Music Video Techniques

Number of cuts

The number of cuts is dependent on the pace of the music, if the song is fast paced then the edit of the cuts perhaps will be faster as well. In general having more cuts in a music video keeps it entertaining as well as the cuts keeping the audience engaged, even if the song is slow it still should contain some cuts even if they are slow but still keep in keeping with the music.

A good example of this would be Cool Kids by Echosmith at 0:45, because effectively it was a performance video, however the different cuts that were added in, kept it interesting. If there were less cuts then camera language becomes boring and the music video becomes tedious as it is just the band performing on a white background for the majority of the video. This music video connoted how Echosmith wanted to be seen creating good music rather then spending a lot on the actual video. The video connoted how they wanted to show their talent rather then production skills which could be why it was a simple video.
In comparison to a bad example which would be Hotline Bling by Drake at 1:06, this music video was not good when looking at this technique. The cuts seemed irregular and have no structure, which didn't keep the audience hooked. The song was very slow and whilst there was some cuts they didn't seem particularly relevant to the lyrics or what we was actually supposed to be watching.

This technique impacts the audience by keeping them engaged with the music video, weather the music video intends to create a certain emotion for the audience to feel can relate to where the video is cut. But can also add enjoyment for the audience whilst watching it. With Cool Kids it was a simple video yet the cuts kept it fun for the audience, in retrospect it wasn't a particularly great music video but they did the technique well which was noticeable. Which is a major contrast to Hotling bling because the cuts were so irregular as an audience we almost wanted to mock the music video as we almost saw it as rather ridiculous and not fully understanding why a cut had been made. It didn't seem to have a purpose. 

Cutting to the beat

Cutting to the beat is when there is a cut in the music video that is in time with the tempo of the song and on the beat. However the cuts are not on every beat as then it would become overused and perhaps disorientating for the audience. When using this technique it is important that the cuts match up with a specific element of the song such as cutting to the drum or the bass. Cutting to the beat allows for even the simplest music video to become more interesting.

Beverly hills by Weezer at 1:46 would be a good example of this technique as they effectively cut frequently to the beat, not on every beat because that would have been too much but did it sufficiently. The music video connoted how they wanted to be represented as a good rock band, this music video was done some time ago so whilst they wasn't very well known, this music video was a good way to show case their skills.  

Whereas 30h3 Starstruck at 0:46 would be a bad example of the technique because whilst the music video tries to cut frequently it seems like the cuts have a very loose structure and when it seems like it cuts to the beat it doesn't have a specific scheme to follow.

For the audience cutting to the beat, much like number of cuts keeps the audience enticed in the video. However perhaps the fact, its on the beat can make the song more enjoyable and get the audience really excited about the music video. With 'Starstrukk' the audience seemed lost in what was actually happening, as there was a lot happening in the video which wasn't help by the fact that the technique was edited badly. However, with 'Beverly hills' it almost made the audience feel apart of the video, it was easy to follow what was happening. Perhaps when a technique like this is used as it is does increase the tempo of the song, its easy to notice when its good or bad, when cutting to the beat is irregular or just not pin point accurate instantly the audience will turn on the song. So perhaps if this technique is used, it has to be done right or not at all. 

Camera Language: Shot Variety 

Having variety in the camera language for the music video is key as much like the editing of the cuts it keeps the audience engaged and makes the video entertaining. Different shot types, camera movement, as well as using different locations in the music video can all add variety to the music video.

A good example of this technique can be seen in Shutdown by Skepta at 0:19 as their was a variety of shot types. the Location was very static but because the camera was constantly moving it made the music video more exciting to watch. Skepta connotes in this music video how he can create good music with quite a limited budget, and how you don't need a big production with loads of locations and special effects.
Although a bad use of this technique is exhibited in Ed Sheeran's thinking out loud at 1:20, as this is mainly a dance routine for the music video it becomes boring because its a slow song and not much is happening for the audience to watch either.

   

Having variety in the camera language impacts the audience by either showing a good narrative story with many different locations or by showing the audience that the music video can be interesting by using just different shot types which is what Skepta tried to create. 'Shutdown' was a great example to the audience that a music video doesn't have to always be a big production but rather if the camera is used right then even the simplest music video can look very interesting. That's what 'Thinking out loud' failed to do it was boring for the audience, as and audience we aren't bothered by how much the production of the video was, we just want to be excited and feel like the video is going somewhere. 

