I've also been offered the choice of creating a music video, a brief that I am strongly considering along with making a short film. Music videos can be iconic, embodying the message of a song, becoming synonymous with an artists image. Moreover, I like the breadth of diversity within music videos, and how one interpretation a video can differ to another one. In other words, creating a music video would allow me to be creative, without necessarily being tied down to a 'plot'. Therefore, I decided to look at three music videos, understanding how each has been used to convey messages and meaning.
(i) Bronte, Gotye:
I thought this video was stunning. The animation clearly drew upon influences such as Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away) and I believe that the attention to detail in the craft of this video was excellent. Moreover, I loved the way that the message of this video was expertly constructed within the the three minute constraints of the song. The pervading theme of the importance of holding on to childhood wasn't imposed upon the viewer, and it didn't come across as pretentious, as music videos often can. The melancholic colour palette (eg. the abundance of purple) complemented the haunting lyrics of the song. The high key lighting and soft focus gives the piece a sense of magic that works hand in hand with the song itself, giving the piece an otherworldly quality.
The narrative, stylised way in which the video has been produced really appealed to me. I'd recommend looking at other Gotye video's- the underlying messages behind the songs are reflected in the animations that make up Gotye's videos. However, I acknowledge that it would be unrealistic to replicate the quality of such brilliant animations and so, whilst I'm appreciative of the videos as a viewer, I understand that perhaps it would be naive to expect to produce a video of a similar quality.
(ii) Everything You Didn't Do, Jamie Cullum:
An example of a performance-based music videos, I was really drawn to unique style with which this video has been shot. Filming a music video in what appears to be a continuous take isn't exactly a unique concept- take, for instance, the music video to Dizzee Rascal and Robbie Williams' pop collaboration, Goin' Crazy- but when it's done well, it can create a sense of intimacy between performer and viewer, as well as just being a novel idea of making a video thats creative. I also liked the stripped back style of the video; ironic, given the complex nature of the video. Although the video doesn't really necessarily reflect the message of the song, in this case thats not really the point: it's a showcase for the artist, his skill as a musician etc. Therefore, in this respect, I feel the video successfully demonstrated the joyous message of the song, as well as the skill of the artist.
(iii) American Idiot, Green Day:
Another one of favourite video's is Green Day's 'American Idiots' a politically-themed song; the music video is told in a performance-based video that neatly conveys a sense of anger and rebellion. The strong colour palette consisting of greens connotes a sense of anger, and goes against the American flags red flag. Moreover, the idea of rebellion is connoted through the atypical clothing of the band, featuring eyeliner and dyed hair, reinforcing a sense of anti-conformity.
(iv) Former students work:
I enjoyed this video, despite some its technical flaws. For instance, some of the miming wasn't timed correctly, which distracted me from the rest of the video. Moreover, I'm not sure what the message behind the video was, and whether the masks had any metaphorical resonance- if I was to do a music video, I'd like to make the meaning subtle, but not so subtle that the audience don't understand the message of the video.However, in terms of things I liked, the mise-en-scene, the diverse range of shots and the quickness of editing gave the video a lighter tone that complimented the music.
Summary:
In summation, I've found music video ideas that I've really liked; however, I feel as though some of these ideas would be difficult to execute. For instance, the animation featured in Gotye's video is of a standard that, realistically, I wouldn't be able to accomplish. Moreover, difficulties in being able to mime in time to the music would give my video an amateurish quality I'd want to avoid. Therefore, whilst I'm still considering doing a music video, I'm apprehensive as to whether I would be able to create a high quality music video.
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