Performance, Narrative and Abstract

Music videos can be performance based, contain a narrative or can be completely abstract. Many music videos contain a combination of two or more of the above. I have picked out an example of each and analysed mainly the visual look and mise-en-scene but also the camerawork and at some points the editing.

Performance - Umbrella, Rihanna feat. Jay-z

This music video by the American singer Rihanna is performance based. There is a strong sense of style created through mise-en-scene throughout the video. The background is black with sparks falling in the background like rain which is a link to the lyrics of the song. It also helps create a distinctive style for the video making the video memorable. One purpose of a music video is to sell the artist and therefore they must have a distinctive visual look. There is a small build up before the artist Rihanna is revealed. She is wearing a short black leather dress and black gloves and at some points she wears a white dress. These are the two main colours worn by her and the dancers in order to create a distinct visual look. There are close-up shots used constantly and this is a common trait used in performance music videos. The background is misty with bright lights shining throughout. The camera changes focus throughout the song, which reflects the lyrics as the unclarity is reminiscient of water and rain. She also uses an umbrella at some points in her performance.

Narrative - Stan, Eminem feat. Dido

This video tells the story of a fan of Eminem. The video reveals his girlfriend is pregnant but he treats her badly. He writes letters to Eminem who doesn't reply and ends up crashing his car off a bridge and dying at the end. The atmosphere created through the visual look of the room that Stan is in is a disturbing and depressing one. The lighting is dim throughout and the colour black seems to dominate, which creates a dark mood that goes with lyrics and the meaning of the song. His obsession with Eminem is made clear through the many pictures of Eminem revealed through pans. Longer shots are used in this video when compared to other performance based videos as the video is telling a story. The transitions used are fades as well as cuts. However the pace increases as the climax of the story is reached and this also occurs in other music videos that tell a narrative. Near the climax when Stan's car falls off a bridge, the shots are quicker and there are more close-ups that do not reveal much of the big picture so that the audience feels a sense of confusion. Shots of the rain hitting the windscreen are out of focus in order to emphasize the chaos. An Extreme Long Shot is used when the car is falling so that the audience knows what is happening. Flashbacks are also used in the video and this is made clear through the use of special effects as the shots are in black and white and they are made blurry around the edges.

Abstract - Crazy, Gnarls Barkley

This is an example of an abstract music video. The background throughout is a plain white colour with different patterns coming onscreen. Within the patterns the face of the artist can sometimes be seen. The main colour used in the patterns is black with some red, pink, green and blue. The patterns are completely abstract and random but still go with the rhythm of the song as they transform from one shape to another.