The Vaccines- No Hope

The music video for 'No Hope' by The Vaccines is shot in black and white which really adds to the theme of the music video, the video is supposed to look like it's set back in time so with the use of black and white it creates that vintage effect. It also makes the music video seem very melancholy with the use of no colour, which could link back to the title of the song being 'No Hope' suggesting that the music video and song is trying to create a sense of loss and bleakness. The music video is very narrative, and shows a story from start to finish of a young boy who seems to have feelings for a female that looks older than him. We are shown the young boy straight at the beginning of the video, and also shown the male singer who is telling the story of the young boy while the young boy is acting it out.

At the beggining of the music video we are shown shots of the young boy running with a feble bunch of flowers, the young boy seems to have an erge of adrenaline which we would assume is to why he is running, which links in with the fast pace of music that is used at the start of the song. 

We are then shown shots of the male singer, starting off the tale of the young boys story. Only close up's are used on this male, and is the only close up's used throughout the whole video which highlights the importance of the singer even though he is not the main part during the music video. Having the use of the close up's on the singer shows his emotion towards what he is singing about and the adventure of the young boy, which could suggest that he was once that young boy in the video.

The young boy is shot walking through some long grass, representing not only the naturalness of nature but also the innocence he beholds. The whole music video is shot outside continiously linking to nature and the open space suggesting that nothing can hold this young boy back of his feelings. The boy is picking up flowers, again connoting his innocence and purity. Flowers hold natural beauty, which could contrast with the title of the song being 'No Hope' as the flowers are always growing, showing that there must be hope but maybe not the type of hope the young boy is wanting.

The singer is sitting down, and behind him we are shown glimpses of what is either the sea or a river. Compared to the water the singer has no impact portraying his vunrability so emphasising the powerfullness of the sea.

A shoulder shot is used, where we are looking down over at what the young boy is doing, this adds empahsis on the young boys vunrability also creating a link again that the singer is looking back at his life, as they are shown to both have some of the same characteristics.

Different shots are used to follow the young boy on the bike, we follow his front ways looking at his face and movement suggesting that he wants us to follow him and delve into his story, it also could represent that the boy is open minded and has free will as he is in open space. We then follow the boy from behind seeing the boy riding his bike from the back, which again represents his vunrability and could also portray that the boy has secrets and wants to keep them with him.

The young boy puts the flowers he collected at the beginning of the video on a doorstep of a dainty house, immediatly giving the impression that it's a females house. The boy sneaks away, representing his child like behaviour, sweetness and innocence. As the flowers are shown to be true beauty in the video, it could suggest that the boy feels as if the person he is giving the flowers to is also full of natural beauty.

The door is opened and the camera follows the movement of the girl chucking the flowers away adding emphasis of all the effort the boy has gone too, to then just be thrown away by a quick movement which we see as careless, this could contrast with the quick movement of the boy using the bike trying to reach the female as soon as he can. Suggesting that his feelings towards her he will not be recieving back.

At the end of the video the same clip right at the beginning of the music video is used when the boy is running with the flowers in his hands, as the clip is being repeated it could represent that the young boy has done the whole dropping the flowers off before, and that's why he has no hope. However the last bit of the video we are shown the young boy jumping into the water without the flowers, portraying that he feels that he doesnt need to repeat his actions anymore. It could alsp portray that the boy's vunrability is leaving him as he is now jumping into the 'powerfull' water.

Paloma Faith- Picking Up The Pieces

The music video for 'Picking up The Pieces' by Paloma Faith is shot in an old fashioned location with a huge country house. Most of the music video is shot outside or inside, showing the two different characters Paloma is trying to portray throught the video. The video for the song is very narrative, and tells a story about the worrys of her lovers previous relationships. Even though Paloma plays both of the two chracters clear differences in surroundings and probs can be seen, also through the colours used when shooting the different character sections for the music video. However the whole video is made to look extremley vintage and give off a 60's feel.

At the start of the video the surroundings are very dull, the lighting is dim so represents the surroundings in a bleak way, the setting looks miserbale but when the camera catches the car coming up the track the lighting used is different straight away suggesting that through the video we will recieve different atmospheres and opinions.

Whilst in the very vintage car, giving off the impression that they are a posh rich couple, the camera looks over at Paloma from the view of a person sitting next to her who we see is a man. Suggesting he has a caring side, as it seems as if he is checking up on her and making sure she is ok. When the car stops we are taken up to a window in the house where a shot is used looking out of the window and down onto the car, giving the impression that someone is already in the house watching them, or later into the song we could percieve from that shot that's it's the other lady character paloma is playing looking down onto the relationship she used to be in.

