GENRE EXPECTATIONS IN MY VIDEO

Cinematography

Cinematography is an important part of dance music videos. For example, colourful lighting is used in club scenes to make the scene seem happier and more interesting. However, as I am aiming for an alternative style of video, I would prefer my video to be in a more natural or normal setting. My initial ideas include filming in a forest, so I would be using long and medium shots to establish the scene and show the setting. Close shots may be used to show detail or emotion.

Sound

Almost all dance music follows a 4/4 beat, with a thumping kick drum on every beat. The editing generally follows the beat. As the songs are mainly produced using digital audio workstations, the leads, bass and other sounds are all synthesised. The main melody is repetitive but catchy, and encourages dancing to the beat. The beat uses sampled drum kits, so there is little variation between each piece of percussion, leading to a upbeat and manufactured sound. In the video the music can be both diegetic and non-diegetic. For example, with videos featuring dancing, the music is normally diegetic as the actors dance with the music. If there is not dancing then the chances are that the music is non-diegetic and the music is being used as a backing to tell a story. I plan to make the song non-diegetic within the video, using the music to help tell a story. 

Editing

The speed of editing is usually in time with the beat which makes the video fit the music much better. This makes the video flow nicely and is also more pleasing to the audience, as each scene changes when it is expected. I would also like to incorporate special effects to make the video appear brighter/darker and more/less colourful to contrast urban and natural life. Almost all music videos include special effects to accentuate certain colours and emotions, and also to make the video appear more professional.

Mise-en-scene

Typical scenes of dance music include clubs, beaches and pools. These scenes are generally chosen due to their association with fun and youth. The people featured in the videos are young and emanate energy to fit with the upbeat music. Typical clothing includes branded items and aspirational style. In my music video, I am casting a lonely, alternative boy and contrasting him against a group of mainstream and happy girls. I will show this difference through the different use of clothes and props. As for location, I will have two main locations; a grey and lifeless neighbourhood, and a colourful, natural forest.