Editing Structure for Music Videos

Carol Vernallis
Carol observed and studied editing in music videos.Vernallis' theory is based on 4 key concepts that all relate to te structure of the music video. They are
1. Editing
2. Narrative
3. Camera Movement and Framing
4. Diegesis

 In terms of editing she found that -

-the editing may match the musical phrases of the beat

-the video may disrupt or break the rules on 'continuity editing' 

-the editing may become 'foregrounded' - the edits may be edited in a way to make them more obvious to the audience

-more special affects such as jump cuts and wipes are used

In terms of the narrative within music videos she found that -
-the video is a visual response to the music itself
-there is not necessarily a balance between the narrative and performance
-there may not always be a clear resolution at the end
-the narrative is not always complete it may be partial
-the video may pose questions that it does not actually answer

Andrew Goodwin

Andrew Goodwin identified 5 key aspects to a music video

1 - Thought beats

The artist, firstly looks at the structure of the song and takes into account the different verses and chorus. Secondly, the artist takes into the account the voice of the song. Every artists' voice is unique within itself and with this they can form identification or trademarks that work well with the star image. Lastly, Goodwin also pointed out the mode of address. Songs can be seen as stories with the artist being the story teller.

2 - Narrative and performance

Goodwin explained that music videos should avoid common narrative, as an audience we should only really get a gist of what the meaning of the song is through the music video and lyrics. It should be left open to interpretation's of each individuals mind.

3 - Star Image

Star image is also another vital aspect of music videos that Goodwin identified. In most music videos, inparticual hip hop, a star image is built throughout as well as built through a meta narrative over a longer period of time. This star image adds character and personality ot the persona of the main musician that is represented.

4 - Relation of visuals to the song

This section is divided into three separate parts
1. Illustrate - Music videos can use a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is the most common technique used
2. Amplify - this is where the meanings and affects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video.
3. Disjucture - this is where the meaning of the song is compltetely ignored

5 - Technical aspects of the music video

Teachnical aspects of the music video is what brings and holds it all toether, such as the camera movement, angles, lighting, mise en scene, editing, sound and special effects. Lighting and colour helps the music video set key moments, such as of there is a dramatic moment. Mise en scene is vital to make the music video seem more professional.