I chose to evaluate Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa because as soon as I watched it I was drawn into the creativity and how different it was compared to other videos. I think it is very good because firstly the style of video is a hybrid between performance and abstract. I have come to this conclusion because the band is shown performing throughout to the audience however, the video is unrelated to the song. Throughout the video, the band is shown to be performing a song. They have used the generic conventions of a ‘rock/heavy metal’ music video whereby there is a lead vocalist, a bassist, a drummer and rhythm guitarist (typical band line up). However, rather than wearing black and having a black back drop behind them, they have chosen to be clothed in casual clothing such as jeans, bright tops and trainers, in which the audience can relate to. It also makes clear the groups target audience which is teenagers who are likely to be in college or university. By using a white back drop, it creates a happy, fun atmosphere which is emphasised by their use of colours in their clothing choice. The female in the video seems to play quite a dominant role within the music video because the camera moves between shots of the band performing and shots of her. She is also clothed in casual clothing for example a floral top and jeans suggesting that she is a teenager as well. Throughout the video, she is shown painting on canvas as well as on some of the boy’s bodies that may suggest that she is a creative artist. The use of props consist of: musical instruments, mikes, paints, paintbrush, pots, an easel, canvas board and frames. These props create realism as students who are likely to be interested in art or music will have used these in particular. By creating an unclear video whereby the audience is not fully aware of what is going on, it enables the audience to become more engaged with the music video. The editing varies at some parts of the video by being fast paced to create a type of energy within the video and other parts being slower paced so that the audience can analyse everything that is going on in detail. There is a wide range of shots in this video such as close up shots, extreme close ups, wide shots and groups shots which is used the most. By using a lot of group shots the audience has the ability to recognise the significant band members. Special effects have been used effectively to show the band members singing in frames on the wall. They appear in unnatural colours such as pink and green which relates back to the different colours used in the video and creates an unrealistic feel. As the bands faces are shown singing on the walls (as well as their lips) there is a sense of connection between the audience and the band members as they are at eye level with the camera. This makes it seem as if they are actually singing to you. Overall, I would say that this video is very creative and was well thought about. I especially like it for the use of techniques that they have used. A key element that I would use from this video, in my own, is the use of colour of in the costumes that contrasts well with the white background.
Justin Timberlake - What you got (oh no)
My next A2 music video analysis was 'What you got (oh no) by Justin Timberlake and Timberland. I chose to analyse this music video because I liked the song choice and was therefore able to familiarise myself with what the song was about and relate it to the actual music video. From eat I analysed in this video, it is clear that the video was well thought about and planned. The group also took into consideration the generic conventions of hip-hop music videos which were displayed clearly within the video. This consists of good looking girls, dancers, expensive clothing, women dancing in a sexual way and intimacy between the artist and a person of the opposite sex. The video begins with dialogue between two guys who are talking about a girl and background talking to make it seem as if there in a loud and crowded location such as a restaurant or bar. The mid shot used here allows the audience to familiarise themselves with the main artist who will essentially be the main focus throughout the video. At the beginning of the video, one of the boys mentions 'Ay T look at that girl, check her out' which draws the focus on to the main girl within the video through the used of a mid-shot and a close up shot. This is typical of the Hip-Hop genre as there is always one particular girl who the artist sings about, likes or wants to get to know. After the introduction the artists are shown singing however, the camera focuses is off which allows their movement to appear enhanced rather than how it appears normally. It begins with a wide shot showing the artists at a distance and slowly zooms in. All the way through there is a wide range of other camera angles used such as close up shots, wide shots, long shots, extreme close ups and more to engage the viewer. The use of editing is very effective also because it is fast paced so the audiences are instantly made to focus on everything that is going on as well as consume the message that the video and song is illustrating. In some parts of the video, the camera zooms in and out which is in sync with some parts of the music in order to make the video look more interesting. It also contains a lot of movement from one person to another to create an upbeat atmosphere that matches the beat and rhythm of the song. Other techniques that the music video uses is creative transitions that makes cuts appear smoother and shots were the most dominant person is in the foreground of the camera frame and others are in the background. An example of this is a close up of the artists face and three female dancers dancing in the background. By using this technique the viewer is given two focuses rather than one making the video appear different compared to other videos. The mise-en-scene used in this video such as the black and white clothing worn by everyone in the video, was well thought about as it contrasts well with the black background. This idea of a black and white setting relates to Andrew Goodwin's theory whereby music videos contain some type of intertextual reference. In this video, the intertextual reference to Snoop Dogg's music video for 'Drop It Like Its Hot' (a Hip-Hop song) whereby the same colours are used. Rather than having a plain background, they chose to include grey and white patterns that appear throughout the video. Lastly, the artist performance portrays a lot of intimacy between the artist and the girl he is shown to like which is another key element of a Hip-Hop music video. Overall, I think this video is really good as it was well thought about and illustrates the lyrics throughout. For example, 'Is that your hands, grabbing on me' is shown by an extreme close up of the girl’s hands moving up and down the boy’s body implying a sexual reference. Elements of this video that I may use, is the black background as it comes across more professional. However, I do think there could be an improvement within this video which is the music simply because it sounds distorted and varies in volume.
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