AD: Class Music Video Discussion Feedback

On the 11th September, the class and I sat round and discussed our tracks, as well as watched a great deal of various music videos.

We explained that had lost our original choice, Jungle - Jamie N Commons & X Ambassadors, in the evening prior to the lesson, due to there being a music video of it already. However, we mentioned the runner-up of Lorde's Everybody Wants to Rule the Word, Mrs Fernandez played it on the loudspeakers - and thus settled the doubts that we had had over it. Almost in unison, the group and I agreed that Lorde was the answer.

In addition to going through the songs that each of the groups had chosen, we viewed a selection of music videos, and had to give some feedback as to what we thought about them. As follows:

• The most memorable aspect of this video was the camera techniques.
• The fish-eye lens effect was an effective way of showing life in the town as small and, seeing as the video was shot in Belfast, an interesting connotation being how the youth of Ireland may see themselves as.
• The most notable social comment being the use of the bulldog, an animal often associated with England. The small pig-cakes could - albeit slightly abstractly - connote the Irish populace being eaten by the dominant English.

• This video did not appeal much to me. I believe this was partly due to the disjunctive narrative style. 
• However, the composition of each shot was interesting, with a prevalence for rule of thirds.
• The handicam shots are stimulating, as it keeps the whole music video in motion and are relevant to the nature of the music video's narrative.

• The use of UV-lighting was my personal favourite aspect of this.

• The first thing I personally noticed in this music video was the use of symbolism.
• For example, her falling down the spiral staircase symbolising her life going down the drain.
• The camera's change from hard focus to soft focus following the protagonist's excessive drinking helps position the audience with her, which could be an element of 

Lastly, the music video I personally enjoy a lot is Sacrilege by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs:

• The colour-grading is aesthetically pleasing, the blue and red tones connoting a deeper conflict between sterile and passion, or safety and danger.
• The narrative style of reverse narrative is an interesting artistic element, which I personally find very inspirational.
• The nighttime shots are also interesting, as it could help us - if we were to consider shooting at night - consider aspects of nighttime shooting, such as light and location.