music video essay example

What is a Video Essay? The Art of the Video Analysis Essay

I n the era of the internet and Youtube, the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of expressing ideas and concepts. However, there is a bit of an enigma behind the construction of the video essay largely due to the vagueness of the term.

What defines a video analysis essay? What is a video essay supposed to be about? In this article, we’ll take a look at the foundation of these videos and the various ways writers and editors use them creatively. Let’s dive in.

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What is a video essay?

First, let’s define video essay.

There is narrative film, documentary film, short films, and then there is the video essay. What is its role within the realm of visual media? Let’s begin with the video essay definition. 

VIDEO ESSAY DEFINITION

A video essay is a video that analyzes a specific topic, theme, person or thesis. Because video essays are a rather new form, they can be difficult to define, but recognizable nonetheless. To put it simply, they are essays in video form that aim to persuade, educate, or critique. 

These essays have become increasingly popular within the era of Youtube and with many creatives writing video essays on topics such as politics, music, film, and pop culture. 

What is a video essay used for?

• To persuade an audience of a thesis
• To educate on a specific subject
• To analyze and/or critique 

What is a video essay based on?

Establish a thesis.

Video analysis essays lack distinguished boundaries since there are countless topics a video essayist can tackle. Most essays, however, begin with a thesis. 

How Christopher Nolan Elevates the Movie Montage  •  Video Analysis Essays

Good essays often have a point to make. This point, or thesis, should be at the heart of every video analysis essay and is what binds the video together. 

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interviews in video essay

Utilize interviews.

A key determinant for the structure of an essay is the source of the ideas. A common source for this are interviews from experts in the field. These interviews can be cut and rearranged to support a thesis. 

Roger Deakins on "Learning to Light"  •  Video Analysis Essays

Utilizing first hand interviews is a great way to utilize ethos into the rhetoric of a video. However, it can be limiting since you are given a limited amount to work with. Voice over scripts, however, can give you the room to say anything. 

How to create the best video essays on Youtube

Write voice over scripts.

Voice over (VO) scripts allow video essayists to write out exactly what they want to say. This is one of the most common ways to structure a video analysis essay since it gives more freedom to the writer. It is also a great technique to use when taking on large topics.

In this video, it would have been difficult to explain every type of camera lens by cutting sound bites from interviews of filmmakers. A voice over script, on the other hand, allowed us to communicate information directly when and where we wanted to.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Lenses  •  Video essay examples

Some of the most famous video essayists like Every Frame a Painting and Nerdwriter1 utilize voice over to capitalize on their strength in writing video analysis essays. However, if you’re more of an editor than a writer, the next type of essay will be more up your alley. 

Video analysis essay without a script

Edit a supercut.

Rather than leaning on interview sound bites or voice over, the supercut video depends more on editing. You might be thinking “What is a video essay without writing?” The beauty of the video essay is that the writing can be done throughout the editing. Supercuts create arguments or themes visually through specific sequences. 

Another one of the great video essay channels, Screen Junkies, put together a supercut of the last decade in cinema. The video could be called a portrait of the last decade in cinema.

2010 - 2019: A Decade In Film  •  Best videos on Youtube

This video is rather general as it visually establishes the theme of art during a general time period. Other essays can be much more specific. 

Critical essays

Video essays are a uniquely effective means of creating an argument. This is especially true in critical essays. This type of video critiques the facets of a specific topic. 

In this video, by one of the best video essay channels, Every Frame a Painting, the topic of the film score is analyzed and critiqued — specifically temp film score.

Every Frame a Painting Marvel Symphonic Universe  •  Essay examples

Of course, not all essays critique the work of artists. Persuasion of an opinion is only one way to use the video form. Another popular use is to educate. 

• The Different Types of Camera Lenses →
• Write and Create Professionally Formatted Screenplays →
• How to Create Unforgettable Film Moments with Music →

Video analysis essay

Visual analysis.

One of the biggest advantages that video analysis essays have over traditional, written essays is the use of visuals. The use of visuals has allowed video essayists to display the subject or work that they are analyzing. It has also allowed them to be more specific with what they are analyzing. Writing video essays entails structuring both words and visuals. 

Take this video on There Will Be Blood for example. In a traditional, written essay, the writer would have had to first explain what occurs in the film then make their analysis and repeat.

This can be extremely inefficient and redundant. By analyzing the scene through a video, the points and lessons are much more clear and efficient. 

There Will Be Blood  •   Subscribe on YouTube

Through these video analysis essays, the scene of a film becomes support for a claim rather than the topic of the essay. 

Dissect an artist

Essays that focus on analysis do not always focus on a work of art. Oftentimes, they focus on the artist themself. In this type of essay, a thesis is typically made about an artist’s style or approach. The work of that artist is then used to support this thesis.

Nerdwriter1, one of the best video essays on Youtube, creates this type to analyze filmmakers, actors, photographers or in this case, iconic painters. 

Caravaggio: Master Of Light  •  Best video essays on YouTube

In the world of film, the artist video analysis essay tends to cover auteur filmmakers. Auteur filmmakers tend to have distinct styles and repetitive techniques that many filmmakers learn from and use in their own work. 

Stanley Kubrick is perhaps the most notable example. In this video, we analyze Kubrick’s best films and the techniques he uses that make so many of us drawn to his films. 

Why We're Obsessed with Stanley Kubrick Movies  •  Video essay examples

Critical essays and analytical essays choose to focus on a piece of work or an artist. Essays that aim to educate, however, draw on various sources to teach technique and the purpose behind those techniques. 

What is a video essay written about?

Historical analysis.

Another popular type of essay is historical analysis. Video analysis essays are a great medium to analyze the history of a specific topic. They are an opportunity for essayists to share their research as well as their opinion on history. 

Our video on aspect ratio , for example, analyzes how aspect ratios began in cinema and how they continue to evolve. We also make and support the claim that the 2:1 aspect ratio is becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Why More Directors are Switching to 18:9  •  Video analysis essay

Analyzing the work of great artists inherently yields a lesson to be learned. Some essays teach more directly.

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Writing video essays about technique

Teach technique.

Educational essays designed to teach are typically more direct. They tend to be more valuable for those looking to create art rather than solely analyze it.

In this video, we explain every type of camera movement and the storytelling value of each. Educational essays must be based on research, evidence, and facts rather than opinion.

Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement  •  Best video essays on YouTube

As you can see, there are many reasons why the video essay has become an increasingly popular means of communicating information. Its ability to use both sound and picture makes it efficient and effective. It also draws on the language of filmmaking to express ideas through editing. But it also gives writers the creative freedom they love. 

Writing video essays is a new art form that many channels have set high standards for. What is a video essay supposed to be about? That’s up to you. 

Organize Post Production Workflow

The quality of an essay largely depends on the quality of the edit. If editing is not your strong suit, check out our next article. We dive into tips and techniques that will help you organize your Post-Production workflow to edit like a pro. 

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Taylor Swift’s Blank Space Music Video: Analysis Example

Blank space video analysis: introduction, analyzing the ‘blank space’ video, blank space music video analysis: conclusion, works cited.

A music video is a short film integrating song and imagery. It is produced for promotional and artistic purposes (Machin 52). Music videos have evolved significantly over the years. Most of the traditional and modest scenes in the videos, which mainly involved bands and artists playing their own instruments, have been replaced by multimillion dollar high conceptual performances. The replacement is mainly as a result of the emergence and availability of cheap and free digital video equipment and platforms, such as YouTube. A song is always produced before the conception of a video (Machin 64). It is mainly because directors and video producers use the song as a guide in the production of images and film that sell the song to the intended audience (Gomez 53).

In most cases, music videos are an interpretation of the lyrics in the song. However, some are produced without a set out concept and are merely a filmed version to the song’s live performance (Gomez 54). In spite of the logic behind the production of music videos, most people agree that they are mainly meant to help an artist or band promote a song or album (Vernallis 221). A number of factors are taken into consideration in the production of a video. Such elements are used to determine, for instance, how different moments are set up and ‘departed from’. Most importantly, they determine why some scenes are more significant than others.

In this paper, the author will provide a critical and an in-depth analysis of a contemporary music video. The aim is to discern the relationship between the song and how the lyrics are animated through the techniques of the film. The analysis largely draws from the tools used in the book “Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context”. The author selected the video for Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” song.

The song “Blank Space” is an electropop composition by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is from her fifth studio album, “1989”, released in 2014. It is written by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. The song became a critical and commercial success, hitting a record four hundred million views on YouTube in its first week of release. The video accompanying the song was shot for over three days at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York.

The Narrative

Taylor Swift’s video for the song “Blank Space” is based on a narrative. It is mainly because the film presents the storyline described in the lyrics of the song (Gomez 78). All the actions in the video describe what is said in the song itself. The film tells the story of a dating couple whose relationship goes up in flames when the man cheats on the lady. As a result, the lady seeks revenge. The arguments arising from this incidence are captured in the video and are also evident in the song. For example, the girl sings “I can make the tables turn, roses garden filled with thorns, keep you second guessing like Oh My God who is she?” ( Blank Space ). The anger and jealousy of the woman is also evident as she throws a potted plant at her cheating boyfriend. She shouts “I get drunk on jealousy” ( Blank Space ).

The story tells of how Taylor Swift takes revenge by setting her boyfriend’s clothes on fire and tearing down his pictures. She screams “so it’s going to be forever or it’s going to go down in flames” ( Blank Space ). She goes ahead to inflict more pain on him by damaging his car with a golf stick. Eventually, the man leaves her, becoming her ex-lover. However, as the video ends, a new man pulls up into the driveway, continuing the long list of ex-lovers depicted in the song. The girl sings “got a long list of ex-lovers they will tell you I’m insane, but I have a blank space baby and I will write your name” ( Blank Space ).

Lyrical Connection

As stated earlier, the video to the song “Blank Space” is based on a narrative. As such, it presents the storyline described in the lyrics. For instance, the line “nice to meet you, where have you being, I can show incredible things” ( Blank Space ) is accompanied by video images of a man walking into the castle and Taylor Swift walking down the stairs to meet him. Taylor goes ahead to describe her guest in the song. She says “new money, suit and tie I can read you like a magazine” ( Blank Space ). The description is followed by an up-close shot of the man and his clothes.

Word painting, which links images to words and music, is also evident in the video (Cooper 57). For instance, when Taylor says the word ‘scar’, there appears a picture of a man with nasty scars on his face. In most scenes, Taylor Swift’s lips also sync to the rhythm of the lyrics playing in the music video. As such, there is a strong connection between the lyrics and the visuals (Vernallis 128). The video illustrates the lyrics and showcases the story.

Musical Connection

There is always a relationship between the music and the visuals of its video (Vernallis 161). In the electropop genre, the link can either be amplifying, illustrative, or contradicting (Machin 34). The strong relationship between the visuals and the music in “Blank Space” can be seen in the order and timing of the cuts. The cuts are produced according to the beats of the track. They are smooth and run evenly without being edgy or peculiar. The video also strikes a balance between instances where Taylor Swift acts as a crazy and vengeful girl and close up shots of her singing. Such a musical-visual connection not only establishes one as an artist, but also as an actor and a performer (Machin 55).

Color Scheme

The “Blank Space” music video uses neutral color schemes as is the norm in most electropop videos (Vernallis 34). However, in some parts of the video, the color system is subdued to bring about a classical and country feel to the film. The costumes used in the music video play a major role in the alteration of the color scheme. In one instance, Taylor Swift wears a brightly colored pink dress and shades. The combination signifies happier times. When the relationship ends, she switches to darker colors, which signifies sadness ( Blank Space ). By applying this technique, the producers are able to use the color scheme to control the mood in the film. However, at times, the sarcasm in the music video suppresses the mood brought about by the combination of colors. The setting is striking and natural. The house and outdoors are neutral in color, which is within the neutral color scheme.

Video Foreground

Most music videos show the artist or band that sang the song in the foreground (Vernallis 57). However, this is not always the norm. In some instances, especially in album promotional videos or song teasers, the artist is at times in the background (Cooper 57). It can be equated to playing a film with a soundtrack. It is especially seen in videos where the lyrics, music, and rhythm do not match the visuals in the video. In “Blank Space”, the artist is the foreground of the video. The reason is that her movements and actions match the lyrics and rhythm of the song.

Target Audience

Taylor Swift presents cheating, which is one of the major problems that lovers go through, in a fun and sarcastic way. The music video is a depiction of her love life as depicted in the mainstream media. Taylor Swift’s romantic streak has often been the center of attention. She is usually put on the spotlight for being in many relationships. In the video, she acts the part of a “boy-crazy” and jealous woman that is depicted in real life. For example, she sings “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane” ( Blank Space ). Her mockery of her image in the media outlets shows a world where the narrow and sexist caricatures attached to women are acted out for the amusement of the audience (Vernallis 120). As such, the video can be seen as directed towards all those who stereotype her as a ‘boy crazy’ woman.

It is clear that a music video contains various technical and aesthetic features. The elements are clearly seen through an in-depth assessment of the video itself. An analysis of “Blank Space” reveals that one has to clearly discern the relationship between the song and the animations depicted through the techniques used in the film. It is the only way through which the audience can fully appreciate a music video.

Blank Space . Ex. Prod. Max Martin. New York: Big Machine Records. 2014. DVD.

Cooper, Lee. “Lyrical Commentaries: Learning from Popular Music.” Music Educator Journal 77.8 (2001): 56-58. Print.

Gomez, Isabel. “Narrative on Music Video.” Contemporary Film Studies 4.1 (2008): 51-82. Print.

Machin, David. Analyzing Popular Music, Los Angeles: Sage, 2010. Print.

Vernallis, Carol. Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context, New York: Columbia University Press, 2004. Print.

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A2 MEDIA STUDIES - GRACE SUITER 

Music video analysis & andrew goodwins theory, a music video is a short, moving image product shot for the express purpose of accompanying a pre-existing music track and usually in order to encourage sales of the music in another format. andrew goodwin supports this dictionary defenition by stating that a music video isn't primarily a commodity form but a promotional one. music video's are often how listeners associate artists with a song, by visualizing them. similarly, if famous stars appear in music videos this can raise the profile of the song and increase its popularity. for instance carly rae jepson's song, i really like you, had tom hanks acting in it and this got a phenomenal 62 million hits on youtube music videos are categorised into three different typology's and these include type 1 - performance, type 2 - narrative and type 3 - concept/abstract. type 1 - performance is where the band is performing their song and includes singing, dancing and playing their own instruments. this typology is normally relevant for rock, alternative or indie and is used to show the bands talents and skills. these are normally self managed, self taught , raw and original talent. type 2 - narrative is a music video which is based around a story and has actors/actresses performing the story solely or alongside the artists. this typology is used to engage the audience and is usually used in songs which can be relatable for the audience; normally love songs and this is supported by stars including taylor swift and katy perry. the final typology; type 3 - concept/abstract  is a video based around one idea or concept and includes abstract objects symbolising a particular idea or concept. it is used to open the audiences imagination and thinking to consider a more philosophical opinion. it is normally based around what the artist believes is important to portay. .

If I were a boy was released in 2008 and is a type 2 - narrative typology and has Beyonce acting alongside two male actors, Eddie Goines and Ryan Locke. The music video coincides with the song lyrics and is saying how men and women are portrayed differently in relationships, how men don't understand womens feelings. There is a role reversal which occurs because Beyonce is presented in the male mindset and Eddie Goines in the female mindset and then in the final stage of the video, the role reverts back to stereotypes. It plays a story whereby Beyonce is getting overly friendly with Ryan Locke and Eddie Goines feels cheated on. It is relatable to women who are going through heartbreak and therefore this gains a wider audience because the song has a meaning which the audience can relate their situation to. It offers personal identity to the audience and this again attracts the audience. The use of the 

BEYONCE - IF I WERE A BOY

close up's throughout the music video also shows emotions which are also relatable to the audience. The black and white filter is also dramatic because it looks low key and portrays a negative image. 

Let her go was released in 2012 and is a type 1 - performance typology and shows Passenger performing the song alongside his band in front of an audience. He is also playing his guitar which adds to the stars raw talent and the song would fit the stereotypical indie genre. The close ups enable the audience to see the meaning and emotion behind the song in the artists NVC and facial expressions. This music video is very simple but still gained 653 million views on YouTube which is an extraordinary number of viewers. The video allows the audience to gather their own interpretation of the song and reflect on past experiences due to its simplicity. The audience also shows the stars talent because he is playing the guitar alongside his band who also sing the back up vocals. 

