Influences

Music Video Influences



Alesha Dixon - To Love Again




This video demonstrates several genre characteristic for a typical female artist with an audience of women aged between 16 and 30 this would be through the song being about love and relationships. The video is shot artistcally which appeals to this audience. The artist although being dressed up in heels and a fur coat, still gives the impression of naturalness and this is through her hair and make-up, this means that this particular audience will still be able to not only relate to the emotions in the song but also to the artist herself.

The visuals with in this video relate to the sentiments expressed in the lyrics, this is by the lyrics talking about her being all by her self and she is seen walking through the park on her own. Although there are people who walk past her they further emphasise that she is there on her own. Also in the lyrics she talks about light and as she is walking along the sun is constantly shining behind her and sometimes taking preserdence in the shot, again this strengthens the relationship between lyrics and visuals.

With in this video there are lots of close-ups of the artist, this wll be to appease the record label as it means that the artist is constantly being promoted throughout the video. The expression on the artist face is quite often the same for the close-ups which keeps contanuity through out the video. Although close-ups in music videos are to promote the artist and to keep the record companies happy. I believe that in this video the close-ups allow the emotions to be expressed more clearly and so that the audience really understands and can relate to the feelings expressed in this song.

Through out this video Alesha is constantly looking into the camera as if she is seeing you clearly rather than looking into a camera lens, also some of the shots are shot in a way that the audience feel like they know the artist. The make-up on the artist's eyes make them seem bigger almost seeming as if the audience are looking at her soul and know the real her.

This video gave me the idea of having the artists walking through a park or a similar kind of location. I really like the simplicity of this video, it really works with the song as a bigger video would overpower the song. Although the majority of the video is of the artist, there are shots of the story, that are still in the same location as the artist, this suggests that they are thoughts rather than something that is actually happening. The lighting and colours of this video are kept neutral and seem muted the only feature of this video that really stands out is the light from the sun, this seems to suggest that there is hope and happiness, even if it does not seem so at the time.

Beyonce - Broken Hearted Girl





Again this video demonstrates several genre characteristics of a music video aimed at this age of audience, however in this video it is focused around the sea rather than a park. This to me shows a true realtionship between love and relationships, as water never flows on a straight course and it can have calm days and there can be rough days as in relationships and love.

The relationship between lyrics and visuals differs from that of Alesha's as in this video the links are suble but kind of obvious at the same time. The fact that the video is in black and white when Beyonce is playing in the sea and along the beach suggests that these are just memories, however this does not become apparent until the end of the video after the section when the video is in colour. In the coloured section of the video you see the artist taking a rose to pieces, picking of the leaf and petals, this suggests real life. This is then reversed (still in colour) and you see the petals being stuck back onto the rose until it is perfect again and it is after this that it goes back to black and white, with Beyonce playing in the sea and having fun, confirming that the coloured parts are current and the black and white memories.

Again in this video there are lots of close-ups promoting the artist and for me, especially in the coloured section really showing the artists emotions.


Leona Lewis - I Got You