It took quite a long time for us to decide on which song we were going to use for our music video. Mainly because we wanted our research to inform our decision. However, we narrowed the shortlist down to...
Raise your glass --- Pink
Put your records on --- Corrine Bailey Rae
That Man --- Caro Emerald
Song for whoever --- The Beautiful South
Teardrops on my guitar --- Taylor Swift
And eventually... we decided on ... Caro Emerald's That Man!
5. What are your favourite genres of music? (We decided to present these results in the form of a "Wordle". The bigger the word, the more times it occurred)
6. What are your favourite bands or artists you like in these genres?
7. Which elements make a music video a great one in your opinion?
While researching videos and through the answers we have got from the questionnaires so far, we have found that humour in music videos is popular and it also makes the video stick in your head longer. This is why we have decided that we want to include an humorous element in our music video. This is why I have researched into spoof and comical videos by sketch groups and comedians...
HORRIBLE HISTORIES
(apologies for bad quality videos,they are unofficial versions)
These videos are from a sketch show called 'Horrible Histories'. Adapted from popular children's books, this sketch show has won many awards in children's TV and was the first children's show to win a British Comedy Award. As they were for an educational comedy show, there is more of a focus on historical content which obviously, we would not need to follow. Even though theses music videos are aimed at children primarily, Horrible Histories obviously appeals to adults sense of humour (a 'children's show' has never won an award at the British comedy awards). This is why I feel researching and analysing these videos will give us a good idea of how to appeal to a wide audience's sense of humour.
I Became a Highwayman
This has the clearest comparisons to a famous music video, Adam and the Ants: Stand and Deliver. The main similarities are the costume, locations, singing style and the body language of the main actor. Adam Ant's videos are usually gently camp and comical and his trademark style of performance has been carried into the Horrible Histories video. The 'singing style' e.g. the 'huh'ing and the brief moments of falsetto singing are general Adam Ant signs but HH have also spoofed sequences from the Adam Ant video. For example: there are 2 slow motion jumps by Adam (out of a tree and through a window). And HH have used a slow motion jump off a small fence in theirs. Another feature they have taken is the way Adam handles the 2 pistols: waving them around, hiding behind them etc. The sketch group have taken this further and made 'Dick Turpin' dance around with them and pretend to fire them in the dance, adding to the humour. Both videos end with the highwayman about to be hanged, but they each deal with this issue in different ways. The real video lets him escape but the HH video (primarily aimed at children) must be historically accurate as well as sensitive to the viewers. I think it is done extremely well, as the camera zooms out through the noose and (with the music) the actor pretends to disappear through the trap door.
The HH costume has kept the essence of the original video: the cape, Georgian style hat, curly black hair and dark eye-liner. However they have transferred the military style embroidery to a jacket, instead of the waistcoat. But it is still unmistakably mimicking the costume of the original video.
The original costume for Adam Ant.
Matthew Baynton as Dick Turpin
My name is Charles II
This video seems to be using general rap videos as an inspiration for comedy because it uses the conventions associated with that genre of music: Fast lyrics, the body language and dance 'gestures' and 'looming' their face into the camera (example at 0.42). However they have used the opening lyrics to a very famous rap song by Eminem called 'My name is'. This will be instantly recogniseable to much of the audience and therefore increase the surreal nature of the video. This shows us that we do not have to use all the elements of a certain video or song. We can take a recogniseable features from many of certain genre.
Spartan School Musical
Contrast to the 2 previous videos, this song is a reference that the younger half of the audience will understand. To represent the film aspect of it, there is a section at the start where the actors are just talking, which introduces the them of the song. The main features that appear in both videos is the choreographed dance steps, the colour co-ordinated costumes ( in the real HSM the colour scheme is red and white whereas it is orange and white in the spoof) and the fact that they are singing in american accents. A more detailed comparison with the original and the HH version is the birds-eye-view shots to highlight the symmetrical choreography. Also the end frame is frozen as they jump into the air which is very HSM-esque.
