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Past Student ExampleUs – Regina Spektor

+What Kind Of Video Is It?

Essentially, this video is a performance based video. Its features the ‘artist’ singing the song and performing on the piano throughout.

Often, there are shots to fill spaces between lyrical phrases. These could be construed as points of narrative as they often feature the artist in motion, however no story line is portrayed throughout.

+Where is it set?

There is a rather picturesque location to this video, set in a country side environment – more typical of this relaxed genre of music.

The rainy weather is fitting for the somewhat gloomy mood to this song which is kept constant throughout.

Other locations include being inside the ‘piano room’. This of course brings the performance aspect of the video to importance.

+Camerawork & Shot Composition. There is an good range of shots and angles used

throughout this video. Most noticeably, there is a good use of close-ups, which

show that there has been consideration of Goodwin's theories.

+Camerawork & Shot Composition. Other shot example include: Long Shots

Mid Shots

Establishing Shots

These effectively show the artists

Performance and brilliantly depict

The beautiful landscape.

+Editing

The editing mostly matches the beat of the music well, which again shows that they have put consideration into applying some of Goodwin’s theories.

Although used very subtly, there is use of advanced editing techniques throughout. For example:

Colour Manipulation. Some colours have been enhanced to appear more vibrant on a horrible, rainy day. The grass for example in this shot:

+Editing Split Screening: The large establishing shot in which the artist

appears from behind different trees is an example of an effective split screening.

This use of split screening effectively hides a wall socket, in order to make the shot appear ‘cleaner’.

+Mise en Scene

The use of props throughout is well thought out.

The costume is equally as well planned. Although all clothes are casual, they suit the gloomy mood of the song well. For example, a dark coat worn through out.

+Elements of Goodwin

The song is of a relaxed/acoustic nature and this is very well represented throughout via use of mise en scene and shot choice etc. Also, the use of miming lyrics and performance shots are typical of this genre.

There are frequent references between the lyrics and visuals (e.g. on the lyric ‘photographs’, the artist is pictured holding an active camera).

A relationship between the music and visuals is created by editing in time to the music.

There are frequent close-ups of the artist, often miming the lyrics which is typical of this genre of music.

There is little reference to looking. However, capturing a camera, on camera may well count as a screen within a screen.

There are very little or no intertextual references throughout this video.

+Opinion

I like the concept of this music video and I think that it fits really well with the chosen genre of music.

Although I like that the video is shot in a beautiful location and includes some stunning landscape shots, I feel that there should be some more variation (perhaps some narrative) to keep the viewer interested. I must be sure to include this in my own film as I hope to make use of similar stunning scenery.

Perhaps there could have been more evident use of advanced editing techniques.