PASSENGER - LET HER GO

LADY GAGA - YOU AND I

You and I is an example of type 3 - concept/abstract typology and this is the category which Lady Gaga generally appears in. Gaga challenges everyday stereotypes and in You and I she visualises supernatural creatures including mermaids, as well as being dress in very obscure costumes herself. There is nothing stereotypically relatable from the video to the audience and Gaga does this to suggest that normal doesn't exist and that being original can get you success. Gaga is one of the most outrageous artists which exist and has been explicit on numerous occassions and exaggerates that being normal isn't necessary and therefore gives the audience a role model who gives them an oppurtunity to be themselves and be happy as they are. The video got 81 million hits on YouTube and doesn't have a direct meaning to the song lyrics because it shows different 

visions of 'You and I' and is therefore amplified and gives new layers of meaning to the song. 

TAYLOR SWIFT - BAD BLOOD

Bad Blood is an example of type 2 - narrative typology and has the story of where two friends are close and then the unloyal friend stabs Taylor in the back and she comes back stronger than ever and has more truthful and loyal friends! It is illustrative because the music video has a literal interpretation of the lyrics and the video is relatable to anybody going through friendship issues, break ups or just trust issues. The music video also contains Taylor's real life celebrity friends including Ellie Goulding, Cara Delevigne, Jessica Alba and Selena Gomez. The use of the A List stars also attract a wider audience because fans of all the individual celebrities will want to watch the video to see the stars acting and performing. The video also got Vevo's most watched music video in 24 hours and got 20.1 million views in a day! The video engages emotion and pulls on the audiences heartstrings because 

the audience can relate with their own personal experience; creating a personal relationshop with them and the artist. 

Price Tag is an example of type 3 - concept/abstract typology because the meaning of the lyrics is that life isn't about the money you earn, it's about making the most of life and is immitating those who act like they're famous when they're just normal, everyday people! There is contradictory iconography used in the video where Jessie J says "its not about the money, money" whilst standing under a money tree. This contradiction shows that money tree's don't exist so it is suggesting to the audience that they should be obsessed with money and what expensive items they may own. 420 million YouTube hits reitterates that Jessie J's message of money not being the main concept of life is taken into consideration and considered.

JESSIE J - PRICE TAG

Music videos work around three key codes which are illustrative, amplification and contradictory. The illustrative concept is a literal interpretation of the lyrics which would make the song easier for the audience to understand. This concept also creates a relatable element for the audience if they can relate a personal situation with the artists song. The amplification concept adds new layers of meaning to a song, which allows the audience to contemplate the meaning of the song and discover a new meaning to the song. Finally, the contradictory concept poses a contradiction between the lyrics and the image being shown in the music video. The contradiction again allows the audience to challenge different concepts of the songs meaning and compare it to the video. The three different codes/concepts give the audience different feelings and different ways to interpret what they are viewing and apply it in alternative ways, sometimes to their everyday lives if inspiring. 

In our music video we should definitely apply stereotypical codes and conventions that are used in successful music videos in order for it to look professional. However, we also need to be original because otherwise we are not showing our creativity, which is a vital element in the media industry. The contrast between high key and low key lighting depending on what is happening in the video would definitely be an effective way to portray emotion to the audience. Low key lighting can be used when the mood is lowered but when it's positive, high key lighting can be used and these basic but effective changes will easily show the audience what is happening. We plan on encorporating both performance and concept elements in our music video to show that we are using the stereotypical codes and conventions of a successful indie music video. We decided that using concept would be more appropriate than using narrative because it is less cliché and is still a convention but is used less than narrative. We are also going to base our music video around a broken relationship, however without the narrative because the audience will be assuming what is happening and have to make assumption as to the plot, but this should intrigue them and make them feel more invloved and allow personal identity and personal relationships to be discovered. 

JESS GLYNNE - DONT BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF

Don't be so hard on yourself is a mix between type 1, performance, and type 2, narrative, because there are close ups and mid shots of Jess Glynne singing her songs in different settings. However there is also a narrative of a boy who looks like he has lost his father and moved away with his mother and is struggling to settle in. He then learns how to play the drums and is then accepted. This narrative portrays a message to the audience and suggests that even if you are going through a struggle, you can get through it and this is a positive message. Coinciding with this is the shots where Jess Glynne is singing and this reitterates the message to the audience and makes a personal relationship between the audience and the artist. 

TINIE TEMPAH - WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Written in the stars is a combination of type 1 performance and type 2 narrative. There are low angle shots of Tinie Tempah standing on top of a building and there shots are to suggest that he is not longer the 'kid that nobody cares about.' Therefore the song is promoting a positive image to thousands of young people, saying that anybody can be successful. There are also panning, long shots of Eric Turner playing the piano which is incorporated to present his talent of playing instruments as well as singing. Additionally there is a narrative of a young boy who has a tough life and gets bullied, who then turns out to be successful. The narrative is presenting Tinie Tempah's childhood because the low angle shots are on the same building and therefore the performance and narrative coincide. 

WIZ KHALIFA - SEE YOU AGAIN

See you again is a combination between type one performance and type two narrative. There are long shots and close ups of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth performing, alongside shots from Fast and Furious which are there to show the story of Paul Walkers life throughout fast and furious as a tribute to him following his death. They are slow paced shots of the two singers performing however the montage of different shots which are the narrative and much faster paced to reitterate the success Paul Walker had before his death and the close relationship between him and his friends. The song itself is also challenging stereotypes of which genre artists perform together. It is becoming more typical to see rap artists performing with pop singers and this widens the target audience which a particular song can appeal to. 

TAYLOR SWIFT - SHAKE IT OFF

Shake it off is a type one, performance music video and shows Taylor Swift singing her song whilst also highlighting an important message which coincides with a type three, concept, music video. "Music in my mind saying it's gonna be alright." This quote from the music video is suggesting that even if you're having a bad time, it's going to get better and so the message being portrayed is positive. This music video is very different to her first music video 'Love Story' and it seems as though she has evolved from a young, innocent teenager to a grown woman with a wider perpective on the world. Additionally, she has matured yet again in her most recent music videos, Bad Blood and Wildest Dreams. This supports Richard Dyer's Star Theory because she has grown with her fans and they accept and appreciate that. This means that there hasn't been any radical changes

which may have disrupted her fanbase. Taylor has a wide target audience, however her main fanbase is young girls. Shake it off also supports the 'male gaze' theory because eventhough it isn't a sexualised video, there are shots where she is wearing revealing clothes and this would automatically attract a male audience. Similarly, in Taylor's Love Story music video, male gaze isn't put into practice whatsoever, she looks so innocent wearing a white wedding dress with her blonde hair curled and tied back. Whereas in her bad blood video, male gaze is defintely used because Taylor and the gang of other females, all wear tight black outfits which represent danger and sexual appeal. The gradual maturity of Taylor therefore allowed her fanbase to mature with her at a gradual pace. This is different to Miley Cyrus who went from being Hannah Montanna, an innocent, youthful, popstar to Miley Cyrus who was half naked in her music videos, as well as swinging on a swinging boulder. The longevity of Miley Cyrus was shattered, however this has not happened to Taylor Swift. Richard Dyer also says that there are common values of a pop star and these include sexual magnetism, youthfulness and creativity/talent and these are three categories which the music video fits into, in perspective. Taylor Swift is also presented as ordinary and extraordinary in Shake it off. she is ordinary when she cannot dance like the professional dancers and this creates a parody which is comical and shows the audience that she doesn't take herself too seriosuly. Dyer's star theory also states that the star is both present and absent in our lives. For instance there are ordinary people wearing casual clothing dancing with her at the end of the music video and this makes the audience feel as though they are present in their life. Contradicting this is the fact that Taylor is absent from our lives because she is performing in a music video, surrounded by professional dancers and performers and this reitterates that she is a star and isn't an everyday person like the rest of the world. However, the lack of reality creates a personal relationship between the audience and the star and also allows surveillance to take place because the audience enjoy following Taylor. The high key lighting which is present throughout the music video reitterates the positive message which is being spread and this coincides with the montage of close ups and mid shots of smiling faces from both Taylor and the ordinary people.

MUSIC VIDEO ANALYSIS BASED ON OUR GIVEN GENRE - INDIE POP

Gabrielle aplin - the power of love, 23rd september 2015.

The power of love is a performance based music video and is based around Gabrielle Aplin singing her song whilst playing the piano. The point of having a performance based video is to broadcast her talent and show the rawness of her because she hasn't been changed or modified by the media, which is very rare. The first twenty-two seconds of the music video was establishing shots of an old fashioned, abandoned house. This is to create an atmosphere for the audience and creates mystery for them. The old fashioned house is falling apart gracefully and eventhough it is slowly becoming ruined, there's a distinct beauty of the place and this creates a minor link between the old fashioned house falling apart and old fashioned romance 

falling apart, which is a sad reality and amplifies the meaning of the song. Throughout the song there are extreme close ups of Gabrielle's lips and hands and this is to amplify her talent. The extreme close up of her lips exaggerates the fact that she is singing the song and the extreme close up of her hands shows that she has the talent of playing a piano. This emphasises the rawness of her talent and shows that she is the real star of her music, she isn't a fake musician making money, she actually does have a talent. 2:04 minutes into the song, there is a focus pull which makes the back wall look as though it is closing in on Gabrielle and this suggests that love closes in on all of us at some point and we can't help it. It is as though she is trying to escape from love but it it slowly but surely catching up with her. This looks really effective and also briefly disorientates the audience because the wall isn't actually closing in on her, it is purely edited to give the illusion of the given effect. There are also numerous close ups of the singer songwriter and this is to show the feelings and emotions she feels about the song and this creates a personal relationship between the artist and the audience because they can relate to her feelings. Similarly this can create security for the audience because it reassures them that they are not the only people going through the confusing feelings of love. 3:30 minutes, towards the end of the song, there is tracking in a backwards motion, which reveals more of the setting. The setting is of the piano and an old fashioned, ruined room with Gabrielle's back towards the camera. This divulges a long shot of the star playing the piano and suggests that she doesn't need any other musicians or singers to assist with the song because she can do it independently. This again emphasises her talent and makes the audience feel proud of her achievements. 

There is also direct address from the artist to the audience at 3:25 as she looks down the camera and says "Make love your goal." The direct address puts emphasis on the words and amplifies the whole meaning of the song and the importance of love. The whole song is about love and how powerful it is and how you don't find love, it finds you. This again creates a personal relationship between the audience and the artist and it is though she is giving us a command to find love. Throughout the video natural lighting is used, however the lighting is a mix of low key and high key. When there are shots of windows in a dark room it is relatively high key, however when there is no window lighting, the shot is relatively low key. This suggests that love has brighter and darker parts but that is what makes love so special. On the other hand, at 3:30 there are fair lights, which come on as the song crescendo’s and this again amplifies the meaning of the song because it sounds much grander and has more meaning. The music video is mainly slow paced editing and this fits the slow tempo of the song. It makes the song seem very peaceful and calming instead of being abrupt and over the top; this emphasises the purity of love and amplifies the song. Throughout the music video there is cross cutting from close ups, mid shots or long shots of Gabrielle Aplin, to establishing shots of the deserted house. This suggests that the love is built around a home and this cretes stability, but once it is ruined, it continues to decay unless someone tries to fix it or save it. Additionally suggesting that the artist has experienced failed love and doesn't want the audience to feel this way. The final shot is an extreme long shot of Gabrielle Aplin playing her piano with the fairy lights and it looks really picturesque and beautiful and it then slowly fades out. The effect of this on the audience is that it suggests a light at the end of the tunnel, which shows beauty in love and so the final message is a positive one and overrules that love is indeed beautiful.

COLDPLAY - FIX YOU

24th september 2015.

'Fix You' is a performance based music video which is performed by Coldplay. The initial shot was an establishing shot of an undercarriage and then Chris begins to walk towards the camera in slow motion. The slow motion editing technique over exaggerates the sadness of the song, even though it does have a positive outcome. Up until 2:38 there is tracking of Chris as he is walking around the urban setting which is a relatable surrounding for many people, which means that a wide target audience should be able to relate to the music video. The majority of the lighting is low key and this therefore adds to the subdude mood of the video. The song is about someone being heartbroken and then another person coming along and 'fixing' their heart. As the song develops and the setting changes from urban to a live stage, there are numerous long shots of the 

musicians performing and playing their different instruments and this is to show off their talents to the audience, so they know that they aren't a fabricated band who aren't actually musicians. In the competitive music industry it is difficult to prove that a band is original and hasn't been adapted to fit a specification. Therefore by performing their song, Coldplay are proving that they deserve their space in the music industry. There are also close ups of the artists performing their songs and this exaggerates the emotion, which the artist is feeling and this is then reciprocated to the audience and they then understand how much the song means to the aritst. Regardless of the slow paced editing, there is still an element of fast paced editing from 1:30 - 1:37 and it cuts from a Long shot of Chris, to a mid shot, to a close up, to a mid shot, then a close up and then a long shot. The montage of different cuts allows the audience to see the emotion, body language, as well as the setting, all in a close proximity. This is very effective against the remainder of the slow paced editing. There are also cross cuts of Chris playing with fire and this amplifies the meaning between the song and the video. It links to the 'fixing you' as though he's playing with fire because fixing someone can go one of two ways; positively or negatively. Playing with fire generally always ends in disaster and therefore in this sense it shows that fixing someone involves taking a risk. On the other hand, after 2:40 minutes, the cuts turn fro slow paced to fast paced and this amplifies the song because the tempo speeds up, and coincidingly so do the cuts. The change from slow paced to fast paced has a seperate meaning from just the increased tempo. It also suggests that when someone begins fixing you they are unresponsive and everything is quite dull, but once you begin to open up, it all becomes a bit brighter and happier and the mood of the song reflects this. 

The whole song is natural lighting, however the natural lighting is low key and this reflects the indie/pop genre which the song fits. Many indie/pop songs are shot in natural lighting to suggest that it isn't about the music video, but it is mainly about the message, which is being portrayed and the musicians involved. They are not so much about telling a story, but letting the song tell its own story. 

The first six seconds of the music video is silent and this adds enigma and mystery to the music video because the audience doesn't know what is going to happen. Even though a typical audience thrives on mystery, it is unusual for an indie/pop music video to do this, it is typically a convention of a thriller film opening. However, the lack of sound at the beginning could be for the audience to reflect on what they think may happen in the music video and what the song may be about and how it may relate to them as a viewer. At 2:40 minutes Chris appears on stage and the video then goes from a really basic performance without any musicians, to the whole of Coldplay performing in front of a concert and this exaggerates the popularity of the band and their success. Finally, all of the musicians and singers wear black and have no fancy hairstyles or make up on and this seems to be a typical convention throughout all indie/pop music videos.

KATE NASH - FOUNDATIONS

28th september 2015.

Foundations is a performance and narrative based music video because there are shots of her performing, coincidingly there is an underlying message being shown throughout, through a narrative. The first five seconds of the music video has different shots of stationary objects including socks, two toothbrushes and shoes. This sets the setting as a home and shows the intimacy of the relationship that is going to be shown. There are numerous close ups of Kate performing her song and this shows her talent and the fact that she is the main singer of the song. In addition to this, there is a close up of the couple holding hands and then in the same shot, they begin to release the hold of each others hand. This shows that the couple are obviosuly going through troubles and their closeness is fading away. Similarly,

there is a close up of the couples feet as they are laying side by side in bed and she looks as though she is trying to push him away from her; again as though she is trying to be close to him but she's struggling. 33 seconds into the music video there is a long take of Kate in her kitchen, which is full of flowers and plants. She then walks over to the fridge and opens it up, revealing a load of beers, which is contrastingly very manly. This shows a contrast between male and female stereotypes, which is recognisable to the audience due to its relatability to real life. This shot lasts seven seconds and the length of the shot emphasises the importance of stereotypes to the audience. In addition to this there are cross cuts from the couple laying in bed to close ups of her performing her song. The use of cross cutting shows a gradual seperation of the couple laying in bed, which suggests hesitation from the female character and her uncertainty about the relationship. This makes the sequence of shots much more effective and instilled in the audiences mind. The majority of the cuts are neither slow paced nor fast paced, they are all a relatively normal speed and this allows the everyday life of a normal relationship to be portrayed; especially the bits, which annoy those in a relationship. 3:12 minutes there is a focus pull on the male character and this suggests that the male character is on the females mind, there is a shift of importance from the female to the male. 

