Music Video Analysis
MUSIC TO WATCH BOYS TO
As we have chosen to base our music video on videos made by Lana Del Rey, I am going to analyse some in order to choose some elements to incorporate into my own music video.
The video opens with an establishing shot of very blue water, and there is a crossfade of two girls underwater who appear as if they are about to kiss. The use of the water reflects the sound of the song at this point, with a lot of reverb and echo (referred to in music as a 'wet' sound) being added to her voice to give the impression of rolling waves. The lighting is high key, which could imply that although she is underwater implying that she has secrets, she has nothing to hide. The image of her beneath the surface maybe suggests that she us lurking there like a predator (i.e. a shark, or an alligator) because of the theme of the music video itself. She is watching boys, unseen by them. The sexuality of the two girls in the opening shot is negatively represented because the lyrics paired with the visuals imply that rather than it being love they are 'putting on a show' for the boys that they are supposedly watching.
Next is a slow wideshot zoom of a neon sign that flickers on. The use of the colour pink connotes romance and femininity (linking back to the two girls at the start), and the use of neon lights is reminiscent of nightlife and partying which are common lyrical themes in Lana Del Rey songs. The mise en scene is lluscious greenery and looks tropical, suggesting that it is set in summertime, perhaps somewhere on holiday, which again links to the theme of partying.
This then fades into a wide shot of Lana lounging on a chair, presumably in the same space as the sign however there is a black and white filter over the video. The use of this filter creates a feeling of timelessness but also creates a moody tone, fitting with her 'Hollywood Glamour' aesthetic. Next is a close up of an old video camera, again including vintage items in order to create a classic feel, a popular convention of indie music. The lighting is very lowkey, implying that she is hiding from sight (matching the overall tone and lyrics of the song) and that she has secrets she is keeping to herself. She is prominently in the centre of the frame, drawing all focus to her and again putting her in a position of power in the viewer's eyes. Her costume connotes glamour and opulence as she is lounging in what is presumably silk, and the props in the shot such as as a table of flowers and her alcoholic drink imply that she is quite rich and high-up.
The next shot is a two-shot of the same two girls, holding hands and looking provocatively into the camera, which is transitioned to with a cut in time with the percussive castanets sound in the song, annother convention of music videos. Their direct eye contact connotes power and strength, as usually females are passive in front of the camera (looking away) and males are more dominant (looking into the camera). This reversal of roles shows powerful women and is positive female representation. However, as this video plays in the background of Lana's wide shot, coupled with the title and theme of the song, it also indicates that perhaps these women are being objectified. They are also featured in the Freak music video by Lana from the same album.
The next wideshot is of flamingos flying across a beach. This follows the convention that the music video follows the lyrics as the lyrics that are sung over this footage is 'pink flamingos always fascinated me'. The colour pink is again prominent, both in the lyrics and colour palette, and this colour is important because most of the video is filtered black and white. The pink connotes femininity and gentleness again, implying that this song is heavily dominated by females and that women have a lot of power here.
The next shot is of an old film projector, another close up in black and white to add mystery and again the element of 'retro-ness' popular in indie music videos. Her old style is very recognisable, including old vintage clips in all of her music videos (even the more professionally shot ones), hence her cutting back to more old footage of pink flamingos. This is followed by a close up of her face, again in black and white, which is another convention of music videos. according to Goodwin's theory. The close up shows her passive facial expression, adding mystery to her persona as she does not reveal her true emotions. Her makeup is sparkly and ethereal, creating a feeling of mystery and magic, which is continued throughout the video.
The next lyrics 'I know what only the girls know' is coupled with a return to the underwater girls, with another one added. They are all again staring into the camera, implying that they know something the viewer doesn't. The camera spins around them as the girls spin in the opposite direction, creating a feeling of disorientation and confusion. The girls are meant to be hypnotic and alluring, made evident by their non-passive attitude towards the camera, a positive representation of women as again it puts them in a position of power.
