Planning Editing Styles

Planning Editing Styles

A variety of editing styles are essential within a music video, which helps to finalize the product. This is because this helps to create different effects when the audience are watching as this may be able to represent how the artist is feeling at that particular moment and may help the audience to understand the narrative more clearly as particular editing styles may help to show a significant part in the scene or a location which may make it easier to differentiate between the different time periods in our music video. 

1) When it will be used

2) Is it conventional to your music genre?
3) How does the editing style help to represent your artist?

Black and White Filter

One editing style in which we will use in our music video is the use of a Black and White Filter. This will mainly be used in the performance scenes of the artist on stage which helps to represent how she feels about her career. The darker black colour used within this filter could suggest to the audience that the artist is feeling so low and in a depressive state of mind which is negative, this could also suggest what the album may contain in regards to lyrical content and what the audience should be expecting. This contrasts from the other representation of this editing style as the other predominate colour used is white, suggesting innocence, this could portray the artist as vulnerable as she is also in a low state, the audience may sympathize for the artist as they may be able to relate to this situation. The black and white colours contrast each other as one represents negativity whilst the white represents positivity this could suggest to the audience that this is the artist looking back on her past and is reiterating the music videos narrative. 

Slow Timing of Shots

Another editing style which we aim to incorporate into our music video is the use of slow timing of shots. This will mainly be used in the performance scenes of the artist singing or playing the piano. This is conventional to the soul music genre as it allows the audience to see the emotion in more detail of how the artist is feeling. The slowness of the shots allows more time for the audience to analyse and think deeply and empathize around how they would be feeling too. This technique also helps to again help the audience to understand the narrative more clearly as it is predominately based around the artists feelings and emotion as she is referring back to her childhood before she found fame. This is conventional to our music genre as predominately they like to convey the emotion of the artist to help the audience understand and be able to build a relationship. This does help to show and represent the artist as negative, however can show a different side as a down to earth artist as she is willing to show herself in an emotional state for the benefit of the audience with her natural emotions being shown without being able to try and hide them, this takes a lot for a person so the audience may be able to sympathize and relate to the artist more than they originally would have.

Fast Paced Editing


Another style of shot which we would like to include in our music video is the use of fast paced editing. This style of editing will mainly be used in the scenes in and around London. We aim to use this technique when we have shots of public transport such as buses or when people are walking around the streets. This helps to create a busy and chaotic atmosphere to the music video. This use of editing technique is not conventional to the soul music genre as this does not allow for enough detail of the shot to be shown, for example this does not allow the audience to see the emotion of the artist being portrayed as there is not given enough time to focus on this. However, this technique does help to portray a chaotic scene which could illustrate the state of the artists mind aiming for the audience to think she has a lot going on her head and has a mix of emotion. This however is conventional to the soul genre, a range of varied emotions relating to a specific subject which the audience may be able to relate to, and is a stereotypical representation for the artist as this can help them to be seen as vulnerable, which is understandable and relatable for many, and is also what the audience may expect to see in a soul music video as they are able to sympathize for the artist. 

Overlapping of Shots

The next editing style which we would like to include in our music video is the use of overlapping of shots. This certain editing style will be used when the performance and narrative styles are being used in the music video. Which includes when the artist is wandering in and around London, and whilst she is playing the piano. This is conventional to the soul genre as it again helps to display the chaotic lifestyle which could be interpreted as busy mind and thoughts. This helps to suggest that the artist has many different, and mixed emotions which she is not on top of, helping to show to the audience the extent of her emotions. This in turn, represents the artist as vulnerable as she has many different thoughts and feelings which has left her confused and down. This is a stereotypical convention as most artists in the soul genre are left with unanswered questions and feeling quite vulnerable which helps for the audience and artist to build a relationship as they may be able to relate to this particular situation.

In summary, the editing styles we have selected will in turn allow the target audience to build a relationship. This is because we have thought out and planned the techniques which we will be using in order to appeal to our target audience and create something which we know that they will enjoy, and expect to see. The styles which we have selected also help to portray and represent the artist conventionally which the target audience will be able to see more clearly through the representations of these editing styles and will make them sympathize for the artist more.