Film language notes - music video analysis

These notes will help you with your music video analysis - remember, the more media language you use the higher your grade!

Mise en scène
Mise en scène literally translates from French as ‘putting on stage’. 

We use it in film studies to describe everything that appears in front of the camera:

• Actors (placement, movement, expression)
• Costume and make-up
• Setting and props
• Lighting and colour

You might find CLAMPS is a good way to remember these (Costume, Lighting, Actors, Make-up, Props, Setting).

Camera movement
Look for the following types of camera movement when analysing music videos:

Pan: A whip pan can create action, pace or excitement and works well when filming live bands for music videos.

Track/Dolly: Tracks action smoothly – look for in chases, walking shots or fast-moving sequences.

Handheld: Can add urgency, realism, pace or unease to a scene.

Editing
You need to revise the following for editing:

• Transitions
• Pace
• Juxtaposition

Transitions
Film transitions include the following: 

Cut (Straight cut, jump cut, match cut)
Shot changes from one to another – the most common cut.

Dissolve 
Shot melts into another.

Pace

The speed at which a video moves from one shot to another has a major effect on the audience.

High action sequences or music videos will have many fast cuts to create pace and add excitement.

Slower paced editing (e.g. a long tracking shot) may suggest other things to the audience: tension, danger, romance, sadness or a puzzle.

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound

Sound in film is described as either diegetic or non-diegetic.

Diegetic sound is sound that is coming from within the world of the film. The way to remember it is that the characters can hear it.

Non-diegetic sound is sound that is not within the world of the film – only the audience can hear it.