3rd ANALYSIS- Music Video Kate Bush- 'Wuthering Heights'



I have chosen to analyse this video as a second choice because I think it is a good inspiration for my own music video and it includes elements of mise-en-scene and cinematography I will aim to have in mine.
The artist in this video Kate Bush, is an English singer/song writer who has been apart of the music industry for more than 30 years. When she was just 19 she became the first female artist to achieve a number 1 with a self written song and is still known today for her marvelous success with her hit single 'Wuthering Heights'. She is currently signed with EMI but has been previously been signed with Columbia records. As a record label, EMI Records are everyday producing and selling records and magazines on behalf of the artists signed to them. Their goal is for the artist to be successful by drawing in audiences globally as well as making money in order for their company to get bigger. Kate Bush isn't as big a star today as she was previously back in the 70s and 80s but this is mainly due to the change in music genre popularity. Typically her promotional material is mostly aimed at her specific target audience which could be seen as females or even males 30 upwards. Her music is more likely going to relate to this age group as she is someone who they would have grown up listening to and so people of the young generation probably wont know who she is. Her genre of music is mainly Art and alternative rock but sometimes her music can come across quite folktronica which links to my chosen song.

This music video like all music videos shows the artist in a way that will promote herself and her music. The purpose of a music video is to deliver promotional material that the audience can identify making the artist become successful.This song was written by Kate Bush and it was inspired by the novel 'Wuthering Heights'. It was written in the point of one of the characters in the novel (Catherine) were she is pleading to Heathcliffs window be let in. "This romantic scene takes a sinister turn if one considers the events of the book, as Catherine may well be a ghost, calling Heathcliff to join her in death." In this music video the story isn't being visual shown and is more about the artist with the limelight being all on her. She appears to be dancing around in a field with nothing but a few trees around. Whats interesting about the video is that the lyrics are very significant but aren't shown to be. Its almost an abstract video as the reference to what the song is about isn't there for the audience to interpret. The artist is represented as a talent and a performer and in some ways a dancer. The purpose of this is to satisfy her audience as well make her self known to them this is done through her performance. Whats being visually presented in the music video is what the audience is going to relate to with the artist. For this video Kate Bush has played it very safe as it comes across quite simple and does the job its suppose to.

However in some ways Kate has made a statement with what she is wearing making her more noticeable in the video. The colour red connotes love and the fact she is dressed in a long, floaty, red dress could some how be representative of the meanings behind the song. Wuthering Heights is a romantic novel so dressing Kate in this colour portrays this, it reminds the audience that the story is about love. How the artist dresses will have an impact on the audience as they have a desire to be like them whether its the fashion they bring or how they are generally. The messages Kate Bush gives off from how she is dressed are good and are key to the song and meanings behind it. She effectively is the story and is representing her self in a suitable manner which is vital to what she is trying to get across. The artist is the only person who appears in this video which could be seen as difficult way to portray a romance however you can automatically tell its about a love story without having the stereotypical elements.

The fact this music video was shot in a field suggests that the song is about something that can widely interpreted differently. Open wide spaces can connote the feeling of freedom and growth making it open for the audience to interpret the situation. In this case the idea of the open wide field shows that the story can be understood in different ways from either the inter textual references to the novel or their own personal ideas. It can also show a representation of the artist showing her in a way that somes up her feelings. Although the song is specifically about something, it doesn't necessarily mean that the video must carry the same meanings. Kate could be potentially displaying her feelings in the video but through the lyrics, mean something completely different which is what I think she has done here.

The use of cinematography stands out in this music video. A range of different shots are used to create a unique look for the artist and the video. The artist appears in a long shot most of the time as the camera is shpwing her full body. As she appears to dance in this video this  shot would show her full movement.

2nd ANALYSIS: Painting 'By The Flowers'

This picture is one that reflects the style of the artist as well as overall feel of the music video I am wanting to create. For me it represents an independent woman stating her feelings through the way she is styled and placed in this picture. The mise en scene includes colours that are almost vibrant,connoting happiness and positive vibes however I think this contrasts with the way she is sat and the expression she is giving. To me the woman appears lonely and worried its almost as if she is waiting for something and is willing for anything to make her happy again. I think the brightness of the colours and the flowers in the background represent what she wants and is hoping for and shes caught in the middle of a world she desperately wants. Looking at this photo I personally am drawn to the boldness of the flowers. I think they stand out more than the woman for a purpose even though she is in the centre. Its like she is wanting to be the main focus but at the moment is just blending in. The clothing she is dressed also seems to be very significant as the neutral colours make a statement.

