Reflections On Music Video Theory And How This Will Inspire Me

Today’s lesson on music video theory has really made me think about certain aspects I am now interested to incorporate into our own music video.

1) Continuity editing – This can now be more or less abandoned when planning the project, as I now realise how it does not serve a purpose in music video. This is because from today’s study of Scott McCloud’s theories on comics, as like that format of entertainment the audience need to fill in gaps of time and space themselves when watching a music video. I now personally think that using a very disjointed editing style would suit our music video idea, especially as we now do not plan to follow a linear narrative.

2) Marilyn Manson’s Beautiful People – This music video that we watched today was interesting, not only due to its Faustian storyline, but due to it’s style. The way how certain shots were sped up and others slowed down in short succesion, really helped to make the video seem a lot more disturbed as it all appeared very unnatural. With the dark subject matter of our song, I really would like to use some similar effects.

3) Master Shots (or lack of) – Although I may not be inspired to use this theory in the music video that we’re making, I still think it is an important concept. Carol Vernallis believes that while master shots are used in film (especially classical Holly wood cinema), music video’s tend not to. This as a result means that most music videos can take place anywhere at any time, with no set location and time period. As well as this Vernallis believes that instead, the viewer is led through the space by the camera, not knowing what is coming ahead. I think on the whole Vernallis is right, but there are still exceptions to the rule, including the clip below. It is a clip from the opening of the film Irreversible. The audience are shown no master shots and instead led through the location with the central protagonist, through a series of tracking shots. I cannot get the part of the film I want to put up so instead I’ve put up the trailer that includes shots from some of these sequences.



This is a music video that disagrees with Vernallis’s theory as we are shown a number of extreme long shots and master shots which shows exactly where and when the video is set.



Wu Tang Clan – Gravel Pit