Genre of my chosen artist (with videos by similar artists)

Lana Del Rey - Shades of Cool

Marina and the Diamonds - Primadonna


Swim Deep - Honey


The Smiths - How soon is now?


Yeasayer - Henrietta


Cults - High Road


Bjork - Moon


Sky Ferriera - Lost in my bedroom


Grimes - Go

Focus Group Questions

Likes and Dislikes of Music Videos recommended by Other Media Students

I asked other media students for their favourite music videos of all time and decided to watch a select few in order to see what I liked and disliked about them and to give me ideas for my music video. Here is a list of the music videos recommended to me:

The first video I chose to watch was Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers. My reason for choosing this video was the fact that it had appeared on the list many times, therefore it must be special or stand out in some way. 

Likes - I like all of the props used in the video and the mise-en-scene as it works together as a whole to create a very interesting video. The video is abstract with elements of performance which I find very intriguing. The song is very upbeat and fast paced, as is the editing. Although most of the props are very bland and just everyday items (e.g. bottles), the band find ways to make these items entertaining. As there is always something new happening in every shot it keeps the audience entertained and creates a high amount of voyeurism. The band members are also iconographic of the genre, which is alternative. They do not look like typical models you would see in pop music videos. This creates verisimilitude. I also like the different use of cinematography which gives the audience different views of things (for example the point of view shot of the drums which gives the audience the same view as the actual drummer).

Dislikes - There is nothing I dislike about this video as I think it fits the genre very well and uses conventions to create the perfect amount of voyeurism.

The next video I chose to watch is You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift.

Likes - The narrative for this video is the same as the Cinderella story which is where the dream comes true. An example of this is the movie 'Pretty Woman'. The use of props and mise-en-scene is also conventional of the genre, for example the white dress connotes purity and makes Taylor Swift look Cinderella-like, which is also conventional of the story. The cinematography is good and the performance is also convincing.

Dislikes - The music video is too cliche and therefore loses it's meaning and provides no voyeurism for me, however I do not think I am the desired audience that this genre is aimed at. 

The final video I chose to analyse was Hardest Button to Button - The White Stripes.

Likes - I particularly like the mise-en-scene in this video. I like how the props and costumes are both matching with the performers as it creates voyeurism. Also the video is filmed in stop motion and edited to the beat which makes it very appealing. The location used and quality of the camera also create an urban and alternative feel which is works cohesively with the genre. The use of stop motion has also made the video very memorable and effect as a promotional device as the aspect where the instruments are duplicated in a trail formation has been copied many times, even on 'The Simpsons'.

Dislikes - There is not much I dislike about this video, however that could be because I like the genre. If I was to choose one thing I dislike it would be the repetitive nature of the stop motion as towards the end I already know what is going to happen and get slightly bored of it, however this is not a huge concern as the video would not be as effective or memorable without it. 

Likes and Dislikes of Existing Music Videos from Different Genres

The first video I watched was Crazy Stupid Love - Cheryl Cole ft Tinie Tempah. 

Likes - In this video I liked the use of cinematography as the different shots made it look conventional. It was also edited to the beat very well. The use of different locations also helped create voyeurism.

Dislike - I didn't like the close ups of Cheryl in provocative poses as I felt that they were irrelevant and primarily aimed at men. 

The second video I watched was Love on Top - Beyonce. 

Likes - In this video I liked the colouring as it was all very neutral. I also liked how there were different ethnicities in the video as it promotes equality. We also see a long shot which shows Beyonce in front of the other performers wearing all black and a hat. The performers however, are wearing very casual clothing which makes Beyonce stand out rather than blending in with the rest of them. 

Dislikes - I dislike how you have to wait half way through the video for the location to change as it gets very tedious an boring. If I was watching this video on the television I would not be entertained in the slightest and would feel the need to turn the channel over. If there were different locations early on then it would convince me to stay tuned as it would have more elements of voyeurism to it.

The next video I watched was Ella Henderson - Glow.

Likes - In this video I liked the cuts to different locations as it kept me entertained. The fades to black were also edited to the beat and fit the colour of the music video as it is very dark and spooky. The song also has that feel to it. We also see a medium long shot of Ella standing alone in a field singing. She is wearing black which fits in with the rest of the conventions. She is also centre frame. This shot cuts to a close up of her in the same location. The fact that Ella is alone in these shots which have more attention on them than the other shots proves that she is the main person in this video.

Dislikes - The first few locations were repeated for almost the entire first minute of the music video which I found to be boring and lost interest quite easily. 

I then watched J Lo - If you had my love.

Likes - I enjoyed the different use of shots in the introduction and the lighting as J Lo was in the darkness which made it appear more mysterious and put all of the focus on her. The shots were also edited together at a fast pace and cut from location to location which kept me entertained. We then see J Lo centre frame in a medium long shot. She is wearing white and the location is also white which creates voyeurism as it is very pleasing to the eye. There is also a clear narrative in the video which is apparent from the very start.

Dislikes - I didn't like the dance scene as it felt really out of place and I think the video would be much better without it.

The final video I watched was Happy - Pharrell. 

Likes - I liked the use of locations and different performers in the video as it kept me entertained and made me want to watch more. It was also edited well to the beat. The use of framing is also good as the long shots reveal more interesting parts of the location whereas the close ups of Pharrell inform the audience that he is the main performer. There are also a few celebrities and familiar faces featured in the video which makes the video enjoyable even for people who aren't a fan of Pharrell. 

Dislikes - It gets very repetitive after a while because most of the performers are doing the same thing.