The colour white comes with connotations such as:

• to clear clutter and obstacles away
• to start a fresh beginning
• to bring about mental clarity
• purification of thoughts or actions

Not only does the colour white have some significant but the fact there is a fair amount of pink being used shows that there is a story behind the painting. Pink can be associated with love which gives me the impression that, that is what the painting is about in some aspects. It also has codes of acceptance and contentment drawing conclusions that the girl is not feeling complete without love in her life or she is stuck in a relationship wanting to get out. This photo gives inspiration to my music video as the lyrics to the song I have chosen tell the same sort of story.

 What influences me about this photo is the way the arist is styled as I would like my arist to look a similar way. I would hope to tell a story through the appearance of my artist ie. the clothing she wears, make up etc. The genre of the artist can usually be seen through the way they are dressed and styled. For example this picture shows the girl in a white dress which isnt out there and so you wouldnt expect the genre to be rock or hip hop as the conventions are not being followed. I hope to dress my artist in a similar way as the song I have chosen is appropriate for this type of clothing.

1st ANALYSIS: Music Video/Colbie Caillat- Realize

I have chosen to analyse this video as I think it is a good inspiration for my own music video. It has a story that can easily be interpreted differently and it shows the artist in more than one role which I would like to do with mine.

The artist in this video Colbie Caillat, is an American singer/song writer who broke onto the music scene in 2007. She has since had big success with a number of her songs most popularly 'Bubbly', 'Realize' and 'The little things'. She is currently signed with Universal Republic Records a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and is continuously selling records. As a record label, Universal are everyday producing and selling records on behalf of the artists signed to them. Their goal is for the artist to be successful by drawing in audiences globally as well as making money in order for their company to get bigger. Colbie Caillat isn't typically a global artist and therefore her promotional material is mostly aimed at her specific target audience which could be seen as mainly females ageing between 15-25. Her genre of music is similar to artists such as Ellie Goulding and reflects the sort of folk indie sound sometimes verging into pop.

This music video shows the artist in a way that will promote herself and her music. The purpose of a music video is to do that and so the artist has took full advantage of this. This song tells a story through visual representation and also shows the artist perform. It makes the music video more interesting to have both of these elements together as it paints a picture of a story teller in the form of the artist and the actual story being the song and what is being shown. The music video represents the artist as a talent and a performer as well as a song writer and story teller. It all is done for a purpose and that is to satisfy an audience. The artist, Colbie Caillat, plays a role in the story as well as just the story teller. She acts upon what she is singing about. She is also in control of her image as she is dressed in quite casual clothing which gives an impression that she doesn't want to be out there as it wouldn't reflect the lyrics or genre of the song. Dressing this way also gives a representation of her wanting to be like the audience. They can relate to her as she comes across normal and they want to project them selves on to her. Audiences want to be like the artist and making the artist as close to them as possible will only increase their desires further. The representation of the artist in this music video is fair and accurate to the story the lyrics are telling. The ideology behind the song is the belief in a relationship so shes not representing herself in an outrageous form.

"The video for "Realize" was filmed in both Toronto, Ontario and Haliburton, Ontario Canada. Most of Colbie's driving scenes are on Highway 121 and Highway 118, two main arteries of the Haliburton region.
As explained on Colbie's 2008 summer tour with John Mayer, there is a story behind this song. Caillat, Jason Reeves, and his roommate were a close group of three friends. Colbie was unaware that Jason's roommate had a huge crush on her, and when she found out about this later, she decided to base her song on this. Jason co-wrote the song from the perspective of his friend." As research behind this music video I found that this song had particular meaning behind it coming from real life experiences from the artist. However as part of the audience my interpretation of the story was a slightly different. This shows that music videos can create different reactions and responses from the audience based on how they are viewed.

