Analysis of Student Work

I have chosen another students work at our school so I can see what they can produce with the same equipment that we are be using. This gives me a more clearer idea of the quality and just a general idea with what another pair have produced two years ago. The video is called American Girls by Counting Crows.



The video instantly catches your attention because they have used a reverse speed technique to show to the audience that they used to be in a 'perfect' relationship, but it has ended. This is a technique which isn't just interesting for the audience, but it tells them what the story is going to be, so it is clear for them at the beginning.

There was a good balance of performance and narrative in the video which is common in music videos and so it looks professional on the eye and establishes the band whilst showing the story line that is appropriately related to the lyrics.

Counting Crows have the genre of pop rock and so I think having the performers playing/singing on the roof, is a good convention for this genre as it shows there daring side, which is often associated with rock bands and singers. They use different techniques on the roof which was effective because they are showing a variety of performance shots from 1.08-1.31. Despite having lots of different performance shots within that time, the effect where the lead singer is playing in the background at 1.18 as it draws attention from the audience.

Different shots and angles in the video contribute to how the actors are feeling. For example, at 1.33 there is a  high angle shot to show the female character is in demand. This is obvious as it shows her throwing clothes out of a chest of drawers. At 2.48 there is an angled close-up of the male character to emphasise his pain and sadness for the audience to clearly establish. There are plenty of high angled shots of the lead singer also. This suggests to the audience his power and confidence which is also seen with his acting and so they both work well together.

However, I do feel that that certain sections on the performance side went on for too long. As above, 1.08-1.31 is along time in one location. They do cover this by using varied shots but I feel that another location was possibly needed for the band to perform in. At 2.20 it shows 'fans' watching the performance. I think it would have been effected to film them in a bit more detail; have a close-up of a fan in hysterics showing that the band  is well-established and more reasoning as to why the band are performing the way that they are.

Both the lead singer and the drummer are played in slow motion around the middle. This fitted well in time with the music, but I think it would have just been nice to include the guitarist in that sequence just so they can show that each instrument can fit into the music and brighten the music video up just that bit more. Finally, the sequence with more actors singing into the mirror, the female has natural light in the shot whilst the male doesn't. I don't think this symbolises, or is different for a particular reason. Therefore, it makes both sequences different despite the fact they are both thinking/feeling the same thing.

Overall, I think it is a strong music video. The video itself is completely different to Counting Crows' and this is something essential as you don't want to imitating.