Research blog: Music Video

Title Research Blog - Music Video Analysis Content Janiah’s Intro: HEY! The start of research has been fundamentally important for our filming. We discussed what songs to take into account and why it may be important, like necessarily finding other R&B music, while also looking into our artist ‘Khalid's’ music. Water - Tyla Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: To start, the primary camera angle used was eye level. The reason is that the viewers and Tyla make direct eye contact as if she is singing the song “to them”. Oddly, the thumbnail of the video is at eye level but significantly prevalent eye contact is not represented in the frame selected. Redirecting back to camera angles in the video, there were a few high angles and no canted or low angles. Typically, the use of low angles to be intimidating and canted angles to add a sense of exploration adds to the characteristics of a music video. Since the video does not include these features it adds a level of comfortability between the prospective audience and Tyla which diminishes any unfamiliar mood that may settle. Regarding camera movements, there were plenty of pans, tilts, and zooms. Every segment included movement of some sort — there were no freeze frames. Each segment had its own smooth, continuous, tracking camera movement which points towards the fact no non-moving tripod was used whilst filming. This incorporated an element of sharing the same space as Tyla and added to the spatial awareness of the piece. Overall it gives the effect that the viewers are trailing the subject (Tyla) throughout the scene. Moving on to the various shots. “Water” uses many shots, some of which include medium shots, establishing shots, and aerial shots. The use of medium shots at eye level was the foremost used camera positioning in this music video. Primarily because it sets up the shots to feel like you are talking to each other which would be a commonality within a lip-synced video. Something specific to “Water” would be the establishing scene of the ocean at the beginning of the music video and at the end of the video, which ties together the video as a cohesive unit. Notably, there were a few close-up shots, medium-long shots, and inserts used throughout the piece. These close-up shots could consist of Tyla’s face in focus as she sings. A few of these shots would zoom out into a medium-long shot and show the surrounding set which helped the audience gain perspective. Similarly, with the inserts, a medium tracking shot would be used of Tyla walking followed by an insert of Tyla’s torso as she walked. I noticed how much of the video itself was cut-to-cut but as a viewer, it didn't feel that way even when scenes changed due to the parallels in establishing shots, medium shots, and inserts. Sound: “Water” begins with the pre-chorus consisting of the end of a phone call. This conversation provides a basic understanding of what the song will be about. Continuously, “Water” mostly consists of diegetic sound which of course is the song playing. The lack of ambient sound was interesting to note considering the video was taken in a gathering with 30+ people, at a beach (which is sure to have the sounds of the waves), and there seems to be dialogue between characters but none of that can be heard by the audience. Though, the end of the video includes a segment at the beach as the distant and almost artificial sound of waves crashing on the beach ensues. Overall, the methodically planned use of diegetic over non-diegetic sound helps the intended audience grasp the purpose of this video lip-syncing. Editing: Editing different clips to bring together this piece helps exhaust a certain mood set. This music video used plenty of cross-cutting, zooming, and flashbacks, flash-forwards, with the help of camera settings to control focus on subjects and dissolving into scenes. Cross-cutting was the basis for much of the editing operations, from there flashes between the same segment of the song in various locations would be flipped through. This created one cohesive song-like structure, but visually an ever-changing atmosphere. Additionally, the use of focusing in and out of a subject was common, especially in the first minute of the video. You can see this as the subject would focus into the beaded curtain and then focus out and into Tyla’s face emerging from behind the curtain in several instances. Similarly to the previously mentioned inserts used which added emphasis to the common walking movement Tyla would endure. Overall, the techniques used help make for a video full of constant but also steady movement further adding to the visual composition of the piece. Mise-En-Scene: Firstly, the costume design used in “Water” went hand-in-hand with the lighting and color design of the piece as a whole. Lots of yellows and blues were used in the clothing. Interestingly, in the first set, Tyla wears a yellow two-piece outfit adorned with jewelry that makes her slightly blend with the overall brown set, but in the later scenes on the beach, Tyla wears a bright blue two-piece outfit that pops off the fence and dark background putting emphasis on her. Overall, the costumes of the other characters follow a bright theme but are slightly washed out compared to Tyla. The clothes worn are typically “beach clothes” that one would imagine people wearing on tropical vacations which matches the set they are in. As previously mentioned, lighting and color design is a huge component of the music video. Overall a more hazed appearance can be pulled from the piece. The beginning of the video starts with yellow, brown, and burgundy tones and overall