1:09 minutes into the music video, the part of socks laying on the floor tie up together and 2:45 minutes into the video the watched intertwine. Additionally, 3:15 minutes in, the toothbrushes turn around and face each other. These different cuts are all metaphorical and are meant to represent the couple but as inanimate objects. This is also effective because it it satirical and suggests that even the individuals belongings are turning against each other and it's a powerful message being portrayed. In addition to the metaphorical watches getting closer, the lyrics which are amplified at this point are "I know I should forget but I can't." This suggests to the audience that she tries to leave and forget but she gets dragged back into the relationship and this is a relatable message, which many women can relate to; adding the element of personal relationships and surveillance into the music video. The audience want to keep watching until the end to find out what she finally decides to do. Finally at 3:25 minutes the metaphors explain themselves with the watches becomes unattached, the toothbrushes facing away from each other and the socks untangle. This suggests to the audience that what is happening to the inanimate objects is going to happen to the characters too. 

Throughout the music video natural, high key lighting is used and this is whilst the relationship is still in progress and then at the end of the music video, low key lighting is used and this is the part of the narrative where the female finally leaves the male. Even though it is positive for her, there is still an element of sadness and therefore the low key lighting amplifies the overall meaning of the song. However throughout the music video, bright colours are used and Kate wears yellow, which has connotations of happiness and cheerfullness. This suggests to the audience that she doesn't really mind that her relationship is coming to an end because everytime she tries to salvage it, it just gets ruined again. This is reitterated by the lyrics "Everytime that your upset and I smile." On the other hand, whilst they are laying bed and their feet are sticking out of the end of the bed, the artist is wearing red nail polish, which has connotations to danger and passion and this suggests to the audience that she enjoys the danger. Finally, the last shot is a close up of a door with a poster, which reads "don't fall for this" and this suggests to the audience that they shouldn't fall for stupidity or lies. It is an empowering song to women because it exaggerates the fact that holding onto foundations can be pointless if they constantly break. 

ELLIE GOULDING - HOW LONG WILL I LOVE YOU

30th september 2015.

How long will I love you is a performance and narrative based music video, which shows Ellie performing her song whilst playing out a love story throughout. The first ten seconds of the music video is credits, which outline who is in the music video, who directed it and the camera phone, which it was shot on. The black sans serif font stands out against the plain white background and this makes the writing the most important element to the shot, which makes the audience compelled to watch it. This shot then fades into a close up of Ellie Goulding's hands whilst she is playing the piano. This shot shows off her talent of playing the guitar and this is refreshing for the audience because many artists have a back up band, however she is doing it all by herself. 

This then cuts to a long shot of the back of Ellie Goulding whilst she is playing her piano and this then cuts to a side, mid shot of the star and this then reveals her true body language and facial expression, and this is 19 seconds into the song. This creates a slight mystery because the audience are unaware of how the star is feeling or what she looks like (unless they are familiar with the artist). However, as the mid, side shot of Ellie is occuring, her partner walks through the door and this cuts to a close up of him and a shot reverse shot takes place. from a close up to him, a close up of her and then back to a close up of him. When the close up of Ellie takes place,she looks as though she is giving a half-hearted smile and then the cut back to her boyfriend suggests that he is going to cheer her up. This is a stereotypical convention of relationships because when either partner is sad, it's the other partners responsibility to cheer them up. Therefore this shot it relatable to the audience and allows a personal relationship to be built between the audience and the characters. 0:24 seconds into the music video, there is a mid shot, landscaped shot of the male character and this allowed the left side of the shot to focus on the male and the right side of the shot to focus on the words written on the doorframe. "We like the hearts that go BOOM." These words suggest to the audience that the couple are in love and we see these words whilst there are no lyrics and so we can infer that the song will indeed be about love. In addition to this, the flat, which they are living in, looks quite untidy and not pristine, which is another stereotype of young couples living in the city. This again makes the video relatable to a young audience, as well as an older audience because they can reminisce about their young love. This makes the audience create personal relationships with the artist because they can relate, as well as surveillance taking place because the audience want to see the couple stay together and therefore watch the video until the end. 

This then cross cuts to a two shot of the couple in the car and they both look much happier and this suggests to the audience that relationships create happiness within one and other; therefore portraying a positive message to the audience. A high angle shot is used in the car to show the open top car and the retro interior of the car; suggesting that it is more special than an everyday car. This again suggests to the audience that the couple have special things, which are theirs to share and this shows the love that they share. The whole video is shot in high key lighting and this amplifies the happiness of the song, which suggests that they should love each other forever. 0:42 seconds into the music video, there is a cross cut from natural, high key lighting, to a black and white effect where Ellie is performing her song. The shot is a long shot and shows the audience the star playing her guitar whilst singing her song. The different lighting clearly distinguishes between performance and narrative and this makes the music video clearer and easier to understand. There is the a cross cut to 0:52 seconds into the music video, there is a close up of the male characters hands and this then straight cuts to a two shot of the couple, and then straight cuts to a close up of the females phone and this reveals the message from her partner. This then jump cuts to a mid shot of Ellie Goulding smiling at her partner and this is an eyeline match because it is as though the camera is in the eyes of the male actor. This looks effective because it is as though the male character is admiring the female and this reitterates the love within the relationship. A shot reverse shot also takes place in the music video as there is a close up of Ellie walking towards someone, then a close up of the old man she is walking to and then a two shot of Ellie kissing the old man. This shows the anticipation because we have no idea who the artist is walking toward, or what she is going to do by the shocked expression on the males face. The two shot then reveals the mystery and everything becomes clear to the audience again; eventhough we are unaware as to why she has just kissed an old man whose wife is stood right next to him.

2:20 minutes into the music video, there is a long take of the couple, which is a two shot. The two shot is also a mid shot and allows the audience to see the couples body language and facial expressions all in one shot. This is effective because we can clearly see how relaxed the couple are around each other, this allows the audience to relate with the on-screen actors because they clearly recognise personal relationships and this allows the audience to feel as though they have experienced similar feelings to the star.

The music video also relates to Richard Dyer's paradox of the star because in the music video she is 'both ordinary and extraordinary.' She is ordinary in the sense that she is in love and this is relatable to millions of people around the world and this allows personal identity to be found and also personal relationships, which creates a connection with audience, making the video relatable to everyday. Similarly, the music video may offer diversion from everyday life, due to the 'perfect relationship' being portrayed in the music video. However, Ellie is also extraordinary because she is a popstar and this is visible during the shots where she is playing her guitar and performing her song. This isn't relatable to many people, which makes her extraordinary. Regardless of this, the audience do not mind because she is still presented as ordinary in the music video. Similarly, Ellie is also present but absent at the same time because we discuss what she is doing and what she is wearing as though we are in close contact with her. However she is also absent because we do not actually know her and this is the reality of stars. Regardless of this, the audience still build personal relationships with the star because they like to be like her and to be seen as going through something similar to her. 

Finally, there is also a long, two shot towards the end of the music video and it is of an older couple looking lovingly at each other and then kissing. This then cuts back to a two shot of Ellie Goulding and her partner and this shows reflection and it's as though they are looking towards the future as a couple, due to the eye line match of the shot. This creates surveillance because the audience wonder whether the couple will make it to that age together, but due to the music video coming to a close, the audience will never know and this is enigmatic. 

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE

Shake it out, 1st october 2015.

ED SHEERAN - YOU NEED ME, I DON'T NEED YOU 

7th october 2015.

Ed Sheeran is a worldwide phenomenon who only became recognised in recent years. He has become friends with major stars including Taylor Swift, Niall Horan and Courtney Cox. His song 'You need me, I don't need you' is about his refusal to conform by the music industry. He was told he had to dye his ginger hair and change his musical styles in order to succeed. This song was therefore him challenging the music industry and saying how they need him to make money, he can find someone else to sign him. Matthew Morgan is the main sign lyric dancer in the music video and this makes the music video a concept and performance based video because the video doesn't particularly have a narrative but the young boy is performing, showing a talent.

For the first three seconds of the music video, there is a spotlight, which gradually increases in size and reveals Matthew Morgan who does the lyric signing. This then cross cuts to a close up of Ed's guitar and him playing it, however we only see the guitar and his hand, not above his mid-drift or below his hips. The cross-cutting between the two different performers happen for the first ten seconds of the music video and this is to suggest to the audience that they are the two key performers in the video. Thirteen seconds into the music video there is an extreme close-up of Matthew's eyes, nose and top lip and the shot is slightlyhigh angle, as though the camera is looking down on him. This makes him look vulnerable even-though he also looks quite fierce and strong. The juxtaposed representation of the boy suggests that he acts strong but is alos vulnerable and this is shadowing Ed's initial representation into the music business; due to his quirqy looks. This then jump cuts to a mid shot of the boy and the camera gradually gets closer to the boy and this is during the first couple of lines of the song. This amplifies the song because the song is just getting started and doesn't require any fast paced cuts until the song gets faster in tempo. In addition to this, three minutes and four seconds into the music video there is a mid shot of a boy standing in a choir boy costume and this mid shot is shown as Ed sings " I’m still a choir boy in a Fenchurch tee " and the lyrics coincided with the mid shot of the choir boy amplifies the song and makes Ed seem as though he was once innocent. Being apart of a choir suggests purity and innocence, which aren't two representations that would normally be considered for Ed Sheeran, however with the black and white filter this suggests that the music industry ruined his innocence. 

The jump cuts additionally amplify the music video because they happen whenever the beat intensifies in the music video and this makes each cut stand out amongst the other cuts. It also amplifies the song as a whole due to the black and white filter because the black and white intensifies the whole music video and makes it more dramatic. The black and white also creates an enigmatic atmosphere because it is implicit and minimises what the audience can see. The setting is also unfurnished and this allows the audience to solely focus on the artist/character who is on the screen at the current time, which means there is only a shift of importance when the cut jumps to a different, individual artist. The fact that all of the artists/act are allowed their own individual shot suggests that Ed finds all artists individual and equally as important as the others. No artist is better than another, they simply showcase different talents and skills. One minute and fourty-three seconds into the music video, the first abstract prop is shown and it is a small buddha sculpture, which doesn't fit the theme of the music video, which is performance based. This shows the audience that the music video is also concept and the whole point of the abstract prop is to get the audience confused and questioning its appearance. This therefore makes the music video rememberable, which increases its popularity. Towards the middle of the music video there are cross cuts from Matthew to other dance performers and this again shows that many different people have talents and their talents are all original and Ed is trying to encourage originality and suggesting that you don't have to conforom to the stereotypical 'success 'criteria.' However, they are all performing in the same setting, which suggests that everybody has the same platform and oppurtunities, it's just how you use the chances you're given. 

Even-though there is a black and white filter on the music video, the audience can still identify the low key and the high key lighting. The difference between the high key and the low key lighting shows the amplification of the beat and tempo of the song, with the video. When the tempo or beat increases suddenly, it goes high key and then low key relatively quickly and this looks really effective. The lyrics "You need me man, I don't need you" are amplified because Matthew Morgan points down the camera as though he is directly addressing the record company that Ed Sheeran is referring to. This is effective because a 'finger point' is seen as passively aggressive because it isn't violent but signals tension between people. This therefore exaggerates the fact that Ed is very passionate about his raw talent and doesn't feel the need to conform to change. Direct address is regularly used thoughout the music video when Matthew Morgan looks down the camera when he is signing the lyrics and this looks quite intimidating, especially with the black and white filter, which is used. The initmidating look suggests to the audience that the record label shouldn't have crossed Ed because he may not look intimidating, but he can definitely hold his own and will be successful without them.

Overall, I personally wouldn't use black and white throughout the whole of my music video, however using it to go back in time may look effective and clearly distinguish between the past, present and future. In addition to this, I think amplifying the lyrics with what is happening on screen looks effective and I would therefore like to incorporate it into our music video. However, I find the concept element of the music video slightly bizzarre and would therefore rather focus on a narrative and performance based music video. 

ONE REPUBLIC - COUNTING STARS

8th october 2015.

THE KILLERS - WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG

October 12th 2015.

The Killers are an American indie-rock band who formed in 2001 and have released six albums since their formation and sold around 22 million albums worldwide. The music video is based around a couple who are in a relationship but obviously have their ups and downs and the male cheats on his partner. Cross cuts are commonly used because the cuts are not in chronological order. This creates intensity because the audience want to keep watching to see what is going to happen to the couple. It also creates an unsettling atmosphere because it isn't in chronological order and this keeps the audience intrigued and interested in the music video. It also prevents the audience from 

guessing the next cut because of the cross cutting; eventhough the audience can probably guess what will happen as the video progresses. The first 0:45 seconds of the music video have no lyrics and have a lot of establishing shots and close ups to build the setting of the music video and also create emotion between the characters. The male and female character both look quite distressed and upset and this creates engima because the audience are unaware of what has happened. 1:27 minutes into the music video, the guitar instrumental begins and the audience realise that the song is about to begin and the cuts begin to increase.

0:35 seconds into the music video there is an extreme, establishing long shot and this is used to show the femals vulnerability because she is at the top of the mountain with a sheer drop. In addition to this, the previous cuts add suspense to this because she looks distressed and emotional and seeing the height she is standing at, with the sheer drop in front of her, this makes her actions unpredictable and this makes the audience uneasy and also slightly concerned for the character. In contrast to this, 2:16 minutes into the music video there is a two shot of the couple, which is also an establishing shot and the juxtaposition between the two shots suggest that the music video has gone back to the past tense and that the remainder of the music video will explain the beginning of the music video. The two shot shows the couple looking loved up and happy and as though they are on top of the world due to them standing at the top of the church, with the mountainous backdrop. This suggests to the audience that they are oblivious to the rest of the world and this is emphasised by the two shot. 2:43 minutes into the music video there is a close up of the female who is being cheated on as she has just seen her partner in bed with another woman. As the shot is slightly longer, the female walks backwards and knocks a picture of her and her partner off of the wall and this suggests to the audience that their relationship is falling apart around them. Just before this shot there is an over the shoulder shot of over the females shoulder, as she is looking in the mirror, which reflects an image her partner cheating on her. This shows the females point of view, which exaggerates the heartbreak and emotion she is feeling because it is as though we are witnessing it too. This is effective and creates a stronger sense of emotion because we can see the shock in the males face and the upset in the females and this makes the audience feel emotional also. 15 seconds after the initial close up of the female, as she runs out of her house, there is another close up of her, however the lighting is no longer low key, but high key and this suggests to the audience that her world isn't over, if she is out of the relationship she can start again and be happier. 3:08 minutes into the music video there is a close up of the female looking over her shoulder, looking back at her home and there is then cross cuts back to her wedding day and then back to her crying. This amplifies the emotion because we can see how happy the female was, and now how upset she is. This makes the audience feel sorry for her and create a personal relationship with the female, especially if they have gone through a similar ordeal. Similairy, surveillance is created because the audience wants to continue to watch to find out how she deals with the situtation. Personal identity can also be discovered in the music video because if someone has experienced what the character has, they can now relate to the song and the ideal man who they wished they could have met. 

