Generic Research: Case Study 2

 Mariposa – Peach Tree Rascals

https://youtube.com/watch?v=U3RjdVmny6A&feature=share

The music video “Mariposa” by Peach Tree Rascals reflects the same aesthetic that I would like to portray in my NEA, depicting a small group of friends exploring the desolate streets and fields in the late evening when the sun is almost going down. Many of the shot types that they use I would also like to include, especially with their reoccurring theme of ‘running’, which I would replace with shots of my main character skateboarding. There is a lack of clear narrative as the video mostly consists of close up shots of the lead singer lip syncing, however the casual vibe of young adults having fun does link to some of what I will include in my final NEA. As Peach Tree Rascals produces indie music that is fun and upbeat, whilst themselves being a young and refreshing band, they appeal to a similar target audience as the one I will be basing my NEA around. 

 

 

 

Camerawork:

This music video makes use of repeated low angle long shots when the song lyrics say “but I’ll keep running”, placing emphasis on the character running, supporting Goodwin’s theory of song lyrics being visually reflected in music videos. I like how these shots capture the mise en scene in the background, whilst also capturing the singer in the mid ground, and the road in the foreground, pulling all these aspects together to create a scene full of life. The contrast between the pink sky, grey road and red trainers make a visually pleasing scene with beautiful cinematography of the natural setting in the background. I hope to reflect scenes like this but instead of running, my main character Hayden will be skating, and I am hopeful to film around Leigh on sea where there are many different settings that I can film Hayden on this journey.

The Close up shot of the man running places significance on moving forward on a journey, and the bright orange trainers add an eye catching aspect to the dull concrete road. These kinds of shots will be effective to use in my music video with the lyrics “the road is long” and “hell of a drive”.

“Mariposa” also uses extreme long shots to capture beautiful mise en scenes. The shots of the lead singer standing in the centre of a field with the sun beaming down create a very aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical image. Shots like these would be effective to recreate but obviously aren’t very natural and are clearly set up to be so perfect, therefore I would like to adapt this idea to look more candid by using a similar beautiful background, but a group of people having fun, oblivious to the camera filming them. 

This more adheres to shot like this, where the characters are just chatting normally, and the camera is filming this candid and natural experience.

 

Editing:

The editing of this music video is pretty basic with simple cuts between different shots to keep the video relaxed to follow the same tempo as the song. A lot of the running scenes cut between shots in time with the music, having the runner get closer with each cut. I would like to replicate this with similar shots of Hayden skateboarding so that shots that last longer, progress faster and don’t get boring for the audience to keep watching. When the my video gets to the “lalalala” section, it would be a good idea to use similar cuts to to keep up with the tempo of the song.

The video makes use of a split screen at some points to portray mirroring shots of the characters in similar positions but different locations. This creates a nice contrast of colours and mise en scene, and also nice opposition- Strauss’s theory. I would like to make use of edits such as this to show the different lives of my characters, and portray two narratives at once. This would work nicely to see how Hayden and his mum react within the same period of time, by using simple shots to not confuse the audience who will have to understand two different shots at once. 

The filter used on the final video creates a low contrast and low exposure image with high saturation to make the colours of the sky and mise en scene pop. This editing style makes the video feel very warm and summery, making the audience feel like they are experiencing this warm summer evening with the characters. 

On some of the shots, there has been a slight grain added to make it feel as though it was shot on a retro camera, therefore making the video feel more authentic. Indie artists and the genre in general conventionally use highly saturated, high grain filters on their products to make them stand out and replicate vintage culture which is why they embrace camera shots that are slightly grainy. I would like to replicate these editing styles in my music video as the song has a very happy vibe that matches summer feels.

Mise en scene:

The music video makes use of multiple different mis en scenes that reflect the adventure that the characters have ben on, exploring multiple different locations. I want to include multiple different locations around Leigh on sea to emphasise this idea of a journey or road trip that is mentioned in the lyrics- “hell of a drive” “Nashville to San Francisco”

There is also shots that make use of high verisimilitude, such as the street signs, random cars parked on the roads, houses and sidewalks, which are used to emphasise the beauty of normal, everyday life. The character in Mariposa is seen running down a street that is extremely conventional and can be related to by the audience who will likely have a similar looking street in their neighbourhood. I want to use scenes like this of Hayden and his friends wandering or skateboarding along suburban streets to show the realism of the video, and make the audience able to relate to this coming of age that I hope to present. 

The characters themselves don’t stand out and are dressed in laid back clothes such as shorts and a hoodie in order to reflect the chill vibe and tempo of the song. I think that for my video I will also use this approach as I want the shots to seem as realistic and genuine as possible, so having the characters wear conventional clothes that they feel comfortable in will help.