Special effects

Special effects can include a number of things such as, stop motion animation, set alterations, editing effects etc. Special effects on a music video may look good but they have to be in moderation and make sure they are professionally done, otherwise the music video will look messy






Where are u now by Justin Bieber and Skrillex at 1:10 would be a good example of special effects as they used the idea of stop motion animation very well, what made the music video very good is the song in some parts is quite fast and so the stop motion was also made fast as well, likewise when the song slows down then the animation slows down as well. The tempo of the song and stop motion are what make this song particularly good. This music video connotes how creative Skrillex, diplo and Justin Bieber can be, in making something that seemed very new and fresh. 

However Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers at 1:08 would be a bad example as most of the music video is a game and then cuts to the band performing on a terrible green screen. The whole animation of the whole music video just didn't seem great, there was some good creativity in what they tried to achieve but ultimately it didn't look professional and disengaged the audience, instead we laughed at it.

Perhaps for the audience it impacts them as it shows the creativity in the artist. In this example, 'Where are you now', the audience can be amazed by how this music video was created and can be appreciative of the time it took to make. Its something that seems so abstract that the audience are just excited by everything that is happening, perhaps it could be argued also that this technique could portray art in its own right. Whilst 'Californication' is something that the audience perhaps have never seen before, it seemed tacky and cheap. The song didn't match what was happening with the video and as a result we just mocked it rather then appreciate what they tried to achieve. 

Green Screen

Green screen is a type of special effect, and when used in moderation it can make the music video look better and creative, however when using a green screen it is also important to professionally edit it otherwise it can make the music video look tacky, unless the aim of the music video is too purposefully look bad to create humor.

Tenacious D Tribute at 1:24 uses green screen which looks good as, they weren't very well known at the time and so didn't have a great budget but was able to use what they had to create a decent music video. They connote good creativity in this music video by the whole concept but they also wanted to represent their selves as very comical in this video and other. 

But in Dj Fresh & Diplos Earthquake at 0:28 they have not used green screen particularly well, as the music video is kind of abstract, with the green screen it can be seen how they have tried to use it, but ultimately it hasn't worked. As the it tries to imitate superheros, running around New York on the green screen just hasn't particularly grabbed the audience and instead we kind of laugh at its stupidity.  

In this case, using a green screen impacts the audience as it can add this comical element to the music video for them, which was shown in the Tenacious D video. It can also impact the audience by showing them that green screens can look good if done properly, whilst Tenacious D perhaps used it too much it had a massive comical effect on the audience. Green screens in music videos are a very 'risky' thing to do, perhaps its more about the context that its used in if the artist in the music video can display a certain character and charisma about themselves then some green screen can work. Its In 'Earthquake' which seemed like it was mocking some superhero films the characters didn't have a connection with the audience so we really just focused on the negatives of the video. 

Lip-Syncing

This technique has to follow a couple of rules in order for it to work effectively, lip-syncing can be hard to do and if the actor/actress doesn't have the right facial expressions that fit the lyrics of the song then the technique will not work. Of course  it is vital that the actor/actress know the lyrics but they must make sure that they don't over react or under react because by doing either one it loses the audience focus and therefore wont work.

An example of this would be Carly Rae Jepson 'I really like you' at 0:24 as this stars Tom Hanks lip syncing to the song in the music video, it seemed well done as he didn't over react as obviously there was a big difference in voices. But he did it appropriately and sometimes added a little bit of over reaction as well as under reaction which added to the comical side of the music video.

But Candy shop by 50 Cent at 1:22 would be a bad example as his facial expressions didn't really react to what he was saying. and his actual lips didn't move much in the music video compared to what we was actually hearing. As he didn't really react it made the lip syncing bad and it distorted the audio from the video which mad it a bad music video for lip syncing.


   

Perhaps the impact on the audience would be to create humor in the song. As was the case in the Carly Rae Jepson music video it was funny for the audience to see Tom Hanks lip sync it. This music video aimed to portray Carly Rae Jepson as more of a fun artist and to show the audience that she can be very creative with her content. If an actor is lip syncing the song then from an audience perspective it has to be funny trying to connote a meaningful message perhaps, wont particularly work on the audience because that not what we are looking for. But,  if the video breaks rules like over reacting to much to be humorous then we will accept that as we are enjoying the music video. However when its the artist own music video and the lip syncing is bad then for the audience it becomes just another bad video, it detracts the music video and we just wont bother watching it because it feels like the artist isn't bothered either.