I think this music video has been purposely set out to look like a clip from a film trailer, as its telling a story visually and through the lyrics. The visual interpretation resembles a film trailer due to the mise en scene and the way the people in the video come across. Also the screen music video appears to be in the middle of two black blocks which conventionally is usually seen with film trailers at the cinema. I think this has been purposely done to show that this the music video is more about the story being told then the music.The audience are being shown an interpretation of the lyrics visually which has become the narrative of the music video. From the beginning of the music video the artist appears to be in a scene of woodland and trees showing. Different trees have symbols of meaning depending on what kind of trees they are. The trees that appear in this music video symbolise new beginnings, strength and relationships similarising with the meaning of the lyrics. The significance of them appears to be shown when the artist is performing in front of them. Colbie addresses the audience in parts of the music video by miming to the lyrics. Throughout the music video this clip is repetitively shown reminding the audience that the artist is at the centre of the video and is there to promote herself. The narrative in this music video is intercut.

The title of the song 'Realize' is mentioned quite a lot in the lyrics but the message of it is also shown in the music video. The narrative of the video is the realization that the relationship between two people is meant to be. The audience can see this as we are shown the perspective of two people in the same position effectively feeling the same thing. However from the mise en scene of the woodland and the city landscape you can see that they are in two different worlds allowing the audience to make consumptions as to why the relationship isn't working. It gives a reaction which in a way is what the artist is trying to do. The facial expression of Colbie when she is singing individually doesn't just show her singing it shows her believing in what she is singing about. The ideology behind this suggests the artist is a strong individual fighting for what she believes in which is something the audience can relate to.

If you just realize what I just realized,Then we'd be perfect for each otherAnd will never find another
Just realize what I just realized   We'd never have to wonder if
We missed out on each other now.

Highlighted in pink is the repetitive pattern of the word 'Realize' reminding the audience of the meaning of the song as well as the story. The idea of this being about a relationship is also shown through the lyrics which is why I have highlighted the words 'each other'. Repeating the words makes it clearer for the audience to understand the meaning of the song. Some music videos choose to have a video with no reference to the song whatsoever but this music video shows the actual story of the song which in some ways shows only one interpretation of it which is easier for the audience to comprehend. Identifying the audience for this text seems simple enough. I think she is likely to appeal to teenagers and young adults specifically 15-25 as her message within the song is most likely going to relate to them more. It is conventionally aimed at young people due to the nature of the storyline and the mise en scene within the video and the characters are young so people of the same age can automatically relate to the situation being shown.

 Part of the mise en scene of this video is something I see as an influence for my music video. Seeing the woodland scenery work in this video inspired an idea with what to do with mine. The symbolism and ideology behind trees says a lot about growth and relationships and adds to the narrative of the video which is why I am choosing to use a similar setting. Even though this music video also included city landscapes this is something I wont be using with my text as it wouldn't fit in with the narrative where as with this one it shows the two lifestyles of the people who are willing to be in a relationship, visually showing the narrative. This music video works well as it is doing both key things sending out a message causing responses from an audience as well as promoting the artist. Colbie Caillat got a top 20 hit with this song proving success is achieved from promotional materials such as music videos.

First choices

Ellie Goulding is an English singer songwriter who has been on the music scene since 2007. Since signing to polydor records in 2009 she has had massive success with her debut album selling over 380 000 copies and reaching number 1 in the UK showing she is massively popular and a great asset to the music industry. Her genre of music is mostly Indie Folk and Folktronica resembling to the styles of Kate Nash and Laura Marling.

Initially I knew what sort of music video I wanted to do and what genre of music I wanted. I like the idea of doing a pop song but not the typical cheesy pop a more of an indie, folk pop sound. With this genre comes such artists as Colbie Collait, Sara Bareilles and Ellie Goulding. After listening to a selection of songs from various artists I have decided that I am going to do Ellie Goulding 'The Writer'. I have chosen to do this song as the narrative is fairly straight forward and tells a story that can be interpreted visually.  Also I think this song can be shown in numerous of ways and can even work in an abstract form as most music videos under the same genre tend to do this. As Ellie Goulding is popular and this song was one of her hits I know that my video will appeal to an audience. However I understand this song will be under a new original artist but the audience will most likely be the same. Her style is based upon the genre of her music as are many artists and this can be seen as one of the conventions. I think the song I am choosing to use needs a specific look for it and therefore I shall style my artist around the song.

