Changes in Music Videos

 TIMETABLE

1975: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

• Performance-based - Purpose of the music video was to promote and sell the artist
• Includes close-up shots of the singers
• Includes effects (i.e. the flames in the image above).

1980: The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star

• Performance & Concept-based music video - The band is concerned about/addressing the changes within the media industry
• Close-Up shots/Animation Layovers/ An attempted futuristic mise en scene.
• A reflective, blue sheet; bright, round light, and a darkroom used in the beginning create the image of the ocean in the night - suggests imagination

1990: The Beautiful Swift - A Little Time

• Both performance and narrative-based that portrays an interesting gender representation - both sides were aggressive/involved in the fight. - Not the stereotypical video with a violent or abusive boyfriend.
• Portrays relationship problems and that both sides are involved.
• The music video cuts between the song and the narrative - similar to flashbacks.
• A simple house is used as the filming area with trashed and broken props - emphasizes the portrayal of a fight between a couple. 
• Feathers and dust (maybe flour?) float to the ground - uneasy tension shown.

1999: Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way

• Performance-based with a slight hint of narrative but not much.
• Close-up shots of each individual singer as they each sing their part of the song.
• Full shots/ Wide shots of the entire band (i.e. in the image above).
• The "rise of the boy bands" - when this style began to become popular
• Inclusion of fans - the majority of them are female.

Within the past 35 years, music videos have become more performance-based with hints of a narration included. This is generally because the artists are trying to portray a message to their audience through the video - that supports the lyrics of their songs. I have also noticed that effects aren't used as explicitly as they used to be; instead, they are more subtle and fewer in numbers.

Studying Photographs

 Image One

This image is a wide shot of a landscape that may have some surreal aspects; mainly in its colouring.

The viewer's attention is immediately drawn to the sun at the centre of the image. The sun itself is framed by the core of the tree, just as the branches begin to weave outward. I believe the lighting is mainly natural (from the sun) and it creates a contrast between the foreground and background. Unlike most photos, the background of this image is actually rather interesting because of the colour gradient created by the sunset. 

The colour of the tree and the hill is darkened to emphasize the contrast from the foreground and it further draws attention to the sun. Because of this, it could be debated that the viewer's attention is actually drawn to the foreground, however, this almost manipulates them to look along the tree - up to the sun; then along the branches and out to the background.

The horizon line is just beneath the sun at the borderline of the ocean and shows that the image follows the Rules of Thirds.

Image Two 

This image is at a low angle and is a close-up shot of a leaf, that guides the viewer to look at the stags in the background.

The camera is placed within an assumably large leaf; this enables the viewer to somewhat travel along the stem and lines of the leaf until they reach the background of the image. In my opinion, the background is more interesting than the foreground although it is quite interesting to see the exterior of a leaf at a closer angle. As the tip of the leaf extends upwards, the viewer also looks up to the stags.

Although the horizon line isn't exactly clear due to the curved sides of the leaves, we can see that it is the forest ground; also proving this photo follows the Rules of Thirds.