warm lighting. This helps build contentment of the audience with Tyla due to the “snug” connotation of warm lighting (whereas white lighting can be deemed sterile and/or ghostly). The lighting helps the audience understand the time of day when the video is being filmed, in this location it would be “golden hour” which is a term coined by younger generations for the time right before sunset when the sun is giving off an orange or yellow hue. As the location of filming changes to the beach location and warehouse set the colors shift to dark blues and black which can be seen in the costumes of individuals and also how the time of day shifts to night with the reminiscence of a sunset on the horizon. In this song, the use of color and lighting design is key to reciprocating the time of day each piece is filmed. Moving on, the acting of Tyla follows the common theme of lip-syncing. The video follows a narrative pattern with some conceptual parts. You can see this when Tyla is “getting ready” with friends, dancing and singing. Zooming in on the dancing, there were two main types, choreographed dances and free-movement dances. The choreographed group dance helps display the cultural demeanor of this younger demographic. The non-choreographed segments help show how Tyla and her friends are enjoying their time. Rhythmic pelvic movements common to the cultural dance became associated with the song as the “water challenge”; where individuals try to enjoy the movement of their body whilst pouring a bottle of water down their back. Overall, the usage of singing and dancing can help create a bubbly mood for the audience when watching, contributing to the conventions of the genre. Make-up is not a key trait of this song. Tyla along with her counterparts seems to be wearing minimal makeup which gives off a “natural” look. A few background characters can be seen wearing a bit heavier make-up which displays how some individuals choose to do their make-up and explore their artistic talent. Looking at a larger view, the makeup worn is one that most individuals could achieve by themselves, meaning they would not need professional help to achieve the look. This makes for a very “natural” feeling of the video. Onwards, there were not many props used in the music video. This made sense considering the video is centered around the lyrics rather than trying to sell a product like a commercial. A few sparklers were used in the beach scenes to illuminate the faces of characters, and a lemon-water drink was highlighted which makes me believe Tyla had a pained sponsorship with the brand to include the product, and also the cooler which acted as movement in certain scenes. Once these props are pulled out from the pieces it is evident that they add no fundamental value to the music video but rather act as assisting pieces to help vocalize the other mise-en-scene. Lastly, the set. This has been touched on frequently in this music video analysis but the set helps provoke feelings as a basis for the mood at full length. 3 main sets could be pulled in which there is a getting ready house, beach, and warehouse. Wishing those larger sets smaller sets resided such as the bathroom, language, cooler, and fences. The way the video was composed makes it feel like these locations are in the same vicinity as each other. Though it was somewhat clear that none of these locations were home, it created an emotional detachment within the space. This is interesting considering the emphasis on comfort placed on the video as a whole. Nonetheless, in the case of “Water,” I would say the set was the structural backbone of the video. Location - Khalid Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Most scenes of “Location” used high and low angles. The mixture of types of angles didn't necessarily distract viewers but added effect to the situation. Looking closer at the pool scene, a man fell in which led to a jumpcut to a scene of a man sliding down a slide and so on. This can give rise to the notion of a chaotic summer. Eye-level shots captured different objects, like the keys in a car scene or shots of his movements. Many movements of the camera were adjusted and moved to give viewers a better visual representation and thus a deeper meaning of the song. An entire movement of the camera is shown when Khalid is on top of the car in the music video, displayed with a tracking shot of him swaying to the beat and singing along showing his enjoyment or connection with the song. From further research into the song, Khalid quoted in an interview that the song is “young love…the type that would make someone travel all across the country”, also very descriptive in the lyrics. In the first sequence, a small zoom of a far away to a slight sway of the camera to show Khalid's full body was added in. The top to bottom was a fascinating build-up of recording to add in. Though in other scenes of Khalid a tilt was added to the camera, the sway of the camera angle to maybe add emotion or scenery. The camera also often pans to him swaying left to right, adding emotions to the music. The beat gives a chill laid-back melody of rhythm and blues (R&B). Particularly in shots, There is also a close-up shot showing the artist's face presenting his deep emotions through the music, and another close-up of the leading love interest. Gives viewers visual close-ups of facial emotions. This is often put in the video because of the period it was filmed in, similar to that of other media added in. In particular, this means many videos in 2017 of filming and production had a satisfactory movement of camera and angles added in to attract viewers. Like close-up shots that are still