Continuity Editing - Video

Fellow students, Celia Ward and Lalita Ajit and I decided to shoot and edit our "Continuity Editing" video together. The purpose of the video is to demonstrate how continuity between clips can be achieved via specific juxtaposition of shots.

Editing To Audio

Editing video to audio can help to create a more immersive experience. Aligning cuts with audio can either emphasise or better conceal the edit.

For this task I decided to shoot some footage of oil in water and edit it to Tame Impala's song 'New Person, Same Old Mistakes'.

Editing To Audio from Ethan Delaney on Vimeo.

Research Techniques Quiz

Music Video Analysis (Arcade Fire - Afterlife)

This video was written and directed by filmmaker/photographer Emily Kai Bock

Intertextuality
Possibly inspired by the cinematography of the french sci-fi film La Jetee:

Arcade Fire - Afterlife

Chris Marker - La Jetee

Narrative

Three characters - two sons and a father dealing with the death? of the mother.

Father is seemingly rather poor given his job of passing out flowers on the street.

We see the different dreams of all of the males.

Cinematography

Some scenes are in black and white some are not. Those in black and white likely show the past with the mother present. It would appear as though the father is visiting her in a dream as we see him fall asleep. In contrast to the dark low key lit dream, the memories of his wife are high key.
The colours are muted in the first minute and a half - they don't have much impact. Its as if they don't have much life. Dull.

We're unable to see the mothers whole face - loss of identity - she has being a memory

Illustration
it was just a glymps of you like looking through a window

Amplification
As the music starts to fade at the end of the song, so does the light coming through the windows of the basement.
The camera slowly pulls back revealing more of their home as the music starts to play.
The man literally goes towards "the light" - towards the afterlife

Costume:
Oldest child wears a red hoodie - at risk of danger? Susceptible to danger?


The boy bangs on the glass of the washing machine as the drum beats occur

The music is preluded by one and a half minutes of narrative which shows the father at work and at home having a quite meal with his two sons. It is clear that their seems to be something wrong due to the tension of their conversation. A fourth chair at the table is empty suggesting that perhaps their mother is not present.

Edits occasionally occur during a change in the song - for example if a new line, verse or instrumental portion is introduced - keeps the video snapy and insync as it were with the visuals - the visuals feel more to the pace of the music.

Music Video Analysis (Michael Jackson - Bad)

The music video for Michael Jackson's 'Bad' is one of the most iconic of all time. Directed by the now legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, this short film draws from a variety of influences to Jackson. Jackson surrounded by a street gang pose, dance around a Brooklyn subway station referencing the "cool" sequence choreography of West Side Story

Dance-pop genre

Sound effects are included to emphasise the dance moves and amplify the music.

The video above is just the music portion of the 18 minute long film.

Intertextuality:

West side story

The lyric "shaman" is a reference to Marvis Staples, an American gospel singer.

Inspired dance moves of James Brown

Amplification

The shot of Michael snapping his fingers together is accompanied by a sound effect and signifies the start of the music. The visuals of Michaels gang carrying out illegal acts such as spray painting amplifies the lyrics of him being "bad" - New York at the time was one of the highest areas of crime in the US and this video reflected that aspect of the city.

Purpose of the video:

Demonstrate Michael's more edgy and aggressive style of song and dance.

Momentum

edits are often made on the beat of the music

choreography is in time to the music

Cinematography

Lighting is of a primarily medium key.

Colours are grey, black muted.

Lots of artist close-ups: Michael looks good in punk inspired clothing, he does not play a celebrity in the piece but does give a notable wink to the fact that he is by breaking the fourth wall and often looking at the camera

Low angle shot to emphasise his position of authority/supremacy

Comedy

many funny moments e.i "you gonna dance us to death?"

the idea that they are dancing in a confrontation - what MJ can do best

Racial diversity - represents New York

Masculinity is a focus - there are no women in the video.

Costume

This type of urban clothing reflects the environment they're in.

Voyeurism

We see these gang members dance in formation while in a confrontation (extremely unrealistic).

Breaking of the fourth wall

The men are seen as thugs.

Star iconography

The dance routine featured in the clip is his branding along with his clothing. His dancing and vocals are his unique selling point.

freeze-frame - a Scorsese staple is utilised

a variety of camera techniques - dolly shots, close ups - long shots, zoom in, pan, tilt shots accumulate to create a thrilling piece.

Star image - Michael Jackson

Genre = narrative based, location, concept (musical esq. dance routine which takes place within a narrative)

Music Video Analysis (Tame Impala - The Less I Know The Better)

"The Less I know The Better" is a disco-inspired song by Australian psychedelic rock act Tame Impala. The act has garnered significant popularity in recent years leading up to the hit-success of their most recent album, Currents. The accompanying clip to the song (above) was directed by Spanish production company CANADA. It builds upon the teenage love-struck lyricism and combines it with reflexivity to deliver a surrealist view of high school heartbreak. Largely shot from the male protagonists perspective; it is a as though we're watching a psychotic breakdown unfold in retro style and flare.

According to the founder and lead singer/producer, Kevin Parker, the song was heavily inspired by disco music. Many intersexual references to this genre and time-period are hence present throughout. The first noticeable throwback to this era is the 4:3 "television" aspect ratio. This ratio has since been phased out by the TV broadcasting industry in order to achieve a more cinematic quality to television. The vintage pastele colour palette is also very evocative of the 70's/80's. Born in '86, this stylisation of film is perhaps somewhat nostalgic to Parker's early youth.