Literally
This is another example of using one famous feature from one famous song to influence the rest of the video. The composition of the 4 heads in a diamond shape in the dark is unmistakably from Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody). But again this reference will not be picked up by the younger half of the audience. The original composition was extremely serious and artistic which is why it makes a big (humorous) impact when they start crossing and rolling their eyes in different directions, in the different takes. another very funny narrative sequence is the section involving monks, which I think is simple yet very effective. It didn't need expensive effects and the childish and simple humour appeals to a wide audience. The fact that they are playing swords and axes as instruments adds to the 'silly' tone which it needs because, going out on a children's channel, talking about killing monks and drinking from skulls is in need of a touch of funny!
The original composition
The HH version
Scottish Rebel
I cannot find a specific video that this is spoofing, however it is very clear from the style of song, the 'instruments', effects and dance 'gestures' (head-banging) that it is mimicking the heavy metal genre. I like the uses of day and night shoots because it gives variety and the opportunity for different effects. The use of low angles when shooting the band playing their 'instruments' shows them in power, which is what the song is about. They also use quick zooms in and out to focus on 'William Wallace's' expression. (examples at 0:03 and 0:15) The use of the Dolly camera sections dispersed through the video creates a feeling of increasing speed and movement throughout.
Boudicca
I feel this video is mirroring the style of female modern punk artist's videos. its very confrontational and has elements of modern girl power. The slightly aggressive choreography places the main woman at the front and in power over the male dancers. I think that the mixture of solo performance, choreography and narrative is at a perfect mix in this video. The use of green screen on the solo performance reinforces the celtic/tribal theme because the moving and changing pattern are all celtic inspired. Out of the selection, this is the video that uses the widest variety of shots and movement of shots. e.g. cut ins, zooms, slow motion into real time, handheld camera etc. The humor is shown through the daftness and cowardice of the male characters. Examples (1:23 and 1:44).
The Directors: Chloe Thomas, Steve Connely and Dominic Brigstocke
From this analysis, I have learnt:
With spoof videos, mise-en-scene is the most important aspect of the video. Getting the costume/location/lighting as similar to the original as possible, but not so as you are copying.It lets the audience instantly recognise the reference.
Knowledge of previous famous music videos.
Knowledge of you target audience so you know where to aim the references.
This is a copy of the questions we have sent to Adam Buxton. As he only comunicates through letters it might take a while for the response to come through.
Interview with Comedian, Actor, Music Video Director and Creative Genius Adam Buxton.
What are your favourite music videos of all time and why?
In your opinion, what features makes a good music video
Does using humour in music videos enhance or detract from the music or narrative in your opinion.
In your experience of directing and watching music videos, what are things to avoid?
What part of the process of making and directing a music video do you find the hardest or most complex?
Which of the videos you have directed is your favourite and why?
Has 'BUG' changed the way you watch music videos?
What would be your 'dream' song to create a music video for? And why?
Letter sent on 20/08/2011
We will post the answers he gives as soon as we receive them...
The reasons behind this interview are that we want a professional opinion on music videos and the industry as well as feedback from our audience. Adam is well known as a comedian but also has great experience in the music video industry. Not only has he directed and featured in a number of videos he also presents a live show in London every month showcasing great and often unsung videos of great artists, always giving his knowledgeable and comical opinion in the shows.
This post is here because after analysing a range of videos made by each specific artist, I realised that I wanted to include other videos on their merit, instead of focusing on the band or singer. Here I have analysed three videos (which I love) that are original, well executed and clever. I hope to use these as influences when we come to make our video.
Dan ~ Grovesnor
Dan is a great example of a low budget video set in a definable era, in this case the 1970's. It also happens to very funny! The 2 key features that show the 70's influence are costume and lighting. The costumes are very simple and yet very obviously 70's: the cut of the male character's jackets and the prints and colours of his shirts, (orange and mustard) are evocative of this era. The female character's costume is slightly less obvious, however the dungarees and patterns on her clothing reflect the 70's look. The lighting is used in two ways here: in the performance sections the stage lights, combined with a special filter make them very similar to lighting used on 'Top of the Pops' in this decade.
