Media evaluation

Media Evaluation

Part one

The research I completed prior to the production of my storyboards assessed the conventions of modern music videos and how they can convey meaning through technical aspects of the shots used.

            The ‘Foals’ music video I looked into used a still camera and slow shots in order to create an air of depth and emotion to the music video. Although it was indeed slow moving the video did have a dramatic effect and felt as though the entire video was a visual metaphor for modern life. Shots included a black sea with black ice floating in the waves and a white object which starkly juxtaposes it’s surrounding image. This could be interpreted as a visual metaphor for people, those who stand out and those who ‘fit in’. The use of such a isolated location gives the impression it is reflective of the emotions behind the song and therefore the artist also. A shot which influenced my storyboards would be the extremely long shot at approximately 34 seconds into the video, it shows a figure walk in the distance, contrasting with background the figure is barely noticeable but adds to the effect of the isolation of the figure. I used a similar shot (14) in my storyboards except with the added effect of using an over the shoulder shot from one person with the same style of figure in the distance.
         Another video influencing my storyboards is the 'Afterglow' video. Consisting of a large amounts of shots and almost a caption in each of them, the video is fast paced and amusing. It tells the story of a couple and every factor in their relationship. By showing the audience key moments in the relationship the audience is forced to become attached to them, I used this in shot 6 of my story boards by using a girl blowing out the candles on her birthday cake with the boy from shot 4, establishing them as a couple and presenting the enigma of 'where is this girl?'.
       In the video for 'Use somebody' a large amount of close up shots are used, this personalises the audience with the artist. This is a typical convention of rock music videos and I used similar techniques in the close ups in my storyboards to give the shots a more personal feel. The narrative of the video shows the band going from concert to concert endlessly, the travelling is emphasised by the city shots flying by underneath the camera and the speed at which the shots jump to one another, this speed is copied in my storyboards as it increases the suspense when the boy is running in search of the girl. This can also be used for dramatic effect if fast shots are mixed with slow motion shots, this adds emphasis to the difference in speed between the shots. The visual style of the Use Somebody video is very cinematic, rarely do we get a clear view of anything in this video without some form of technique being used. The majority of shots of the artist have his face in shade or at a skewed angle, so we only get rare glimpses of his face in clear light. I used this in my storyboards to add mystery to the girls identity, giving the narrative a sense of drama and tension.
        In the Otis video by Jay Z & Kanye West low angle shots are used effectively to make the artists look larger and more dominant. I used similarly low angles in shot 14 of my storyboards, this was to make the girl of the video seem more dominant as it is the boy chasing the girl afterall, this low angle reinforces this ideology however. The low angle used also emphasises the size of the sand dune the girl is stood on, making it more of a task for the boy to climb therefore adding to the tension and implying the question, 'Can he actually reach her?'
      In the Mad World video the entire video gives the impression it is filmed in one continuous shot, this has the effect of making it interesting to watch however it also makes the video

a lot slower and at parts it can become dull. It’s for that reason I chose to use jump cuts in my storyboards to keep the narrative exciting and the audience interest. The speed of shots in my storyboards is a key influence to the narrative, by using jump cuts each shots perspective is changed causing the narrative of the plot to become more confusing but significantly quicker. This is necessary to build momentum in the narrative and tension also.

      In the No One Knows video the narrative is basic but unconventional, I appreciated how they used the role reversal of deer/man, although this is potentially too far it does stray from the norm of music video narratives. This influenced my decision in making a more unconventional plot to my storyboards.