How do music videos create meaning?

How do music videos create meaning?

Music videos create meaning by using mise-en-scene, which is the props, location, costumes, actions and performance. A music video that I think shows meaning well using all of these aspects is "Earth" song by Michael Jackson.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAi3VTSdTxU
The meaning to this song and video is to show what the human race is doing to the earth and what could happen to the world if we carry on destroying the environment around us, so to show this all in a meaningful video the producers had to make sure that the mise-en-scene was correct.

So to accomplish this they have made sure that as soon as the video starts you know the song is going to be something along the lines of planet earth and how we are destroying it, so to do this they have started the video of with a simple shot of a bird in a calm rain forest, but the mood rapidly changes when the video gets to about 0:33 seconds because a large truck has come into the shot, that is plaguing down the trees surrounding it, it then cuts to a new scene where the rainforest has become a waist land of tree stumps and fires, by doing this they are trying to get across the meaning of death and destruction by showing the damage in the video. The video then carries on to show different scenes and shots of the world being destroyed by the human race and not only the planet but also animals being killed too. Then towards the end of the video it is trying to say that if we come together and fight to save the world we could do just that, so to show this in the video they have different shots of different types of cultured people coming together and praying and hoping for the world to be saved. 

Locations and settings-

In the video there is what seems like two different locations one being where the performer is singing and then another location where the story is happening. However you later on learn that the music video is located in the same location of a rainforest, but because the song is telling the story of how rainforest's are being cut down, the performer is set in the ruins of the rainforest, with just the stumps left of the tree's. By the performer singing in the same location as the story it shows that the performer actually cares what is happening within the story and that it means something to him personally. Another location they use is the African plains where animals such as elephants and zebra's etc. are situated, I am lead to believe they have used this location as well to tell the story of how animals are dying and being hurt and that we should stop.

Lighting and colour-

Within the music video of "Earth" there is a clear difference between the lighting for the performer and the story line. We can tell this because the lighting and colours used around the performer are very dark and dull, using such colours as black's and browns, the only significant colours that stand out are the one's in which are in the flames which is yellow, orange and red, they have added in these colours to the scene because these colours signify danger and warning and the whole song is based on the danger and warning of what's happening on planet earth. Another colour that the actual performer wears is red, he could be wearing this to show is anger towards the world because of the happening. However when you go to the storyline the colours change to quite natural colours of beiges, greens etc. However the colours may be signified as natural but, they are very dim colours, they have done this because they want the colours to match the lyrics and meaning of the song which is quite sad and meaningful.

Character Blocking-

Within the video "Earth" there isn't much character blocking as such because the video it's self isn't about humans, but about nature and how its being damaged. So when it comes to character blocking, either the humans are in front of falling tree's or standing behind dying/dead animals. The part of the video where the humans are blocking the full view of the falling tree's could be trying to signify that we as humans are the cause of the damage.

Costume and props-

One of the main props that stand out in the video is the guns, in which the soldiers hold in one of the scenes, they have been given this prop to show that they have the authority of power over the other people in this scene in the video. The type of costume that the performer wears, is quite ruff and dirty looking, he is wearing this type of costume because it goes well with the location he is in and makes him look as if he has been involved in it someway or another. The colour red that he wears as well, makes us know that he is someone important because red is quite bright vibrant colour.

Camera work-

 The use of camera work has been used very effectively in this music video, especially when on the performer. The use of close up shot's of the performers face are very good because it show's the emotion's on the performers face and how angry he is with what's going on in the video. There is also a tracking shot of the performer walking through the waist land of the destroyed rainforest, this is a good shot because it show's what damage has been done around the world and it also show's that the performer cares about this.

Editing-

One editing technique that works well within the video is that when the music in the video speeds up so does the cutting to different shot's of the video, and is cut to the beat of the video. Another good editing technique they have used is reverse recording, when the tree's are all standing back up again after being cut down, by doing this it may be trying to show that nature is going to start fighting back.