0:45 seconds into the music video there is a mid shot of the female leaning up against a cross and this suggests to the audience that the song will have elements of Religion in it. There is then a cut to a montage of flashbacks including her husband cheating on her as well as Religious symbols, which suggests that what has happened is going against her vows and she is wondering why God has let such destruction happen to her. This then straight cuts to two mid shots of her husband climbing through the mountains as though he is looking for his wife. This then cross cuts to a mid shot of his wifes waist and below and we can see that she has her hands clenched like fists and this suggests that she is infuriated. From the ensemble of these shots, the audience can infer that the male has done something wrong because it is as though he is trying to find her and she is extremely upset. The shots then speed up and there are more cross cuts of the male and the female and this then results in a two shot, which slowly pans outwards to an extreme long shot and intensifies the shot. There is then an extreme close up of the female and this shows the emotion on her face, especially in her eyes and the audience therefore sympathise with her. There is then a close up, two shot of the couple and this shows their closeness and the love they do have for each other. 2:37 minutes into the music video there are cross cuts from the man cheating on his wife, back to his wife and this creates intensity because the audience can see both characters points of view and sympathise with the female because she is witnessing her husband sleeping with another woman and the lyrics "when you were young" are repeated throughout this sequence of cuts and this suggests to the audience that men make mistakes due to their human nature and their immaturity, especially when they are younger because they don't realise what they have. The corss cuts, which appear before the male is cheating builds suspense because his wife is getting closer and closer and this creates an intense atmosphere because the audience knows what is going to happen, but the characters do not. This makes the audience seem superior because they know something that the characters don't know. 3:37 minutes towards the end of the music video, there is a shot reverse shot of the couple before the cheating and this shows the lust that the male feels towards the female and due to the extreme close ups of her body parts and the extreme close ups of the man biting his lips and looking at her, this suggests that he finds her sexually attractive too and this creates a personal connection between the two characters and it feels quite intimate between the audience and the characters; creating a personal relationship. 

Mise en Scene

All of the shots have an old fashioned lense look, which looks like a sepia effect has been used. This makes the video looks slightly older and imperfect, which reitterates the vulnerability of the relationship. The female in the relationship wears white throughout the music video and this exaggerates her innocence and vulnerability. Whereas the female who her husband is cheating with wears red and this suggests that he likes danger but that she is very passionate and determined to ruin their marriage and this is exaggerated when she pulls his head closer when the wife walks in the room. This adds to the sympathy felt towards the wife due to her innocence and purity. When the band are performing the cuts are normally low key lighting and this adds to the dull and disappointed mood of the music video. If it was high key lighting, this would contradict the rest of the music video, therefore the low key lighting supports the theme of the music video. When there is the cheating in the music video, the low key lighting is intense and creates an implicit view for the audience and allows the audience to focus on the male cheating and not look at the surroundings, this highlights the important element of the cut. However, when the female runs outside, it is high key lighting and this suggests that she has broken free from the heartbreak and disappointment and makes the audience feel a sense of hope for the character. 

The first forty five seconds of the music video has a strong natural sound of wind blowing and this creates atmosphere, especially with the occasional heartbeat running through the music video. This creates intensity because it is such a pounding sound and immitates the heartbeat of one of the characters; especially due to the rarity of it, which suggests the heart is beating slowly. Thirty-two seconds into the music video there is the sound of chimes and this is more relaxing and peaceful, which reduces the intensity of the music video. Thirteen seconds after this, the lyrics begin and they have no backbeat, just the return of the heartbeat sound and blowing wind, which creates intensity again. 1:27 minutes into the music the guitar begins and this suggests to the audience that the music video is about to begin. Therefore, there is around 1:30 minutes before the song actually begins and this is a common convention for the Killers music videos and therefore they are sticking to their convention, which creates originality. 2:53 minutes into the music video when the cheating has been exposed the sound goes from crescendo to dimminuendo and this intensifies the mood due to the reduced instrumental being played in the cut. However, after around ten seconds, it goes crescendo again and the pace of the cuts speed up and this is to highlight all of the couples good times. 4:54 minutes into the music video the pace of the music video slows down and this amplifies the music video because the crisis has been dealt with and the issues have been resolved, therefore the anticipation is no longer required. The slow pace gradually comes to an end. This is satisfying for the audience because they can clearly see the rollercoaster of the relationship and then the end result and that is a convention the audience enjoy.

JAMES BAY - LET IT GO

15th october 2015.

MUMFORD AND SONS

I will wait, 16th october 2015, fun - we are young, 4th november 2015.

LAUREN AQUILINA - FOOLS

5th november 2015.

LANA DEL REY

Summertime sadness , 6th november 2015.

NOVEMBER 10TH 2015

GEORGE EZRA

Blame it on me, 11th november 2015.

HOZIER 

Someone new.

BIRDY 

Skinny love, 14th november 2015.

LILY ALLEN 

MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

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Guide on How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples

Let's Understand What is Music Essay

You know how some school assignments are fun to write by default, right? When students see them on the course syllabus, they feel less like a burden and more like a guaranteed pleasure. They are about our interests and hobbies and therefore feel innate and intuitive to write. They are easy to navigate, and interesting topic ideas just pop into your head without much trouble.

Music essays belong to the category of fun essay writing. What is music essay? Anything from in-depth analysis to personal thoughts put into words and then to paper can fall into a music essay category. An essay about music can cover a wide range of topics, including music history, theory, social impact, significance, and musical review. It can be an analytical essay about any music genre, musical instruments, or today's music industry.

Don't get us wrong, you will still need to do extensive research to connect your opinions to a broader context, and you can't step out of academic writing standards, but the essay writing process will be fun.

In this article, our custom essay writing service is going to guide you through every step of writing an excellent music essay. You can draw inspiration from the list of music essay topics that our team prepared, and later on, you will learn what an outstanding essay on music is by an example of a music review essay.

What are Some Music Topics to Write About

There are so many exciting music topics to write about. We would have trouble choosing one. You can write about various music genres, be it country music or classical music; you can research music therapy or how music production happens.

Okay, forgive us for getting carried away; music makes us enthusiastic. Below you will find a list of various music essay topics prepared from our thesis writing service . Choose one and write a memorable essay about everyone's favorite art form.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

Music essays can be written about an infinite number of themes. You can even write about performance or media comparison.

Here is a list of music argumentative essay topics. These edge-cutting topics will challenge your readers and get you an easy A+.

• Exploring the evolution of modern music styles of the 21st century
• Is it ethical to own and play rare musical instruments?
• Is music therapy an effective mental health treatment?
• Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Creativity in electronic music
• The Relevance of traditional music theory in modern music production
• The Role of musical pieces in the Transmission of cultural identity
• The value of historical analysis in understanding the significance of music in society
• How does exposing listeners to different genres of music break down barriers
• Exploring the cognitive effects of music on human brain development
• The therapeutic potential of music in treating mental disorders

Why is Music Important Essay Topics

Do you know which essay thrills our team the most? The importance of music in life essay. We put our minds together and came up with a list of topics about why music is so central to human life. Start writing why is music important essay, and we guarantee you that you will be surprised by how much fun you had crafting it.  

• Popular Music and its Role in shaping cultural trends
• Music as a metaphorical language for expressing emotions and thoughts
• How music changes and influences social and political movements
• How the music of different countries translates their history to outsiders
• The innate connection between music and human beings
• How music helps us understand feelings we have never experienced
• Does music affect our everyday life and the way we think?
• Examining the cross-cultural significance of music in society
• How rock music influenced 70's political ideologies
• How rap music closes gaps between different racial groups in the US

Consider delegating your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers for crafting a perfect paper on any music topic!

Why I Love Music Essay Topics

We want to know what is music to you, and the best way to tell us is to write a why I love music essay. Below you will find a list of music essay topics that will help you express your love for music.

• I love how certain songs and artists evoke Memories and Emotions
• I love the diversity of music genres and how different styles enrich my love for music
• I love how music connects me with people of different backgrounds
• How the music of Linkin Park helped me through life's toughest challenges
• What does my love for popular music say about me?
• How the unique sounds of string instruments fuel my love for music
• How music provides a temporary Release from the stresses of daily life
• How music motivates me to chase my dreams
• How the raw energy of rock music gets me through my daily life
• Why my favorite song is more than just music to me

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Music Therapy Essay Topics

One of the most interesting topics about music for an essay is music therapy. We are sure you have heard all the stories of how music cures not only mental but also physical pains. Below you can find a list of topics that will help you craft a compelling music therapy essay. And don't forget that you can always rely on our assistance for fulfilling your ' write my paper ' requests!

• The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing stress and pain for cancer patients
• Does pop music have the same effects on music therapy as classical music?
• Exploring the benefits of music therapy with other genres beyond classical music
• The potential of music therapy in aiding substance abuse treatment and recovery
• The Role of music therapy in Addressing PTSD and Trauma in military veterans
• The impact of music therapy on enhancing social interaction and emotional expression in individuals with developmental disabilities
• The use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
• Does musical therapy help depression?
• Does music reduce anxiety levels?
• Is music therapy better than traditional medicine?

History of Music Essay Topics

If you love analytical essays and prefer to see the bigger picture, you can always write a music description essay. Below you can find some of the most interesting topics for the history of music essay.

• The Significance of natural instruments in music production and performance
• Tracing the historical development of Western music theory
• How electronic music traces its roots back to classical music
• How the music industry evolved from sheet music to streaming services
• How modern producers relate to classical composers
• The Origins and Influence of Jazz Music
• How folk music saved the Stories of unnamed heroes
• Do we know what the music of ancient civilizations sounded like?
• Where does your favorite bandstand in the line of music evolve?
• The Influence of African American Music on modern pop culture

Benefits of Music Essay Topics

If you are someone who wonders what are some of the values that music brings to our daily life, you should write the benefits of music essay. The music essay titles below can inspire you to write a captivating essay:

• How music can be used to promote cultural awareness and understanding
• The benefits of music education in promoting creativity and innovation
• The social benefits of participating in music groups
• The Impact of Music on Memory and Learning
• The cognitive benefits of music education in early childhood development
• The effects of music on mood and behavior
• How learning to play an instrument improves cognitive functions.
• How music connects people distanced by thousands of miles
• The benefits of listening to music while exercising
• How music can express the feelings words fail to do so 

Music Analysis Essay Example

Reading other people's papers is a great way to scale yours. There are many music essay examples, but the one crafted by our expert writers stands out in every possible way. You can learn what a great thesis statement looks like, how to write an engaging introduction, and what comprehensive body paragraphs should look like. 

Click on the sample below to see the music analysis essay example. 

How to Write a Music Essay with Steps

Writing music essays is definitely not rocket science, so don't be afraid. It's just like writing any other paper, and a music essay outline looks like any other essay structure.

• Start by choosing a music essay topic. You can use our list above to get inspired. Choose a topic about music that feels more relevant and less researched so you can add brand-new insights. As we discussed, your music essay can be just about anything; it can be a concert report or an analytical paper about the evolution of music.
• Continue by researching the topic. Gather all the relevant materials and information for your essay on music and start taking notes. You can use these notes as building blocks for the paper. Be prepared; even for short essays, you may need to read books and long articles.
• Once you have all the necessary information, the ideas in your head will start to take shape. The next step is to develop a thesis statement out of all the ideas you have in your head. A thesis statement is a must as it informs readers what the entire music essay is about. Don't be afraid to be bold in your statement; new outlooks are always appreciated.
• Next, you'll need a music essay introduction. Here you introduce the readers to the context and background information about the research topic. It should be clear, brief, and engaging. You should set the tone of your essay from the very beginning. Don't forget the introduction is where the thesis statement goes.
• One of the most important parts of essay writing is crafting a central body paragraph about music. This is where you elaborate on your thesis, make main points, and support them with the evidence you gathered beforehand. Remember, your music essay should be well structured and depict a clear picture of your ideas.
• Next, you will need to come up with an ideal closing paragraph. Here you will need to once again revisit the main points in your music essay, restate them in a logical manner and give the readers your final thoughts.
• Don't forget to proofread your college essay. Whether you write a long or short essay on music, there will be grammatical and factual errors. Revise and look through your writing with a critical mind. You may find that some parts need rewriting.

Key Takeaways

Music essays are a pleasure to write and read. There are so many topics and themes to choose from, and if you follow our How to Write a Music Essay guide, you are guaranteed to craft a top-notch essay every time.

Be bold when selecting a subject even when unsure what is research essay topic on music, take the writing process easy, follow the academic standards, and you are good to go. Use our music essay sample to challenge yourself and write a professional paper. 

If you feel stuck and have no time our team of expert writers is always ready to give you help from all subject ( medical school personal statement school help ). Visit our website, submit your ' write my research paper ' request and a guaranteed A+ essay will be on your way in just one click.

Need Help in Writing an Impressive Paper?

Our expert writers are here to write a quality paper that will make you the star of your class!

FAQs on Writing a Music Essay

Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions. 

Should Artists' Music be Used in Advertising?

What type of music is best for writing an essay, why do people love music.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

How to do a Video Essay: The Video Essay Process

• Plan, Prepare & Create

Storyboarding

• Finding, Filming & Editing
• References & Credits
• The Video Essay Process

This section will give an introductory overview of the stages required to create a video essay.  Video essayers advice is to start simple and work through each stage of the video production process. Visit the Resources page of this guide for more.

Identify what is your argument? What is it that you want to communicate to the viewer? Write this down in a few sentences, refer and modify it as required.

Watch Video Essays

Watch a selection of video essays, read blogs and web pages from video essayers and decide what type of video essay you would like to create. Start simple.

A storyboard is a detailed outline (similar to an outline in a written essay) that helps you to organise and visualise the video essay as to what is on the screen, text, media, message and transitions between shots.

Storyboards assist in determining the length, message and meaning of the video essay and help save time with editing and post production processes.

• Free Storyboard Templates

Collect & Edit

Collect video material as downloads, ripping DVDs, screen grabs, mobile phone footage and create voice-overs. Use research skills to find information and statements to support your argument. Maintain a standard of quality and manage your videos by naming conventions and storage.

Use editing software and experiment with available functionality to enhance and support your argument. Add a voice-over, sound effects, music and other aspects of multimodality. Be sure to include references and credits to all sources used in creating the video essay.

Revisit elements of your video essay and modify as required.

Visit the Resources page of this guide for more.

• Where to find video and how to capture it
• Video Editing Basics - iMovie
• Software Guides

References & Credits

References to cite sources used in the Video Essay. Referencing is a formal, systematic way of acknowledging sources that you have used in your video essay. It is imperative that you reference all sources used (including videos, stills, music, sfx) and apply the correct formatting so that references cited can be easily traced. The referencing style used at ECU is the APA style, 6th ed. 2010. Refer to the ECU Referencing Library Guide for accurate citation in APA style.

Production credits Individuals: acknowledgement of individuals and their role in the production. Purpose: A statement for internal use, e.g. “This video was produced for [course name] at [institution’s name] in [semester, year]”

• Referencing Library Guide
• << Previous: What is a Video Essay?
• Next: Modes, MultiModality & Multiliteracies >>
• What is a Video Essay?
• Modes, MultiModality & Multiliteracies
• A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies
• Modes Of Multimodality
• Video Essay Journals
• Video Essay Channels
• Weblinks to Video Essay Resources
• Weblinks to Creative Commons Resources
• Titles in the Library
• Referencing & Copyright
• Marking Rubric
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 2:57 PM
• URL: https://ecu.au.libguides.com/video-essay

Edith Cowan University acknowledges and respects the Noongar people, who are the traditional custodians of the land upon which its campuses stand and its programs operate. In particular ECU pays its respects to the Elders, past and present, of the Noongar people, and embrace their culture, wisdom and knowledge.

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The best video essays of 2020

Creators continue to push the envelope of criticism on YouTube

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For the last few years, video essays have gained more and more prominence on YouTube . With more and more creators choosing a video essay — or video essay-inspired — format, there are video essays about almost any topic you want to learn more about.

To discuss what makes a video essay one of the best of the year, let’s first break down what a video essay was in the year 2020 . There’s more gray area between formats than it initially may seem, especially given how many videos that lack an essay structure take on an essay aesthetic. We used the following criteria for this list:

• The video must be scripted. Momentary improvised asides are fine, especially if they come in the form of voice over added in editing, but the video must otherwise follow a written script.
• The video must have a thesis, and that thesis must be more than “this is good” or “this is bad.” The thesis should concern the impact of the subject matter, not just its content. This means no straight reviews (like La’Ron Readus’s review of Candyman ), no commentary/discussion videos (like Sherliza Moé’s series on cultural appropriation in the Star Wars prequels and Avatar: The Last Airbender ), no lore recaps (like My Name Is Byf’s meticulous archival works of the Destiny 2 lore), and no straight-up histories (like Sarah Z’s retelling of the infamous DashCon).
• The video also shouldn’t be a documentary (like NoClip’s documentary about the making of Pyre ). The focus should be a subject from an analytical standpoint, not an interview standpoint.
• But this doesn’t mean the video should necessarily aim for pure objectivity; personal video essays are, in fact, a thing.

