Carol Vernallis theory

Carol Vernallis is a music video theorist.

Her ideas include: The difference in film editing, the role of editing in narrative, meaning and continuity. She explored how image and sound are synchronised (through editing) how close ups and images of star work in music videos and how editing reflects the music.

Continuity Editing:
broken edits to draw attention to the screen and what is happening

Edits:
Allowed to draw attention to themselves deliberately to be interesting. e.g special effects and wipes.

Jump Cuts:
Used a lot to speed things up - songs are usually around 2-4 minutes.

Master Shot:
Also known as the base track which gives the video structure.

Camera:
Usually moves in time with the music to give added rhythm emphasis.
  The simple system for music video editing cuts to the beat however it can be more subtle and vary to/from this. its prime purpose is to reflect the experiential properties of sound. Actions are rarely completed and stories are suggested but not given in full. The camera movement can produce the illusion of an edit where there hasn't been one.

Types of camera shot:
Certain edits and visual elements can mimic the movement of sound, the main edits and framings for this are:

• Extreme high and low angle shots
• canted or tilted shots
• long tracking shots
• unusual pans or tilts
• lively features in the frame (e.g glittery surfaces or rippling light)

Editing function can shift rapidly:

1. Foregrounding musical structure
2. Showcasing star
3. Reflecting experiential features of sound
4. To convey meaning
5. To create aesthetically pleasing visual strands in its own right

The IMAGE of the artist
Carol Vernallis states that at the moment of the stars breaking of the fouth wall, we no longer view the face and body as an object. The singer is mostly at the front and centre of the frame but other parts of the body can have equal weight/significance. The most common camera position in music videos is below the subject and to one side. Often the flow of images is too rich or quick for us to acknowledge or make sense of so a close up gives us something we can focus on or remember.