What Other Media Has Inspired My Music Video

All the Rowboats - Regina Spektor

Artistic creation of sea

The video for all the rowboats is aesthetically one of the most inspiring videos in the making of my own music video. It is very creative with its visual effects by using more handmade looking visuals such as blue lights and netting to represent underwater and clear rough plastic shards to represent water. Using handmade props it gives the video a unique quality which is something that I would like to replicate in my own work.

The entire video has one continuous colour scheme which is predominately shown using lights. Most of the lighting is a dark blue which is symbolic of depth and seriousness. It helps affirm the tone of the song and its emotion. The power of lighting and colour helps show a deep meaning to a song. In the video there is also a mass use of low key lighting and spotlights. Using low key lighting implies that the song is more serious as well as giving it a more toned down feel compared to bright lighting used in happy pop songs. In addition to this, the video uses a spotlight in the form of a lighthouse which is seen at the beginning of the video. Not only does it show continuity throughout the video it shows how spotlights can be used to highlight key props and important people to the song. Regina Spektor herself is often highlighted showing that she is the main artist. It also provides contrast which brings Regina Spektor to the foreground of the video.

Light behind fog

One of feature that I found aesthetically pleasing is the smoke and fog that appears at the beginning of the video. I was rather inspired by the way they used lighting with the smoke to draw the viewers eye to it and make it stand out.

The video includes a variety of different shots, angles a compositions. Some of these elements stood out to me and I found them very inspiring. The use of speed was something I picked out. For the more powerful parts of the song the speed was faster which increased the tension and matched the beat, over all creating something that is more pleasurable to the eye.

The music video for 'All the Rowboats' can be found here.

Kickthepj - PJ Liguori

Use of projections

Pj Liguori, also known under his pseudonym "Kickthepj" is the storyteller of Youtube. His videos are known for their unique visuals and artistic handmade feel of props and other mise en scene items. Two of his most inspirational videos are 'Mirages' and 'Colour Bandits'. They both focus heavily on visuals that match the spoken poetry and music to show the story. Everything from lights to props are thought out and are used to provoke emotion that matches the tone of the song.

Use of yellow lighting

In the video for 'Mirages', PJ uses a projector to project visuals onto a blank wall in which he stands in front of to perform the song. The desert and water video clips combined with the hand-held camera work creates a rough and chaotic tone which conveys the emotion of the song as well as creating a fast paced tempo to match the song. This is an idea I would like to try out and experiment with to try and create the tone of my chosen song. The dark yellow lighting is associated with desert colours so portray the wanted environment accurately and puts the audience's mind into the story and make them feel it for themselves. Lighting is very important to convey the tone of a music video so it is something I would like to use myself in my own music video.

The video for 'Mirages' can be found here.

In the video for 'Colour Bandits' colour contrast is a very important aspect. The video starts with a pure white background and the clothing of the character also strictly white. When the powder paint is introduced it creates a contrast - adding life to the video. The flowing nature of the powder paint creates beautiful visuals when combined with slow motion editing gives the audience something to follow - leading their eyes across the screen to what is important. One of the most inspirational shots for me is where he inhales the powder and blows it out again using the power of editing to reverse the clip. This is something I would also like to experiment as if creates a powerful visual as well as suiting the song's tempo.

Symbolic red paint

When the colour is first introduced into the video it is in this shot to the right. It is a powerful image that uses imagery and colour association. He holds the powder to his chest as if he had been hurt. This image along with the use of the colour red symbolises danger or even blood. I would like to focus on imagery with my chosen song, using mise en scene and colours to imply the story the song is telling.

The video for 'Colour Bandits' can be found here.

Light Tunnels and Moving at Midnight - Sophie Newton 

Both videos share similar visuals and concepts that focus heavily on the use of light projection and smoke. Dance features in both videos as a way of emphasising the music and the beat. This is especially shown in Moving at Midnight where the cut of the video is timed to the music to put focus on the beat. At the end of the video the music builds to a climax so therefore the video matches this as seen in the gif to the left. This is a good effect to use in music videos as it puts the focus on the most important feature - the music. This is something I would use in my own music video as it communicates more of the song than actions would. 


In Light Tunnels the light source is directly behind the subjects and fractures out to resemble the sun or some other form of heavenly light. Like Moving at Midnight, there is a lot of colour and colour symbolism that add further depth to the visuals. By using a single light source it shows up the smoke from the smoke machine more creating a peaceful flowing image that further conveys the tone of the music.   

The video for Moving at Midnight can be found here and the video for Light Tunnels can be found through the following links.

Ride - Twenty One Pilots

The video fro 'Ride' is filmed in one location and in one go rather than on two separate days. What separates the video is the use of light. There is a strong contrast between black and white within the video. The video starts with white being the prominent colour. Instead of being filmed in a different location at a different time to get this white colour, the saturation of the video has been adjusted in editing. The original video is filmed at night so that the main colour is black. 

The quality of the clips that are darker and of better quality as it is the original video. After the saturation has been adjusted the quality drops, making it look pixelated and blurry.

 If I were to use the black and white contrast idea in my own music video I would film in two separate locations or use something else to change the colour. This means the the quality of the video would stay consistent. 

Blue Sushi - Bertie Gilbert and Sammy Paul

'Blue Sushi' is a short film released on Youtube in late 2015. The first scene aesthetically, is one of the most inspiring openings. The entire opening is filmed in reverse, showing the transformation of the main star from their masculine apparel to a feminine dress. As everything is shot in reverse it creates some interesting visuals that have inspired my work. It creates an surreal image that differentiates it from the rest of the video, placing emphasise on its importance. Later on in the film the same sequence is played again but normally. The first time the sequence is played it shows a smiling turing into a frown as she puts on the female apparel. It highlights that as a trans male, the main actor does not feel as comfortable in female clothes. Later on it shows the frown turn into a smile as they have found comfort in wearing male clothes. It shows the positive effect that transition has had on them.