him boxing which conveys that he lives a faster paced life when boxing which might be something he enjoys. When he has what is believed to be his final fight, the editing is a lot slower and in slow motion, this shows its significance as its important to him but also is the reason that he is lost everything when he returns home. There is also cutting back to his partner who is packing her belongings to leave which shows that he is caught in the commotion of fighting without knowing what is happening at home while boxing.

Colours

The colours throughout the video are very bland to show that their lifestyle is very simple and plain. The use of whites and pastel colours show more of a happy side to the story and their relationship. The colours used become a lot bolder and darker near the end of the video to show how their relationship is changing. The use of a black background shows nothingness and how that is what he now has as she has left him.

 Representation

The representation of men and woman in the video is very stereotypical that the man is expected to go out and work whereas the woman is expected to stay at home and be the “trophy wife”.  The woman is expected to cook and clean which is mainly what she does in the video.  Also, the man is expected to be tough and aggressive and stick up for his woman which he does when boxing. It does also go against the typical stereotype as the man is expected to have no emotions but this changes at the end when he is crying because she has left him. This is against the typical stereotype.

Music Website Analysis – (Maroon 5)

Music Website Analysis – Maroon 5’s Website
(http://www.maroon5.com)

The first thing when you enter the website is a big slideshow of advertisements and information from Maroon 5, the first image is about their latest album "V" and tells the viewer that it's on iTunes now available to order. A long with this in the slideshow is a link to tour dates along with merchandise link, this is a good feature on their homepage as fans can instantly get to what they want. At the top right are a list of social media links along with their iTunes, Spotify and Pandora links, these are set out clearly and easily accessible for fans and viewers on  the site. Along with this there are a list of languages the site is available in, these include German and French so that they appeal worldwide. On the top left there is a "sign in" icon where fans can join the site and most likely a mailing list for newsletters, this allows fans to keep up to date with the latest information. Just beneath the header there are a list of links going to different pages of the site such as store, videos and photos, these are here so that fans can enjoy lots of free content from the band and even buy some merchandise or content if they like them that much, or even join the "fan club".

Below this there is a section filled with dates and news about the band such as tour date announcements and new videos about the band, this is very good for fans as it means they can look forward to new content from them. They also use a "#" under one of the pictures saying "#MaroonVTour" so that fans can communicate on Twitter and other social media and raise awareness for the tour. Below this is the footer of the page where they just have a list of their record labels and foundations/charities that they support, this is done so that fans scroll down and may even support the foundations to if they agree with what they do.

Music Website Analysis – (Justin Bieber)

Music Website Analysis – Justin Bieber's Website

(http://www.justinbiebermusic.com/)

As soon as you go on the website you see a slideshow of pictures and advertisements as the main thing on the screen, this includes a date for his latest album release, along with videos for his newest songs and links to his shop for merchandise. Similar to Ed Sheeran's site he uses a "#" when talking about his latest album release to get people on social media talking about it, this therefore brings more fans and more revenue. Top right of the homepage are links to all of his social media pages along with a "follow" button for his spotify to hear his latest music for free. Also at the top there is a "sign in" and on the other side a "sign up" button which allow users to make an account and get the latest news and information instantly through emails. Just under his name at the top are a selection of links which go to all sorts of different things that fans may want to see, along with this there is a "fan art" section to show fans that Justin does appreciate things sent in and sent to him on twitter, doing this is good to keep a nice relationship with your fans.

Just under the slideshow is a section which gives all the latest news from Justin along with tour dates and album dates, this is done so that fans don't have to go searching for them but instead just have to go on his website to find out. The "read more" buttons are a much bolder colour than anything else and bigger to entice readers into finding out more about the information, this is done to get fans who aren't that engrossed to become bigger fans through learning about him. Below this section there are sections for music, videos and photos which are easily accessible to any fan who may come on the site. After all of this there is a section where viewers can join the newsletter and keep up to date, this is a form where you can put your email and postcode to get news regularly about him. The artist wants this as the fan will then go and talk about him with their friends meaning more people will know about him, this therefore brings him more revenue. 

Music Website Analysis – (Ed Sheeran)

Music Website Analysis – Ed Sheeran’s Website

(http://www.edsheeran.com/)

When you first click on the link it will take you to the "Jumpers for Goalposts" splash page, this is a film coming out soon which will feature video of his latest tour for his new album "X" at the Wembley Stadium. On this page there is a big button which reads "more info", this is the boldest thing on the page as it is there to entice people to click and find out about it and the hopefully book tickets. At the bottom of this page it also says "Join the conversation: #edsheeranmovie", this has been done to raise awareness across social media and especially twitter. Raising awareness for a new album, or film in this case, is key when you want to make as many sales as possible.

Right away as soon as you enter the site you see the artists name in a bold font and a contrasting colour from the background, this is done right away to make the viewer know that they’re on the correct page. Right in the center of the page is a YouTube video with a playlist attached entitled “Ed’s Videos” which contains a lot of his latest and best songs along with other interesting videos he has created, this is here so that fans will be able to go on the site and see the latest videos from him first. On the top right there are a collection of flags, which change the language of the site, this shows that he is an artists who aims to appeal to audiences worldwide.

Below this there is an advert for his latest album “X”, this also has a review next to it saying “Album of the year” in full caps and a very contrasting colour from the background green, this has been done to really advertise and show off his album to site users. His album is further shown below the advert with a “store” section where you can buy individual MP3 files of his songs, or just the whole album. This is done so that fans can easily find where to buy the album, it’s also cheap advertising as it’s on his own website so viewers of the site will be interested. Also on the left he features a black box which allows users to sign up to the “official mailing list” and receive a free EP, this allows new fans to get free songs from him and become bigger fans through knowing more songs.

Next to the store in the center is both Ed’s latest tweets and news from him for fans, this is good since it keeps fans up to date with what he’s doing. Fans enjoy interacting with their favourite artists as it makes them feel noticed by them; this is a big plus point if you want to maintain a healthy relationship with your audience.  The latest news allows fans to know when new tours are happening, but also allows them to possibly even go to secret gigs where the artist will, on one random night, make a spontaneous concert and invite fans down and usually won’t charge them for it. On Ed’s site, for example, he is advertising his latest tour lots on the front page through the news section and videos.