2004- Avril Lavigne - So Much for My Happy Ending
The focus in this video seems to be split between cross-cutting between a story-telling scenario and the singer singing alone. There is also a heavy theme of playing instruments at intervals alongside the telling of a story. Mis-en-scene seems important in this video as the shots often work to establish the dark places she is in to match the hopelessness of the song.
2005 - Backstreet Boys - Incomplete
This music video also uses an empty setting to convey the song's message of pain and being alone. Slow motion shots are used of the sand and leaves blowing. Light shining from behind the singers is also used. The playing of instruments is also a running theme in the video.
2006- Gwen Stefani- Hollaback Girl
The video here also uses slow motion shots of the gymnasts falling. Close ups of the singer are frequently used and musical instruments are also being played at parts of the video, too.
2007- Nelly Furtado - Say it Right
We see in this video either the shots or the people in the video move to the beat of the song. The shots have a fast changing pace and lots of close ups and extreme close ups are cross-cut in around the main body of the video. The camera movement is smooth but fairly constant to create a sensation of rhythm to the video.
2008- Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
The video here also uses slow motion shots of the feathers falling alongside very brief inserts and cross-cutting of close ups and extreme close ups. This helps the video to flow and tailors it to match the varying pace of different sections of the song.
2009-Owl City- Fireflies
This music video is fairly simple in comparison with the constant changing setting on many of the others. There is a running theme of light and the video focuses on all the different points of light in the room as things begin to come to life. The playing of an instrument is again a very large part of the video.
2010- Ke$ha- Blah Blah Blah
In this video there are lots of close ups of the main singer and her expressions. Some scenes are sped up in pace and set to match the beat or mix of the song. The singer is often shown in the same place as she she cross-cut in singing the chorus and some lines of the verses. This holds the video together nicely as the clip of her in the same place gives a structure to the video.
2011- Maroon 5- Moves Like Jagger
In this video the focus is very much on the singers themselves in a simple unchanging setting. Instruments are played and dances are used. The contrast of colour and no colour also add to the effect of the video. Extreme close ups are used of women's eyes at point which work nicely around the shots of the dancers and band.
2012- Calvin Harris- Feel so Close
This video follows the stories of many different characters. Many different settings and kinds of people are used. A great deal of slow motion shots are used on things such as hair blowing in the wind and people dancing.
2013- One Direction- Kiss you
In this video we see the importance of setting. The video itself is a montage of making a video. The content fits the energetic theme of the music and the pace is fast with the scenes changing quickly to keep the watcher's interest.
Overall by watching these videos over a progression of time I have noticed many themes within pop videos:
- The characters often have a strong light source behind them in some shots
- The camera is NEVER stationary
- The use of many close-ups and cross-cutting them into the video is essential.
- The playing of instruments or having them in the video is highly common
- Some forms of dancing are often included
- The setting is often reflective of the mood of the piece. If sad, a darker area, if happy the setting is bright with a great deal of colour.
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