The next shot is a return to the close up of her face, however this time she is lip-syncing (another convention of indie music videos). There is another crossfade to a shot of a boy on the beach, giving the impression that she is watching him, again linking with Goodwin's theory that the narrative follows the lyrics. He is in silhouette, black and white with low-key lighting, again adding an air of mystery to the video.
There are several wideshots and close ups of boys playing basketball before the camera returns to Lana in the original setting, putting on headphones in time with the lyrics 'putting on my music while I'm watching the boys'. In the background, footage of more silhouetted boys against a chain link fence plays, implying again that she is secretly watching them from her 'hideout'. There is a slow zoom out to reveal two spinning gramophones beside her (fitting with the vintage aesthetic but also adding an ethereal quality to the footage). The chorus is intercut with footage of the boys playing basketball, objectifying them with closeups of their bodies.
There are then more closeups of her face, much tighter than the previous ones, in which she lip syncs to the song. The headphones that she's wearing again contribute to the ethereal feeling of the music video, as if she is a forest fairy. This time she is looking directly into the camera, challenging the viewer to judge her for her voyeurism, and her smile is again as if she knows something we don't.
The next shot is a wide shot with lana on the right of the screen which fades into another wide shot with her standing on the left. For a moment it appears as if there are two of her, again adding to the surreal feeling of the music video. She is holding a phallic-shaped flower, again implying her power and control over men. The background is entirely black ensuring that she is the audience's main focus, and again she looks directly into the camera instead of passively looking away like in the beginning. She reveals more about herself with her facial expressions to the viewer than she did at the start in order to interest the viewer.
From this analysis, I have learnt that the black and white filter can be used effectively when filming a music video even though it is a convention of the indie genre. It doesn't always convey a sad tone, and we can subvert this part of the convention so that our music video is still recogniseable as an indie video but is unique. I have also learnt that by using an object to signify something (like the presence of flowers in this music video) I can create subtle semiotic meanings and a visual motif that links the narrative of our video.
As we have chosen to base our music video on videos made by Lana Del Rey, I am going to analyse some in order to choose some elements to incorporate into my own music video.
The video opens with an establishing shot of very blue water, and there is a crossfade of two girls underwater who appear as if they are about to kiss. The use of the water reflects the sound of the song at this point, with a lot of reverb and echo (referred to in music as a 'wet' sound) being added to her voice to give the impression of rolling waves. The lighting is high key, which could imply that although she is underwater implying that she has secrets, she has nothing to hide. The image of her beneath the surface maybe suggests that she us lurking there like a predator (i.e. a shark, or an alligator) because of the theme of the music video itself. She is watching boys, unseen by them. The sexuality of the two girls in the opening shot is negatively represented because the lyrics paired with the visuals imply that rather than it being love they are 'putting on a show' for the boys that they are supposedly watching.
Next is a slow wideshot zoom of a neon sign that flickers on. The use of the colour pink connotes romance and femininity (linking back to the two girls at the start), and the use of neon lights is reminiscent of nightlife and partying which are common lyrical themes in Lana Del Rey songs. The mise en scene is lluscious greenery and looks tropical, suggesting that it is set in summertime, perhaps somewhere on holiday, which again links to the theme of partying.
This then fades into a wide shot of Lana lounging on a chair, presumably in the same space as the sign however there is a black and white filter over the video. The use of this filter creates a feeling of timelessness but also creates a moody tone, fitting with her 'Hollywood Glamour' aesthetic. Next is a close up of an old video camera, again including vintage items in order to create a classic feel, a popular convention of indie music. The lighting is very lowkey, implying that she is hiding from sight (matching the overall tone and lyrics of the song) and that she has secrets she is keeping to herself. She is prominently in the centre of the frame, drawing all focus to her and again putting her in a position of power in the viewer's eyes. Her costume connotes glamour and opulence as she is lounging in what is presumably silk, and the props in the shot such as as a table of flowers and her alcoholic drink imply that she is quite rich and high-up.
