Research 3: Empire of The Sun - Walking On a Dream (Video 2)

Again a music video, this time I have chosen to look at a different genre. This is a more upbeat song, with lyrics and a lot of lip syncing. This is a problem with the previously researched video as there were no lyrics. (Now that lip syncing is a requirement, I will have to choose a song with lyrics otherwise there will be no opportunity of lip syncing).
This video is very post modern, with very extravagant costumes and what can only be described as 'not normal' behaviour. The song is called 'Walking On A Dream' by Empire of the Sun and it is a very popular song, mainly because of the outrageousness of the band and the interest made by the video.

Here are some screen grabs of points in the video which I found interesting and could potentially incorporate into my final composition regarding effects and locational shots etc...

 This first image shows a sort of surreal world, which is suitable given the song name, making the mise en scene look unrealistic and 'dream' like.
The easiest way of replicating this would be to use props made specifically for the shoot, and then green-screen the actor into the image. It would not be easy, but it is certainly possible to use this idea and incorporate it into my music video. The mise en scene may not be the same, but effect could be achieved easily enough.

 This next screen grab is what I would call a locational shot. It shows the two singers evidently in an urban area, probably a city, still dressed in obscene clothing, emphasising the theme of the song. The mise en scene is now real life, yet  the actors are still in the same place as the previous screen grab. The fact that this is in an urban area, with the theme of the song being of the opposite genre, this adds a contrast which is interesting for the audience to notice, making it a more interesting video to watch.

I chose to screen grab this shot because of the contrast between background and foreground. There is a huge lens flare almost whiting out the centre of the image, with the dream city behind the two actors pictured at a medium shot, inviting the audience to join them.
In order to create a replica of this image, simply an image or video of the background will be placed behind a green-screened shot of the two actors. Brightness, levels and other effects can be added after the shots have been taken.

This shot has a slight depth of field making the foreground in focus ad the background slightly out of focus. You are still able to view everything that is happening in the background and see shapes, but there is no real detail. The mise en scene of this clip has no real features, it is just in a room with a red wall and some shapes on the wall. It makes it fairly interesting to look at, however there is nothing to say where they are or why they are there. I would definitely include this sort of shot in my music video because I feel that without having an actual location, it is easier to focus on the meaning of the song, with the emotion of the actors potentially being picked up more than when walking through as scene, where the audience's attention can be easily diverted.

This screen grab is my favorite shot in the whole video. It is used various times, but the way the face is made to glow on a black background, with emphasis on the hair and eyes creates a lot of emotion and expression. Provided they are a good actor, this shot has the potential to be vital to getting the genre of the music video across, rather than just relying on the words of the song themselves. This shot is unique as it tells the story from a different perspective, disregarding lyrics or narrative, it is all said in the expression of the person in shot. Including this sort of shot in my video could be useful if there is no narrative, or parts of the song without narrative.