continuously used to depict someone's strong facial expressions. In multiple other scenes, there were identifiable continuous shots taken; some were broken up to give better edits to the video. But the long frame recording of particular objects like the car tire or the small zoom explained earlier in movements. The video also takes into account the scenery with multiple wide shots; these scenes particularly look more into the environment, giving viewers an idea of the setting or shooting taking place. This was substantially used to show the change in the environment if necessary, especially because of the depiction of the lyrics and that of finding someone’s “location”. Another shot that was used not as often was that of an establishing shot; used to indicate the context of the scene was used around 3 times. In establishing the first scene in the desert, pool party, and ending house party. Some over-the-shoulder shots are added in to encapsulate Khalid's back-view or give viewers an advantage of what he’s looking at. Sound: The track starts with “Location”, the instant melody is accompanied by the scenery via non-diegetic sound. This helps with the result of music because it eases viewers into music. Though in particular there is not an assortment of sounds and action clips added to distract viewers, there is a sound motif. The song has particular parts where the beat drops or an increase in rhythm occurs. In two particular scenes where someone falls into the pool adding to the deepening of the beat and with the close-up of the tires scratching out against the sandy desert. Editing: An insert clip was put in to cut to a different angle from scenes on the car. The edit was that of a filter to give more to the Texas scenery. A pop-up caption through text messages is put on screen to give viewers the detail that a message was sent and the artist was viewing it from a love interest. Added in is a cutaway from the artist to a scene of someone falling in a pool, this scene draws viewers to question what is happening in upcoming scenes. This happens because it cuts to the scene of something happening from the actual timeline of the video to a forward scene back to a scene in the present time in the video or a jump cut, some scene like that of the pool did not have any necessary depth to the plot of the music video. Another source of editing that was particular to the setting was that of the font added over, like the gray light or the darkening of certain scenes. Something to also note within the video is that of the switching of scenes, it is not necessarily choppy but it is understandably easy to see scenes overlap or fade in and out. Also, some scenes are dissolved toward the end of the video as the melody slows and quicker scenes of insert shots are added. Mise-En-Scene: As said before in editing, the lighting and color design helped take into account the setting of ‘El Paso, Texas’ disclosed in the beginning scene. The hue and filter added over were to be identified with the summer weather. In the sequence of the music video, certain objects or props are especially taken into view. That of the keys, when Khalid looks down and starts the car, or the prop of the American flag against the driver-side mirror. That is later seen on his back as he walks off into the surrounding environment. A special prop that conveyed a message for viewers to later read was when the love interest of Khalid wrote on a mirror in red lipstick “upstairs”. Another particular prop is the use of phones through the tracking, letting viewers know how it’s used to indicate “send your location” in the lyrics. Exceptionally the set changed multiple times from that of the sandy desert to the pool and house party. To encapsulate the pool party scene many people were wearing swimming attire or near the edge of the pool. The addition of the slide helped accomplish the view of enjoyment of the individual scene. In the scene of the house, it can also be identified from the motion of dancing and random movements. The people standing around helped viewers understand the different personalities at a party, without speaking the acting performance portrayed the notion of that scene. Best Part by Daniel Caesar & H.E.R Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots: Regarding camera angles, the whole time the camera was at eye level. There were no high, low, or canted angles. It makes sense that there is a high frequency of eye-level angles since a sense of human connection can be formed this way. But, the sheer lack of any other shots came as a surprise because I assumed variation within angles is common to all music videos. Nonetheless, the lack of variation in camera angles was made up for the diverse use of movement. The whole video, and full scene, used a tracking shot of the two subjects. In addition, a few unconventional zooms were used to go between medium-long shots and medium shots. It made it appear to viewers that a person is moving closer to the subject rather than a camera zooming out from a setting. This human-like following of the characters built an intertwining connection with the prospective audience. Paired with a tilt (top to bottom) in the opening sequence, another tilt (bottom to top) in the closing scene, and some pans spatial awareness of the set is built. Notably “Best Part” integrates a range of shots. I found it interesting how so many different shots were used but there is just one scene. Starting there is an establishing shot of the beaches which then turns into a wide shot as the two characters walk into the scene. Quickly, the camera zooms into one of the subjects to create a medium close-up shot while