Media Artefacts

'Alternative' Music Videos...

Noah And The Whale, 5 Years Time


The music video shows a very basic use of techniques to put together a video that fits well with the song. Some may view it as not being a very good music video however it does work well. They have used a 'home video camera' type style as if it has been filmed as it goes and supposedly not much editing used. However for the style of the song this works effectively and the video is entertaining. There is a main basic scene with a curtain as a backdrop and a '5' balloon in the corner. The video often comes back to this scene, to focus on someone/a group of people and their actions.
Wording is placed over the video for the main words in the chorus of which are changed in each chorus (as shown above). This is effective in that the consumer can not only remember the order in which the word comes with but they have visuals to match it with; it is also pleasing to the eye and adds character to the video.
The video is made to be very much realistic, a bar is used, the backdrop as mentioned before and a park type scene. The video does appear to have been made at quite a low cost as it is fairly basic, however this very much matches the style of the band. Noah and The Whale's songs are not overly edited with backing music and voice changers at all, they are simple however effective and much like the video.

Ed Sheeran, The A Team

The alternative music video is made in black and white, this shows the seriousness of the song and allows the audience/viewer to get a feel for the scenario. The video is focused on one girl, making the lyrics become more understandable as he sings about a girl. Shots from all angles are used to show all persepectives of her as well as the setting the video is being filmed in. Although the video is very simple, it is made effective through the use of her heaving eye make up and facial expression showing the sadness of the song. The camera focuses on the feet of a busy street, this is made relevant to the song through the feet walking in rhythm with the lyrics/song. Blurred lights are used in the background, again this is relevant to the mood of the song but also looks very effective with the girl in the foreground and brings attention to her without making the shot plain.
A technique that I thought to be very effective within this music video was the use of editing to speed up people and traffic to show passing time, it not only visually looked good to the audience but also showed how the girl was still in the same position, again, emphasising the lyrics of the song and the difficult time being described.
The shots used lasted a few seconds on average, midshots were often used on the girl as her face was a main focus through the use of her facial expression and stage make up to show how she was in a bad place. Shots lasted a couple of seconds, this allows the audience to take it in properly and understand the song in a better way than which they did before viewing the video.

Kate Nash, Foundations


The alternative music video presents a range of different shots and techniques. It uses a narrative style to fit with the song and emphasise the lyrics to the audience/viewer. The start of the video shows a mid shot of each character in turn repeatedly, this places effect on the fact the song is describing these two people and connotations of relationship issues. The focus always goes back to Kate Nash, the artist throughout the music video to highlight her as an artist, as well as her style which is what the audience often look for. The video is made quirky through the use of bright colours in the setting as well as clothing and accessories, this fits well with the alternative, upbeat song.
An over the shoulder shot is used showing her reflection in the mirror, this highlights her as the artist and allows the audience to focus on her style and appearance. During her singing close ups are often used, again because she is the main focus of the video, the aim is to promote her and this tends to be what the audience looks for also. High angle shots are used, specifically in the scene where she is lying on a spiral staircase, her facial expression and positioning shows sexual connotations as well the feel of superiority she gives off, linking in with the song to do with her relationship.
Real objects are made to be animated allowing them to ‘move’, this again fits in with her alternative style as it is quirky and different, making the video memorable and helping to promote her as an artist. To highlight the lyrics objects are used within the video, adding to its narrative style; when ‘wind you up’ is sung, she winds up a wind - up figure which has an obvious link for the audience. Again, when she sings the line ‘you say I must eat so many lemons, ‘cause i am so bitter’; Kate is behind a pile of ‘eaten’ lemons and continues to bite into one.