Research: Close textual analysis of case studies

Case Study One Disclosure Omen Ft. Sam Smith: 

Opening shot of a futuristic mise en scene creates an ambiguous setting which draws the audience in from the very onset of the video.

As an audience we then see a shot of two individuals on a motorbike, their faces are never revealed so that widens the sense of mystery insinuated from the beginning shot.

A change in time frame shows that the opening is now over, and the main narrative of the story is now about to begin. Having this narrative, again draws in the audience as they have something to focus on throughout the video and are less likely to be bored. I have chosen to include a narrative in my video so watching this video helped me gage an idea as to how to incorporate a story line in a dance music video.

The video then includes an example of intertextuality, the image in the top centre of this shot is of Irma Serrano, a Mexican folk-singer, actress, politician. She was known for her work as well as several controversies, maybe insinuating the club shown in the video is set in Mexico City and is the hang out spot for other people with a similar reputation.

Throughout the video a symbol is repeated several times, this symbol being a wild cat called a caracal, also the name of Disclosure’s next album. As the club seems to be a hotspot for local outlaws it could be perceived as a symbol of rebellion. Hence, the use of a wild cat, pushes that the members are also ‘wild’.












The video also uses a wide range of shots, this being one of the most mysterious, as the antagonists figure comes across like a silhouette and the background is blurred.

The video ends with the same font used as before creating a sense of brand identity. Ending the video with the phrase “to be continued” hints that there will be a follow up video. This would draw fans and audience members to create brand loyalty. The next time this text appears in a future video,  audience members will be aware of the fact that it is the “sequel” to the music video Omen.

Case Study Two Promises- Calvin Harris and Sam Smith

Opening shot, shot on a home video style camera ,this theme continues throughout the video. Adding a closeness to the video. Also the music has not yet begun, it is just the models talking about themselves.

The creators are then introduce, the lighting changes to make them appear as different and slightly superior to the rest of the people in the video.

One of the last shots, the two artists together bringing it together as a whole. From this video I can recognise that a common convention of dance music is that the lighting exuberant, you can grasp this from most of the screen shots I have taken. I can also learn that it is important to differentiate between the models and the artist. So I will apply these aspects to my video.

Case Study Three No Tears Left to Cry- Ariana Grande

First location of many, looking very futuristic just like in my first case study of Omen. The first two shots introduce the artist with both her name and then a shot of her herself. They also use an interesting spinning technique that makes it seem as though she is standing on the side of a building. This was seen a lot on Ariana's social media before the song was release, therefore creating a strong brand identity.

The next locations are very different, some bright some quite dull, the end shot being a mix of the two. As a result it represents the lyrics in the song, her having a good mentality after a tragic year, maybe the mixture of the two is her coming to terms with what happened, due to the calming mist en scene.

I want to include several interesting locations in my music video as it creates a very interesting aspect, and creates deeper meaning to the video.

Composing My Video

I began editing my music video by laying down down my chosen music and one single shot of my performer lip syncing the entire track. This would mean that throughout the video I can just place clips over the one continuous shot select it as a cutaway, so when it returns back to the one shot the lip syncing will remain in time.
I also added in some clips and lined them up so when it cut to each shot it cut on the main beat of the song.


I then created my title...


Next I decided to lay two shots over the other my altering the opacity of the cutaway video...


For the rest I played around with effects and laid down the shots I had planned in my story board planning stages to create the final version:


Music Video NEA from Emily Smith on Vimeo.

Draft Statement of Intent

Here is my first draft of my statement of intent:

Product 1:

To form my three-minute dance music video, I intend to use media language to portray a sense of freedom, relatability and escapism. I plan to use techniques such as intertextuality. A member of the culturally sophisticated 16-25-year-old, class AB demographic would be able to recognise and relate to the technique used as it reflects their interests. For example, I intend to add some footage of fairy lights to refer to the SIFI/horror series Stranger Things. My storyline follows a young, gay individual who is struggling to accept their true self, while they face struggles from society. Likewise, the character Eleven struggles to intertwine and find her place within society. A sophisticated audience would be able to identify and link the two together.  

From my research Universal is home to some of the most influential artists today and from the past, my video must match the style expected to be produced by a Universal artist. I will do this by using a few different mise en scenes, this way I can combine a narrative and a performance. The mise en scene showcased during the narrative scenes will have glowy, dream like lighting to convey the fact that it’s related to the performer as though it is a flash back. On the other hand, the mise en scene during the performance aspect will have a plain backdrop and harsh lighting to clearly separate the two scenarios. 

Andrew Goodwin’s theory states there should be a relationship between the song and the visuals, a performance and narrative to go with the song and the performer/ artist should be the centre of the video, all attention should be on them. The hybrid structure of my music video allows for the mixture of performance and narrative and allows for the artist to be showcased during the performance scenes. The use of lip-syncing and shots of objects that amplify the lyrics all follow the conventions stated by Goodwin. 

Product 2:

To create a convincing working website for my artist I intend to follow similar codes and conventions of a Universal artist as well as incorporating aspects of a dance artists style. From my research most, I have found most Universal dance artists, such as Martin Garrix and Years and Years have a minimalistic approach to their websites, with only the most key information, and only use one or two different colour pallets. As well as this a dance artist most likely has a generous colour scheme and unique symbols relating to their brand identity. So, I plan to use intertextuality for my website, there will be links or Easter eggs to key information about the artist. For instance, this will include tour dates, latest singles, merchandise of the artist and Univeral Music and as the target audience is 16-25-year olds they are members of the digitally savvy generation. Links to their social media accounts mean their audience interests would have been met.  

To show the process of production there will be links to behind the scene clips from the shoots and exclusive interviews from the artist. 

The website will have a clear sense of brand identity with a consistent use of the same font, colour scheme and images. Any images used will be from a shoot where the artist is dressed in similar clothing as to what worn in the music video, thus giving a persistent brand representation. 

Richard Dyer’s Star Theory suggests that a performer is constructed and reflected to come across as a real person. My plan to incorporate their social media links, and management contact details. As a result, representing the artist as a normal person with similar interests to their target audience.

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words) 

As my target audience is made up of culturally sophisticated 16-25-year olds, they will be up to date with the most recent digital trends. For example, it is becoming extremely popular to stream your favourite artists music via popular sites like Spotify, so to comply to the majority there will be links on the website to the artists Spotify account. Here they can find the latest albums, the artists personal playlists and so on...  

There will also be links to where the audience can purchase tickets online rather than at the theatres, they can also buy merchandise and go to their social media pages.  As well as this, one of the main features will be a link to the music video, therefore linking my two products together. As a result, these features demonstrate the natures of digitally convergent media products.