Analysis Of Music Videos

In this post, I'll be analysing two music videos that are similar to the video I'm aiming to create, so that I can get a better understanding of some technical things (such as camera positioning and movement, lighting etc) that I could incorporate in my own video, as well as get some inspiration and a clearer idea of how I want the video to look.

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First, I looked at the official music video of Antimatter. Here are some key frames I've selected from it:

One of the first things I noticed about this video is the lighting, which is a key feature throughout the entirety of it; this, along with the intense and unusual colours are used to emphasise the dreamy and hyper real style of the video. Over the course of the music video, the shots are given a sort of sandy texture, with multiple shots even being intentionally out of focus. Oftentimes the background or the entire frame is unclear, blurred or sort of smudged, in a way that makes it difficult to even understand what you're looking at. The camera movements are dramatic and snappish, and the cuts are quick and sometimes disorienting. As for the content of the video, it's a combination of performance, with a bunch of shots of the band members performing the instrumental and vocals of the song, and narrative, with the two characters getting to meet each other. However the narrative is very fragmented and not really that related to the lyrics, besides the fact that it shows these two people meeting and then growing apart, which is, broadly speaking, what the song is about. There are also multiple lens effects used, some for the out-of-space purple location, and some just used throughout the video to distort or warp the shots. Overall, however confusing or out of touch with reality the video may sometimes feel, I still find it very pleasing in a visual way, and I think it's very fitting for the song.

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Next, I looked at another video from Silent Planet, from the same album, for their song Anunnaki. Here are some frames I've chosen from it:

The video is mostly performance, however it includes some heavily disorienting and experimental bits, which consist of quick successions of closeups, nature shots, blurry or grainy shots, and disembodied hands or eyes; I find these portions of the video very intriguing to look at, and I think it would be cool if I included something similar in my video too. What I really enjoy about this video is once again the lighting, I really like the way it's used to add visual interest to the shots, sometimes by placing the subject in front of the light source, and other times by intentionally letting the light reflect on the lens. The colours are also used very nicely, to add an instantly recognisable look to each location, and also to create a feeling of disconnection from reality.

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Looking at these videos was really helpful, especially because they're similar in concept to the video I want to make. I'll definitely take inspiration from the editing style, lighting, colours and creative angles and camera movements used in both of the videos. I'll also have to get creative since I don't have the possibility of making a performance music video:))