 I particularly like the style of Ellie Goulding and will base the look of my artist very much around hers however I do want some individuality to my artist that somehow doesnt reflect Ellie Goulding so that she is completely original.

The song I have chosen is very much about a relationship and feelings so making significance to that would be appropriate.

The history of music videos

Over the years music videos have increased in popularity and in quality. The way in which an artist promotes them self is a massive part of how successful they become. When an artist releases a song, nowadays audiences expect to see a music video along with it. Whether this is completely related to the song itself, it doesn’t matter as the promotion helps the artist to sell themselves.  However it wasn’t till the early 60s that music videos actually came onto the scene and even then they weren’t as well-known as they are today. Initially the only way of artists promoting themselves was by actually performing on television and most popularly was on BBCs Top of the pops. Queen were booked to perform on top of the pops with their hit ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ but later couldn’t due to other engagements. It was at this time they then decided to spend £4000 on making a short tape of their single. However at the time bands such as The Beatles became extremely popular and became global super stars almost at an instant and because of their popularity it was actually The Beatles why initially created the first music video. Because of how popular they were TV shows had to be really lucky to get them to appear on their shows. The Beatles felt that they didn’t have the freedom and creativeness they desperately craved when it came to having to constantly travel the world to do appearances, so they decided to film a tape as part of their promotional material.

In 1965 they recorded short films that expressed their humour, down to earth personalities and most importantly their music. These tapes were seen as documentaries but in actual fact they were promoting themselves as artists. The video appeared to show The Beatles performing a number of their tracks including ‘we can work it out’ and ‘ticket to ride’. The videos were available to TV channels across the world meaning global audiences were being targeted.  They later in 1966 made more promotional films which appeared in black and white and in colour. Colour TV had been popular in America since the late 50s so this was nothing new for them however European channels were still getting used to the idea. The Beatles filmed different takes of Rain and paperback in order to give variety to a number of different channels so that they would then believe they were getting exclusives. In 1965 Bob Dylan released a tape of his single subterranean homesick blues that was near enough a music video; it showed him switching cards in a sequence that matched the timing of the lyrics. Compared to the music videos that are displayed today the difference and change is easy to pick out. In the Bob Dylan video the same camera shot was used throughout. A number of the Beatles videos were shot in different angles showing that with the right amount of money and technique a music video can have more life to it even in those days. The Beatles and Bob Dylan around that time were seen as new artists as they were the first to write their own songs.

The music videos we have today are far better quality and more creative. As technology has increased so have artist’s promotional material. Special effects were used in videos such as Peter Gabriel’s, sledge hammer. This video included many effects that were not seen in many other music videos around this time so was expectantly unique and managed to reach number 1.  Videos like his are more abstract due to the non-narrative approach. They are much more illustrated songs.  Interpretation of the lyrics isn’t something that is always done making the music videos less literal then expected.  However even though abstract music videos don’t tend to include much narrative, videos like the Peter Gabriel one, still include artist performance showing that no matter what the video shows the artist promotion is still the key element.  Queen were initially the first artists to use the special effect technique. Creating image within a video wasn’t very popular at the time and was a new thing to be done, along with the use of camera angles. They differed in ways that could make the videos more appealing to the audience and eventually different genres became more emphasised within the promotional material. For example Queen’s sound was represented by the image they created for themselves in the video. They were a rock band and so were conventionally dressed in a way that suited their style.

In 1999 Fat boy slim released the song right here right now. The music video to this song is much different to many other videos. Almost every music video shows the artist performing their track however this video didn’t show the artist or any form of performance. The video appears to show a visual narrative and one that doesn’t seem to match the lyrics however it still worked and turned out to be rather effective. Even though not all videos are specifically narrative and in complete sync with the lyrics, there are some that are self-reflective and still show performance from the artist.  In fat boy slim’s video, not many of these elements are shown yet his video still works.