This isn’t to say the excluded videos aren’t great. On the contrary: the ones mentioned above absolutely rule. Defining the parameters of a video essay, though, puts the videos discussed here on an equal playing field. When you watch, you know you’ll come away understanding the subject matter, and likely how art and society impact each other, a little better. Almost all of these videos contain spoilers, so watch at your own risk — but most can be enjoyed regardless of your familiarity with the subject matter, too.

1. “In Search of Flat Earth,” Dan Olson (Folding Ideas)

Dan Olson of Folding Ideas has been a video essayist for years, helping solidify the medium on YouTube. “In Search of Flat Earth,” though, is his masterpiece to date. The video is shot beautifully, with loving and reverent shots of nature that not only contribute to the video’s content and concepts, but also capture a sense of still beauty. If the video seeks to claim that flat earthers feel powerlessness in the face of the government and science, the way this video is shot makes the claim that maybe our powerlessness can be good, actually. But “In Search of Flat Earth” isn’t just a response to flat earthers; it’s also a response to Olson’s contemporaries who have made videos trying to convince flat earthers that their ideas are wrong. “In Search of Flat Earth” argues that flat earthers, and people with similar mindsets, can’t be logicked out of their mindsets — which turns into a surprise, mind-blowing third-act twist.

2. “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness,” Yhara Zayd

Yhara Zayd is somewhat of a newcomer to video essays, posting her first, “The Remake That Couldn’t: Skins U.S. ” in June 2019. Her catalogue of work has boomed in 2020, making selecting a video to feature difficult; her work is consistently standout, mixing analysis with dry comedy and heavy aesthetics. In a landmark year for marijuana legalization, “The Satirical Resurgence of Reefer Madness ” feels especially timely and important, but it’s also just a delight to watch. The video is not just a look into a criminally underrated musical starring Kristen Bell, Alan Cummings, and Ana Gasteyer. It’s a look into the real 1936 propaganda film of the same name, how the laws around marijuana criminalization were formed, and the deeply racist roots of anti-marijuana campaigns. Zayd’s soft but direct voice and distinctly internet-culture-informed humor make the video consistently engaging and fun while never shying away from what makes Reefer Madness so worthy of a campy parody musical.

3. “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon,” Jacob Geller

Roller Coaster Tycoon is a nostalgic classic — but what can it teach us about death? A weird amount, as Geller explains in “The Strange Reality of Roller Coaster Tycoon .” This video opens with the sentence, “There is at least one roller coaster designed specifically to kill you.” The “Euthanasia Coaster,” Geller explains, was never made, but would effectively kill a rider in just about a minute. As he breaks down the rituals around death, he winds his way around curves and loops, masterfully bringing the audience back to the game at the core of the video: Roller Coaster Tycoon . In just over 18 minutes, Geller’s analysis breaks down how the game allows for meaningful struggle in its mechanics — which the video essayist notes are similar in their coding to a roller coaster — while allowing for monstrosities, lethal roller coasters that bring your virtual park-goers to their grave. A roller coaster is meant to scare us, meant to spike adrenaline, meant to put the fear of death right in us, but fun! Geller’s discussion of Roller Coaster Tycoon shows just how much coasters, real or virtual, say about how we deal with death.

Disclosure: Jacob Geller has written for Polygon.

4. “ CATS ! And the Weird Mind of TS Eliot,” Maggie Mae Fish

Cats may have come out in 2019, but Maggie Mae Fish’s video essay on it came out in March 2020, so early into what the rest of the year would become. It was a small, but wonderfully unhinged blessing for video essay lovers who needed something bonkers to keep us afloat during quarantine. Fish’s performance background is in comedy and improv, notably working with Cracked before starting on her own video essays. Her writing and performance have a level of effervescent delight and bewilderment at most of the trash media she discusses, coming through most in her discussion of Cats .

But while a video on why Cats was bad could have been engaging and funny, Fish takes a step deeper, looking into the musical’s source material: the poetry of T.S. Eliot, a homophobic, antisemitic weirdo. Fish doesn’t just express Eliot’s politics, but explains why Cats pulls from fascist ideologies in its depiction of a tradition-heavy death cult. (Just, you know, with cats.) From there, Fish’s analysis goes even deeper. This video isn’t about not liking problematic media, or even “bad” media. It’s a video about deeply loving something that winds up parodying and subverting its roots.

5. “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Elexus Jionde (Intelexual Media)

Historian Elexius Jionde of Intelexual Media often takes a cultural anthropology lens in her videos, discussing topics like life in the American 1970s and the history of Black homelessness . In “The Anatomy of Stan Culture,” Jionde breaks down a current social phenomenon through a historical lens, asking why we stan and how we got here. Jionde dissects “celebrity worship disorder” and how fans obsess over their favorite celebrities, while not letting people who think they’re too good for the goss off the hook either. Using examples ranging from Bhad Babie to Selena Quintanilla to Victorian actors, Jionde shows how current celebrity culture is rooted in everything from politics to evolutionary biology. This 18-minute video is a crash course in how the celebrity industry runs, and it’s also an analysis of how we interact with celebrity right now. How do stans go from liking Ariana Grande’s music to replicating Ariana Grande’s voice to sending death threats to people who besmirch Ariana Grande’s name? Jionde doesn’t necessarily judge stans; instead, she shows how celebrity culture affects the rest of culture.

6. “On Writing: Mental Illness in Video Games,” Tim Hickson (Hello Future Me)

Before talking about what makes this video essay great, a warning: this video discusses struggles with mental health, including several aspects of suicide. It’s the heaviest video essay on this list, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you watch.

Tim Hickson of the channel Hello Future Me opens the video by disclosing his experience working for a youth mental health and suicide intervention hotline. From there, he first discusses the ways in which video games, immersive narratives where players have control and make choices, can be cathartic for people with mental illnesses and informative for people who don’t. Citing games from World of Warcraft to Celeste to Prey to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice , Hickson shows the different ways games dive into depression, social anxiety, and schizophrenia. A segment focused on Life is Strange ’s Kate Marsh dissects how a story can be cathartic for one person, but harmful for another. It’s a deeply empathetic video essay with rich research. It’s sobering, emotional, and moving.

7. “Why Anime is for Black People - Hip Hop x Anime,” Yedoye Travis (Beyond the Bot)

Beyond the Bot is a new New York-based collective making video essays about how anime impacts culture, and like with Yhara Zaid’s work, it was difficult to choose a favorite. “Why Anime is for Black People” is a standout for just how deep the analysis goes into the crossover between Black and East Asian culture. Going back to ’70s Blaxploitation and kung fu films, host and writer Yedoye Travis chronicles how East Asian media permeated Black culture, eventually leading to the Wu-Tang Clan sourcing their samples from films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Shaolin and Wu Tang . Legendary producer J Dilla would later go on to sample East Asian music as well. And, of course, Travis spends a good deal talking about the important of the Toonami block of Adult Swim, and the importance of the network playing music from bands like Gorillaz and their lo-fi hip-hop bed music for bumps. Travis explains how the shows themselves — namely Cowboy Bebop , Samurai Champloo , and, of course, The Boondocks — made an impact on Black youth who grew up alongside the programming. The historical lens of the cross-culture influences allows this analysis to go deeper than similar video essays, but the tone stays casual, giving plenty of asides and jokes for people familiar with the content.

8. “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?,” Princess Weekes (MelinaPendulum)

2020 has been a landmark year for queer representation in the media, and Princess Weekes’ “What Is *Good* Queer Representation in 2020?” seeks to pick apart what has been “good,” what has been “bad,” and most often, what has just been complicated. Like any discussion of representation, Weekes talks about how important it is for queer people to see different versions of queer people in a variety of media, and the tendency for queer people to overlook works by queer creators, or judge them more harshly than works by creators who aren’t queer. She breaks down queer assimilation and respectability politics, taking a stance that’s emotional and personal, while still being relatable and pervasive. This video essay is a great start for how we can start discussing ways to complicate representation, to move away from the sanitization of queer narratives, and understand that what makes one person feel seen might do the opposite for someone else.

9. “Fallout: New Vegas Is Genius, And Here’s Why,” Harry Brewis (hbomberguy)

Harry Brewis’ trend of surprisingly long videos with sarcastically simplistic titles continues with his hour-and-a-half testament to what makes a good narrative-heavy RPG, using Fallout: New Vegas as an example of the best of the best. Don’t let the title trick you into thinking the video is a review. It’s much closer to a masterclass on writing for games, and implementing your story and worldbuilding into every single aspect of that game. From the world to the companions to the main plot to the side quests to the combat to the continuity of consequences, Brewis lays out how Fallout: New Vegas gives its players genuine choices, and then makes those choices genuinely significant in the game. He argues the game actually deals in “gray morality” instead of just saying it does while pushing players to be Good or Evil. The choices in the game often leave the player ambivalent, while placing them in a wild world that players can choose to make even wilder. Brewis uses the video to talk about what makes Fallout: New Vegas work, and why so many games pale in comparison. It isn’t just that Fallout: New Vegas is good —it’s that it’s a meticulous game made by people who cared about every single detail they developed.

10. “Whisper of the Heart: How Does It Feel to Be an Artist,” Accented Cinema

Whisper of the Heart is one of the quieter Studio Ghibli films, and likewise, this video essay by Accented Cinema is quiet, lovely, and tender. Accented Cinema is a video essay channel that focuses on foreign (at least, foreign to the United States) media and its impact. “ Whisper of the Heart : How Does It Feel to Be an Artist” is the most personal essay on this list, a necessity for an analysis of the very personal feeling of creating art. In the video, the host discusses how most artists don’t have the frenzied drive media often depicts. Instead, they have the slow, sometimes frustrating, sometimes euphoric drive of anyone who does something because it’s who they are. This video also comes with a warning that it discusses a tragic death in the studio — but the way it brings the discussion of that death back to the essay’s thesis is spectacular.

• Houston Community College
• Eagle Online

• Jon Lindsey

ESSAY #3 - Music Video Analysis

Music video analysis essay, due: thursday, april 24, 2012, assignment:.

Choose a music. Analyze, Interpret, Synthesize and Evaluate your video according to the guidelines in our "Critical Reading, Music Videos" lecture (on Learning Web)

Your essay should includ e:

A strong thesis statement about the video, which contains a Subject, an Opinion and Proof.

A descriptive summary of the video.

Three body paragraphs.

A conclusion, which restates your thesis and the main points of your body paragraphs.

900 words or more

For this paper there is no required number of outside sources.

If you choose to use outside sources they must be cited according to MLA format.

Include an MLA Works Cited page, which includes  your video and any outside sources you've cited.

Size 12 – Times New Roman font – double spaced

Paste your essay into the body of an email to:  [email protected]

Introduction –

• Hook your reader with your opening sentence.
• Introduce the video you’ll be discussing (Artist? Album? Year?)
• Write a thesis evaluating the entire video or an aspect of the video.

Body Paragraphs -

Support your thesis by analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing and evaluating the video.

Conclusion –

• Restate the topic of your article.
• Restate your thesis.
• Restate the main point from each of your paragraphs.
• Wrap your essay up and put a ribbon on it.

An Outstanding Essay Will:

• Present a clear thesis containing a subject, opinion and proof.
• Summarize the video identifying some or all Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? questions.
• Develop and organize ideas logically by connecting each paragraph in support of your original thesis statement.
• Identify, analyze and interpret important features of your video.
• Give specific examples from the video to support your thesis.
• Provide a strong conclusion restating the main points of your essay.

No books have been added to this reading list.

• Title Index
• Practicing Rhetorical Analysis with Music Videos

Author: 

Deb Streusand

Image Credit: 

Screenshot by Deb Streusand from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg, Taylor Swift's video for "Blank Space"

            In my Rhetoric of Performance class, we begin each class day by watching and discussing a brief performance a student has brought in to share with the class. Since these performances are supposed to be 3-5 minutes, students frequently bring in music videos. With each performance, we do an informal rhetorical analysis.

             First I ask the students what they noticed about the performance while they were watching. They frequently make note of things like symbolism and imagery – in other words, they tend to close read the videos. The goal of my line of questioning after that, however, is to bring them away from that tendency and into the world of rhetorical analysis.

            I ask the students what they think the argument of the performance is. The argument of a performance is not like the argument of a written piece. With a good piece of persuasive writing, as a rule, everyone should come away from it with the same general idea of what the argument was. With a performance, it’s not a bad thing if we come away with some disagreement as to what the argument might be. The students often debate what the argument is, or bring in a multiplicity of answers, but they never have trouble finding some argument in the piece, even though music videos aren’t necessarily designed to make and defend a claim. One of the principles I put forth in teaching this class is that every performance has an argument. I believe this is true, but making the claim makes me a little nervous, because defending it is inevitably inductive – I will never conclusively prove that every single performance has an argument. However, each class day, my students add credence to my gradual inductive proof of this claim, because they have never failed to find an argument in any performance we’ve watched.

            After we’ve wrangled over the argument for a while, we start talking rhetorical appeals. They don’t know that’s what we’re doing yet, though. We haven’t actually entered the rhetorical analysis unit. But we’ve been doing this all semester, from the second class day. By the time they get to rhetorical analysis, they’re already going to be pros at doing it – all that will be new to them is the terminology.

            Every day, I ask them: what kind of persona does the performer present in making this argument? What is the intended audience, and how are they supposed to feel? How is the argument supported? What are the current social conversations to which this argument is contributing? Ethos, pathos, logos, kairos – all in a 4 minute video. My students practice rhetorical analysis 10-15 minutes per class day, all semester long. And because music videos are fun to watch and take apart, they have a great time while they’re doing it.

             We don’t always watch music videos. Some students bring in short dance pieces, or political rants, or slam poetry. I mention music videos because they would be easy to incorporate into a non-performance rhetoric class as a warmup for rhetorical analysis. To make it simpler, the professor might choose them instead of having students bring them in, to make sure there’s lots to talk about – I always start the semester with Beyonc é’s video for “Flawless,” which has never failed to spark dialogue. The main point is to get the students used to doing rhetorical analysis while talking about something that’s fun.

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• rhetorical analysis
• Deb Streusand's blog
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Music Video Analysis Essay

A Music Video Analysis: Macklemore and Lewis, “Same Love”

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Works Cited

• Lambe, Stacy. “The Making of Macklemore.” The Making of Macklemore. 9 May 2013. Web. 31 Jan 2015. http://www.out.com/entertainment/music/2013/05/07/macklemore-ryan-lewis-gay-anthem-hiphop?page=full
• Lewis, Ryan. “MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – SAME LOVE feat. MARY LAMBERT (OFFICIAL VIDEO).” Online music video. Youtube. Youtube, 2 October 2012. Web. 25 January 2015
• Marra, Andy. “GLSEN’s “Out Online: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth” First National Report to Look In-Depth at LGBT Youth Experience Online.” GLSEN, 10 July 2013. Web.
• United States of America. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hate Crime Statistics, 2013. N.p., Fall 2014. Web. 31 Jan 2015

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Communications: Video Essay

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What is a video essay?

A video essay is a short video that illustrates a topic, expresses an opinion and develops a thesis statement based on research through editing video, sound and image.

(Source: Morrissey, K. (2015, September). Stop Teaching Software, Start Teaching Software Literacy. Flowjournal . https://www.flowjournal.org/2015/09/stop-teaching-software-start-teaching-software-literacy/?print=print )

It is made of three main elements:

• Image (filmed footage and found footage)
• Sound (music and audio)
• Words (spoken and written)

All of them are linked to your own voice and argument. It is a way to write with video.

• Guidelines for Video Essay Best Practices Official technical guidelines by Prof. Antonio Lopez.

Video essays about video essays

Why Video Essays are just plain AWESOME by This Guy Edits  on YouTube .

Elements of the Essay Film from Kevin B. Lee on Vimeo .

F for Fake (1973) – How to Structure a Video Essay from Tony Zhou on Vimeo .

