Analysis of Music Video

1.     GAP: <Sound of Color>

What do black and white sound like?

To promote their colorful spring and summer collections, Gap enlisted Chris Do and the Blind team to create a video for Danish post-punk duo Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, better known as The Raveonettes. With only three weeks to conceive and complete the project, the team executed an edgy and elegant exploration of the contradictory forces that black and white represent.

‘Black and White’ utilizes light and shadow to convey the opposing themes of the piece, including love/hate, life/death, young/old, daydream/nightmare, and ugliness/beauty. The narrative unfolds through an innovative mix of shadow puppetry and animation, as two-dimensional characters come alive in a colorless world, underscored by The Raveonettes’ haunting vocals. A majority of the elements used in the video were shot in-camera, and puppeteers’ hands and rigging are often left in the shots to create a more spontaneous and organic aesthetic. The piece retains its whimsy through unexpected visuals, references to the beloved Danish fairy tales of Sune’s youth, and a richly textured physical and emotional landscape that can only be fully experienced after multiple viewings.

2. Gnarls Barkley      <Crazy>

The video opens on a white sheet of paper. In complement to the hypnotic, rolling beat, black ink blooms into expressive, dynamic forms. The ink shifts and re-pours into symmetrical ‘€œtests’€, subtle hints of the lyrics buried within each. The duo that make up Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, recur throughout: the side of a face, a crooning mouth. We slide from one to the next, the barrier between each vignette indistinct, in a firm, accelerating ride through the narrative. The forms evolve, and new ideas are introduced: hints of color add an emotional subtlety, a shock of scattering insects burst from a splattered drop.

3.<Good life> Kanye West
This Music Video use various graphic elements compined with the black and white Live-Action. The graphic elements are  colourful which express the theme- good life. Also, typography is most important elements in this music video. The motion of typography perfectly fit into the music and video pace.

Reflective Statement

Objective:

In order to have a broad understanding of the scope of my AOP- Motion Graphics, I explore different areas in Motion Graphics. Firstly, I focus on music video area, because these music videos have different media approaches and help me to have an appreciation of the technologies.

Learning Outcome:

Although some of these Music videos do not belong to Motion Graphics area, the creative approaches they used really inspire me. Through to analyze different styles of music video, I realize various approaches can be used to express ideas or themes. I also can adapt these approaches to create a motion graphics sequence.

Like:

1.     GAP: <Sound of Color>  Designer utilize shadow puppet approach to convey the opposing themes of this video. Also the style and idea development have given me a lot inspirations when I create a motion graphics work.

2.    Gnarls Barkley: < Crazy>  Today, ink form is a common way to be used in video. But the designer turn the live-Action into ink form animation in this music video, making the style different from ink forms. This work inspire me that how to create a creative approach to express specific themes.   

3.     <Good Life>  This is a great video which utilize graphic elements combined with live-Action. Typography can be as graphic elements perfectly fit into the pace of the motion. Through research of this music video, I learn how to make the typography interactive with the motion appropriately.