Cinematography

Cinematography



Cinematography is essential when planning for a music video as camera techniques and shots are a key part in making the video both successful and conventional. There are a number of different camera shots and techniques that i can identify with my indie artist and use in my music video, including the most common and popular ones such as close ups, mid shots and ling shots, to the more advanced and technical camera techniques such as tilt shots, panning shots and tracking shots. Cinematography is also essential when making a music video as it way of portraying different connotations of shots and scenes that can not be seen through the narrative or performance itself. It is another way of representing a concept in the video as camera techniques help to give different meanings in a way that the visuals can't. This is because camera techniques and shots allow the audience to relate with the artist more as certain camera shots are used as a way of adding emphasis and effect on the visuals and the artists emotions and image. They are therefore essential in adding the dramatic and conventional effect on the music video and helping to represent the artists image in a number of ways. Cinematography is also one of the most important micro elements that go into making a music video as camera shots and techniques are seen at every given moment of the video and every other micro element such as editing techniques, the setting and iconography and lighting and colour are all portrayed and seen by the audience through cinematography. This therefore shows the sheer importance of cinematography in music videos as it is what the audience are constantly seeing and judging the representation of the video on. 

Shallow Focus

The first camera technique we are using in our own music video is Shallow focus. This is where the camera focuses on one particular person or object in the shot and blurs out and shallows the focus on everything surrounding it, usually in the background, incorporating a small depth of field. This camera technique will be used in my music video during the first memory scene of our narrative when the artist and her boyfriend are having a bonfire. The camera will be positioned as a mid shot with the couple sitting on a log cuddling positioned at the front of the camera whilst their friends and other couples and the bonfire are positioned behind them in a shallow focus. This will be used in order to draw the focus on to the couple to signify there importance and show how it is the end of the scene and how important they are to the narrative in comparison to the extras in the background. The shallow focus of the bonfire also allows the artist to create a warm, loving environment and feel for the audience watching as they get lost in the moment and are enjoying each others company. Their on screen actions of cuddling is also clearly shown through shallow focus and this helps to support the idea of a warm, loving environment as they are keeping each other safe and everything that is important for the time being is them two being together. This technique is also conventional to the indie genre as it highlights the importance of the artist and the moment of their life and narrative and depending on the concept of the video, in this case 'love', the shallow focus helps to identify this. This is conventional to the indie genre indie artists often portray a different number of emotions and concepts in their music videos. This camera technique also represents the artist as a loving person at this stage of the narrative, who cares about her boyfriend showing that she has a nice and cheerful side to her despite being a mysterious artist who is quite dark at times. The audience are able to relate to this as they see our artist as one of their own who is down to earth and just as loving as them, not as someone who is a mainstream pop artist who is stuck up and doesn't care about her relationships. 

Zoom 

The next camera technique we will use is zoom. Zoom is where the camera begins as an ordinary shot of the visuals on screen before panning inwards towards the relevant object, character or setting. I will use zoom in in my music video when the artist is looking directly at the souvenirs in the memory box through a POV shot before the camera then zooms into the memory. For example, the shot will start with an ordinary mid shot of the artist sitting on the bed before the camera cuts away and zooms into the picture of the couple taking a selfie over the fields playing before it plays the scene of this memory. The zoom in element will be an indication of when the memory is about to play as whatever the camera zooms into is the corresponding and opening shot of the next scene. The zoom camera technique is conventional to the indie genre as it adds more weight and meaning to the iconography that is being zoomed in on. It adds a deeper and more sentimental value to the camera technique and the scene which is being zoomed in on and creates the overall feeling of reflectiveness as the artist is reflecting and looking back on a past memory and a happier time in her life. We would expect this from indie artists as they tend to show a lot od dramatic emotion in their videos with hidden connotations and concepts behind there shots and whatever is being filmed, mine for example being the difference in good and bad in a relationship. The audience can relate to me artist and video through this camera technique as it portrays how important her boyfriend was in her life and represents her as a down to earth and emotional person.


Overall, my target audience can build a relationship with my artist through my camera shots and techniques selected as they help to portray and highlight different aspects of my narrative such as when the artist and her boyfriend are experiencing happier times to the filler memories and scenes of the relationship breaking down due to the boys alcohol problem. My camera techniques also build conventional representations of my artist such as how she is a reflective, thoughtful and emotional person, as well as further developing my concept of good and bad between relationships and how everything in the indie genre isn't always as bright and happy as it seems and there's a darker side to artists and their videos, challenging conventions and revealing a deeper meaning to my audience for them to engage further with the music. Planning my camera techniques and shots has helped me with to ensure that my music video appeals to my target audience as from taking primary research of questionnaires to find out what types of camera shots and techniques they expect and want to find in my video, I make it more conventional and appealing as I am meeting there demands and preferences to ultimately make it more enjoyable and successful