Carol Vernallis Quotes

'Quick cutting or editing on the beat' - Carol Vernallis
What is clear for my detailed research is that the music videos synchronise the images with the rhythm of the music itself. Vernallis states that the videos exhibit 'quick cutting or editing on the beat', this is evident in a number of videos I have analysed such as Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry.


The music videos I have analysed have a number of very short scenes or edits with consistently quick cuts; this notion is also explored by Vernallis who states 'edits in music videos come far more frequently then in film'


There is a massive responsibility on editing in music videos. The editing has to be able to convey the narrative. 


'Music video editing bears far greater responsibility for many elements than does classic Hollywood film editing'


'...the editing in a music video works hand in hand to ensure that no single element (the narrative, the setting, the performance, the star, the lyrics, the song) gains the upper hand.'

Eminem ft Rihanna; Love The Way You Lie

This video isn't chronological as it is not shown with a progression of time. Montage shows sense of their relationship. Leaps from different types; flash backs. Editing in time with music. Series of close-ups which are codes for their emotions. Drifting in and out of focus; spontaneous.
The artists aren't on a stage. 2 worlds collide; performers are part of the narrative. Actors mime the lyrics.
Fire is code for destruction, anger, a burning desire, pain, fire in their belly.
The mise-en-scene is realistic because it's in an everyday house. They don't care about the outside world as they have the curtains closed. Natural light makes it look devine. Insight to their lifestyle (beer bottle). Editing in time with the music. Costume creates image.
Code for liberty, freedom, he has escaped to field, juxtaposition. Tilt, pan, this field may go on forever. Iconic costume of Eminem; white vest Rihanna is code for sexuality. Camera tracks them, facial expressions.

Lady GaGa ft Beyonce; Telephone

Main conventions used:
- Explicit reference to Thelma and Louise and Kill Bill
- Establishing shot; jail
- Low angle shots; especially on the fence. This gives the illusion that it is higher than it actually it, to show that the character cannot get out
- Many establishing shots at the beginning of the video
- Font is;
-- Yellow and pink
-- 90's font graphic
-- Feminine, block, chunky
-- Promotes 'girl power'
- CCTV Shot
- High angles
- Progressive narrative
- Iconic shoulders
- Old fashioned costumes
- Titillation
- Erotic clothing
- Dolly shots, showing Lady Gaga's point of view
- Breaks the 30 degree rule
- Realistic mise en scene
- Juxtaposition with costumes
- The baton is a code for phallic
- Breaks 180 degree rule
- Product placement
- Not realistic camera work
- The video makes the artist seem very important
- Neurotic, intimate camera work
- Match on action
- Series of stills; jump cuts
- Phallic sausage role


Lady GaGa is iconic for her odd outfits and strange behaviour. This was a break through video breaking many rules. It included a narrative at the beginning to introduce Lady GaGa and to set the scene, there was also a narrative break in the middle to introduce Beyonce. Having breaks in the music for the artist's, promotes the importance of both these artists as individuals. The theme for this video is obvious 'girl power', the video is filled with women in erotic clothing through out, there aren't many men, but those that are in it are taken of their masculinity.


From this video, I especially like the idea of having a 'theme', so I will think of a theme for my own, as I think it makes the video more personal and intriguing.

2pac; Ghetto Gospel

- Point of view shot
- Close up
- Establishing shot
- Helicopter hints to the audience that there is a crime scene
- The video goes straight into the action
- Non diegetic sounds
- Stereo typical costume
- Defocusing
- Realistic environment
- Dark to light
- Happy times are with Elton John's voice
- Hand held camera; this helps the video seem more realistic
- Run down area; this is shown with a graffiti infested area
- Bars; this is a code for crime
- The narrative is given by a montage of clips and images
- - A single parent household
- - Dodgy dealings
- - Bible and church show a religious side
- A conventional hip hop video
- Constantly focuses on the narrative; we know this because there are no flashes to the artist singing. The point of the video was to get a point across to its audience, a tribute to 2Pac.
- The video is a cycle as it starts and ends at the same point. This happens in many music video's that I have analysed such as Katy Perry's Waking Up In Vegas.
- Temporal leaps; the montage isn't in a specific order.
- There is a clock on the side, to give a sense of time.
- The weather uses pathetic fallacy to reflect the mood of the video.
- Fades to black are used to show a change in time.
- The man is shown living a gangsta life yet a religious side is also shown.
- Graphic matches
- Close up on hands; code for drug money.
- Shows the man as a family man; a good person.
- As the man is walking alone, he seems like he is isolated. He has gates either side to him, as if there is no way out.