The male character is in full focus of the camera when he angrily gets out of the car, highlighting his strange behaviour. As the music video is trying to portray the old fashioned theme it really emphasises that the couple arent happy in their relationship, as back in that time any real gentleman would have gone round and opened the door to his lady. It was seen rather unusual if you didn't do that back then, which creates the impression that the rest of the video is going to be unusal and go against norms.

A close up of Paloma in the car is used after the male exits the car, this catches her emotional reaction to the males behaviour it suggests that Paloma knows already that something isn't exactly right in their relationship. After this close up Paloma starts to sing, the pace in the song matches the follow shot used of the male walking through the house which creates tensions and suspence for the rest of the music video.

When Palomas on the bench outside compared to her surroundings she is represented to be very small and innocent, portraying that she could possibly be englufed by her feelings and thoughts. Also these shots could link in with the other character she play's always being inside the building, showing a clear link that she feels the previous women is over ruling her life. Whilst she is sitting on the bench the camera moves smoothy around the side of Paloma and then upwards to her face, representing her free movement or even the whirl wind of emotions she can't over come. The movement of the camera contrasts with the second character inside the building throughout the music video she is shown to be ridged and emotionless which is completley different to how the first female is portrayed to be.

Shots of the male in the bathroom having a shave really add emphasis on the free will he has compared to the second lady, who is sitting on the edge of the bed emotionless and placid. The man has his shirt off, portraying that he is laid back whilst the lady has a posh frock on that she is shown to wear throughout the video portraying the difference or even the awkwardness between the two. This could go on to represent that the male makes the rules around their once relationship.

A close up of the second lady is used but on the side of her face, it shows a different side to her that we havent yet seen and could portray that her ridgedness is being replaced by true elegence and beauty making her seem more like the first female character Paloma is playing.

The camera follows two maids up the stairs and down a hallway, representing that the life that is kept inside the house is very structured as there is two of them, who are almost identical. This could be seen as to having a link with the two identical characters Paloma is playing during the music video, suggesting that in life everyone is equal no matter how different each others lives are.

The two characters Paloma is playing during the music video are portrayed to be very different the first lady (the one singing) is shown to be wearing natural, pastel colours connoting purity and freedom, which links in with her shown to also be outside and surrounded by nature. However the second lady, is shown to wear bright bold colours, which doesnt really match the personality we recieve for her, it would seem that the first lady who is clearly showing her emotions freely would be wearing the bold colours where as the second lady we would assume to wear the pastel colours and she is percieved to be shy so wouldn't wear the colours that would attract attention.

 

Near the end of the music video when Paloma is shown to be the first lady, she is shown to be off the bench which portrays her expressing her emotions and makes her seem powerful. However soon after those shots she is down on her knees infront on the bench, as if she is crumbling from her powerful statement and feels as if she does not know what to do, her body language suggests that she could be asking for forgiveness.

 

The other characters that are shown in the music video are shown to be dancing around and making hand movement, but before hand they were shown to be eating dinner this could portray how the first female feels as if her life or relationship isn't normal and she feels as if her life is a complex mixture of emotions.

A very detailed close up of the second lady's hand is used, she is shown to be melting like a candle representing that the worries of the ex lover are disseapearing and that she is no longer around, it could also represnt a change in time or opinion. A candle takes a long time to burn all the way down to the bottom suggesting that the first female has had the opinions and worries for a long time also a drip of wax runing down the candle could represent the small problems in her life are dissapearing too.

Paloma starts to walk around the grounds in the grass, flowers and trees can be seen. A very natural image is created the male comes up to her and kisses her, which connotes that she really had nothing to worry about at all. As they are outside in nature, and nature is natural is portrays that their love is too, that they don't need to pretend or have worries ad they love is true love just like the true beauty of nature.



Florence + The Machiene

The music video 'No Light, No Light' by Florence + The Machiene through the lyrics of the song and the video we are shown the clear narrative. We are instantley introduced to the main singer Florence and the other main character that's used throughout the music video, he is shown in many shots to be wearing a mask or either shirtless and painted adding to the quirky side of the video. The music video is really unique and shows the differences between being Christanity and Voodoo spirituality, having the main setting used in a church really adds to the dramatic impression we are given when watching the music video. The video shows the melodramatic intensity by having the contrast between christanity a more sain way of religion than the use of the voodoo doll, it's constantly full of different religious imagery and really shows a unique and intreguing storyline.

Many fast pased cuts are used during the video, jumping from shots of Florence running to shots of the voodoo man surrounded by candels and dancing. This can be seen in the video around (1.01). These fast cuts really pick up the pace for the song, and create a significant amount of tension but also excitement towards the song.

