Conventions and Shots of a Music Video

Shot 1

This is the first shot I took from the video Ben Howard – Keep Your Head Up. This lighting in this part is very low key. As you can see in the background the sun is only just beginning to rise which makes the whole scene look calm and settling. With videos in this genre I found that generally the lighting is all low key, so this matches the conventions of a music video in this genre. This is because most of the music that is involved in folk rock has a story to tell and the videos that are made are not just for show. The costume he is wearing is just casual jeans and a t-shirt, this is a big convention of a music video in this genre because the artists like the audience to be able to relate to the music and in doing so they like to look and dress like an ordinary person, just like they would normally. It is also very common for male artists to where what we consider ordinary clothes as opposed to female artists who like to dress up.The use of the low angle where we first see the persons legs has a good effect on the video as it doesn't’t show too much about the person and so gets the audiences attention.

Shot 2

I think the setting of this shot is important. When the camera goes to the high angle that lets the audience see all of the setting, the trees and water in the background it instantly looks like an area that you would love to go to, there is no busy traffic or loud noises, it creates a feel of happiness which is what a lot of Ben Howards videos do. The lighting again is low key, although has brightened up a bit now, it is normal for low key lighting to be used in this genre of music. I like this shot as it is showing the person collecting some water, this shows that he is working for something and therefore this shot is the first indicator that he is isolated and on his own.

Shot 3

I chose this third shot because it showed well the setting in which he was, it looks like he is down an old lane, a deserted forest or woodland area, again this reflects the lyrics of ‘Keep Your Head Up’ because although he is on his own, he is carrying on with what he wants to do. Just like before, the costume he is wearing is very plain and ordinary, which helps the audience relate to the music even more. The over the shoulder shot is effective as it is showing everything from his perspective, and seeing it how he would see it, this is a typical convention of a music video in this genre as it is common for the artists to want their fans to see how they see their music, and doing so, chose camera angles like this.

Shot 4 This wide shot near the start of the video is extremely important in portraying to the audience what is going on. It is yet another indication that he is alone and working hard. He is down the same lane as shown in shot three, which shows how long it is, meaning he is struggling. However the wide shot has made indications that it is going to get better because they are just beginning to show brighter skies and brighter lighting through the bushes and trees. This is a big convention for this genre because folk rock is music usually is written to tell a story, so the gradual increase of brighter lighting connotes the story being told.

Shot 5

This shot shows instantly how isolated the area that the 3 people are in is. The yellow corn field that they are walking through is an ideal setting for a group of friends that are wandering around and finding stuff to do. This is a typical convention of folk rock videos as they are associated with calm and peaceful settings. The contrast in colours of the green trees and the yellow field, I think is showing the difference in low and high key lighting, low key is used to show something that is not very happy, and high key is the opposite, so at the start of the video where it was all low key, this is now one of the first shots that is gradually setting in more high key lighting meaning the mood has become brighter.

Shot 6This shot, I chose to show the comedy that is included in this music video, because at the start it begins quite sad and depressing, but as you see when the video progressed, so did the mood, and the audience soon realise that Ben Howard who was in the video, was building a giant water slide so that he and his friends could slide down the hill. This camera angle is clever because it shows the natural setting in the background a lot clearer than others, you can see cows, large trees and hills, this is the main way in which I meets its stereotype because it almost everyone would be able to relate to where they were. The shot shows the mans legs, showing that he is just wearing shorts meaning that it is summer time, this contributes to showing another way in which you can Keep Your Head Up.

Shot 7

This last shot I have made is showing the 3 people jumping into the lake. After sliding down the massive slide in the middle of no where they are now in another extremely calm setting, but the disruption of them jumping and screaming shows that they are having fun. This I think is the main way in which the video relates to the lyrics of ‘Keep Your Head Up’. The clothes that they are wearing, just like usual are ordinary clothes, but connote that is is summer as there are shorts being worn as well. The lighting in this shot is again low key, just like the rest of the video. This shot shows typical conventions of an ordinary music video categorized in this genre of folk rock by using low key lighting, ‘ordinary’ costumes and a peaceful setting.