The quality in music videos nowadays is something that is really noticeable. Therefore the conventions and codes of music videos have changed over the years. This is down to specific elements noted within a genre. For example in a dance video you would expect to see dancers, strobe lights and possibly a club lifestyle for the mise-en-scene as these have become the codes of what we now recognise for that particular genre. All music videos are created according to their genre it’s one of the many conventions that always takes place. Boy band Oasis released a video that was purposely meant to look ‘old fashioned’ when actually it was created in the modern day. Without the audience been aware of the codes for this particular look it would not have worked. The codes for this type of style are most commonly black and white colouring as well as the bad quality effect. The typography and sound can also play a big part as the audience will automatically know what theme and genre is that’s being portrayed just from this.

The difference in the Queen video to the Lady Gaga video stands out massively. Not only is the use of colour much bolder to see but the quality in video stands out. There is much more of a a narrative to the the Lady Gaga video as much more money has been put into the the making whereas its easy to see from the Quen video that it was early days then.

Conventions of my music video genre

In order to complete my music video I need to choose a song that fits a genre that can easily be interpreted following conventions. The artist I have chosen to mimic in my music video is Ellie Goulding an English singer/songwriter who is currently extremely popular in the music industry. Her music fits into a range of different genres from indie folk to country pop, Making it harder for me to follow conventions when there are so many depending on the genre. For the particular song I have chosen, the genre is more folktronica a mixture of folk music and electronica. It includes elements of acoustic instruments incorporated with hip hop rhythms creating a new sound and overall genre. It’s not one of the many popular well known genres and it was only originally founded as a genre in the noughties. Due to the fact this genre isn’t massively known, the conventions and codes are hard to identify and from research I have found that they’re not that easy to familiarise with even in this day and age. Conventionally folktronica music has a sound that significantly highlights string instruments in an upbeat manner. The rareness of this genre means that artists like Ellie Goulding herself have more of a chance to shine to audiences, as it is something different.

 Looking at existing music videos from artists that fit into the folktronica category has shown me that one of the conventions is the way the artist appears to be represented. They are never portrayed in a bold way and almost always appear in neutral colouring. The music videos are never complicated and always seem to be quite simple showing mainly the artist performing in a way that wouldn’t be offensive to the audience. By this I mean this style of music isn’t offensive and can be seen as cool, calm and collected. Music videos such as Imogen Heap ‘Hide and Seek’ and the original video by Ellie Goulding to ‘The Writer’ show the artist in similar ways making me think this may be a convention. They both appear against a pale background with numerous shots of their face’s, which is understandably not representative of all folktronica music videos but gives a general over view to how the artists are represented and how they want to appear to audiences. In my music video I will aim to do something similar with my artist but will try my best to do something completely original showing my own interpretation of the lyrics.

(Imogen Heap 'Hide and Seek' - This video has similar elements as the original video of my chosen song. Her style is very much the same as my artist.)

Some of the conventions I know will be appropriate in order of making the genre recognisable are,  a mise- en- scene of nature, a neutral perspective of the artist and a story that can easily be interpreted. For example many videos I have looked at under the same genre show a mise-en-scene of nature with scenes including trees, fields and flowers this may be down to the fact that most folktronica songs are slow and acoustic and have a sense of calmness about them so the iconography of nature relates with this. Also as the songs are known to be slower the lyrics could be seen to have more of an impact on the audience and so having a music video that resembles the style of song is more likely to have an effect.

As stated previously Ellie Goulding had an indie folk side to her with could also come across in this song. It is a similar genre to folktronica making me think the conventions may be similar. Indie Folk music videos are more artistic and creative then most music genres. They can appear subtle often with animations, patterns, colour and saturation used in small doses. There isn’t direct narrative or relationship between the image and lyrics. However there is a relationship between music and image the artist may be shown performing but not throughout the full video. Imagery plays an important part of the video taking away the shine from the artist. This resembles music videos under the genre of folktronica therefore showing they practically have the same conventions.

Conventions of a music video

Many music videos will have different conventions depending on the genre of the artist and song. However there are certain things that almost all music videos tend to have.

• The artist features in it some way or another.
• Not all music videos are performance based, narrative or abstract but they all do the same purpose which is to promote the artist.
• All songs are interpreted visually in a way in which the audience can engage with.
• The genre of the music is easily identified by the audience.
• Most music videos are suitable for a wide range of audiences so that music channels are able to show them.
• They are made to target the right audience.
• Promote the artist in a good way.