Edit Count

Today in class, we discussed to number of edits (cuts) in a music video and their importance. Having different shots help keep the audience's interest and attention- to further look into this, we compared professional-made music videos with student-made ones.

My Neighbour's House

8 cuts in 40 seconds

This is an example of a student-made video. Although the set up is not unlike something we would see in a professional video, the low number of edit cuts make the video seem less interesting and dull.

The Cribs - We Share The Same Skies

23 cuts in 40 seconds

This is an example of a professionally made video. The basic set up is quite similar to the previous student-made one (a band playing instruments). However, The Cribs used different editing methods such as changing the colour to black and white and adjusting the contrast. Most importantly, there are far more cuts, which makes the video more attention-grabbing and less boring to watch.

David Guetta Feat. Rihanna - Who's That Chick?

60 cuts in 40 seconds

This music video uses bright and vivid colours the catch the eyes of the audience. However, the most prominent feature is the dizzying cuts. Although the number of edits go well the music and does a great job with holding the attention of the viewers, this music video could be an example of how too many cuts can have a negative effects (people have complained that this music video made them nauseous).

Rihanna - Stay ft. Mikky Ekko

16 edits in 40 seconds

I chose the music video of Stay by Rihanna because in my opinion, it was the optimal number of cuts. Throughout the music video, we see different shots of Rihanna as she prepares for a bath. Some of the shots (her stripping and water running) are quite short as it doesn't give include any emotional scenes and aren't important. However, the shots of her face (including the close ups or just a wide shot) are quite lengthy as it captures her emotions perfectly (goes along well with the song).