Sample Video Essays

• If Educational Videos Were Filmed Like Music Videos by Tom Scott
• How to Use Color in Film A blog post with multiple video essays about the use of color palettes by multiple great directors.
• Seed, Image, Ground by Abelardo Gil-Fournier & Jussi Parikka.
• Every Covid-19 Commercial is Exactly the Same
• Top Video Essayists some videos on this page are set to private
• VideoEssay: A subreddit for analytic videos and supercuts
• ISIL videos imitate Hollywood and video games to win converts
• Best Video Essays of 2023
• Best Video Essays of 2022 by British Film Institute
• Best Video Essays of 2020 by British Film Institute.
• Best Video Essays of 2019 by British Film Institute.
• Best Video Essays of 2018 by British Film Institute.
• Best Video Essays of 2017 by British Film Institute.
• Video Essays (Historical) A YouTube playlist of historically important films that helped define the concept of video essays.
• What Is Neorealism by kogonada.
• Analyzing Isis' propaganda - Mujatweets by Azza el Masri and Catherine Otayek.
• Oh dear! by Adam Curtis.
• Fembot in a Red Dress by Alison De Fren.
• WHY IS CINEMA: Women Filmmakers? NOT SEXIST, BUT LET'S BE REAL??? by Cameron Carpenter.
• Women as Reward - Tropes vs Women in Video Games by feministfrequency.
• Il corpo delle donne (sub eng) by Lorella Zanardo.

Video essays beyond COM

Video essays can be a valuable form of academic production, and they can be brilliant and insightful in many other fields apart from Communications and media studies. Here are some examples that cover all the JCU departments:

• Lady of Shalott | Art Analysis A look at John William Waterhouse's Pre-Raphaelite painting "The Lady of Shalott".
• How to ace your MBA video essay The 60-second online video essay is a recent addition to the MBA application process for some business schools.
• The Last Jedi - Forcing Change An analysis of Finn's and Kylo's narrative arc in Episode VIII of the Star Wars franchise.
• How The Economic Machine Works by Ray Dalio A simple but not simplistic and easy to follow 30 minute animated video that answers the question.
• Evolution of the Hero in British Literature This video essay discusses the literary heroes throughout the Anglo-Saxon Period, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance Era in British Literature.
• Fast Math Tricks - How to multiply 2 digit numbers up to 100 - the fast way! An easy video tutorial unveiling some math tricks.
• Here's why we need to rethink veganism A brief climate change video essay on the environmental impacts of veganism, and how we can reframe going vegan less as a lifestyle and more as an aspiration.
• Italy on the edge of crisis: Should Europe be worried? Channel 4 discussing the delicate political juncture in Italy (May 2018).
• International Relations: An Introduction An overview by the London School of Economics and Social Science.

A video is basically a series of still images- each one is called a frame- that play back at a specific  rate . The frame rate (often abbreviated FPS for "frames per second") differs depending on where you are in the world and what you're shooting on.

If you're shooting a movie on celluloid (actual film that needs to be developed) then you are probably shooting at 24fps.

If you are shooting video in Europe then you are probably shooting at 25fps...

...unless you are shooting sports. Then you're probably shooting at 50fps.

If you're shooting video in the US or Canada then you are probably shooting at 30(29.98)fps...

...unless you're shooting sports. Then you're probably shooting at 60(59.98)fps...

...or unless you're shooting "cinematic video" at a frame rate of 23.976fps.

***The weird numbers for shooting in the US and Canada stem from the fact that while Europe's 50Hz electrical system operates at 50Hz, the 60Hz electrical system of the US actually operates at 59.98 Hz.***

If you're shooting at a higher frame rate (like 120fps or 250fps) it is probably because you want to play it back at one of these frame rates in order to achieve a slow motion effect.

Video sizes are measured in pixels. Resolution   refers to Width x Height. Here are some common resolutions:

• FullHD (1080p): 1920 x 1080
• HD (720p): 1280 x 720
• 4K (2160p): 3840 x 2160
• 4K Cinema: 4096 x 2160
• Standard Defintion (NTSC- US/Canada): 720 x 480
• Standard Definition (PAL- Europe): 720 x 576
• VGA: 640 x 360

Types of video essays

1. Supercut

A supercut is a compilation of a large number of (short) film clips, focusing on a common characteristic these clips have. That commonality can be anything: a formal or stylistic aspect, a shared theme or subject matter... 

Supercuts are a staple of fandom, but they can also be used as a form of audiovisual critique: to reveal cinematic tropes, to trace thematic or stylistic constants in a filmmaker’s work and so on.

Examples: ROYGBIV: A Pixar Supercut  or Microsoft Sam's  Every Covid-19 Commercial is Exactly the Same  or Chloé Barreau's  NON UNA DI MENO - l'8 MARZO sta arrivando!

2. Voiceover based

In this form, analysis is done by combining clips and images with a narrator’s voice that guides the process. This could be done for a variety of video essays styles: scene breakdowns, shot analyses, structural analyses, vlogs, etc. What is common is the integral role of the creator’s voice in advancing the argument.

Example: Tony Zhou’s Jackie Chan—How to Do Action Comedy or David Chen’s Edgar Wright and the Art of Close-Ups .

3. Text/Image/Sound-Based

In this form, analysis is done by combining text, images and sounds without a narrator’s voice to guide the process. Again, this could be done for a variety of video essays styles, but relies much more on editing to advance the argument.

Example: Kevin B. Lee’s Elements of the Essay Film or Catherine Grant’s All That Pastiche Allows Redux .

4. Desktop Films

A desktop film uses the screen of a computer or gadget to serve as the camera and canvas for all of the content of an audiovisual narrative. It can include content from videos, apps, and programs that would be viewable on a screen. It is a screen-based experience that uses the desktop as its primary medium.

Example: Katja Jansen’s Desktop Films ; Kevin B. Lee’s Reading // Binging // Benning .

Descriptions adapted from  Filmscalpel

Resources: background and fundamentals

Best Practices

• Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education Also downloadable as a PDF file
• Streaming: film criticism you can watch by Guy Lodge
• What is a Video Essay? Creators Grapple with a Definition Paula Bernstein from Filmmaker journal .
• The Video Essay As Art: 11 Ways to Make a Video Essay by Norman Bateman.
• Video essay: The essay film – some thoughts of discontent by Kevin B. Lee.
• Deep Focus - The Essay Film by British Film Institute and Sight & Sound .

Scholarly Websites about Video Essays

• The Videographic Essay: Practice and Pedagogy
• Audiovisualcy Video Essays on Vimeo.
• [In]Transition Journal of Videographic Films and Moving Image Studies.
• Introductory guide to video essay From the British Universities and Colleges Film and Video Council.

Resources: software and how-to

• How-to video essays by Greer Fyfe and Miriam Ross.
• Media Production Guide by Tisch Library, Tufts University.
• Video Reactions with OBS (Open Broadcast Software) Part 01 Setting up your scenes
• Video Reactions with OBS (Open Broadcast Software) Part 02 Recording with OBS

Storyboarding

• Planning and Storyboarding from Royal Roads University Library.
• Video Essay Script Template

Screencasting

• Quicktime (cross-platform)
• Screencast-O-Matic
• OBS Studio (open source, cross-platform) Open Broadcaster Software
• Flashback Express (PC only)
• 5 Free Tools for Creating a Screencast from Mashable.

Downloading and ripping

• Pasty Software for downloading.
• Savefrom allows up to 720p downloads of full video, 1080p downloads of video only (no audio). Select “download video in browser” on the site.
• Y2mate allows up to 1080p video downloads.
• Jdownloader Software for downloading
• Handbrake Software for ripping and converting
• DMA Basics: OBS for Video Essays A tutorial on how to use OBS for Netflix.

Note: Try to to ensure that you download in 720p resolution or higher. Your minimum level of quality should be 480p. If searching on YouTube, you can filter the search results to only show HD or 4K results. Check also the  Find Video   tab of this guide.

Free editing software options

• DaVinci Resolve (cross-platform) A color grading and non-linear video editing (NLE) application for macOS, Windows, and Linux, incorporating tools from Fairlight (audio production) and Fusion (motion graphics and visual effects that throw shade on After Effects).
• iMovie (Mac only)
• Videopad (cross-plaftorm)
• OpenShot (open source, cross-platform)
• Shortcut (open source, cross-platform)
• HitFilm Express (cross-platform)
• Free Music Archive An interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads directed by the radio station WFMU.
• SoundCloud SoundCloud is one of the world’s largest music and audio platform and you can search for creative commons music.
• YouTube Audio Library A library of free music and sound effects by YouTube. Each track is accompanied by information on the use.
• Sound Image Free music (and more) for your Projects by Eric Matyas. Only requires crediting the author for legal use (see "attribution info" page).
• Audacity A free and open-source digital audio editor and recording application software. Very useful to trim audio, convert a sample rate, apply a little compression, chop & screw, etc.
• REAPER A digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software. Technically a paid-for platform, its free-trial never ends.

Check also the  Find  Audio Resources  tab of this guide.

Creating credits, copyright and fair use

• Creating credits for video essays From Digital Design Studio at Tisch Library
• Fair Use Evaluator
• YouTube Fair Use Channel
• Society for Cinema and Media Studies Statement on Fair Use
• Blender A free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset used for creating animated films, visual effects, art, 3D printed models, motion graphics, interactive 3D applications, virtual reality, and computer games.
• GIMP A free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image manipulation (retouching) and image editing, free-form drawing, transcoding between different image file formats, and more specialized tasks.
• Inkscape A free and open-source vector graphics editor used to create vector images, primarily in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format.
• Krita A free and open-source raster graphics editor designed primarily for digital painting and 2D animation. Good for sketching and conceptual art.

Stock footage

For stock footage, please check under the  Find video tab of this guide.

• Final Cut Pro X Tutorial by JCU Digital Media Lab.
• Final Cut Pro X Tutorial (PDF)
• Final Cut Pro X Full Tutorial by David A. Cox
• Audio Recording Tutorial by JCU Digital Media Lab.
• << Previous: Find Videos
• Next: Find Images >>
• Last Updated: Jun 4, 2024 4:03 PM
• URL: https://johncabot.libguides.com/communications

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

A framework for using popular music videos to teach media literacy.

Jordan M. McClain Drexel University Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA [email protected]

This article discusses the use of popular music videos as a tool for teaching media literacy. First, the article addresses the importance of music videos as popular culture, what other music video research has examined, and what features make music videos a good fit for in-class work investigating media and popular culture. Then the article details a single-class activity for introducing and teaching media literacy through the use of music videos. To achieve this objective, the article also proposes a set of original music video-specific discussion questions. Finally, a particular music video is considered to illustrate possible results of this activity and the broader issues that may arise from class discussion.

Communication, Media, Media Studies, Popular Culture, Pedagogy, New Media, Digital Media, Media Literacy, Media Education, Music Videos

Although popular music videos have long been criticized for their superficiality, fast edits, and sensational content, features like these help make the videos an excellent teaching tool, effective for getting students’ attention and exploring broad issues. Many educators may be skeptical about or may have never thought about the benefits of using music videos in the classroom—thus the shortage of research on this approach. Cayari wrote about students creating music videos in order to learn music and technology skills.  Maskell discussed the use of music videos for teaching English, saying the content has “huge potential for use across the entire English curriculum” (54). There is still, however, much to uncover about the myriad possible uses of music videos as a pedagogical instrument.

With a focus on popular music videos, this essay discusses their importance, describes an activity using them to teach media literacy skills, offers some new music video-specific ideas for introductory media literacy exercises, and shares example results of the activity. This information may appeal to a wide range of educators, especially media and popular culture scholars teaching undergraduate college courses such as Media and Society, Media Literacy, or Introduction to Popular Culture.

Although the pedagogical value of music videos remains formally under-recognized, many have thoroughly established why music videos are an important and potent way to learn about life around the globe. “Music television deserves serious attention from students of popular culture” (Goodwin and Grossberg ix), proclaimed the introduction of Sound and Vision: The Music Video Reader, the influential collection edited by Frith, Goodwin, and Grossberg. Supporting this call to study music videos, Austerlitz saw them as a “fascinating oddity” (1) and a “compelling marker of cultural history” (1). He concluded that the music video’s “triumphs render it a subject worthy of deeper study and attention” (1). In summarizing the state of music video research and demonstrating why they are more than just entertainment, Straw wrote, “music videos are increasingly seen as elements within complex assemblages of image and sound that circulate the world and are recombined within a variety of diasporic media, from satellite television networks through DVD and Internet video clip sites” (3176).

Consideration of certain music video research trends indicates their diverse potential. One major trend adopts a media effects perspective and examines how music videos influence the ways audiences think and behave, especially younger groups like adolescents, teens, or college students. Studies have looked at music video effects in terms of sex, such as how kids imitate the content (Ey and Cupit), how they sext (Van Ouytsel, Ponnet, and Walrave), and what their attitudes are toward sex (Aubrey, Hopper, and Mbure; Beentjes and Konig; Kistler and Lee; Zhang, Miller, and Harrison). Others have researched music videos’ effects on perceptions of rape (Burgess and Burpo; Sprankle, End, and Bretz). There is also much work on the influence of music videos on how people think about gender-specific ideas related to misogyny (van Oosten, Peter, and Valkenburg) or bodily self-perception (Mischner et al.).

Overlapping with work that emphasizes effects, there is a trend of research interested in representational patterns in music videos. Gender often emerges as a main focal point, such as Wallis’s content analysis of differences in gender displays. Many have also tied race to genre, with rap being a dominant line of inquiry (Balaji; Conrad, Dixon, and  Zhang; Zhang, Dixon, and Conrad). Overall, work on representation has spanned topics like sexual objectification (Aubrey and Frisby; Frisby and Aubrey), sexuality (Turner), and violence (Aikat; Smith and Boyson; Thaller and Messing).

Such trends show the utility of music videos in media research, popular culture studies, and beyond. In addition, music videos are characterized by a combination of features that make them an ideal fit for in-class activities about media and popular culture:

• They are conventionally short, compared to a full movie or television episode.
• They are often familiar, which benefits group discussion because many students bring background knowledge.
• They are common online, which makes it simple for instructors to find multiple good examples.
• They are easy to access, such as the free official content available on video-sharing sites like YouTube or hosting services like Vevo.
• They are often controversial, working as a compelling catalyst for critical discussion and thus able to help students identify important issues, then articulate their views on social or political matters.
• They are commonly imitated on the Web, as evidenced by remakes, parodies, satires, and mash-ups that have become a common way for lovers and haters—including amateurs, professionals, and people in between—to express themselves online. 1
• They are popular culture, as a collective form and as individual artifacts, which gives them instant student appeal and significance as a teaching tool.  

Activity: Popular Music Videos and Media Literacy

The following activity is a productive way to use music videos to introduce and teach media literacy. This exercise is intended to occur in class and requires the instructor’s use of an Internet-connected device that can play music videos viewable by the whole class at once (e.g., via projector or on a large monitor). Objectives include these:

• The exercise will (A) strategically use music videos as a teaching tool, (B) demonstrate the importance of critical thinking about music videos, and (C) demonstrate the importance of critical thinking about popular culture.
• Students will (A) strengthen media literacy skills and (B) increase comprehension of popular music videos as a significant form of entertainment media.  

Preparation: Prior to class, carefully select a popular music video accessible online and useful as a teaching tool. Billboard charts and YouTube’s “Popular on YouTube” section are helpful starting points. The instructor should select something that will resonate with students; this can be based on recency or the interests and personalities of the class. I suggest watching the video many times before class. It is also essential to research the video’s production background and popular reception. Immediately before class begins, it is smart to prepare the music video for easy start-up and test all necessary technology—video connection, audio levels, video start function, video end point.

Execution: Once class begins, start the activity by announcing its order (i.e., discuss media literacy, watch music video, analyze video alone and then together) and expected outcomes (i.e., enhance media literacy comprehension and skills).

Part 1: Introduce Media Literacy and Music Video-Specific Follow-Up Questions

First, I explain media literacy and the following five key questions of media literacy, using visual aids like PowerPoint slides and the Center for Media Literacy’s website, medialit.org:

• Authorship: “Who created this message?”
• Format: “What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?”
• Audience: “How might different people understand this message differently than me?”
• Content: “What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?”
• Purpose: “Why is this message being sent?”

As justified in the rationale above, we then briefly discuss why music videos are media content worthy of critical thought.