Example of 70's colouring on photo
The other way is with the narrative sequence, again either lighting, a filter or a combination of the two have made the picture hazy and bleached which is very similar to how photos in the 70's came out. This feature adds a reminiscent and romantic feel to the narrative, as if we are looking at someone's 'rose tinted' memories of that time. Editing on the beat of the music is a common feature in music videos, however I feel they do it differently in Dan - the technique is used all the way through instead of just as a novelty feature. Another element I love in this video is the short sequence where the performance is being shown, it then cuts to the narrative and they are watching the performance on the television. This kind of cut has been used many times in music videos but again, it's the way this band has executed it. And lastly, the funny bits. The humour is made throughout the video through facial expressions (especially using 'surprised eyes') and body language/action when the two characters are trying to catch the dog and with the '3rd arm' in bed. I think the reason the humour works here and doesn't detract from the drama of the story is that it is 'silent' and so only through the subtle movements is it created. Also the use of comic actors (James Corden, Jim Howick and Matthew Baynton) means the comedy in the scenes is natural and as a result, much more effectively.
Grounds for Divorce ~ Elbow
There are a number of really good features in this video I would like explore. In the first shot, all the media elements combine to set the scene and emotion of the video. The two shot glasses are dumped heavily on the scuffed bar by gnarled hands, slightly slopping some alcohol over the side of the glass, the other hands pass the money and take the glasses away without saying anything. This unceremonious action is delivered in such a way, that the audience knows the barman and the customer have done this thousands of times. The colour scheme of the costumes, location and lighting of many shades of brown also reflect the dreary, sloppy, broken mood of the whole video. The other, quite original, element that I really love in this video is the manipulation of the film at certain points, repeating, rewinding and slowing sections, to make the action correspond with the beat. (example at 0:35).
End Love ~ OKGO
OKGO are widley known for their ambitious choreographed videos, and I think that 'End Love' was one of the most labour-intensive and technically challenging of them all. It was filmed over 18 hours in Echo Park! I am just astounded at the amount of calculations that would have gone into this video, because parts are speeded up and parts were slowed down so the rate at which they were mouthing the lyrics along to the song would keep changing! Another humorous element that was not planned was the goose that decided to follow the band around throughout the day. As always, it was an incredible feat of planning and creativity which paid off!
(Unfortunately, we are unable to embed the video into the blog due to copyright issues)
The blancmange has often been used as a"comedy pudding". Image from a sketch in Monty Python
From the generic structure of the beginning of this video: a dark backdrop band performance interspersed with black and white narrative shots, the audience would be forgiven for thinking this is just another generic 80's love song video: But that is exactly the point! I had to watch it twice before I fully understood the joke, it is a sharp satirical look at the pop music industry at the time. Commenting on band management, press reactions (thinking of the subtitle: 'you cant sing, you look awful... you'll go a long way') and the fickle nature of chart shows. A separate feature that is an interesting way to move the narrative along is the use of scenes with captions "The Audition" for example, it makes it easier for the audience to understand the narrative with no audible dialogue. The conveyer belt in this scene is also a funny comment on the disposability of modern artists and the pace at which the industry brings in and discards them.
I really love the motif of the red ribbon that returns throughout the video, going from one ribbon on her bike to hundreds hanging from the tree. I have noticed that all Corrine's songs I have looked at have a natural, simple quality to them. This is transferred to all parts of the video: mise en scene, shot types and editing. For example, using a hand held camera in this video, gives the impression of a 'home movie' style which fits with the costumes and locations of this video. Another convention of Corrine's videos is shots of tree tops with the sun behind them. This is a beautiful and simple way of showing the 'summery' nature of her song and placing the audience in the setting as it feels like we are looking up from the shade of the tree to the blue sky behind it. In this video, she challenges a convention that female singers use in music videos by wearing the same costume in both locations rather than changing their whole look in the different settings.
