Techniques in music videos are different ideas that directors will have and sometimes they can become stereotypical. A technique is a way of producing a music video to make it look interesting and invites a bigger audience.
Cutting to the Beat
Cutting to the beat is a way of editing a video so that each clip changes at the same time as the beat of the track. Most clips use a 'cut' transition, so you generally 'cut to the beat' of the music.
Little Mix - Wings from Camila on Vimeo.
"Wings" is a single by Little Mix, which was released in 2012. The band has 4 members and the beat is in common time (time signature = 4/4) which works out really easy for the music video. Most of the time, the cuts are to the beat of the song and the cuts include all 4 girls every time. This is a good effect for dance related music videos; as shown there is a dance sequence in the video.
Effects
Visual effects are a way of adding more of a narrative and can normally create more excitement into a music video. Sometimes an audience will be so interested in the technology behind the effects but sometimes they just like the idea of adding more of a story and colour to the video. It keeps them entertained.
Eminem We Made You from brett hess on Vimeo.
"We Made You" is a single by Eminem and was released in 2009. Throughout the video, there are many visual effects that are used with a green-screen e.g. Eminem singing through fire. There are also effects such as the car turning into a transformer, or the effects represented by the Star Trek reference Eminem was conveying. This is a good technique because it keeps the audience entertained and they want to watch the whole thing because they want to know if there are any more effects to look out for.
Miming and Lip-sync
Miming and lip-syncing is a way of linking the video with the song so it gives the allusion that the artist is singing. This technique is used on the majority of music videos.
"Rockstar" is a single by Nickelback and was released in 2006. The video features random people around the country, miming and lip-syncing along to the recorded version by Nickelback. This effect makes it look more fun and entertaining because we know that a lot of people will relate to the scenario of the song.
Playback and Lip-sync
Playback and lip-sync is a technique that is used to create the allusion of a video being in slow motion, but the lip-syncing is still timed with the correct speed of the music. So when recording the footage, the music will be doubled in speed and recorded. And then when the video comes to being edited, it is slowed down by 50% so that the lip-syncing is timed right but it still looks slow.
Ellie Goulding - "Burn" from Found on Vimeo.
"Burn" is a single by Ellie Goulding that was released in 2013. The song features a lot of lights and people running around having a good time, but almost all of the footage has been slowed down, however the lip-syncing to Ellie's music is timed to perfection. The technique creates a dreamy looking effect that makes Ellie come off as quite angelic and pretty. A fan of Ellie Goulding will know that most of her music videos use the playback and lip-sync technique regularly.
Multi-mage
Multi-mage is a technique where multiple videos are on one screen. This generally shows more than one thing going on and the editing is critical with this technique.
Pentatonix is an acapella group, and they produced a medley of songs by Daft Punk. The creative part of this video was the use of multi-mage because there are 5 members of the band. The editing was done very well and also used the technique of cutting to the beat because each cut refers to a video changing position. The size, timing and position of each video was excellent and it was entertaining to watch.
Camera Movements
Just like in any other form of video media, there will always be certain camera movements that are used for different reasons; an establishing shot will generally set the scene at the beginning; a long shot will normally set out the location of a closer scene, so the audience have a better understanding of the atmosphere; mid shots and close ups will be used to see the artists face and see their emotions depending on the music style; extreme close ups would normally be used if the music video wanted to capture emotion, and so an extreme close up on a tear rolling down a cheek might be used. Whereas, different movements can also be chosen depending on a scenario; tracking is used to follow a band, which could be used if it is a continuous shot; a panning shot will normally be used to set another scene and show the audience the surroundings.
"Hollaback Girl" is a single by Gwen Stefani and was released in 2005. Throughout the music video, there are multiple shots of different tracking and panning shots which are slow and fast. It gives the music video a good sense of energy because they're always on the move and presents the artist in a lively way. There are also a lot of camera shots as well which makes the music video look a lot more productive and visual; we know exactly whats going on and where about they all are as well as knowing everyones expression.
Camera Angles
Just like movements, camera angles make a huge impact on the meaning and style of the music video. Wherever a camera is placed can show the power of the artist/characters. Or sometimes it can show an exact location from where we should be seeing it. By choosing different angles, the viewers have a different view of the action, which makes it more interesting and everybody will have their own way of watching it.
Little Mix - Salute from DolphinTide on Vimeo.
"Salute" is a single by Little Mix that was released in 2014. The song is about how women need to tackle equality in the world and stand up for themselves. The music video features a lot of different angles and movement, but particularly from a low angle view. This is because the music video needs to demonstrate the power that the girls need to have to overcome this problem. With the girls up high or, the camera down low, we are looking up at them as leaders, which is what they want viewers to feel like when watching this music video.
Chroma Key
Chroma Key effects are when music videos are shot in front of a green screen. This means that a block colour is put behind the artist and is replaced by another picture/video. Sometimes the quality doesn't always look as good if the background is of a specific location but they are sometimes used for upbeat dance songs. A lot of music videos use chroma key to add a comical sense to their music. It's a technique used to try and interest and entertain the viewers more. Chroma key is also a good technique when the budget for a music video isn't very big.
One Direction – Kiss You from bigsound on Vimeo.
"Kiss You" is a single by One Direction that was released in 2013. The video is surrounded by chroma key effects. They have used this to create that comical side of their personalities. We even sometimes see the works behind the chroma key when they are being filmed. It makes them look fun and entertaining. It also makes them look friendly because they know they don't need a big budget to make their fans happy.