Lecturer feedback - areas for improvement

You have given a good explanation of the principles of editing using many references to help. It would be useful when using a blog to use hyperlinks or to insert the relevant clips. You definition of the 180º rule does not sufficiently explain the technical advantages of following the rule or the use as a code for the audience. You also seemed to get bored with your explanations toward the end of the entry and only provided a video as an example without explanation! You did not explain the development of editing techniques over time.15.1M In order to achieve 15.1D, you need to develop your ideas critically (ie compare, assess and discriminate) supporting the points you make with clear arguments and evidence. You must be precise in your explanations using specific examples from the videos. The rules you refer to must explain why that principle has developed (eg the 180 rule allows the viewer to follow the action without getting confused.


You have explained the purposes of music videos giving relevant examples and using appropriate terminology. 28.1M In order to achieve 28.1D, you need to give a more fuller and more extensive explanation. (e.g. the video of 'When September Ends' is a production in its own right).

You have explained the styles, conventions and techniques used in three videos, although not very different genres. You went into some detail but neglected to analyse how the editing techniques used reflect the genre/pace of the song. 28.2M In order to achieve 28.2D, you need to deiscus styles, conventions and techniques, justifying your points made with supporting arguments and developing your ideas critically (ie compare, assess and discriminate).

For both 28.1D and 28.2D, you chould be using complex sentence structures and use a technical language to express complex ideas.

The Principles on Editing.

Storytelling: A commonly used editing technique in music videos is storytelling. This is where a narrative is used throughout the song often relating to the lyrics used. For example in the Greenday song, "When September ends" the music video holds the narrative to the song. This technique works well as it is very interesting to the viewer and is almost like watching a short film with a good soundtrack. The narrative option can be very clever as it can keep the viewer guessing such as not revealing certain things about the plot or characters until the end and also leave a lot of room for special effects. Also a narrative can emphasise the genre and express the song style through things such as, lighting, characters, costume and general plot line (i.e sad, angry happy, etc).

When September ends:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9JoFKlaZ0

Combination of shots: When making music videos, it is important to use a wide variety of shots. Using more shots makes it easier to tell a story if a narrative is being used and it makes the video much more interesting for the viewer as they get to see more perspectives. A great example of this is simple plans video, "welcome to my life".  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt0WP9ZBNiY

The video uses many shots, even shots possibly from helicopters above cities and also some shot on a crane. The wide variety enables us to see things like, facial expressions and location etc, in a lot more detail than we would see from certain restricted shots and allows the viewer to feel a lot more engaged in the video.

180o Rule: When creating professional music video and any type of filming, it is necessary to follow the 180o rule. This is the rule that scenes and/or characters must only ever be shot from one side and must not be shot from across the 180o angle. An imaginary line is drawn and crossing it causes confusion to the viewers. For example in Friends, we only ever see one side of the apartment, this is so that the location is always instantly recognisable to the viewer. If we suddenly started shooting from the other side of the apartment it is likely to look like a completely different room or building to the viewer. Therefore so the viewer knows where they characters are and so they don't get bored or confused, we always try to follow the 180o rule.

A great example of this is the Paramore video "the only exception" 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J7J_IWUhls

Each room and location is only filmed on one side to keep the story line and quick location change easy and enjoyable to follow.

Creating Pace: Fast editing and quick shots are used in different music videos to tie in with the style of music and to set the pace when using such things as narratives. Using different paces can change the story or video dramatically, for example using a slower pace in a sad/more thoughtful video and and a quicker pace in a more dramatic and maybe even angry narrative.

An example of a video that sticks to quite a fast pace is dizzee rascal's "bonkers";

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPYJ7LPFtR4&feature=related

An example of a video that sticks to a slower pace is Kylie Minogue "slow"; 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFe7XSt6os


- A video with good continuity is Avril Lavigne - Don't tell me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMiHER6T284

- A video that uses cutaways is Sick Puppies - You're going Down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2bohKixLt8

- A video that is in black and white it Robbie Williams - Angels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfTWHbtv_-Y

Why do bands Make music videos?

Bands create music videos to go with their tracks for many different purposes. The most obvious reason for creating a music video is to promote the band and the song in a wider variety of genres. Creating a video means that the band has extended outlets, ranging from TV, on shows like T4 and other music channels, to the internet, on channel site, youtube and as adverts on sites like myspace. The bands producer, record label or either the artists themselves will produce the music video often with the intention of extra income. Another way bands can use music videos to raise their profile is to create a synergy. Such as the video Paramore did for the film, Twilight. This means the song is used in the film and a lot of the adverts and the film is then included in the video. Videos such as these help get the band in the public eye a lot more, helping them to become more famous, pick up more fans and gain awards and status.

Music Video Analysis

Bullet for my Valentine - Tears Don't Fall:

Synopsis: The story of a couple, travelling around the world. At the begging they are in love and enjoy spending time together, then they start falling apart and not wanting to be together. They start having a fight because he doesn't want her anymore. He drives off and leaves her to meet another girl. She catches up with them and finds them together. In anger she covers them and the room in petrol and pretends to light it but after scaring them all leaves.

Editing: Clean cut shots, no transactions, to show that it's all blunt and instant rather than soft and poetic.

Costume: Quite punk/emo style clothing. All dark colours to fit the target audience as they would be typically wearing the same style clothes.

Lighting: Dark, low key. All the colours used are dark and cold, simulating bad weather, arguments and deep meaning.

Setting: The band are set in like an abandoned wood/car park and are singing in the pouring rain and artistic affect and linking the rain and bad weather back to darkness and depression. The cut away filming is set in deserted motorways and run down hotels in the middle of nowhere, showing that everything is lower class and that the couple are alone and deserted.

Coldplay - The scientist

Synopsis: Man walking round town/city. Everything is in reverse except his face as he is singing the song. The video starts with a man with no belongings lying on a mattress in the street then goes back through time and reverses back to a car crash where his friend/girlfriend is dead and the reverses back further to them laughing and joking in the car before the crash.

Editing: Filming is reversed, and some of the footage is in slow motion. The cuts between shots are pretty basic but between different locations shots fade in and out to black to show a change in place and time.

Costume: Starts the film with only a t-shirt and jeans on, looks quite grubby and isn't well shaved, suggesting he has been on the street a while. As time goes back he becomes less grubby, well shaven and gains a smarter looking black jacket. All this showing that he has become unstable and caring less about his appearance after the crash, although we don't realise this until the end.

Lighting: All shots are well lit and bright, all filmed in the day time, natural lighting is used to show a calm realistic effect.

Setting: The different scenes are faded into each other. All scenes are calm and happy environments, not giving away that anything is wrong until the end of the video. They use juxtaposition with the setting and the music to deter the viewer away from the outcome, using calm, happy music and pleasant shots so that the viewer is not expecting the sad outcome.

Gorillaz - Dirty Harry


Synopsis: A mostly animated video about army men in the dessert. There are also lots of children there and they all sing together.

Editing: The video cuts between completely animated shots to real life shot and also mixes the two, overlaying footage with real singers in the dessert and the graphics from the animated scenes.

Costume: Traditional army costume to automatically set the scene and make the characters instantly recognisable to the viewer.

Lighting: Naturally high key lighting from the sun as it is in the dessert and this is then reflected in the animation using bright colouring and shadows on the characters etc.

Setting: All of the video is set in the dessert. Blank canvas for the video not giving too much away and is also a simple location to draw on the animation.