Mise en Scene– Music Video Settings

This PowerPoint has been created to represent songs through images linking in with the sets of the music video and how the background scenery helps to sell the song by interlinking with its characteristics and

possibly the digipack.

Coldplay- Violet HillThis song by Coldplay is represented in the video through a bleak negative atmosphere, the photography used often shows close ups of the Chris Martins face expressing his emotions in a more elaborated sense which is initially more effective to the audience. The backgrounds are grey which is reinforced by the weather and therefore the weather must have been chosen specifically (there is also references to the month December). Throughout the lyrics, there is an expressed uncertainty based upon a relationship where feelings and emotions are confused, this is also portrayed through the video where there the musicians are placed apart to show distance and the strength in playing the instruments shows the anger within.

Britney Spears- CircusThroughout the video of circus there are many scenes which are dark and Britney herself is hard to be recognised emphasising the suspense within a circus to create the attraction from the audience. There are also shots to the dressing room showing the preparation behind the show but also creating an eerie atmosphere with the eccentric outfits clashing in colour creating unique and ominous atmosphere as the people do not appear normal, this makes a distance between the performers and audience as they cannot be related together. When the music picks up then the editing shots are much quicker again creating a suspenseful performance. The background is familiar in terms of a ‘circus’.

The Killers- When you were young

This video is similar to the video of Coldplay with dreary and depressing atmosphere again, it depicts a girl who waits for a man and imagines him to be loyal allowing her to escape her own childhood troubles but catches him cheating on her, the impression the lyrics give is that she is naïve and should not forgive, this is contradicted by her looking for a loyal man with the reference to ‘Jesus’ where he promoted forgiveness and therefore the mise en scene exaggerates her confusion in life and the sense of loneliness. The video scenes are very dark and show isolation within the fields, the scene of the cross also shows how she is in despair and reaching out to someone who she cannot see but needs hope.

Take That- PatienceThis video again is slightly dull with the lonely scenery depicting fairly cold weather but not extreme, this shows how in a relationship patience is needed to forget someone and move on from this person- the mise en scene is the state of mind of the person where they almost feel lost. The video shows one of the singers looking around as though they need to find where they are going in life, again reinforcing the idea of confusion. Some shots of the mise en scene convey the sun shining brightly within the dull scenes giving the impression that there is always hope.

Jamiroquai- DanceThe mise en scene for this song is very positive and vibrant with a variety of environments from a bedroom to a modern flashing dance studio- this shows a dynamic music video creating excitement and interest. The song called ‘Dance’ depicts dancing in a variety of places and how its not just for one place but to express yourself through life, his professional dancing exaggerates the importance of the method. His dancing is also very unique and will be eccentric and individual in all the mise en scene background scenes also linking in with his courageous fashion statements. There is also a lot of technology used within the video creating bizarre shots of three of Jamiroquai dancing at once creating an energetic atmosphere. There is also the shot of an untidy kitchen which is dull and Jamiroquai dances throughout contradicting what the kitchen is designed for, there is not a moment where he is not dancing and this links in with the ever changing mise en scene settings creating an unstoppable beat to the music.

Sugababes- Too lost into you

This music video is interlinked with the release of the film ‘love actually’ and therefore the song has short clips of the film within the music video, often the lyrics will link in with the plot of the film advertising both the music and the film. The music video also interlinks with the film by its scenery as there are shots of an airport representing people leaving or entering others lives which represents how people start and end relationships. The atmosphere of the video in areas is quite cold as well with the modern airport and the dark shots of the sugababes singing later on creating an impression of sadness.

What I have learnt…This PowerPoint has shown to be the various music videos and how

they contrast from one another but are similar as well. They all aim to portray a music video which clearly interlinks with their lyrics to allow the audience to understand their music also promoting it at the same time. This has shown me for when I come to completing my own music video, one of the main sources of research before the filming is the lyrics to assure that they fit in together portraying each other. The mise en scene setting is one of the most crucial aspects of the music video.