Disclosure - Help Me Lose My Mind
Instantly upon watching this video the element that stood out to me was the editing. I noticed techniques similar to that of Spike Jonzes' Pharcyde video in that this particular student chose to show everything in reverse while he was not. This was particularly enticing because it is something different and something I wouldn't have really considered using beforehand. This student also used a three way split screen which I felt made the video look professional and well thought over. Despite the very skilled editing, I feel that the video lacks a varied use of shots. Although there is clear use of different types of basic shots (e.g. long shot, mid shot..), I don't think they were very experimental with them and for me, this bought the video down a bit.
Similarly, the video consisted of narrative only whilst lacking any sense of performance. The video followed the 'artist' round for the entirety of the video which grew repetitive and made the video appear drawn out. With this being said, I will ensure that we include a range of settings and use of both narrative and performance within our video to keep the audience entertained. In addition, I noticed that a few of the shots were slightly out of focus, again, making the video look unprofessional - in order to achieve the highest grade possible I feel it is crucial to decipher through the effective and ineffective shots before starting to edited the video so that if there is a need to re-shoot some parts of the video, you still have time.
In conclusion, this video has given me inspiration for certain editing techniques however, has also made me note the importance of a skilful and artistic eye when it comes to filming.
MNEK - The Rhythm
Initially, I was a little apprehensive about this music video as they used a dance song and I feared that there would be a lack of narrative and just pure performance which, if not done correctly, could end up looking unprofessional. Despite my earlier thoughts - the video is actually extremely successful.
Firstly, regardless of the fact there was not a particularly structured narrative used, they still found the right balance between both performance and just general visuals. There is no 'storyline' as such but the students use clips of them out in their cars, generally having a good time which I feel matches in well with the fun, upbeat song.
The opening titles really captured my attention as they match the genre of the track chosen so well. Sometimes I feel that opening/closing titles can make music videos look tacky however in this particular video, it works very well. Following on from this, another successful element of this video is the use of varied shots. The shots that really stood out to me were the tracking shots, they are very steady and give different viewpoints without actually having to include a mass range of different shots. Alongside the use of the tracking shots, the students included wide shots, long shots, mid shots and so on; all of which display their confidence within both filming and editing. I felt the continuity within the video was also very well done - making a video appear to run smoothly is a hard task yet they managed to do it and this is something that I will consider when we film our video.
The students integrated the genre of music with their video successfully through the use of clips of dancers - highlighting the fact that the track they have chosen is a dance track. The dancers are present throughout the entirety of the video and add something extra to keep the viewer entertained. The cuts within the video are fairly fast and often match the beats present within the music. It is synchronised very well and it is clear to see that the students put in a lot of hard work.
Although the majority of the video is effective, there are a few things I would change. Firstly, a lot of the video was filmed when it was dark which makes the camera quality a tad grainy which seems to contrast against the almost HD quality present earlier on within the video when it was light. To avoid making the same mistake within our music video, I think it is important to consider the times of day in which we film and also think about the possible use of extra lighting. Lastly, there was no lip syncing within this music video. Truthfully, I agree that not a lot would have been needed for this particular song however it would have been nice to see a little bit in order to show the students involvement in the song.
Chase and Status - Alive
The opening titles really captured my attention as they match the genre of the track chosen so well. Sometimes I feel that opening/closing titles can make music videos look tacky however in this particular video, it works very well. Following on from this, another successful element of this video is the use of varied shots. The shots that really stood out to me were the tracking shots, they are very steady and give different viewpoints without actually having to include a mass range of different shots. Alongside the use of the tracking shots, the students included wide shots, long shots, mid shots and so on; all of which display their confidence within both filming and editing. I felt the continuity within the video was also very well done - making a video appear to run smoothly is a hard task yet they managed to do it and this is something that I will consider when we film our video.
The students integrated the genre of music with their video successfully through the use of clips of dancers - highlighting the fact that the track they have chosen is a dance track. The dancers are present throughout the entirety of the video and add something extra to keep the viewer entertained. The cuts within the video are fairly fast and often match the beats present within the music. It is synchronised very well and it is clear to see that the students put in a lot of hard work.
Although the majority of the video is effective, there are a few things I would change. Firstly, a lot of the video was filmed when it was dark which makes the camera quality a tad grainy which seems to contrast against the almost HD quality present earlier on within the video when it was light. To avoid making the same mistake within our music video, I think it is important to consider the times of day in which we film and also think about the possible use of extra lighting. Lastly, there was no lip syncing within this music video. Truthfully, I agree that not a lot would have been needed for this particular song however it would have been nice to see a little bit in order to show the students involvement in the song.
Chase and Status - Alive
Out of all the students videos I have looked at, this one is most certainly my favourite. Straight away there is the use of a time lapse - something me and my group have discussed using - although it doesn't add to the narrative it is intriguing and pleasing on the eye. It shows that you do not need extravagant settings/editing in order to create a successful video.
The video consists of mainly point of view shots or hand held shots, capturing the students experiences first hand, almost as if we are seeing exactly what he is. The video is interactive in a sense, for the few minutes it is on, we are made to feel like we are with him. The student uses a montage of clips he has clearly collected throughout his many travels and this adds a personal touch to the video. The clips all merge together extremely well and the continuity is phenomenal - despite the use of varied settings, he has filmed himself in such a way that allows him to edit the clips together with him appearing to be stood in the exact same position in every place.
Another element of this particular video that stood out to me was the synchronised visuals to the beat of the music at certain parts of the song. The student claps with each beat and with every clap, the visuals reveal a new setting - wether that be the sky line of New York or a football stadium.
There are only a few minor adjustments that I would make. The first of which is the possible use of artificial lighting; although I understand that this may have been difficult with regards to the extravagance of his settings, the flash on his camera may have even been efficient in order to brighten up a few of the scenes when it was a little bit dark. Secondly, I think the video could have been improved if the student incorporated a section of lip syncing. I feel that if he were to do that it would express more involvement within the song and make the continuity just that little bit better.
R Kelly - Ignition Remix
This was my least favourite video. Although the camera work and editing is not bad, I felt the song was totally inappropriate for the narrative of the video (which in itself is quite hard to grab the concept of). The visuals look extremely odd in comparison to the song and from the onset, this put me off. In regards to the editing, the cuts are quite slow which again, I do not feel matches the context of the song. The cuts fade to black screens which is effective however, personally I think that the students left it on the black screens for too long at a time, which left me wondering if there was a reason behind it.
A positive aspect of this video was the students use of different shots. Pans were used regularly in order to display the setting and give us, as viewers, an insight as to where the video was actually located. I will suggest the idea of using pans in our video to my group as I felt that they were successful in this video and so may also be effective in displaying the settings in our video too. Additionally, there was the use of high angled shots which again, I found impressive considering as it was a shot that I had not noted in any other student videos I had watched. It clearly showed that the students had thoroughly considered which types of shots they were going to use and what effect they would have on the audience. In continuation there was also use of the more basic types of shots such as mid shots, long shots and close ups. I felt these were successful in ensuring the audience had a clear view of exactly what was going on.
Lastly, the costumes used may have been suitable and representative of the students age personally, yet I don't think they suited the genre of music. The song contains some quite mature material and I felt that the students involved sometimes appeared too casually dressed to be in a music video. For our music video, costume will be a big aspect of it as we feel that the costume helps to set the scene and makes for an overall better video as it looks professional.
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