Carol Vernallis - Music Video Theory (The Kindest Cut)

Carol Vernallis explores and identifies editing techniques within her 2001 academic work 'The Kindest Cut' which explores the variable methods found between film/music video editing. She discusses the role of editing in narrative meaning and continuity the way sound and image are synchronised through editing, the impact of star image, the constant close ups of the artist in music videos and how editing reflects the music as a whole.

Carol Vernallis theory can be divided into four main categories, that she believes are the most important concepts that all relate to the way in which the music was originally produced.

- Narrative
- Editing
- Camera movement and framing
- Diegesis

Narrative:
The music video is a visual response to the narrative, meaning that whatever we see on the screen reflects the lyrics of the overall song. However, the narrative can be left incomplete; this allows the music video to be left open to the audiences own interpretation. Music videos usually have a subject driving it forward however it doesn't always have to be the narrative, it could potentially be the music or editing.

0.34 "She will rip you shirt, within a second", visuals
corresponding with the lyrics.

1.51, visual of boy running away from the 'psycho';
wearing a wedding dress and holding an axe

In 2018, Ava Max released the music video for the song "Sweet but Psycho", directed by Shomi Patwary, which continues to follow the narrative of the song, about a girl who is described as "sweet but a psycho" due to her actions described as "she will rip your shirt, within a second"-  this is visually supported with Ava ripping a shirt in conjuction to the lyrics. The video follows the storyline of a girl who invites a boy who she likes round for dinner, but ultimately he declines her affection, leaving her to go to extreme measures to keep the boy in her 'possession'. The visuals support the lyrics with a number of clips, including a dutch angle shot of the boy running down the stairs away from her, who is wearing a wedding dress and holding an axe. The narrative is left incomplete in a sense, as the final few shots convey the male discovering his dead body in the closet, alongside parellel editing of Ava pouring gasoline on the floor, then preceding to light a match. This supports Carol Vernallis' theory of Narrative.

Editing: 
A convention of music video editing is the ideology that it can disturb or even break conventions of continuative editing. Editing and post production can become a vital part of the music video and even be foreground and the basis of the video itself, before any narrative - which diverts from the bounds of continuative editing. Vernallis claims that a music video edit has 4 different identifiable themes and conventions, these are:
- Jump cuts
- Breaking the 30 degree rule
- Cutting to lyrics or the beat of the music
- Juxtaposed frames

0:31 secs, a cut on the beat/lyric.

1min, 8 secs - Nancys hands used to frame the performers

In the 2018 song 'BBoom BBoom' by Korean girl group MOMOLAND. The editing in this video resembles the different identifiable themes and conventions of Carol Vernallis'. Examples leading of this instantly is cutting to lyrics or the beat of the song. We see this in the verse when the member Ahin is singing her part of the song, the background cuts to a different shot of them doing the same choreography, starting off at yellow, cutting to blue (0:31 secs+) There is also juxtaposed framing within the music video, as at 1min 8 secs, Nancys hands are shaped together as a heart, then are zoomed in to frame the girls performing the chorus. Jump cuts are also seen throughout this video, with a secondary narrative of an imitation of what looks like a 'late-night' shopping channel. 

Camera movement and framing:

Carol Vernallis' suggests that "establishing shots are one of the main elements in a music video" (2013), and are frequently used along with close ups of the subject. Vernallis also said that music videos use a lot of master shots also called extreme shots. The camera can also move in time with the lyrics or the beat of the song. The style of framing in music videos are also quite distinctive depending upon the genre of the music video.

1min 54 secs - ELS/Establishing shot of Taylor running
from the wolves on a mountain.

1min 56 secs - following ELS, a close up shot of Taylor
lipsyncing, whilst running "are we in the clear"

In the 2015 music video for 'Out of the Woods' by Taylor Swift, directed by Joseph Khan, features a range of establishing shots of various locations, from a place isolated in snow, a woods, a forest fire and a beach. The specific example I chose as my example is the Mountains location, where Taylor is shown to be running away from wolves that are chasing her. There is an extreme long shot of the scene, with the wolves visually after Taylor as she is running. This is then followed by a close up shot of Taylor from the side, lipsyncing. This is a clear example of Vernallis' analysis of music videos, as it follows this pattern, whilst also holding distinctive framing techniques of particular shots - in conjunction to following the narrative of Taylor running away from the wolves. This is used throughout the rest of the video in the variety of locations used.

Diegesis: 
Diegesis in media terminology is essentially 'the world of music videos'. Carol Vernallis explains in her academic studies that the actions in the video will not always be comparative and can be left un-finished. This essentially means that there could be a lot of repetition of shots and certain frames can seem more distinguished and important than others, which is all down to the way they are shot/framed in post production.

1min 19secs - One of many clips of Ariana on the stairwell,
with visible view to the world behind her.

3mins 9 secs - Ariana taking off her face, whilst
sitting on the ceiling.

In the 2018 music video for 'no tears left to cry' by Ariana Grande, directed by Dave Meyers,  relies mainly on post production in order to portray its visuals. The video features a perception of the world in a square like shape, often shown in numerous shots. One notably repeated throughout the video is Ariana lipsyncing the lyrics on a stairwell, the shots are filmed in various types, some being long shots, some short shots, and some from various angles. This is most memorable and differs from other music videos as it offers an insight into a different reality, where the laws of gravity change - This theme is carried on throughout the video, however, visually seeing the skyline (or should i say skylines) in different variations can be deemed exciting for the viewer. Another shot that seems to stick out in this video is a shot of Ariana physically taking off her face and placing it on the ground, this is very unusual and can be memorable for the viewer - it is worth noting she is sitting on the ceiling in this scene.


Bibliography:

Carol Vernallis (2013) YouTube Music Video, and the New Digital Cinema, 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, Page 10.