The next shot is a two-shot of the same two girls, holding hands and looking provocatively into the camera, which is transitioned to with a cut in time with the percussive castanets sound in the song, annother convention of music videos. Their direct eye contact connotes power and strength, as usually females are passive in front of the camera (looking away) and males are more dominant (looking into the camera). This reversal of roles shows powerful women and is positive female representation. However, as this video plays in the background of Lana's wide shot, coupled with the title and theme of the song, it also indicates that perhaps these women are being objectified. They are also featured in the Freak music video by Lana from the same album.
The next wideshot is of flamingos flying across a beach. This follows the convention that the music video follows the lyrics as the lyrics that are sung over this footage is 'pink flamingos always fascinated me'. The colour pink is again prominent, both in the lyrics and colour palette, and this colour is important because most of the video is filtered black and white. The pink connotes femininity and gentleness again, implying that this song is heavily dominated by females and that women have a lot of power here.
The next shot is of an old film projector, another close up in black and white to add mystery and again the element of 'retro-ness' popular in indie music videos. Her old style is very recognisable, including old vintage clips in all of her music videos (even the more professionally shot ones), hence her cutting back to more old footage of pink flamingos. This is followed by a close up of her face, again in black and white, which is another convention of music videos. according to Goodwin's theory. The close up shows her passive facial expression, adding mystery to her persona as she does not reveal her true emotions. Her makeup is sparkly and ethereal, creating a feeling of mystery and magic, which is continued throughout the video.
The next lyrics 'I know what only the girls know' is coupled with a return to the underwater girls, with another one added. They are all again staring into the camera, implying that they know something the viewer doesn't. The camera spins around them as the girls spin in the opposite direction, creating a feeling of disorientation and confusion. The girls are meant to be hypnotic and alluring, made evident by their non-passive attitude towards the camera, a positive representation of women as again it puts them in a position of power.
The next shot is a return to the close up of her face, however this time she is lip-syncing (another convention of indie music videos). There is another crossfade to a shot of a boy on the beach, giving the impression that she is watching him, again linking with Goodwin's theory that the narrative follows the lyrics. He is in silhouette, black and white with low-key lighting, again adding an air of mystery to the video.
There are several wideshots and close ups of boys playing basketball before the camera returns to Lana in the original setting, putting on headphones in time with the lyrics 'putting on my music while I'm watching the boys'. In the background, footage of more silhouetted boys against a chain link fence plays, implying again that she is secretly watching them from her 'hideout'. There is a slow zoom out to reveal two spinning gramophones beside her (fitting with the vintage aesthetic but also adding an ethereal quality to the footage). The chorus is intercut with footage of the boys playing basketball, objectifying them with closeups of their bodies.
There are then more closeups of her face, much tighter than the previous ones, in which she lip syncs to the song. The headphones that she's wearing again contribute to the ethereal feeling of the music video, as if she is a forest fairy. This time she is looking directly into the camera, challenging the viewer to judge her for her voyeurism, and her smile is again as if she knows something we don't.
The next shot is a wide shot with lana on the right of the screen which fades into another wide shot with her standing on the left. For a moment it appears as if there are two of her, again adding to the surreal feeling of the music video. She is holding a phallic-shaped flower, again implying her power and control over men. The background is entirely black ensuring that she is the audience's main focus, and again she looks directly into the camera instead of passively looking away like in the beginning. She reveals more about herself with her facial expressions to the viewer than she did at the start in order to interest the viewer.
From this analysis, I have learnt that the black and white filter can be used effectively when filming a music video even though it is a convention of the indie genre. It doesn't always convey a sad tone, and we can subvert this part of the convention so that our music video is still recogniseable as an indie video but is unique. I have also learnt that by using an object to signify something (like the presence of flowers in this music video) I can create subtle semiotic meanings and a visual motif that links the narrative of our video.
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