Throughout the video we are shown many shots of candels, linking in with the title of the song 'No Light, No Light'. At the beggining of the song we are shown the candels with the masked man portraying a sense of high authority and power. However near the end of the song where it's reaching it's climax we are shown shots with the candels near Florence , power hasbeen restored, passed on to some one who deserves it all hope seems to have been found again.

We are shown bleak, and dark colours during the music video except from when the man with the voodoo doll is shown, even though this man is painted a dull colour his trousers are the only thing in the video which consits of a bright colour that stands out, this draws attention to the man and highlights his importance during the music. However Florence is shown to be very modest and plain this also highlights her importance but in a very simple innocent way. The choir boys used during the church are shown to wear black suits, this formal wear links in with the melancholic dress sense shown by the female, portraying that there is some sort of connection between the two.

The chasing scene during the music video we are again shown Florence to be in bleak colours, whilst the voodoo man is now wearing all purple which connotes that the man's authority and power is increasing and growing stronger over the bleak female. Coming to the end of the video Florence falls through a florecent stainded glass window in a chruch, smashing the whole thing representing that now she is gaining the power that is rightly hers, and taking them away from the masked man. The choir boys have their hands up towards her whilst falling, showing the protection and it could suggest a use of religious imagery as it's as if they are pointing up towards God. (Florence being there saviour).

Many close ups are used during the music video, expecially of Florence. The close up's show the strong emotion building up in her face, and whilst the camera is not using a close up we can see the emotion through her body language. Throughout the close up's Florence is shown to be very natural, connoting her purity and innocence it could also be seen that she is trying to represent a angle symbol going on to show the innocence of the song. A close up shot is used of a watch on someone's wrist, this could represent that the narrative of the story is coming to a end, or even that time is continuously going by. The shot of the watch could even symbolise that everything is changing even if we don't take notice of it as time is the one thing no one really can keep track of.

Genre Indie Pop

Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that origninated in the UK around the 1980's, the most dominant band around the mid 80's was the independent group 'The Smiths'.
The term 'Indie' describes the artists on independent labels. Typical instruments used in Indie Pop are vocals, bass, guitar and drums. Most recentley the mainstream aundience for Indie Pop has been extremley high in North America, England and Europe rising from around 2010.

We are choosing the genre of Indie Pop, as the genre is very unique and quirky. The artists that follow the indie pop genre are very intresting and create strange but dynamic songs. Even though the genre has only really had a recent success there are many well known artists such as Florence and the Machine, Noah and the Whale, The Vaccines and Marina and the Diamonds and Mumford And Sons.

Camera shots and movements that are frequently used in the indie pop are, points of view shots, close ups and many handheld camera movements. The framing and editing style used is straight cuts and fast edits and mainly the artist or band being in centre of the frame.

History into Music Videos



A music video is a short film that intergrades a song and the use of imagery, which is produced to promote and sell the use of the song.

1940 Disney released Fantasia, which was an animated film based upon a clasical piece of music.

By the mid 1980's 'The Jackson 5' created lavish music videos with million doller budgets, by creating a music video for 'Can You Feel It'

Here is the link for 'Can You Feel It'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssoQ8pW-AD8&feature=related

Top Of The Pops- Is a British music chart television programme made by the BBC it was weekly broadcasted between January 1st 1964 and July 30th 2006. It was used to promote a song, which created a competetive side amongst different bands as the producers had strict limits on the number of videos they could weekly use. So a very good video would increase a song's sale as viewers would wish to see the video again the next week.

1981- MTV Launced: Originally just showed different types of music videos not like MTV we see today where many other programmes are linked to the MTV channel. First video to be aired on MTV was 'Video Killed The Radio Star' by Buggles, and MTV was the start of a 24 hour music television era. In 1984 MTV launced it's own music awards.

Here is the link for the first music video to be shown on MTV
'Video Killed The Radio Star'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs&ob=av2e

In the early to mid 1980's many artists started to use more sophisticated effects in their music videos and created their vidoes along the lines of short films. Michael Jackson was the first well known artist that full filled the concept of the short film shown in 'Billie Jean'. He took the short movie to the next level in his video for 'Thriller'. which was fourteen minutes long and cost around $500, 000 the video and song were an instant success and many other artists started to follow in his foot steps.

In 1985 VH1 was created and operated as a part of the MTV network. The channel was aimed at the older audience and played more of the softer classical side to music videos.




In 1986 The Chart Show was launched in the UK, it only consisted of music videos and had no presenters everything on the programme was computer generated.

In 2005 Youtube a video sharing website was created. Where ordinary people can upload, share and view videos that aren't there own. Many of the videos on Youtube are uploaded by individuals that wish to be famous, or want to share their own experiences. Most music videos can be watched on Youtube where comments on videos can be written and opinions can be shared. 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga is the most viewed video on Youtube in 2010.