Existing Music Video Research

Because the song we have chosen does not have an existing video I have analysed two of Kate Nash’s existing

music videos and one from another artist of the same genre.

Kate Nash- FoundationsLocations

Costumes

Performance

This video has a very realistic feel mainly due to the setting. Foundations is filmed in a number of day to day places in the home; the kitchen, bathroom

and bedroom. Because of this the audience can easily relate to the situation or storyline of the video meaning they can become more emotionally involved. This technique also means our group will be able to interpret this into our own video.

Similar to the location, the clothes Kate Nash wears in Foundations are day time women’s dresses. This gives a realistic feel to the video presenting Kate as any young woman in a bad relationship. This creates a connection with the audience as this is the artist’s target audience.

In terms of performance, the video is more narrative for example there is no choreographed dance. Most of the shots of Kate Nash in Foundations capture her singing her song with eye contact with the camera. This engages the audience as it creates a connection between the viewer and Kate Nash.

StyleOverall, this video has a fun and upbeat style. This is done through the use of colour ; bright colours such as orange, yellow, and green are used whether it is through costume , props or locations making .There is also an element of humour in the video through Kate’s sarcastic tone of voice, the props she uses to represent her lyrics for example sucking lemons when she was called bitter. This style of video is effective because it appeals to her young target audience but also it fits with the characteristics of the indie-pop genre. Foundations also has a realistic style due to the everyday locations, casual costumes, natural lighting and commonly used props. This makes the video engaging for the audience as it almost a real situation.

Notes

Props – In this music video everyday objects are used to represent Kate Nash’s lyrics. This is sometimes used in a humorous way for example looking at a gold fish when referring to her ‘friends’ which contributes to the fun and realistic style of the video. She also uses other props such as a pack of cards, a cake and a fridge which are common realistic items giving the video a realistic feel and something recognisable for the audience. This video also contains a male character in order to portray her storyline making the story more vivid and real.Editing- The editing in this video is fairly fast and there is no special effects such as fading or dissolving meaning the video is fast paced and simple associated with her indie-pop music genre.

Kate Nash- Pumpkin SoupLocations Performanc

e

Costumes

In this video, the location has the same aspect as Foundations because it is a garden which is a realistic setting. However, the location is a cartoon interpretation which makes the video-

in comparison to Foundations- feel more fun rather than realistic associating with the indie-pop genre.

Like Foundations, there is no choreographed dance or live performance. However, throughout the video Kate sings her song into the camera for most of the duration. This engages the audience as the eye contact creates a connection between Kate Nash and the audience.

Again, similar to the video Foundations, in Pumpkin Soup Kate Nash wears every day clothes including dresses and skirts and tops. This creates a sense of realism meaning the audience can relate to the storyline and Kate who implies she is representing a normal, casual young woman.

Style

Notes

Like the Foundations video, overall Pumpkin Soup has a large sense of fun. The bright colours used – such as blue, yellow and pink- create a jolly and upbeat video associated with the indie-pop genre of music. The use of humour also adds to this aspect of the music video for example the oversized dancing white cats. Although this creates humour like the Foundations video, this also makes Pumpkin soup seem unrealistic which is a different approach compared to the video I have previously analysed. This music video therefore has a similar style to Kate Nash’s Foundations however it focuses more on the fun aspect rather than realism.

In comparison to Foundations, the props used in pumpkin soup include common realistic items for example a sewing kit, a stool and balloons. This creates a sense of realism meaning the audience can engage in the video as they have something they recognise. However other props such as the giant sweets and oversized cats make the music video seem unrealistic and more imaginative making it fun and upbeat - associating with the target audience and music genre. In relation to the editing, Pumpkin Soup is very similar to that of Kate Nash’s other music videos. The fast editing makes the video seem fast paced and upbeat along with the absence of special effects. Like Foundations, the video also includes a male character in order to portray the storyline more successfully by making the story more realistic and present in front of the audience’s eyes.

Eliza Doolittle- Pack UpLocations Performanc

e

Costumes

Like Kate Nash’s videos, Eliza Doolittle’s music videos are set at a realistic locations. For example in Pack

Up, some of the locations include the countryside, a bus and a community hall. This creates a sense of realism for the video making the storyline seem realistic and therefore recognisable for the audience engaging them in the video.

This video by Eliza Doolittle has no choreographed dance or live performance similar to those of Kate Nash. However, Eliza is captured a number of times singing her song and for the majority of these shots she has eye contact with the camera. This creates the interaction with the audience and it links the artist with the viewer making them feel present and involved in the video.

The costumes in this video are everyday women’s clothing. For example Eliza Doolittle wears shorts and tops, dresses

and playsuits. This is effective for her target audience as it gives the audience the chance to be influenced not only by her music but also her style, and wearing clothes easily available to young girls and women makes this possible. The casual costumes also give the video a sense of realism which is a technique commonly used in Kate Nash’s videos and indie-pop videos in general.

Style

NotesLike Kate Nash’s music videos, this music video includes many realistic everyday props. These include a motorbike, suitcase and musical instruments. These create a sense of realism for the audience and has a similar effect to the other videos I have analysed. The video includes a mixture of shots including mid shots close ups and long shots and like Kate Nash’s videos there is no special effects such as fading or dissolving. This makes the video seem simple making it realistic and the storyline clearly presented.

There is no use of very bright colours in this video meaning the style does not appear as fun or upbeat as some of the Kate Nash videos. However, because the locations are mainly outdoor setting the whole video is captured in natural lighting meaning the video seems realistic allowing the audience to relate to the video and therefore engaging in the song. There is a lot of what seems like unchoreographed dance in this video which gives a sense of realism as the video seems free and natural. The dancing also makes the video jolly and upbeat making it fun and enjoyable.

From this research I have learnt a lot about the Indie Pop genre. I have analysed the videos and found

that realism is a big theme in the music videos. This effect is captured through lighting, locations and

costumes mainly and these elements of a video often create fun and upbeat music videos too.

In terms of editing, there are a lot of close ups of the artists singing to the camera which is a main technique used in indie-pop videos in order to

engage the viewer.