Illustration, Amplification and Disjuncture
Illustration
ADORE DELANO - MY ADDRESS IS HOLLYWOOD
Illustration music videos relate to the song almost exactly in terms of visuals. An example of this is Adore Delano's 'My Address is Hollywood', directed by Jayson Whitmore, which is about someone moving to Hollywood and struggling to become a star there. The video shows Adore walking around Hollywood and lip-syncing to her song. Mise en scene is used to portray this with various shots of Hollywood streets and the inside of an expensive house, presumably in Hollywood. An example of this would be at 0:36, with a long shot of the Hollywood skyline, or 3:12, which shows a close-up of her lying on a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The frequency of cuts is fairly quick throughout, creating a sense of excitement and action.
Amplification
DAVID BOWIE - LAZARUS
Amplification is when one idea from the song's lyrics is expanded in the video. An example of this is Bowie's 'Lazarus', directed by Ivo van Hove. Part of the video follows the idea of death, which echoes the lyrics 'look up here, I'm in Heaven'. This idea of death can be seen in the mise en scene of the hospital bed and Bowie's outfit, which looks as if he is ill or dying. There is also an idea of him being controlled (by a strange woman) and wanting to be free, which also reflects the songs lyrics of 'oh I'll be free'. This makes it seem as if the woman is controlling Bowie, and that he wishes to be free from her control. This video was released a few days before Bowie died of cancer, which gave the music video a whole new perspective as it seemed to reflect his struggles with cancer. The lyrics and video create the idea that Bowie is ill and wishes to die to be free of the horrible thing that is controlling him.
Disjuncture
OK GO - I WON'T LET YOU DOWN
Disjuncture is when the music video links to the song in no way whatsoever. An example of this is Ok Go's 'I won't let you down', directed by Kazuaki Seki and Damian Kulash Jr. The song is about being someone to rely on and trust, yet the music video does not create that idea at all. The music video is more focussed on the art - the content of it, the band rolling around a Japanese university with umbrellas and drone shots, is completely irrelevant to the lyrics of the song. The video features lots of bird's eye drone shots, showing the people on the ground making cool shapes with their bodies and umbrellas. This does not reflect the lyrics of the song, which includes the lyrics 'I won't let you down' and 'but maybe all you need is someone to trust'. None of these lyrics suggest umbrellas or drone shots, meaning that their video is an example of disjuncture.