Next, to successfully analyze popular music videos and expand on the preexisting five key questions of media literacy, I propose the following set of original follow-up questions that are music video-specific—four follow-ups for each of the main questions—to help prompt critical thought and advance media literacy about popular music videos:

• Who is explicitly identified as a creator?
• Who created the song?
• Who created the music video?
• What are some major components of the music video that people created?
• What techniques are used in the music?
• What techniques are used in the music video?
• How does this music video seem influenced by popular culture?
• How has this music video seemingly influenced popular culture?
• Who do you think are some target audiences for this music video?
• What components of the music video indicate its target audience?
• What parts of the music video seem open to interpretation?
• What parts of the music video seem controversial? To whom?
• How does the music video convey this?
• How do you think this relates to the music video’s creators?
• How do you think this relates to the music video’s target audience?
• What may have caused these representations and omissions?
• Why was this music created?
• Why was the music video created?
• Why was the music video created for this format? (I.e., cable television, the Web, DVD, etc.)
• Who would benefit from the music video’s popularity?  

Part 2: Watch a Music Video

After focusing on media literacy questions, introduce the music video by identifying the song and performer. I find it useful to informally survey how many students know the song or artist and how many like the song or artist. It is crucial to establish the significance of studying this artifact. For instance, instructors should cite facts about awards the artist or song has won, sales information like albums or singles sold, rankings from Billboard/Nielsen chart data, concert grosses, YouTube views, and social media metrics (e.g., how many likes or followers an artist has online). It is best also to show students visuals like a Twitter feed or Billboard.com article to support those claims. This will help students recognize the significance of putting popular culture under the microscope—this is not just a song but a social phenomenon that deserves to be studied, and the class is learning a system for accomplishing that.

Here it is helpful to notify students that after watching the video once, they will need to answer and discuss the five media literacy questions and music video-specific follow-ups. Thus, as they watch, students should think about answers to the questions, which they may wish to quickly review before watching the video at this point.

Part 3: Practice Media Literacy Skills by Discussing the Music Video

Solo: After watching the video, students should individually write answers to each media literacy question and the follow-ups. When dealing with time constraints for this in-class activity, I advise students to focus on answers that come easiest, instead of straining to complete all questions (i.e., quality over quantity). This is a good time to encourage optional Internet use for those with enabled devices. Answers are possible with only a pencil and paper, but Web-based research will probably strengthen responses.

Small groups: After the solo work, students form pairs or triads and share their findings with each other. They should consider what they learned from peers to expand their answer list and prepare for a full-class discussion.

As a class: After the small group work, reconvene as a class and watch the video for a second and final time. This provides a chance to see more, helps solidify what students learned so far, and refreshes memories for the following discussion.

I then lead a Q&A through each of the five key media literacy questions and follow-ups. Instructors should seek many answers to each question, solicit like and unlike observations across the group, and play devil’s advocate to help students form their opinions.

Activity Results

This activity results in valuable dialogues, which will vary based on the video(s) examined. One highly recommended music video to choose for this activity is Katy Perry’s 2013 hit, “Roar” (Lipshutz; Perry, “Katy Perry – Roar”) 2 . Using this video would give the instructor a chance to talk about Perry’s many Grammy nominations, MTV Awards, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and Guinness World Records. The instructor could also discuss her remarkable billion-plus views that place this song in the top ten most-viewed YouTube and Vevo videos (Jang; Lane; “Vevo Top Videos”) and made Perry “the first artist to ever have two videos with over 1 Billion [ sic ] views” (“Katy Perry – Vevo”; “Roar10xCertified”). Students respond well to these kinds of arguments for a video’s significance and facts like Perry’s status as the most-followed Twitter user—with over 75 million followers, she ranks above people like Justin Bieber and President Obama (Perry, “Tweets”; “Twitter Top 100”).

Discussing Perry’s “Roar” video would likely cause students to answer the media literacy questions and follow-ups in ways that lead to fascinating conversations about the major media literacy concepts. “Authorship” would relate to the song being co-written by a team of professional hit makers including Max Martin, Dr. Luke, and Bonnie McKee (Hampp; Seabrook). “Format” would connect to sexualization, familiar pop song ingredients, and the use of visual effects. “Audience” would lead to concerns about young fans, PETA’s objections to the video’s use of animals (Boardman; Palmer), or the video’s twist ending. “Content” would tie to portrayals of selfies, makeup use, and heterosexuality or sexual orientation. “Purpose” would relate to product sales, promotional culture, the modern music industry, free YouTube content, conspicuous use of Nokia merchandise, and celebrity branding.

This kind of popular music video analysis, based on the five key media literacy questions and follow-ups, enables discussion of many broad issues. In particular, this includes:

• How race, class, age, and ability are represented in music videos.
• How gender, sex, sexuality, and sexism are treated in music videos.
• How beauty norms are reflected in music videos; how this impacts body image, self-esteem, or eating disorders outside music videos.
• How celebrities appear in music videos; how musicians are positioned as celebrities in music videos.
• What music videos tell us about censorship, evolving moral standards, political correctness, and cultural taboos.
• How product placement shapes music videos.
• How genre affects music videos.
• How new and digital media impact music videos.

By using this activity, I have found that students thoroughly enjoy practicing and developing critical thinking skills through the study of everyday media and popular culture. The classroom becomes a space where fun and learning can logically and productively intersect. Students become more consistently engaged with class topics and discussions, searching for such intersection. Their media literacy skills improve—instantly and long-term—through the type of practice and collaborative critique that this exercise facilitates. As a result, students are more sensitive, informed, and skilled critical consumers of entertainment media.

This essay expands on general media literacy principles and produces original music video-specific questions, enabling systematic use of music videos as effective resources for teaching media literacy and critical thinking about media and popular culture. The five key media literacy questions are a valuable framework for studying popular music videos and exploring the broader issues they raise. Without the media literacy framework, this exercise might allow only surface-level scrutiny. Using the media literacy foundation strengthens, deepens, and formalizes this learning process, enhancing student comprehension, analysis, and evaluation of popular music videos as important media content.

The in-class activity described in this essay is ideal for undergraduate courses, but can be adapted by prefacing the work with level-appropriate lectures about media and popular culture for a variety of potential student audiences, such as tweens, pre-college teens, or graduate students. One alternative to the in-class activity is to remake it as a written test, which would benefit from a rubric used to grade answers. For example, instructors may choose to teach the five key media literacy questions first, then, on the same or a different day, show a music video and require students to answer the five questions and music video-specific follow-ups as a test of knowledge and skills. Other possibilities include a student presentation (individuals or groups pick a modern video, argue for its significance, analyze its content using the music video-specific follow-ups, and consider the implications); a reflection paper (students address the extent to which media literacy about music videos will impact how they think about such entertainment); or a self-produced video essay (students use the media literacy questions and music video-specific follow-ups as prompts for a prepared, recorded oral critique of a popular music video; bonus points to those who share their video essay on YouTube).

Popular music videos have many educational uses, which span disciplines. These videos are excellent instruments, effective for getting students’ attention, and helpful for teaching about many complex and meaningful concepts. Educators should therefore embrace and experiment with music videos as a powerful teaching tool.

1. By way of illustration, consider the many humorous takeoffs on The Black Eyed Peas song, “My Humps,” which inspired popular online videos by alt-rock celebrity Alanis Morissette, gender-role-defying electronic musician Peaches, and pre-teen remix video YouTube-star MattyBRaps.

2. Here are some other recommended popular music videos that work well for this activity: Michael Jackson, “Thriller”; Madonna, “Erotica”; Shania Twain, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”; One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”; Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines”; Pharrell Williams, “Happy”; Taylor Swift, “Shake it Off”; Drake, “Hotline Bling.”

Works Cited

Aikat, Debashis. “Streaming Violent Genres Online: Visual Images in Music Videos on BET.com, Country.com, MTV.com, and VH1.com.” Popular Music and Society 27.2 (2004): 221-240. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens, and Cynthia M. Frisby. “Sexual Objectification in Music Videos: A Content Analysis Comparing Gender and Genre.” Mass Communication and Society 14.4 (2011): 475-501. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens, K. Megan Hopper, and Wanjiru G. Mbure. “Check That Body! The Effects of Sexually Objectifying Music Videos on College Men’s Sexual Beliefs.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 55.3 (2011): 360-79. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Austerlitz, Saul. Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video, from the Beatles to the White Stripes . New York: Continuum, 2007. Print.

Balaji, Murali. “Owning Black Masculinity: The Intersection of Cultural Commodification and Self-Construction in Rap Music Videos.” Communication, Culture & Critique 2.1 (2009): 21-38. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Beentjes, Johannes W. J., and Ruben P. Konig. “Does Exposure to Music Videos Predict Adolescents’ Sexual Attitudes?” European Scientific Journal 9.14 (2013): 1-20. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Boardman, Madeline. “PETA: Katy Perry’s ‘Roar” Music Video is Cruel to Animals.” HuffingtonPost.com . The Huffington Post, 15 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Burgess, Melinda C. R., and Sandra Burpo. “The Effect of Music Videos on College Students’ Perceptions of Rape.” College Student Journal 46.4 (2012): 748-763. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Cayari, Christopher. “Using Informal Education Through Music Video Creation.” General Music Today 27.3 (2014): 17-22. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Center for Media Literacy. “Five Key Questions Form Foundation for Media Inquiry: Keywords and Guiding Questions Help Build Habits of Critical Thinking.” MediaLit.org. Center for Media Literacy, n.d.: Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Conrad, Kate, Travis L. Dixon, and Yuanyuan Zhang. “Controversial Rap Themes, Gender Portrayals and Skin Tone Distortion: A Content Analysis of Rap Music Videos.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 53.1 (2009): 134-56. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Ey, Lesley-Anne, and C. Glenn Cupit. “Primary School Children’s Imitation of Sexualised Music Videos and Artists.” Children Australia 38.3 (2013): 115-123. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Frisby, Cynthia M., and Jennifer Stevens Aubrey. “Race and Genre in the Use of Sexual Objectification in Female Artists’ Music Videos.” Howard Journal of Communications 23.1 (2012): 66-87. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Goodwin, Andrew, and Lawrence Grossberg. Introduction. Sound and Vision: The Music Video Reader . Ed. Simon Frith, Andrew Goodwin, and Lawrence Grossberg. New York: Routledge, 1993. ix-xi. Print.

Hampp, Andrew. “Katy Perry, ‘Roar’: Track Review.” Billboard.com . Billboard, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Jang, Meena. “YouTube’s 10th Anniversary: Watch the Top 10 Most Viewed Videos to Date.” Billboard.com . Billboard, 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

“Katy Perry – Vevo Certified Artist.” Vevo.com . Vevo, 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Kistler, Michelle E., and Moon J. Lee. “Does Exposure to Sexual Hip-Hop Music Videos Influence the Sexual Attitudes of College Students?” Mass Communication and Society 13.1 (2009): 67-86. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Lane, Laura. “These Are the Most-Watched YouTube Videos Ever – Have You Seen Them All?” People.com. Time Inc., 30 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Lipshutz, Jason. “Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’ Music Video: Watch the Singer’s Jungle Adventure.” Billboard.com . Billboard, 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Maskell, Hayden. “Using Music Videos.” English in Aotearoa 74 (2011): 54-57. Print.

Mischner, Isabelle H. S., Hein T. Van Schie, Daniël H. J. Wigboldus, Rick B. Van Baaren, and Rutger C. M. E. Engels. “Thinking Big: The Effect of Sexually Objectifying Music Videos on Bodily Self-Perception in Young Women.” Body Image 10.1 (2013): 26-34. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Palmer, Chris. “Katy Roars, Elephant Whimpers.” Peta.org. PETA, 10 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Perry, Katy (katyperry). “Tweets.” Twitter account. Twitter.com. Twitter, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Perry, Katy. “Katy Perry – Roar (Official).” Video file. KatyPerryVEVO. YouTube.com. YouTube, 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

“Roar10xCertified.” KatyPerry.com . Capitol Records, 6 July 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Seabrook, John. “The Doctor Is In: A Technique for Producing No. 1 Songs.” NewYorker.com. Conde Nast, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Smith, Stacy L., and Aaron R. Boyson. “Violence in Music Videos: Examining the Prevalence and Context of Physical Aggression.” Journal of Communication 52.1 (2002): 61-83. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Sprankle, Eric L., Christian M. End, and Miranda N. Bretz. “Sexually Degrading Music Videos and Lyrics: Their Effects on Males’ Aggression and Endorsement of Rape Myths and Sexual Stereotypes.” Journal of Media Psychology 24.1 (2012): 31-39. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Straw, Will. “Music videos.” The International Encyclopedia of Communication. Ed. W. Donsbach. 2008. Print.

Thaller, Jonel, and Jill Theresa Messing. “(Mis)Perceptions Around Intimate Partner Violence in the Music Video and Lyrics for ‘Love the Way You Lie’.” Feminist Media Studies 14.4 (2014): 623-39. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Turner, Jacob S. “Sex and the Spectacle of Music Videos: An Examination of the Portrayal of Race and Sexuality in Music Videos.” Sex Roles 64.3-4 (2011): 173-91. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

“Twitter top 100 most followers.” Twittercounter.com . Twitter, 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Van Oosten, Johanna M. F., Jochen Peter, and Patti M. Valkenburg. “The Influence of Sexual Music Videos on Adolescents’ Misogynistic Beliefs: The Role of Video Content, Gender, and Affective Engagement.” Communication Research 42.7 (2015): 986-1008. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Van Ouytsel, Joris, Koen Ponnet, and Michel Walrave. “The Associations Between Adolescents’ Consumption of Pornography and Music Videos and Their Sexting Behavior.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 17.12 (2014): 772-78. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

“Vevo Top Videos Most Viewed All Time.” Vevo.com. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Wallis, Cara. “Performing Gender: A Content Analysis of Gender Display in Music Videos.” Sex Roles 64.3-4 (2011): 160-72. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Zhang, Yuanyuan, Laura E. Miller, and Kristen Harrison. “The Relationship Between Exposure to Sexual Music Videos and Young Adults’ Sexual Attitudes.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 52.3 (2008): 368-86. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Zhang, Yuanyuan, Travis L. Dixon, and Kate Conrad. “Rap Music Videos and African American Women’s Body Image: The Moderating Role of Ethnic Identity.” Journal of Communication 59.2 (2009): 262-78. Web. 16 Sept. 2015.

Author Bio:

Dr. Jordan M. McClain is Assistant Teaching Professor of Communication at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. He enjoys researching and teaching about framing in music journalism, celebrity, the intersection of television and music culture, and consumer culture. For the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) he serves on the executive board,  as Music area co-chair,  and as Journalism and News Media area chair. For the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA), he chairs the Professional Development area.

Social media:

Academia.edu: https://drexel.academia.edu/JordanMcClain LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-m-mcclain-72304163 Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_mcclain

Reference Citation:

McClain, Jordan M. “ A Framework for Using Popular Music Videos to Teach Media Literacy.” Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy  3.1 (2016). Web and Print.  

McClain, J. M. (2016).   A framework for using popular music videos to teach media literacy.  Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy. 3 (1).  http://journaldialogue.org/issues/a-framework-for-using-popular-music-videos-to-teach-media-literacy/ 

Tags: Communication , Digital Media , Media , Media Education , Media Literacy , media studies , Music Videos , New Media , pedagogy , Popular Culture

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The Social Contract: a Melodic Approach to Political Philosophy

This essay is about the social contract, a foundational concept in political philosophy, and its parallels with the dynamics of a jazz ensemble. It explores how thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau envisioned the social contract as a theoretical agreement among individuals to form a government that ensures order and protects their rights. The essay compares this agreement to the cooperation required in a jazz band, where musicians must listen, adapt, and work together to create harmonious music. It also examines the relevance of the social contract in modern governance, environmental sustainability, and educational institutions, highlighting the importance of cooperation, mutual obligations, and shared goals in achieving a just and equitable society.

How it works

Imagine a bustling jazz club, where musicians gather to create spontaneous and harmonious music. This setting offers a unique perspective to understand the social contract, a foundational concept in political philosophy articulated by thinkers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Just as jazz musicians must cooperate, listen, and adapt to one another to create a coherent performance, individuals in a society agree to form a government that ensures order and protects their rights. By exploring this analogy, we can uncover fresh insights into the principles of the social contract and its relevance to both political theory and the art of improvisation.