Like a star
This video is an excellent example of how good they are at dressing the set on Corrine's videos. There are 3 locations in Just Like a Star: a big disused Georgian house, jetty by a lake and a night club. All are picturesque, so beautifully composed that they could all work as photographs as well as moving shots. The house and club are linked by an action match shot (see below) but I cannot see any link or meaning behind the jetty shots, other than their beauty. The use of traveling shots moving in and out throughout the video give it almost a lullaby quality.
These shots could be photographs
Action Match with the hand position
Fading the blue lights out (which highlight the silhouettes of the dancers) gives the impression that she is oblivious to them and alone in her own thoughts
The action match earlier links these two locations. Maybe she really is in the night club and the house is in her dreams.
I have noticed that we have been focusing on 'pop' music videos in our analysis, artists who have almost unlimited budgets and are played on the radio all the time. These videos have been useful to us, giving us an idea of how 'that area' of the music business create videos. However, it does not reflect all our interest, nor the whole music video industry. This is why we are analysing Caro Emerald's videos. She is an up and coming artist who would not necessarily have such a high budget. Her style of music is individual, and not "mainstream".
Back it up
One thing that separates Back it Up from most of her other videos, is that it is split into 4 parts, allowing her to use her signature black and white with colour filter shots (showing her and her band) while also including some 50's television/film inspired performance. I am not sure about the exact technical term for this but I am guessing that the exposure on the camera is higher in the performance shots(example at 1:43), allowing more bright white light to come through, thus giving a fresher and very different look to the shots of her and individual band members against the white back-drop (example at 1:00). The element that makes the audience know it is a Caro Emerald video is the 'karaoke' style lyrics that appear on the screen as she sings them. A variation on this convention is the occasional lyrics that appear as film titles throughout the video (example at 1:16) and 'The End'. A number of after effects have been used on this video to give it an authentic look for the eras she is using. The rolling projector effect at the start and the flickers of dust throughout the film just add to the general 'vintage' look of the video. The other two black and white performances (early television scene at the start and the performance in front of the huge title letters) add to the hollywood glamour of this video.
That Man
This video (especially the intro) is heavily influenced by 50's film titles. The combination of rolling/morphing animation, real film and silhouettes is very similar to titles like 'Charade' 1963. With this type of video, elements such as locations are of less relevance, and although the audience cannot see the full costumes for most of the video, the shape of the garment is still very important. The era must be clear to the audience even through the silhouette. Having chosen this challenging format (full sequence animation with inserts of real film) there needed to be other ways to show the performance of the singer and band. She was able to do this using silhouettes of filmed action and her trade mark colour filters combined with the morphing animation. Including dancers, performing a dance closely linked to the 40's and 50's (lindy-hop), adds a different kind of movement to balance the chase sequence.
Stuck
This video is quite different to the others. For a start, her trademark 'lyrics on the screen' and coloured filters are not used. Although the strong colour schemes that run through each section are a variation on this convention. The use of conveyer belts, extra characters and theatrical set make it look like a MGM musical! I feel that in this video, Caro has more fun with the genre: the extended shoulder shaking sequence and lightly comical facial expressions show this. Each scene has been carefully colour co-ordinated to highlight her bright costume.
From this analysis I have learnt:
Colour co-ordination is used in many different ways in her videos.
Mise en scene is very important in Caro's videos as the songs are influenced by a mixture of 40's and 50's style music, so it is imperative that the videos reflect this. Costumes, make-up, props locations and font for the lyrics all show this.
Many of her videos use after effects: such as coloured filters, old film effects and text on screen.
A lot of the appeal to her videos is the obvious fun Caro is having in each one. The light comical touches such as facial expressions or cheesy 50's style narrative are examples of this element.
The 'lyrics on screen' feature is used by many artists, but I think that Caro's videos execute it better than many.
Her videos are always introduced by titles on the screen.e.g. ''Caro Emerald in That Man'' this also reminds me of 50's musical films.
One major prop that we would really need to find is the 50's style microphone. (pictured bottom right hand corner)
