R&P Post 5: The kind of video I would like to make

Music videos are typically based around three features; concepts, narrative and performance. A conceptual video is when the audience is shown something that is not the artist and could be symbolic or artistic. Narrative is when the video follows a chronological series of events that has a storyline and is normally uses continuous editing, drawing from classic Hollywood cinema style of editing. Performance videos predominantly show the artist or band singing, dancing or playing instruments. I would like to combine all three features and make a conceptually stylised music video that intercuts between the narrative and performance and uses engaging cinematography. 

I am very interested in using Sven E Carlsson's theroy of binary opposites controlling the narrative of the music video. He says that "one of the most common methods of analysis is to break up the music video into black and white boxes. Almost everything is then perceived as opposites - trash or art, commerce or creativity, male or female, naturalism or antirealism etc".

Simon Frith's theory states that music videos can be categorised into performance, narrative or conceptual, sometimes with a combination of 2 or 3 of the aspects.

An example of a music video that uses performance and narrative to drive the music video is "The One" by Kodaline. The music video transitions from the narrative to the performance by use of fades and camera movement to seamlessly cut in between the singer and the actors. This music video is also a good example to support Sven E Carlsson's theory because the narrative is motivated by the contrast of the male and the female, which is emphasised further by the use of split screen.

The music video for "Light it Up" by Major Lazer feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG is an animated video shot in greyscale. The conceptualised visuals are stunning and capture the audience's attention, encouraging them to watch the whole video. I love the use of vivid colours and the complex animation that somehow manages to captivate my attention even though there is little progression in the performance.

I am very inspired by the music video for "This too shall pass" by OK Go. The music video is thematically conceptual, using the Rube Goldberg Machine and one shot cinematography to achieve a great music video with mind-blowing effects.

Marc Jacobs models sporting dreadlocks
at the New York Fashion Week

Iggy Azaela's Bounce music video where she
is seen wearing clothing exclusive to the Indian culture

I have a couple of ideas that I think that the group would be interested in doing.

One of my ideas is a music video that is satirical and challenges cultural appropriation. This idea was inspired by the recent events at the New York Fashion show where Marc Jacobs had models wear dreadlocks as a fashion statement when, in reality, black women are oppressed for their hair. Another trend that I have noticed is that artists are taking traditions from other cultures and are modelling them as art with little knowledge of the meanings behind them. Iggy Azalea's "Bounce" video is an example of this as she dances to her song dressed in Indian clothing and dancing in the style.

This will use Freud's theory of humour (that jokes let out our forbidden thoughts and feelings that the conscious mind usually suppresses) to pose subtle questions about cultural appropriation in our society.

Anti gravity video from Inside Out by Ok Go

Astronaut concept from iKon's Dumb and Dumber

Another idea that I have is to have a conceptual music video set in space. I think that it would be fun to play around with what we could do in a studio. Have props such as astronaut costumes and throwing bouncy balls around is something that I would like to watch in a music video. The music video for Upisde Down and Inside Out by Ok Go was shot in zero gravity, allowing them to achieve the visually stunning effects.

However, I know that we are financially and technologically limited and would not be able to pull it off. I still think that a conceptual music video would be best for us to do. Ideas include a guy in an astronaut costume doing daily chores such as going to the supermarket and filming people's reactions to him.

After conducting a lot of research into music videos and collecting all my ideas, I am excited to put forward an idea for my group's music video. Although some of these ideas are only first drafts and some of them are unrealistic to achieve, I am confident that I can come up with a concept for our music video that will be visually enticing.