Music Video Analysis

The song we chose to analyse is “Mad” by Neyo. We chose to analyse this song because in terms of style and genre, it is similar to our music video. This is because both songs not only target the same demographic audience, teenagers, but also produce a similar type of emotion and feeling upon the audience and characters.

Technical aspects of the video:

When considering the technical aspects of this video, it is important to consider why the music video has been filmed and edited the way it has. This video is a perfect example in reference to this. First of all it has a black and white filter throughout. In my opinion this is used to emphasise on the sad/negative mood and emotion created in the video. There are a variety of different shots used frequently and effectively. These vary from medium shots through to close-up and extreme close-up shots. These camera shots are used so that the audience can not only see but also feel the emotion created by the characters and narrative. There is also the use of high angle shots that look down on the protagonist. In my opinion, this is used to create a sense of him being down not only literally but also emotionally in terms of being sad/upset. Again, this emphasises the negative mood of the narrative. The Mise en scene included in the video is quite typical in terms of the clothes. There is also rain that again connotes and adds to the negative mood of the narrative and song. The lip-syncing and performance are of high quality and therefore increase the overall standards of the video.

Narrative/Genre aspects:

This music video represents a typical R&B “boyfriend girlfriend” generic type song. Not only do the technical features create this, but also the narrative does. The narrative involves the protagonist arguing with his partner and then being run over by a car. He then appears as a ghost, which is confusing at first because it is unclear whether the little boy he tries to save from being ran over dies or whether he does. However this becomes a lot more obvious/clearer towards the end of the video. There is also a performance aspect that takes place. In this video, the artist is singing to the camera whilst being behind a fixed background. These camera shots vary during this for example there are not only long shots, but also close up shots portraying the emotion generated by him.

Overall, I think this is a very effective music video due to almost every factor. There is a powerful narrative, which effectively speaks for itself. The lyrics and narrative also reflect one and other. There is also excellent performing/acting creating a very emotional feeling upon both audience and the characters.