Video Techniques and Influences

I am going to research different existing music videos which have a narrative about relationships going wrong. The reason I am doing this is because I feel like it will help me in preparation for making my music videos and inspiring me with different ideas for it. I am going to take screen shots of parts of the videos that I like and could possibly incorporate into my own product.

Rihanna and Eminem – Love the Way You Lie

I looked at this video as it was the first one I thought of when thinking of a music video about broken relationships. This video is very abrupt and goes straight into the bad side of the relationship and all the arguments. I liked how the close up shot of Rihanna was used as it portrays her emotions, which will be a good technique to use within my own product. Also, Eminem features within this music video and I liked the low angle mid shot of him in the field. As I hope to film some part of my video in an empty field or natural place, I could use this shot as inspiration when filming.

Adele – Rolling in the Deep

This music video from Adele is very performance and abstract based. Adele is sat in a chair throughout the whole performance while objects in the video are shown. She has used objects in the video to portray how she is feeling. For example: the cups of water all in a row signify her tears and how much she has cried over it. The performer in the middle of the screen (above) is stood still until the song gets more upbeat and they start to swing the sword around, creating a mess with the substance on the floor. Finally, the broken plates in the other shot portray how angry she is feeling about the whole thing. This is a clever way of portraying feelings throughout a video and I think it is a good idea to possibly use in my own.

Jordin Sparks – Battlefield

This video from Jordin Sparks speaks about how love is difficult sometimes as it is ‘like a battlefield’ which suggests to us the protagonist and her partner argue a lot. I really like the shots in this music video as it begins with a close up shot of Jordin singing, which immediately shows her emotions. The rest of the video switches between this and her walking around in some smoke. I feel this is a nice effect as it portrays the ‘battle’ she is going through at the moment. The smoke fits in with the ideology of the song. The red smoke signifies anger and she is in the middle of it. I really like the smoke effects and it is a possible feature I could use within my own video.

Beyoncé – Broken-Hearted Girl

This is the music video for Broken-Hearted Girl. This full video is in black and white and I feel like this is a really good feature to use within a sad video like this as it portrays the emotion. Also, within the video she uses films which are like flashbacks which I would really like to include in my video as I think it’s a really nice feature to a video like this. Some effects are used within the video which I also like that could be used in my video. One main effect is the scenes fading into one another which I really want to use in my video.

Katy Perry – Thinking of You

I really like the techniques used in this video as I think it fits in a lot with the type of video I am doing. A few of the videos I have looked at have used flashbacks of the happy moments and old pictures of the lover(s). I think this is a good feature and I am going to use this within my video because I think it will mix up the narrative/performance so that it isn’t just focused purely on performance side. The point of view shot of the picture she is holding in her hands is something I am possibly going to start my video off with as I feel it is a good starting point. There is also a scene where she is seen looking out the window at the memory of her happy past. I think this is also a good use and could be something to include in my video if possible.

Demi Lovato – Give Your Heart a Break

Again, this video is quite similar to the Katy Perry video in terms of using photos to look at. I feel this is a very used feature in music videos about break ups and this is why I think it would work well with my own video. Also, it is very relatable so people could connect with my music video. Also, it features shots of Demi walking down the street singing. This is an idea I had in mind to feature in my own video as part of the performance because I wanted to have a variety of locations used. Also, the argument starts on the phone which I think could work well in my music video as some of the lyrics talk about calling his lover up.

Christina Perri – Jar of Hearts

I really like the way the video starts as immediately you are drawn into the performance with a medium close up shot. I also really like the drained colours as I think it matches the emotion of the song really well. I also really like the use of editing in this video as during the video it slowly fades into a shot with a jar which is placed near her heart, hence the title ‘Jar of Hearts’. I really like how this is done and I think this effect is something I can incorporate into my own video.

The Script - Breakeven

As this is a male singer, this is something that looks very similar to how I have imagined my video. The first shot features the protagonist(singer) walking in an industrial area as he performs. I like this as it is easy for me to do as I can easily access areas like this. Another shot I like is him in front of a black background singing. I really like this as it is simple but makes you focus more on him performing than anything else. Also, this video has the recurring theme of looking at photos/videos in a point of view shot. I like this as it is in colour, reminding us of the happy times rather than the present day in which he is now, hence why the video is in black and white because he is unhappy.

Rihanna – We Found Love

This music video is focusing more on the happiness of a relationship. The video focuses many clips of the couple together having fun and this alternates between them and Rihanna performing. I like the projector that is used within the performance as I like the effect it creates. Also, the projection used is similar to the narrative as they are in a car at one point. This is a possible technique I could use in my video to possibly portray the happy times of my protagonist and his partner while he is performing.

Sam Smith – Leave Your Lover

This video is quite similar to the idea behind mind as it is the guy wanting the lover but the lover doesn’t want him. I like how this video involves 3 people and the narrative alternates between that and a performance. The narrative is following the 3 people around having a good time around the town but he is jealous of the both. I really like the performance shots as I think the lighting has worked really well and it fits in with the atmosphere of the shot. Also, I was thinking of having my performance scene outside so this could be my inspiration for this. A lot of medium shots are used in the video to show the emotions and also body language towards the situation.