Calvin Harris- Sweet Nothing

This is another music video that I really like, its by Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welsh, while both are featured in the video Florence and another man are the central focus. I like this video because of the narrative involved and how you can feel the emotions through the acting. I keep watching it because of the narrative, and because I want to find out about the realtionships between the character. At the beginning of the music video there are several enigmas created, the first being who is the girl and how is she related to the guy, and why does that guy get beaten up? The music video has used lots of different techniques, the first one is the editing, they have used the Kuleshov effect to show that Florence and the other man are linked by displaying clips after one another, and also there actions almost mirror one another at the beginning for example at "1.55" she spins round as he gets beaten up. I really like this matching of movement and thing it works well in the music video, this is something I would like to do in my music video. All the actors performances are
also very good and you feel involved in the plot. The camera angle has also been used to create effect, there are high angle shots on Florence showing that she is weak in comparison to the man. Closeups are also used on her to show her emotion and her relationship with the audience while she is performing. These shots are the first time that we she her face, this suggests that she is only comfortable expressing her feelings on the stage. Another technique used is the colorization and lighting, the girl is in a dim red and gold room, the red connotes love and the gold suggests wealth however, the room looks less the lavish and looks cheap, the dim lighting also suggests its not a happy place. The scenes with the man also are dark and blue suggesting sadness, and setting the tone of the video. In this particular music video she doesn't always sing the lyrics, this allows you to watch her emotions, I think that this works well and it also means that when she does sing you can highlight certain lyrics that are important. One of the things I also liked was the narrative bit and the beggining of the music video, although I would avoid lots of dialogue in this bit, as I couldn't hear what they were saying.

Beyonce- Countdown

The video I am analyzing is by Beyonce, perfoming Countdown, the genre of the music is R & B  I like this music video becasue it is very vibrant and fun. The interesting use of multi screens are something that we could do, each one has a different color eyeshadow, backdrop and costume. This change keeps the music video fun. The music video cuts to the beat and also some of the lyrics are amplified with dance movements or hand gestures, for example for the numbers Beyonce uses her fingers to demonstrate them for example at "0.35" with "Still the one I do this for"  these have been highlighted because the name of the song is "Countdown" and these gestures tie into the theme. The performance by Beyonce makes the music video good and keeps it upbeat as her performance is lively.  There are several close ups of Beyonce as-well as a mix of other shots such as long shots, medium shots, and medium close ups. The close ups help show that the music video is about her and helps to sell her. The image of Beyonce is different to what it would normally be, she is still made to look attractive, and is shown to be a sex symbol for example in one of the scenes she is wearing a large shirt and underwear, and displays her bra strap, and towards the end of the video she is wearing a sparkly dress and looking glamorous, but her overall image in this music video is more maternal which is illustrated through the shot of her belly at "0.36" and by showing her in more covered up clothing. There are several references to different eras such as the 60s and 80s in the music video, but there is also the new image of Beyonce as a mother and wife. This difference could be used to suggest old and new. The music video is also largely performance based.

Bloc Party- Ratchet

The music video I am analyzing is Rachet by Bloc Party, the genre of the music is Indie Rock. The music video has been directed by Cyriak.
I really like this music video because of how different it is, and I keep watching it because of some of the interesting techniques they have used in editing, I really like the faces being altered with the multiscreen like effect. The effect has also been matched with the beat, which works really well in the music video because it matches perfectly to the audio. The instrumental bits have also been illustrated in the video for example at 2.07, again this shows the realtionship between the music and the visuals. The content in the video is of the band playing the song, what makes it intresting is the different locations and editing. I think for this kind of song no narrative is needed and I think that what they have done works well. One of the most important things I noticed in my music video research is the lip syncing, even when as in this video there is moving screens. Another thing is making sure that the visuals match to the audio, this is the central part of any music video. This music video is a mix of concept based and performance based.

Everything Everything- Cough Cough

This videos is one of my favorites, I think one of  best things about it is the faced paced editing that matches with the beat of the song as it links the two together perfectly. I also like the theme of oil in the video, the oils journey to the band members is a central part of the video and I think it is very cleverly done. I also think you keep watching to see where the oil is going, the faced paced editing helps in also keeping you interested. The techniques they have used are things that we could use in our own music video, the slowing down of the footage when they are at the drums displays the performance well as does the camera with its different angles as this displays all the band members, I also really like the black and white into color effect at each chorus, and I think that it is very effective in showing some of the emotion of the song as it is so vivid and bold and comes from nowhere. Another technique we could use is the mirror camera effect where they have taken a section of the face and mirrored it, I think this would be realistic in what we could do and works really well.Another technique they used was the text on the screen, this could for parts of the song that really stand out to emphasize them, or lyrics that are particularly poignant to the song, for example the track name "cough cough". From this video I've also learn that it can be important to have lots of different settings or shots, for example there is one of the band together, then several of the oil (its origin and journey), one of the lead singer with stripes on his face etc. This keeps a music video visually interesting.  

Lana del Rey- Summertime Sadness

I really like this music video as it tells a story, and is reminiscent of an old film with the techniques they use such as the flashing of the different frames, and the possible scratches on them.
The music video is done as if it was hand filmed, this makes it very personal and creates a summer holiday feeling. While I like the narrative element to the story it is also vague, it doesn't entirely make sense meaning that its open to interpretation to the viewer, I think a narrative can be very important in a music video, but I think it should only be a lose one, so the audience can create their own meanings. As well as the old film effect there is also colorization on some of the frames to create the appearance of a lens flare, the color adds further effect and adds a summer feeling through the color. As well as the story, there is bits inter-cut where Lana is singing the song, this is important as it is a key element of a music video. The performance of both Lana and the other actress is good and convincing. The camera shots are a mixture of long distance and close ups, the closeups are the majority and are very important as they show the characters emotions. The music video fits well to the song as it has a similar vibe, I have learnt that is key in all music videos. One of the aspects of this music video  that inspires me is the cuts to Lana in smoke, I like the way it moves, so it can cover her as well as show her. The only thing I would try and avoid is the grainy effect on the video, I am not sure what caused this, but it can make the video hard to see at certain times.

Marina and the Diamonds: Mowgli's Road

I really like how different this music video is compared to some the other ones on the internet. It is effective as you keep watching it and  I think that is largely due to the interesting techniques they have used, the use of green screen and editing has allowed them to create concertina limbs for Marina which is interesting and makes you wonder how they did it. Her performance is also good, and the camera captures her movement well, the range of shots from longshots, medium shots,medium close ups and closeups keeps the performance exciting and allows you to focus on her facial expression, singing and dancing. The video focuses on her alone as well as her with dancers, the dance routine adds an extra element to the video and also keeps you interested. Ive learnt from this music video that its important to have a "U.S.P" element to the music video, something different that keeps you interested, and make sure you editing is well done. I think you should avoid sticking to too many rules, as this creates a much more entertaining and well done video.