the other still is at a wide shot. Afterward, the two characters end up becoming part of medium-close shots as they start to sing and then toggle between medium close-ups and medium shots. In the end, a zoom-out before a long shot and tilt upwards occurs. The use of establishing shots and long shots at the end helps create and start and end of the “story” that is being narrated through the lyrics. The constant movement of shots in the bulk of the story makes for a familiar sense surrounding the characters. Further connecting their stories, making a deep human connection through the stark sense of realism. Sound: Now, the sound effects of “Best Part” are in alignment with that of “Water”. Both songs take place at the beach which explains why both songs start and end with the sound of waves crashing. The use of diegetic sound helps add a lasting sense of reality to the composition. On the other hand, the non-diegetic sound begins as the song starts. This non-diegetic sound also serves as a dialogue between the characters as they convey their emotions to each other. Overall the usage of sound drives the plot forward. Editing: Editing was a significant yet irrelevant feature of this music video in particular. A split screen was used throughout the whole piece which showed the parallels between two different stories. Since the “Best Part” refers to the best part of a significant other, one screen shows a man and one a woman singing about the best parts of their relationship. Without the key feature of a split screen, the message of the story couldn’t have been reciprocated. However at the same time, the sheer lack of any other editing feature in “Best Part” leads me to conclude there is an overall lack of editing in this specific music video. Mise-En-Scene: The first part of mise-en-scene is the costumes. The guy in this piece wears a light gray tracksuit. Though it's hard to see anything other than the silhouette of the girl it appears a light breezy material is being worn. In both videos, the characters are covered with homespun materials which adds to the inseparable “vibe” set between the characters. Lighting and color design heavily influences the mood set. The guy in the video was set in a gray, pastel blue, and pastel yellow environment. Which gave off a cool, relaxed, clear, early morning setting to the viewer. The girl was placed in an environment full of purples and orange since it seemed to be around sunset these darker colors were present especially since she was mostly a silhouette. Regardless, the lighting helped show that sunset-relaxed mood but in a warmer way. In total, the ambient lighting used reciprocated the time of day. In this case, color and lighting was important but I wouldn’t say it was the foremost important component of mise-en-scene. Moving on, the acting of the characters was extremely important. Both characters were passionately singing their pieces as if they were in a dialogue with each other. In which, they fully express their emotions which can be seen in the way both characters use their hand movements, skip around the beach, and define distinct phrases. It makes it feel as if they are all alone and able to fully reveal everything they feel, almost as if the viewer isn’t there. Makeup within this music video is not apparent. As previously mentioned, the girl's facial features can barely be made out so determining if make-up is worn is difficult. The man is not touched up in any way. Thus, makeup is irrelevant in the “Best Part”. “Best Part” uses no props. It is simply just the set and the characters and no additional features. The last part of the mise-en-scene would be the set. In “Best Part” the set is a beach. It is not apparent if there are two different beaches in the split screens but it is clear that they are at different times of day, at different angles. This creates a different background landscape, lighting, colors, and wave frequency which could be deemed a different set though it's the same location physically. The similarities and one primary location create consistency in the composition visually and could relate to the consistency of the relationship between the partners. Furthermore, the “loneliness” that emanates from the individual videos is dispelled once the split screen occurs since a connection to this space is formed. Overall the beach acts as a controlled variable in this piece and relationship. Takeaways: That was a lot of analysis, but what does this say about the conventions of contemporary R&B music as a whole? The foremost used camera position was medium shots at eye level. Tracking shots are commonly used to help form spatial awareness of sets and/or build a sense of realism. Ambient noises are used before the introduction of the song (non-diegetic) and at the end which help set up context and a general plot for the prospective audience. Editing can vary from piece to piece; there is no common thread with editing styles. In general, a range of styles can be used based on the creative vision imagined. Lighting and color design were important to reciprocate the mood of each composition and also any tonal shifts. The set, costume design, and acting of the characters helped viewers grasp a better understanding of specific scenes. In the overall picture, make-up and props are insignificant compared to the other aspects. Outro Janiah: After sitting for several minutes annotating a music video, I’ve gained a passion for analyzing small unnecessary things. I now feel as though I can correlate some of the certain sequences developed in the music videos to my group, which will greatly benefit us even if it is small and deemed ‘unnecessary’.