Mixed Board Aesthetics

We see a shift in the aesthetics of music videos during 1980 onwards, Vernallis indicated (2013). Change in distribution of music videos and economic practices of music industry brings a fresh new landscape in music videos. Vernallis understand the influences in style and editing pattern as ‘the mixing board aesthetics’ (2013). One significant characterstic is that visuals adds value to the music. The visual elements explains and elaborates the music with the aid of editing.

Narrative in ‘Ditto’

In the music video of ‘Ditto’ by New Jeans in 2022, we sits in the perspective of Ban Heeseo. It describes the friendship between Heeseo and the other five friends. The six girls enjoys life in school and accompany of each other, with a connection of a DV camera and cassette tapes.

There are apparent and complex narrative elements where a main storyline build upon the music and expanded, which makes the music video inclined to a short drama than just simply for the sake of promoting the song. This can be done with new editing patterns or combining other forms of media.

Experiencing and Interacting

Director uses editing techniques to bring audience into the environment itself – to be specific, switching the ratio between 2.35:1, 16:9 and 4:3. The handheld effect, noises and glitches simulates the situation that we are the person holding the camera, as if we are participating and witnessing the things happening in the video. Especially putting a nostalgic 4:3 ratio and immersive 16:9 ratio back and forth.

A Dialogue

Long shots like this are used here to communicate the authenticity, as a shot without cuts in between implies no interruption for audiences to immerse themselves in the world this music video constructs. It allows empty space for us to make personal interpretations and enables imagination. In this full 13 seconds immersion of ‘Ditto’ world, we interacts with the other five friends, as the identity of Heeseo.

by Hermione Au 33725262

References

NewJeans (2022). NewJeans (뉴진스) ‘Ditto’ Official MV (side A). [Online Video]. Available at: https://youtu.be/pSUydWEqKwE?si=zBpge0kuhNXWB3Rn (Accessed: 24 November 2024).

Vernallis, C. (2013) ‘Music Video’s Second Aesthetic’, in Unruly Media: YouTube, music video, and the New Digital Cinema. Oxford, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 207–233.