Thematically, a blond woman being taken by a gorilla of some sorts holds obvious parallels to King Kong; especially considering the initial literal larger-than-life size of the gorillas' hand in one scene. Not-so-subtle references to The Empire State Building solidify this acknowledgment later on in the psychedelic paint animation sequence. This sequence adds to the psychedelic nature of Tame Impalas recent music, artwork and overall aesthetic. The is also very reminiscent of The Beetles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and 1960's pop culture in general.

Codes/conventions
No performance by the band.
There is a narrative
Visual concept suites the psychedelic nature of the bands music
Does not include iconography of the bands image - apart from the psychedelic nature
Includes dancing and sychronised choreography - a staple of the pop genre of music videos.
catered towards a young teenage audience as per the ages of those in the video?
Styling of the actors is very early 80's

Intertextual references
Opens up with people walking as the camera tracks them from behind - evocative of the Bee Gees opening to Stayin' Alive. The characters in this film are also predominately situated in the centre of the frame as per the conventions of the genre.
Empire state building is shown towards the end- reference to the YMCA video?
Reminds me of the dream sequence in The Big Lebowski - bright colours on a black background - slow motion + surrealism.
The black sculpture-like figure that gets the paint poured on it is doing the same position of that of the sculptures in A Clockwork Orange.
The sequence is possibly inspired by "Heathers" 1988.  The girl in the clip is also called Heather.

Costume
The girl wears an all pale yellow suite at one point - evocative of a banana - showing that she belongs to to Trevor (the gorilla). She also has a gorilla hand around her.

Cinematography
Very stylised
the characters movements are dramatic - almost cartoonish - echoed by the water-colour animation at the end of the video.
The colours are bold and bright on a low key setting. Neon lighting. Tinted.
Trevor and the guy are never in the same shot together.

There's a "T" on her t-shirt - signifying she belongs with Trevor

Primary colours in the ending sequence

Illustrative
Shows the mascot of the team (Trevor) of whom he mentions Heather falls for
We see a man dressed in a red cape - reference to the "superman" lyrics at the end of the song
We see the conversation between the pair thats mentioned in the second verse. Miming of the lyrics as per the pop/disco video conventions.

Theres a target in the middle of the basket ball court - where Heather dances.

Trevor does a Victory celebration in front of our protagonist in the hallway. The "Jock" takes his frustration out on the "nerd" mascot who has his girl.
Its possible the Trevor thing is vaguely racist - Trevor has become urban slang for a black male who is under the influence of/ has taken on a white culture.


Voyeurism
Many shots that would be considered as "the male gaze" - showing
A lot of looking directly towards the camera

Editing
Numerous jump cuts are made
Match on action cuts
Shot-reverse-shot
Temporal overlapse as Trevor is hit by the basket ball.

Slow motion

Amplification:
The visual change to the pouring of the paint matches the change in the audio during the first chorus.
The gradual pouring and dripping suites the legato notes of the keyboard/bass.
Slow-moption is utilised to match the long notes of the music
The last beat of the song is accompanied by a cut to black
The drop of the instruments before the first verse is amplified by the gorilla landing on the floor.

Music Video Planning: Gantt Chart

Music Video Planning: Shot List

Music Video Shot List
The following is a shot list for my music video production. 

Music Video Analysis ("BLKKK SKKKN HEAD" by Kanye West)

This explicit music video is directed by acclaimed fashion photographer Nick Knight. The song has anti-establishment, anti-ideology and anti-racism themes. This music video both rejects and embraces the conventions of hip-hop and pop music videos.

Notes:

The video is a CGI animation. It was created using 3D scans of Kanye and then manipulating them to make him move and appear in different forms.

The first scene within the video is of what appears to be three people dressed similarly to the Ku Klux Klan. However in contrast they appear to be black people in black headpieces.
The fourth wall is also broken in the first scene by the masked people one by one opening their eyes and gazing into the camera in front of them. By doing so it indicates a self-aware perspective. The star image is removed.

The video starts reality as per the lyrics which evoke the media's distortion of reality.

There's irony within the songs title: skinheads have often been associated with neo-nazi and white supremacy groups - hence the opening scene being black skinheads per-say.

Kanye has been accused of being racist towards whites so he has therefore taken this and used it as an ironic title for this anti-rasim song.

The visuals illustrate the lyrics by showing wolves (kanye says "I'm aware Im a wolf") and by cutting to an entirely black shot as the word "black" is mentioned.

There are two distinctive white triangular shapes that partially confine the video. These could represent fangs and hence amplify the songs theme of oppression and dehumanisation.

You can't see his face in some shots - choosing to not be seen - he expanded this idea on tour by wearing masks. Daft Punk also produced this track and perhaps its a reference to their hidden personas - a longing for perhaps? - intertextuality
The iconography of his face is removed.
also this shows Kanye removing the voyeuristic elements from the piece.

many horror conventions are incorporated as if it were a heavy rock music video.

The literal boundaries (aspect ratio/borders) of the video are skewed - in some instances the video some imagery is confined to an square aspect ratio and is then juxtaposed with imagery that is not. Kanye is visual showing us him breaking boundaries - ignoring the status-quo.

No females are shown in tbhe video - going against the popular hip-hop video convention of showing scantly clad females

The video is entirely black and white. infact a strive for as much contrast as possible is made by the background being completely black.  - signifying a distinction between races.

His expensive jewellery is emphasised with high key lighting - a convention of hip hop music videos of showing expensive assets.

The editing emphasises the crash of the cymbals by cutting away from Kanye to a shot of something in smudge motion blur as we hear the cymbal.

Narrative & Performance