ADVANCED PORTFOLIO
Music Video Project - A2 Media Studies - Alana, Lauren & Maddie
What is a Dance-Pop Genre?
Dance-Pop is a dance-orientated pop music genre that originally started in the early 1980's. It originally developed from post-disco and synthpop, it is usually up-tempo music intended for clubs with the purpose of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio.
Dance-Pop Music Video
A Dance-Pop Music Video is usually based around a performance or narrative theme, this is because the music video will either show a band set/live performance or will show a story. In a typical Dance-Pop video an expensive setting will be used and may contain several different locations, as well as a storyline based on a relationship or love interest.
M
i
se
En
Scene
Setting
In the music genre they tend to use various settings. If the music video is based around a performance idea the band/artist will use a band set up- as if they were performaimg to a crowd. Sometimes the setting may actually be a live perfromance at a concert, therefore they will be on a stage.
However if the music video is a narrative, it would typically be based around a party or pre event/ nightout so an expensive house/building, club or a big open space will be used for the setting. They will use one of these settings in order to link it with the audience and purpose of the song as it is typically aimed at teens/young adults therefore it will help show a party or night out.
Costumes and Make-up
The artists outfit and make-up will purely rely on what kind of music video they choose to do. If they choose to do a performance based music video they will where their own clothing- which will express their personality, genre and music that they sing. If it is a narrative video they may dress themselves or the actors, starring in the music video, in outfits that suit the song and video best. For example if the video is based at a party they may choose to dress them in fashionable clothing that will most likely be more 'dress up' as the actors will be attending a party so the clothing won't be a casual attire. For the females that feature in the music video their make-up will most probably be quite heavy as females typically wear more make-up when attending an event like this.
Lighting
Dance-Pop songs tend to be very upbeat with a fast tempo, therefore the lighting will be the same for most Dane-Pop music videos. The lighting may be very bright to express the mood of the song, which creates a positive atmosphere as the songs are quite fun as they are typically played at a danced based event. Dance-Pop music videos can also use spotlights to focus on the artist and band if doing a performance video but then will usually change to bright lights. Another lighting that can be used is strobe lights, which are usually found at a party setting or night event. They usually go with to the beat of the song which adds to the dancing and partying theme.
Composition
In a Dance-Pop performance muisc video the lead singer will be based at the front, centre as they will be the main focus in the video. Other band members will either be behind or to the side of the lead singer and will only have a few close ups- which may only be on the instruments that they are playing. If the Dance-Pop music video is a narrative then the main charcters will usually be the main focus of the video and will be the main focus in the shot. This helps the audience understand who the main characters are and who they should be focusing on.
Camera Shots and Angles
Dance-Pop music videos use a range of camera angles in order to show all of the different features.
Mid shot- Mid shots are a good camera angle to use in both performance and narrative based videos. In a performance video it gives you an individual view of the band members and the different instruments that they are playing. It also helps focus on the lead singer as it shows that they are the most important, with the other band members in the background. In a narrative based video, mid shots help locate parts of the settings, if long shots have yet to be used. It will also give you a clear shot of the characters, therefore understanding their purpose in the video.
Close up- Close ups are a good way to show more detail of the artist/band members/actors in both performance and narrative based videos. In a performance based video close ups tend to be used on the lead singer, where the shot will focus on their face. This helps show the facial expression of the lead singer which helps the audience identify the mood of the song. They can also be used on the band members instrument, to show the skill that they have and the purpose of them being in the band. In a narrative based video close ups are used on the main characters of the video, with the intention to show the audience the moods and personalities of the charcters- showing the emotion of the song.
Long shot- Long shots are used in both performance and narrative based music videos to identify the setting of either the stage/band set up or chosen location. It gives the audience a good view of where the music video is taking place and also helps them understand the genre of the song and artist.
Editing
Dance-Pop music usually has a fast and upbeat tempo which we will work the shots with. This means that we will use a lot of quick paced cutting through out the video, with different camera shots and angles in order to be in sync with the beat of the song. These jumps cuts will help produce a higher quality video, giving it a more professional feel.
Another thing that we will focus on is the lighting. Most dance-pop music videos are very bright and colourful, therfore we may use certain edits to enhance the video, to make it look more bright and colourful. This will all depend on the equipment that we have access to.
Dance-Pop Music Video
Audience
The target audience of dance-pop music is late teens to early twenties (18-25), the audience is generally female but can include some percentage of males. The reason being that most dance-pop music is related to a love story or interest, which would usually appeal to a female audience. However having the dance concept, where it would be played in a variety of venues, it may also appeal to a male audience depending on the meaning of the song.
The Saturdays//30 Days
The music video above shows a prime example of a typical dance-pop music video. It is based in an American diner where the five band members are attending a speed dating event- showing a love interest. The video also has scenes of the girls dancing and partying with other hired members- which was pointed out to be a main concept of a dance-pop music video. The girls are all dressed up in a fancy attire, with their clothing being skirts, tigth tops, dresses etc. They all wear heavy make up and are also seen applying it at the start of the video. There are various shots used , some examples are long shots, mid shots, close ups, wide shots etc. These range of shots outline the settings, the bands mood, the purpose of the song and the overall genre. The editing also uses quick paced cutting to move into the different scenes and also changes shots to show who is sinigng the different parts of the song.
Chosen Song For Media Project
DEMI LOVATO- REALLY DON'T CARE FT. CHER LLOYD
