Analysis previous student’s work

To help us develop our own video ideas, we had to analysis previous student’s work and professional music videos which mirror or influence what we want to achieve in our music video. Although this is song is more ‘pop’ and our music video fits in the ‘Indie’ genre, however this music video betrays many qualities which a music video MUST have. The student video, which I have chosen to evaluate, is group R-16‘Girl Love’ by Self Service which is Punk/Rock/Pop genre.

In the student music video they demonstrate some genre characteristics (such as in a stage performance gives the genre of a metal video and a dance routine is for a boy/girl band). In this video, typical characteristics are shown. There are performances with some ‘dance’ routines from 2 girls, in the same locations – bedroom and outside. This is typical to a 'girl' song but it works well and is effective overall.

Following this, the relationship between lyrics and visuals is important. To understand the lyrics compared to the visuals, we need to know are they illustrative, amplifying or contradicting. The lyrics are about two girls going out to impress the same guy; but then they realise they like each other too. Therefore getting drunk and having a good time. This is shown by many techniques. The relationship between the lyrics and visuals are illustrative but not to every line which would make their piece very boring.For example the lines ‘two vodka shots’ is shown by the two singers drinking shots in parallel screens and the same for the line ‘checking on my make-up’.

Next the relationship between music and visuals is either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting. In ‘Girl Love’ the shots were very quickly cut, to match the fast tempo of the song. In addition to this flashbacks used throughout the video and the two girls performing on a bed, parallel to this. By doing this they are incorporating several techniques and styles of filming.

The varieties of camera angles used to make the shots are portrayed in the right way. The variety of close ups of the protagonists, and the odd long shot is effective. Shots of the two girls had random angles, like multi shots etc, and where they look into a camera when they are spying on a boy is very effective. This makes the video very abstract and modern looking. The music and visuals also match, as they are scenes cut in time with the music. The dancing and split scenes are also timed with the music.

Similarly another important convention in music video, which is also taken place in this student works. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style). The close ups on the females characters help to develop a closer relationship between the viewer and the actors. This enables a connection to be made.

There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This is to help the audience gain the impression of anger in the video, to find out that they are dating the same guy. And ‘seductiveness’ is shown when the visuals betray that the two girls like one another – on the bed.

Lastly there is intertextual reference in this music video, either from films, tv programmes, other music videos etc. as they follow many of the conventions that other music videos show and follow. This helps the audience to link this to other music videos, especially of the same or similar genre.