This video, shows a story and is more about the narrative than the actual music. It is a message to many young people who are doing illegal things, that you can always turn your life around, before it's too late. The message has been put clearly across by using a real life story as you can see the actual artist on the television in the background which affects the audience in a more personal way.

Green Day; Wake Me Up When September Ends

The two young people in the video who are smiling together are code for warmth, happiness, Summer and young love.
The washing hanging in the background is a code for the lifestyle they live in, middle class.
The lighting drains when the narrative shows the lifestyle that the boy has adopted.
The video has an opening dialogue which is a typical convention in alot of music videos, this has been placed to show the audience the background story of what happens in the narrative.
Other conventions used are
- intimate camera work
- sound bridges
- extreme close ups
- in and out of focus
- contrapuntal music
- a narrative in the interlude
- short, sharp edits
- images and narrative are in time
- band performing live
- series of each band mate
- juxtaposition between the girls life, and the boys life
- diegetic sounds
- images relate to the narrative and tell the story


This music video shows a lot of the narrative because it shows itself as a film at the beginning and middle and the characters stories progress throughout the video. However, the artist has showed the band performing to remind the audience of the actual music. They show their faces as well as the instruments to show that they make all their music themselves. This video has a good mixture of narrative and music.

Katy Perry; Waking Up In Vegas

- Starts with non diegetic music of the gambling machine.
- Dull colours, glamorous clothes but not so glamorous lifestyle.

    - The mis-en-scene is showing a poor non-glamorous lifestyle. It is in a laundrette, with an over filled bin next to the machine. Dull colours signify the non-glamorous lifestyle.

-       - A two shot showing that the woman is leaning on the man. Looks glamorous.

-       - Close up of coin. Shows that this could change their life.

-       - Long shot establishes where they are and their life style, which is dreary.

-       - A juxtaposition of her lifestyles, it contrasts between rich and high class to low class working in a laundrette.

-       - Singer sings in the narrative.

-       - Close up of hands, showing they’re in this together. She has gloves on and he has a suit on.

-       - Close up of him putting money in the machine.

-       - Zooms into characters as they see that they might win the money, and keeps flashing back to the machine.

-       - Close up on money coming down.

-       - Two shot, man is blurred but Katy isn’t. Focus is on Katy as she sings, to remind viewer about the actual music.

-       - Zooms out, equal focus on both characters. They’re wearing same costume but the lighting is brighter. Shows they’re on a poker table; gambling.

-       - The fact that they’re at the poker table, it signifies that they have money to burn. Everything about them, the costume, mise-en-scene shows they have money.

-       - It is Las Vegas, so it’s very bright. Bright lights are blurred in the background whilst narrative shows the happy couple in the middle of the screen.

-       - Katy has very low cut tops, which shows sexuality.

-       - Close up on hands as she has a jolt in the music, so there the music matches the narrative.

-       - Lyric image match.

-       - Advertising in the video by showing Katy’s album on her music phone.

-       - Zooms into males back whilst the background is blurred. You can see Katys face as she is very surprised.

-       - Everybody is very nice to the couple when they’re rich.

-       - 1:12 ‘Did we get hitched last night, dressed up like Elvis’ – Go to the memory showing the wedding and the man dressed up as Elvis.

-       - 1:31 Establishing shot of Las Vegas, which goes with the song. There are fireworks, flash cars and bright lights; the city that never sleeps.

-       - 1:56 Dancing when there is no singing

-       - 2:09 The couple are in a phone booth, with money all around them. This signifies that Las Vegas in all about money.

-       - The brightness shows happiness. This suggests that money is needed to be happy.

-       - 2:22 Singer mixes the lyrics with the narrative here as she tells the character to ‘Shut up and put your money where your mouth is, that’s what you get for waking up in Vegas’

-       - 2:32 Lyric says ‘Shake the glitter off your clothes now’. When the song says this, the character appears to be losing her money whilst gambling.

-       - 2:42 ‘That’s what you get baby’ The character sings this herself whilst staring at the camera, so she is trying to warn the audience. As she says this, men are in her room taking her possessions away, showing that people are no longer nice to you once you don’t have the money to give to them.

-       - At 2:50, you see the opposite of 1:04 when the men take their room back. This shows that both pairs of people have hit their low and high times of having money.

-       - The video is in a cycle as it starts and ends at the same point.