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ARTIST:
My chosen artist is 'Grimes' and her song 'Vanessa'
GENRE:
Indie Dream Pop/Electro
CONVENTIONS:
- Surreal aspects
- Kaleidoscope
- Mirrored images
- Lip syncing
- Different girls
- Various locations
- Variety with make up
- Cuts in sync with the music
- Blurred shots
- Use of colour + Black and white
- Plain backgrounds, more focused on people
- Contrasting colours
- Sugary colours for clothing~
- Feminine
- One main characher and other extra ones
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
There are a lot of uses of medium close ups to show both the artist and the others in the video lip syncing along to the song. Long shots are used to show a group of people dancing and mainly always the artist is in the centre lip syncing to the song and dancing.
EDITING:
In most of Grimes music videos she uses montages of her in different locations lip syncing and dancing and also a montage of different girls all lip syncing, this is clearly a convention of her videos and the indie dream pop genre. The transitions between shots are quick cuts, she doesn't use dissolves, therefore the video syncs with the fast paced cuts in Grimes songs. Specials effects are used on top of the clips such as mirroring of the clip and a kaleidoscope effect, this adds a surreal and psychedelic feel to the music video again this coincides with Grimes music. Parts of her music video are edited to be black and white and others not, again this adds a surreal feel to the video. Clips have a blurred effect edited over to make them appear dream like and soft adding femininity.
MISE EN SCENE:
The colours used in Grimes music videos are feminine pastel colours: such as light pink, light blue, purple, glittery navy's and gold. These again add to the feel of a dreamy world which the music video is trying to convey. In her music video for 'Oblivion' the location changes several times and each time she's either on her own and pictured with a different group of people. Whereas in the 'Vanessa' music video the location is a dance studio-esque room which clear white backgrounds, therefore all that changes is the person in the shot. The outfits worn by the artist and actresses are feminine American Apparel style dresses and jumpers, a lot of them with added glitter and sequins, again this links in with the dream theme. The lighting in the opening to 'Oblivion' is very bright and well lit like most of the shots in 'Vanessa', however others are darkly lit due to been shot in a sport stadium and takeaway etc. In 'Vanessa' very bright lighting is used which gives a surreal edge to the video.
SOUND:
There is no voice over in 'Oblivion' however a very brief and short one in 'Vanessa' before the music kicks in. In 'Oblivion' the sound seems to be coming from the headphones and stereo that Grimes is carrying, however in Vanessa the music has no source and is therefore non-diagetic.
FORM:
In both videos there is no story line and therefore it is clear that the dream pop genre conventionally doesn't tell a story and is more a surreal montage of events. Lip syncing by the artist is used throughout both music videos.
