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ANALYSIS OF MUSIC VIDEOS

The themes, locations and camera shots used in Snow Patrol Chasing Cars music video are the main elements we would like to present within our product. The main narrative topics and ideology's which we wish to convey is isolation and rejection. This music video contains many long shots/high angle long shots which allows the audience to visualise their presence not only within the frame but within society as not dominant. This lack of power to dominate the frame can be connoted to their lifestyle and successfully puts across the feeling of isolation and rejection which the protagonist of this music video is experiencing. This is something we are aiming for our protagonist to put across to the audience as well. The long shots separates the protagonist from the audience. This is cleverly used as the audience wants to empathise with the protagonist but through the lack of proximity they feel distanced from him. This is intertextual with the narrative of the music video and is something we want to incorporate into our music video.

In contrast to the previous shots there are also a range of close ups of the protagonist. This binary opposition of shots makes the audience feel disjointed with the protagonist. One minute they are separated through the long shots, then they are presented with a close up which instantly causes the audience to engage and empathise more with the protagonists emotions and attitudes. The close ups within this music video allow the audience to gain a close proximity to the character and develop a relationship with him. U&G theory can be applied here as the audience is engaging with the variety of emotions of the protagonist and eventually can associate to him. This developing relationship between protagonist and audience is played upon heavily throughout this music video, it is highly affective and is something we will incorporate into our final product.

Similar to Snow Patrol Chasing Cars, there are a variety of shots within The Script The Man Who Cant Be Moved which connotes the concept of isolation. There is consistency throughout the music video of a variety of shots which capture the protagonist walking along a road alone and him looking lost. Cultivation theory can be applied here as the audience is being submerged to this idea of loneliness over a period of time which is the duration of the music video. The narrative of this music video plays upon a man who is searching for something that he cannot find. The jump cutting of different shots disorientates the audience and they are forced to also feel lost with him. Rhythmical editing of shots are also used so that the audience can feel bewildered and on edge which is intertextual with the protagonist

Conventional to the soft rock genre, this music video presents the musical instruments used to produce the sound. The band and instruments are presented throughout the entire music video. This consistently familiarises the audience with the band and also the use of instruments also engages the audience as there are close ups and extreme close ups of these instruments being played. This would allow the audience to engage and identify with the band (U&G theory) and therefore the audience will show a stronger interest within the band. Alternating the sound from diegetic to non diegetic is a clever way to divert away from the narrative being played throughout the music video and allows the audience to focus more on the band and the music rather than the narrative being acted out. This is conventional to the genre as most album covers and magazine adverts include the musical instruments iconic to the genre, e.g. drums guitar.

Adele Chasing Pavements is also a music video containing many generic conventions people would expect to find in soft rock music videos. Throughout the music video there is a consistent and clear narrative which the audience can clearly follow. The narrative is presented through a variety of shots, especially long and establishing shots, this initially sets the atmosphere and scene and allows the audience to gain a clearer understanding of the narrative which is being put across. The editing of these shots throughout the development of the narrative are slow cutting and there are not many jump cuts, however the cutting of shots is rhythmical to the audio, when the audio is slow and tranquil, the cuts are slow and there are a use of transitions to present the slow pace of the narrative, however when the tempo of the music increases, the cutting between shots become sharper this helps to build pace and tension. The mise en scene within this music video is relatively similar to the previous music videos I have also analysed. The clothing is simplistic and the colours used are also simplistic. Pathetic fallacy can also be connoted to simplicity as in the videos it has always been mundane weather, eg cloudy, limited sunlight, rainy and dark. This could connote the mundane atmosphere and also the negative emotions which the protagonist may be experiencing throughout the narrative

Including the artist within the narrative is also another generic convention for the soft rock genre. It allows the audience to connect and identify more with the artist, this can be an application of the Uses and Gratification theory as the audience have become more engaged with the music video and can further gratify as they have felt more emotionally attached to her. The shots used when presenting the artist are mainly midshots, close ups and extreme close ups this also allows the audience to feel closer to the artist as they can see more clearly the emotions and expressions of the artist. This increases the proximity with the audience and the artist. Allowing them to feel as if they are connecting more with her since they can see and understand her emotions. There are also many close-ups and extreme closes ups of the artist in depth of field. Anything else in the frame appears to be blurred and not in focus, this could connote that the artist is of main importance above the narrative, as she also appears to be in the centre of the rule of thirds in most frames. This dominancy over the frames also forces the audience to develop a relationship with the artist as she is frequently appearing. This could be an example of the Hypodermic needle theory as the artist is instantly present through close ups at the beginning of the music video and is a consistent theme throughout.

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