Thomas Hobbes, in his influential work “Leviathan” (1651), envisioned a state of nature where life would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Hobbes believed that without a central authority, individuals would be driven by self-interest and perpetual fear, leading to chaos and conflict. This scenario can be likened to a chaotic jam session without any agreed-upon structure or harmony, where each musician plays independently, resulting in dissonance. To escape this disorder, Hobbes argued that individuals collectively agree to surrender some of their freedoms to a sovereign authority, much like musicians agreeing to follow a bandleader’s cues. This sovereign, with absolute power, ensures peace and order, guiding the ensemble to create a harmonious performance.

John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government” (1689) presents a more optimistic view, akin to a well-rehearsed jazz ensemble. Locke argued that individuals in the state of nature possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property and are generally rational and capable of self-governance. This state of nature resembles a group of skilled musicians who can improvise beautifully on their own but come together to create something greater. According to Locke, the social contract forms a government with limited powers, designed to protect these natural rights. If the government fails to uphold its duties, much like a bandleader who cannot coordinate the group effectively, the musicians (citizens) have the right to replace them. Locke’s vision emphasizes a government accountable to its people, where the collective efforts of individuals create a symphony of freedom and protection.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in his work “The Social Contract” (1762), offered yet another perspective. Rousseau emphasized equality and the general will, arguing that individuals enter into a social contract to achieve collective self-governance and promote the common good. This can be likened to a jazz ensemble where each musician’s contribution is vital, and the bandleader represents the collective will of the group. Rousseau envisioned a form of direct democracy, where citizens actively participate in decision-making, akin to musicians having a say in the direction of the performance. His vision highlights the importance of collaboration and shared purpose, ensuring that the final performance resonates with the values and aspirations of the entire community.

The theoretical framework of the social contract extends beyond political philosophy and finds intriguing parallels in the world of jazz. Just as the social contract emphasizes consent, mutual obligations, and the protection of rights, a jazz ensemble relies on mutual respect, cooperation, and the interdependence of its members. This analogy underscores the importance of working together and respecting mutual responsibilities to achieve a harmonious and successful outcome.

In modern governance, the social contract remains a crucial framework for understanding the relationship between individuals and the state. Debates over social justice, individual rights, and the role of government often invoke the principles of the social contract. Issues such as economic inequality and civil liberties can be examined through this lens, much like assessing the dynamics of a jazz performance. A well-governed society, where each citizen’s role is respected and valued, parallels a well-coordinated jazz ensemble where all musicians contribute to and benefit from a cohesive performance.

The social contract also finds relevance in contemporary movements advocating for environmental sustainability. Much like an ensemble that must maintain balance and harmony, societies must navigate the complexities of preserving natural resources for future generations. The collective agreement to protect the environment reflects a long-term commitment to the common good, mirroring Rousseau’s emphasis on the general will guiding decision-making. Environmental policies, thus, become a modern manifestation of the social contract, where the goal is to achieve ecological balance and sustainability.

Educational institutions, too, operate on a form of social contract. Students agree to adhere to academic standards and conduct codes, while institutions commit to providing quality education and resources. This mutual agreement fosters an environment conducive to learning and personal development, akin to the collaborative spirit of a jazz ensemble working towards a flawless performance. The cooperative nature of an academic community mirrors the interdependent relationships within a jazz band, highlighting the importance of shared goals and mutual support.

The enduring relevance of the social contract theory lies in its ability to adapt to various contexts and provide insights into the dynamics of human interactions and governance. From the philosophical musings of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau to the practical applications in jazz ensembles, modern governance, environmental policies, and educational settings, the principles of the social contract remain deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. By examining these diverse applications, we can appreciate the profound impact of the social contract on shaping the structures and dynamics of human society.

The social contract is not merely a historical concept but a living framework that continues to influence contemporary thought and practice. Its emphasis on consent, mutual obligations, and the balance between individual rights and collective responsibilities offers valuable insights into the ongoing quest for a just and equitable society. As we navigate the complexities of modern life, the social contract serves as a guiding principle for fostering cooperation, trust, and shared commitment to the common good. Much like a jazz ensemble, where each musician’s contribution is essential to the overall harmony, the social contract underscores the importance of working together to create a society that resonates with the values and aspirations of all its members.

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Please Please Please

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Please Please Please Lyrics

How to Format Lyrics:

• Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
• Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
• Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
• Use italics ( <i>lyric</i> ) and bold ( <b>lyric</b> ) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
• If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

“Please Please Please” is the second single from Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album, Short n' Sweet . The track captures a mix of affection, frustration, and concern. The lyrics explore the complexities of loving someone who might not always make the best decisions, and emphasize Carpenter’s desire to protect both her relationship and pride. It is rumored to be about her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan , who stars as Sabrina Carpenter’s love interest in the song’s music video .

The track was first teased on April 11, 2024, when a 4-second snippet was played in the police car at the end of the “Espresso” music video . Sabrina Carpenter posted the same snippet online on June 2, 2024, almost 2 months after it was initially heard. The following day, she teased the song’s announcement in the caption of the Short n' Sweet album announcement post :

i also have a surprise coming for you on thursday night so keep an eye out!!

As promised, on June 5, 2024, Sabrina Carpenter officially announced that “Please Please Please” would be the next single by posting the trailer for its music video .

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

I ended the last video getting arrested, so naturally I thought it would be satisfying to start the “Please Please Please” video in jail. I liked the idea of falling in love with a convict and being shocked and embarrassed every time he commits crimes. I was sooo lucky to get Barry Keoghan in the video cause he is just magic on screen.

— Sabrina Carpenter via Vogue

During the tracking week ending June 22, 2024, the song debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song marks her highest peaking single to date on the chart.

• 1. Please Please Please
• 2. Please Please Please (Acoustic)
• 3. Please Please Please (Clean)
• 4. Please Please Please (Sped Up)
• 5. Please Please Please (Slowed Down)
• 6. Please Please Please (A cappella)
• 7. Please Please Please (Instrumental)
• 8. Please Please Please (Radio Edit)

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Undergraduate Admission

Application requirements & enhancements.

Our admission counselors review each application carefully, taking into consideration your academic background, life experiences and interests. We don’t have a minimum test score or GPA range to gauge your potential for admission, but there are some things that can make you a stronger candidate.

Required for admission consideration

We look for students who have been successful in a variety of challenging courses, especially those that are above and beyond what’s required for graduation. And we understand every school is different, so we evaluate your transcript specifically against your high school's curriculum.

Prior to high school graduation, we require you to complete a minimum of:

• English: 4 years
• Math: 3 years
• Science: 3 years (2 must be laboratory science)
• Social studies: 3 years
• Foreign language: 2 years

If you're interested in engineering or the sciences, we recommend an additional year of math and laboratory science. Leaning more toward the liberal arts? We’d suggest another year of social studies and foreign language.

Application essay

All first-year students must complete an essay via the Common App or Coalition with Scoir. What you share in your essay is completely up to you—it should be about conveying who you are to the admission staff. No matter the topic, personalize it. Add a part of you into the piece, and make it genuine.

Arts Supplement Required for music majors and those who are pursing a Arts Achievement Scholarship in either music or art studio

Applicants who are required to submit an Arts Supplement will see this required checklist item on their applicant status portal. Students must upload their portfolio materials using the portfolio updater prior to completing the Arts Supplement. You can access the portfolio uploader by logging into your applicant portal using your CWRU Network ID and clicking Edit Portfolio.

The Arts Supplement is optional for all other applicants. (More on that below.)

Opportunities to enhance your application

We understand there may be more you want to share with us than can fit neatly on the Common App or Coalition with Scoir. Though not required as part of their application, some students choose to share additional information that may possibly strengthen their application and help us get to know them better. We welcome you to share such information with us.

Optional ways to enhance your application include the following:

Test-optional policy

Case Western Reserve University is test-optional.  Read about our test-optional policy .

We “superscore” our students’ test results, which means we take your best scores on each section of the SAT and ACT. If you took a test more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you received in each individual section of the exam.

Here’s a look at admitted student statistics for the Class of 2025:

Middle 50% 

• SAT Total: 1420-1510
• ACT Composite: 32-35
• Unweighted GPA: 3.6–4.0
• Test optional: 42%

Ordinarily, scores for standardized tests taken in November of your senior year arrive in time for Early Action or Early Decision I deadlines, and scores for tests taken in January arrive in time for Early Decision II or Regular Decision consideration.

To ensure your application can be fully reviewed in time for your chosen decision plan, you should take tests by the following dates:

• Nov. 30 : Early Action, Early Decision I and Pre-Professional Scholars Program applicants
• Dec. 31 : Early Decision II and Regular Decision applicants

Share your talents

Arts Supplements are required for music and music education majors and available to all applicants. If you intend to submit an arts supplement, be sure to indicate this on your application.

The arts supplement is due 15 days after the application deadline and can be completed via your applicant portal .  For detailed information:

Scholarship Audition and Portfolio Requirements

• Prepare two contrasting monologues, one Shakespeare and one contemporary, not to exceed a total time of four minutes. You may also prepare 16 bars of any song, but this is not required. If possible, please present a headshot and resume at the audition.

A portfolio presentation is needed for the directing concentration. Your portfolio should consist of the following:

• A one-page resume documenting your theater experience (directing, acting, playwriting, design, stage management, etc.).
• A one- to two- page director’s concept for a published play or musical that you would be interested in directing, detailing your vision for the show (characters, moods and tones, visual aspects) in addition to what you would want the audience to take away from the production in terms of its central themes and ideas.
• Production photos from previous projects you have directed (if applicable, not required).
• You should be prepared to speak about your interest and passion for directing as well as your previous directing and/or theater experience.

Dramatic Writing/Playwriting

• Submit a 20-page sample of your work in either playwriting or screenwriting (or both) at least one week before the interview date. This can include either an excerpt from a full-length work or a combination of shorter pieces, such as 10-minute plays or short-film scripts. While dramatic writing is preferred, you may also submit other examples of your creative writing, such as short stories, poetry, essays, etc.

Stage Management

• Bring your stage management binders, copies of scripts you have worked on (with cues written in), paperwork related to the show, and any other evidence of skills related to stage management such as organization, managing/coordinating large groups of people, multitasking and communication.
• A one-page resume of experience in theater is required. You may also include experience in a related field, such as art, architecture, graphics or photography. Additionally, a statement of intent—even if that statement is exploratory—should be provided. Other materials may include a portfolio demonstrating skills in theater (renderings, sketches, paperwork, scale drawings, production photos, etc.) and related areas (artwork, photography, drawing, drafting, computer graphics, etc.). The portfolio may be in scrapbook format. Art projects or model-making could substitute or be included with the other requirements. The material should be organized into some kind of cohesive presentation, with identifying labels for references. The interviewer will retain a copy of your resume but will not keep your portfolio. Portfolio is for presentation purposes only.
• Submit a video and complete an online questionnaire for pre-screening by dance department faculty. The video submission should be 90 seconds to three minutes in length, and you should be clearly visible. Do not submit ensemble footage. Video may be from technique class or performance.
• Submit a portfolio PowerPoint consisting of 24 pieces of your work. Each image credit line should include the name of the piece, the dimensions, the material, media and the date completed. (For example: Self-Portrait, 18” x 24”, media soft pastel on paper, fall 2021.) If you are showing three-dimensional work, i.e. sculpture or pottery, you may want to show two different views, front and side, etc. You may also want to choose to photograph a specific detail.
• Autobiography : A short (250-word) essay, citing your course of study in the visual arts. Include any special out-of-school activities, i.e., art camp, working as a teaching assistant doing creative activities, or private art lessons. Describe both your junior high and high school art experiences, courses that you took, and subjects that you studied.
• Program of study : A separate, short (250-word) essay of what you hope to gain participating in our program in Art History and Art. You may want to consult the Art History and Art website for courses that are available for you to take.

Tell us more about yourself

Additional materials can be shared through a form on your applicant portal. You can use this opportunity to share videos, web links, PDFs, documents, photos and more.

Some students use this as an opportunity to add additional context to their application with materials like:

• Additional letters of recommendation
• Research abstracts
• ACT writing tests
• Schoolhouse.world tutor transcripts
• Predicted IB results
• Though not all may be eligible for college credit at CWRU, these test scores can still enhance your application. You can send scores directly to us or self-report them via your portal.

Anything you have that can help us know you better and understand the contributions you can make to our campus are welcome and appreciated.  

History of MTV: Music Videos Development Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

The series “2001 Documentary on 80s Pop and Birth of MTV Music Videos” explores the history of MTV and the shift from radio towards video-based music consumption. After cable television became available to people, and MTV started playing first music videos, the world of pop music was changed forever. This essay discusses three topics from the documentary – the influence of foreign musicians, the role of dancing in music videos, and the exploration of gender by popular artists.

One of the significant events that affected charts in the United States was the entrance of British and European bands. Before the 1980s, few foreign musicians were famous in the US, and their records were not sold at the same rate as American ones. However, as they were accustomed to music videos, their popularity soon exploded with the help of MTV, and pop music was influenced by such genres as art pop, punk, and new wave.

The visual nature of music videos demanded the presentation of each composition to be exciting and memorable. Thus, many artists began using dance as a means of attracting an audience. One of the artists who redefined the quality of dance-based videos was Michael Jackson. His video for “Thriller” was a hit that made it clear that to succeed, musicians had to dance. Thus, later music videos started featuring dance routines with intricate moves and multiple performers.

The medium of video was also a chance for artists to explore such topics as gender and sexuality. While many popular songs in the previous decades did not challenge listeners in any way, the music of the 1980s put the musicians’ faces and fashion in the foreground. Performers such as Boy George and Annie Lennox of Eurythmics introduced the concept of androgyny to the public, questioning the limits of femininity and masculinity. Arguably, these and other artists started a discussion of beauty standards and gender roles among listeners and the music industry as a whole.

To sum up, the introduction of a new medium changed the music industry in the span of a decade. In the 1980s, the shift towards visuals influenced how people listened to and thought about music. Cable television allowed European performers to seek popularity abroad. Dancing became inseparable from music, and audiences wanted to be entertained by musicians. Finally, such topics as gender and sexuality entered the minds of the public.

• MTV Networks and the Arabian Market Challenge
• MTV Pop Culture: The Lyrics by Dire Straits
• MTV Channel and Music Video Genre
• TV Violence Programs: Finding Common Ground
• The Types of Television Comedies
• Influence of Television on People's Happiness
• TV Violence, Increasing Crime Levels and Child Aggression
• TV Presence in the Life of Infants
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, February 15). History of MTV: Music Videos Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-mtv-music-videos-development/

"History of MTV: Music Videos Development." IvyPanda , 15 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-mtv-music-videos-development/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'History of MTV: Music Videos Development'. 15 February.

IvyPanda . 2022. "History of MTV: Music Videos Development." February 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-mtv-music-videos-development/.

1. IvyPanda . "History of MTV: Music Videos Development." February 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-mtv-music-videos-development/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "History of MTV: Music Videos Development." February 15, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/history-of-mtv-music-videos-development/.

Katy Perry Teases Upcoming Era With Announcement of New Single ‘Woman’s World,’ Releasing July 11

By Steven J. Horowitz

Steven J. Horowitz

Senior Music Writer

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After she recently held private listening sessions for her upcoming sixth album, Katy Perry has officially announced that the first single for the project, “Woman’s World,” will arrive next month.

The pop star plans to drop “Woman’s World” on July 11 at 7 p.m. ET, with the official video to premiere the following day. She also revealed the single cover art, shot by Jack Bridgland, portraying her in metallic armor-like pants and a bikini top. Perry teased a snippet of “Woman’s World” on TikTok, singing along to the lyrics in a selfie-style video.

@katyperry WOMAN’S WORLD SONG JULY 11 VIDEO JULY 12 PRE-SAVE + PRE-ORDER GET READY TO POP OFF KATYPERRY.COM ♬ Womans World by Katy Perry – Katy Perry

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In the time since “Smile,” Perry descended on Las Vegas for her Play residency, which ran from 2021 to 2023. The final performance, which took place last November, teased her incoming era, with the message “See you next year” flashing on a screen at its conclusion.

Perry has kept busy outside of music with a stint as a judge on “American Idol” for seven seasons. In February, she announced that the 22nd season would be her last, and she finished her stint on the show in May. In September, she sold her catalog for $255 million to Litmus Music , the Carlyle-backed company that launched in 2022 and also purchased Keith Urban’s rights to his master recordings.

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